Red Dragon Cartel have lost bassist Greg Chaisson – just a week after vocalist DJ Smith split with the band.
Chaisson – a former Badlands colleague of mainman Jake E Lee – joined last summer in place of Ron Mancuso. His exit comes two weeks before the start of a North American tour. He’s been replaced by Anthony Esposito of Lynch Mob and Ace Frehley fame.
Chaisson reports: “I’m afraid to say real life just jumped right up and got in the way of my good time. I can no longer take any more time away from my regular job.
“I want to thank everyone in the Red Dragon Cartel organisation, and most of all, my best friend Jake E Lee. They will continue without me – and it will be fantastic as always.”
Lee says: “We wish Greg the best, and are grateful for the time that we had him.”
With vocalist Michael Beck confirmed as Smith’s replacement, Lee and drummer Jonas Fairley are the only remaining original members of the band that appeared last year.
Their self-titled debut was Lee’s first after more than two decades away from the music business. In May the former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist said he was resisting calls to record a follow-up – and he’d consider shutting the band down if the pressure became too much.
