PERRY: I'm Not Going To Sit Around For Two Years Waiting For TYLER To Come Back To AEROSMITH

The Calgary Herald conducted an interview with AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry ahead of the band's September 10, 2010 appearance at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

On when fans will have a chance to see the Boston hard rock band in action again:

"Technically speaking, after the gig in Vancouver (on Sept. 16),I don't have a job with AEROSMITH. We know these are the last shows for awhile. And I really do mean awhile. I don't know when we'll be out there again, the five of us, so we'll be playing with everything we've got."

On learning through the media that singer Steven Tyler was up for a second job as a judge on the reality TV singing competition "American Idol":

"(The whole group) sat down not too long ago, when we decided to do this tour, and we basically laid out plans for the next two years. And when you're sitting there talking about that and one of the band members knows full well he's signed a contract that's taking him out of the music business for up to seven months of the year — that kind of throws a wrench into things . . . It's all very well to say, 'I'm going to go off and do this and it won't interfere with the band . . .' but there's only so many weeks in the month and so many months in the year."

On what Perry and the rest of AEROSMITH plans to do while Tyler gets busy on the side with a variety of projects, including "American Idol" and his long-awaited autobiography:

"I'm not going to sit around for two years waiting for him to come back to AEROSMITH. (You've got) four guys that are great together, and if you find the right singer, there's no reason you can't go and entertain people."

On the incident at AEROSMITH's Toronto show at Air Canada Centre where Tyler hip-checked Perry and Perry responded with a bump of his own, causing Tyler to lose his balance, falling from the stage:

"He's got this thing in his head that it's cool when the guys in the band bump into each other. Nobody else in the band feels that way. . . . Leave me alone when I'm playing."

On his thoughts on "American Idol":

"It's a reality show designed to get people to watch that station and sell advertising. It's one step above ('Teenage Mutant') 'Ninja Turtles'.

"I'll tell you one thing, when we put this band together, this is not something that (Steven Tyler) would do.

"It's his business, but I don't want AEROSMITH's name involved with it. We have nothing to do with it."

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