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Rock group Primus has announced longtime drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander's unexpected departure from the band. On Wednesday, October 30, 2024, the group took to their X to reveal Herb informed them of his departure in an email "effective immediately sent (on October 17).
Les Claypool and Larry "Ler" LaLonde explained that the move "came as a complete shock." The message continued:
"After several attempts to communicate with Herb, his only response was another email stating that he has ‘lost his passion for playing.’ As disappointing as that is, we respect his choice and it’s forced us to make some tough decisions."
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Primus was formed in El Sobrante, California, in 1984. It initially consisted of Claypool, Todd Huth, and Jay Lane. However, the latter two left the group by 1989 and were replaced by Herb and Ler. The band is known for its eccentric music, songwriting, and themes.
The classic Primus lineup comprised of Les, Ler, and Herb
Les Claypool first began playing with Todd Huth under the name Primate. The duo was initially accompanied by a LinnDrum drum machine until Les' friend Vince "Perm" Parker joined them. The trio recorded the band's first demo. Parker was soon replaced by Peter Libby and the group was renamed Primus. They recorded their second demo.
Libby was shortly replaced by Robbie Bean, who was replaced by Tim "Curveball" Wright in 1986. Wright remained until 1988. That year Wight left and Jay Lane took his place, recording the band's demo Sausage (line up of Les, Todd, and Jay).
After recording the demo, Lane left to join his previous group, Freaky Executives. Huth, too, left shortly after to be with his family (he became a father). Around the time, Claypool recorded the album The Sane Asylum with his other band, Blind Illusion, which featured Larry "Ler" LaLonde in its lineup.
Les and Ler left Blind Illusion to reform Primus in 1988. In January 1989, Tim "Herb" Alexander joined the duo, forming their classic lineup. The trio then went on to record some of the band's best works together.
Following is a list of all group members:
Les Claypool
Les is the founder, lead singer, bassist, and songwriter for Primus. The musician is known for his distinctive style, incorporating slapping, tapping, and flamenco-style strumming. Rolling Stone named him in a list of the greatest bass players of all time. The publication, citing Claypool's interview with The Fretless Bass, wrote:
"One of the big things I decided to do when I was starting out was to play with three fingers. A lot of guys play with two fingers, so I figured if I played with three, I could be faster."
According to his profile on All Music by Greg Prato, Claypool's musical influences include Rush's Geddy Lee, Yes' Chris Squire, and Paul McCartney. In addition to playing for Primus, Les has several side projects, including The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Oysterhead, and Sausage (named after his demo with Huth and Lane).
Les married Cheney Claypool in 1995, and they together have two children, Cage Oliver and Lena Tallulah.
Larry "Ler" LaLonde
LaLonde joined Primus in 1988 as a guitarist and has held the position since. Ler hails from Oakland, California. According to the band's profile on Metallian, he joined the heavy metal band Possessed in 1984, serving as their guitarist till 1987.
In a 2020 interview with Billboard, Les explained that LaLonde was the second guitarist for Blind Illusion, which he was a part of. At the time, Jay Lane had to leave Primus due to a record deal with his previous band, Freaky Executives, and Todd Huth, too, left as he had a baby. With no other member, Les was out of options. He told the publication:
"I happened to know Ler from another band that I was kinda moonlighting for and I said, “Hey you wanna join the band?” I didn’t even know how well he could play because he was the second guitarist in a metal band. We were just good buddies, but he came down and learned all of Todd’s parts."
In a 1991 article by Rolling Stone, Ler revealed he learned guitar from Joe Satriani.
Les also revealed that LaLonde was a big fan of Frank Zappa. He also formed a cover band dedicated to his favorite guitarist, called Caca.
Tim "Herb" Alexander
Herb joined Primus in January 1989 as a drummer. According to his profile on Drummer World, before joining the group, he played with Major Lingo, a ska-based rhythm band.
He's known for his dynamic and polyrhythmic style of playing. In his interview published in The Fretless Bass (2008), Les praised Tim's drumming, stating:
"(He) is a very precise player. Even when we're really stretching on something, you can rarely tell that we're still a band that doesn't rehearse much. And a huge part of that is because of Tim."
Alexander left the Primus in 1996 before rejoining in 2003 and again in 2010, rejoining in 2013. While this is his third departure from the band, he remains the longest-serving drummer.
Following Herb's departure in 1996, he formed his own group, Laundry, which signed with Claypool's label Prawn Song Records. He is a frequent collaborator of experimental bass player Michael Manring and guitarist Alex Skolnick (the trio formed the group Attention Deficit).
According to a July 2016 article by Rolling Stone, Alexander suffered from a heart attack in 2014 and underwent open heart surgery for the same. He suffered a second heart attack in 2016.
According to his June 2024 interview on the Drum History Podcast, Tim and his wife started the Stick Academy, which teaches drums.
Other notable members and drummers over the years
While Herb has been the longest-serving drummer, several notable musicians have played the instrument for Primus. Here is a list of other notable band members:
- Todd Huth - guitarist from 1984 to 1988. Left to dedicate time to his family.
- Vince "Perm" Parker - a friend of Claypool, played drums briefly (less than a year)
- Peter Libby - drummer, played briefly
- Robbie Bean - drummer, played briefly
- Tim "Curveball" Wright - drummer from 1986 to 1988
- Jay Lane - drummer, played briefly in 1988 before he returned to his previous band Freaky Executives. Joined again in 2010 after Tim left the second time.
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia - joined as drummer from 1996-2000 after Tim left. He toured with Primus sporadically till 2010.
Tuesday's announcement continued to state that the band will perform their annual New Year's Eve show in Oakland, California, with members of Holy Mackerel and Frog Brigade (Claypool's other bands) in a "special, one-time event."
Tool drummer Danny Carey will join the group for their concert at the Dominican Republic festival. Additionally, they would begin a search for "the Greatest Drummer on Earth" for Maynard James Keenan’s Sessanta tour in 2025.
Herb has not publicly commented on the development.
