Sublime Reuniting With Replacement Singer?

Attention Sublime fans, your wildest dreams are about to come true! Well, almost…

There’s no talk of a new album or an official tour, but sources indicate that surviving members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums) are practicing with a so-far-unnamed singer/guitarist. Word is that the ‘new’ Sublime will perform for the first time in 13 years  at East Rutherford, NJ’s The Bamboozle in May alongside NOFX.

It’s unknown whether these rumors are true or false, but either way, this is very exciting news! Sublime fell off the face of the earth after the tragic death of singer Bradley Nowell in May of 1996. By the time I picked up my first Sublime record, “40 Oz. to Freedom,” two years had gone by since Nowell’s passing, so my hopes for seeing them were crushed from the get-go.

Honestly though, I’m on the fence about how enjoyable Sublime would be with a replacement singer. Truth is (if you’ve ever seen Sublime live or a video of one of their performances), Nowell was the centerpiece of the band, and it was his wild antics and soulful voice that drove the shows. I expect that if this rumor is true, the band will receive a lot of criticism, just like the Misfits and the Smashing Pumpkins when they reunited with replacement members.

Either way, I’m just excited that there’s a possibility of actually seeing Sublime, one of the most influential bands of mine and many others’ adolescence, in some reincarnation.

What do you think of a Sublime reunion (sans Nowell)?