While the official word is still "no word" from the Replacements camp on the possibility of more dates in 2014, fans can at least read between the lines in today's Guns N' Roses concert news that there won't be any 'Mats gigs in March or April. More scheduling conflicts would arise, too, should hints of more GNR dates prove true.
It's easy to forget, given the relative low profile of GNR in recent years, but Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson is still employed by Axl Rose and committed to play any and all shows with him in 2014. In fact, the Minneapolis native's 15-year tenure makes him the longest-serving GNR member after keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Rose himself (Slash, by comparison, was only in the group for about eight functional years). Stinson didn't have any trouble fitting in the Replacements' three reunion gigs last August and September since GNR didn't play any shows after mid-July.
GNR's newly announced March 16-April 9 tour dates in South America, however, might be a different story. The tour would likely put the kibosh on the Replacements performing at the Coachella Music Festival (first weekend: April 11-13), whose organizers reportedly tried to woo them in years past. Same thing with any sort of 'Mats pop-up gig at the South by Southwest Music Conference, which would've been very unlikely anyway; but we said the same thing when Prince rumors surfaced at SXSW last year.
Of course, there's probably no need to be concerned that either the Replacements or Guns N' Roses will want to work TOO MUCH this year and force Tommy to choose between the two. So don't panic 'Mats fans.
