What the Hell Is Going on With Journey?

In 2001, an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music focused on the history of the band Journey. Watching it at the time suggested far more behind-the-scenes drama than the group’s anthemic music suggested — especially surrounding the late-90s departure of vocalist Steve Perry, who sang on the band’s biggest hits. Watching it at the time, one might have thought that that would be the apex of intra-band conflict.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case at all. And if you’re remotely curious about what other issues the band is facing these days, read on.

So, what’s happening with Journey? A recent article from SFist reports that the band’s longest-tenured members, Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain, have hired bodyguards while the band continues touring. The purpose of said bodyguards? Keeping Cain out of Schon’s dressing room, and vice versa.

Is this the first time Cain and Schon have clashed? No. An epic Billboard article chronicles the bad blood between the two, which includes Schon suing Cain over Cain’s refusal to let him use Journey’s corporate American Express card. For his part, Cain has argued that Schon has used the Journey card for personal expenses.

Is the band doing anything to calm things down? Maybe. In December, Journey hired a new manager, Mike Kobayashi, in the hopes that they would be able to resolve the drama. Though according to Billboard‘s report, Kobayashi is no longer working with the group.

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It’s not the first time they’ve sent a cease and desist letter to a political campaign

Does any of this have to do with politics? Seems like it! Though it might be more accurate to say that it’s not about politics as much as it’s about being political at all. Late last year, Schon sent Cain a cease-and-desist letter after the latter performed at Mar-a-Lago in a set that included some Journey songs. “Although Mr. Cain is free to express his personal beliefs and associations, when he does that on behalf of Journey or as a representative of the band, such conduct is extremely deleterious to the Journey brand as it polarizes the band’s fans and outreach,” the letter stated.

What’s next for the band? Journey’s tour continues. According to their website, they have shows booked through May of this year.