SCORPIONS Issues Statement Regarding Drummer James Kottak's Arrest In Dubai - "We Don't Know Any Details At This Point"
May 1, 2014, 10 years ago
It was recently reported that SCORPIONS drummer James Kottak has been jailed in Dubai for one month for getting drunk, cursing Muslims, making an indecent gesture to a group of passengers and removing his pants at the airport, according to GulfNews.com. The American musician also allegedly insulted policemen.
The Scorpions have issued the following statement regarding the incident:
"Dear fans, when James Kottak arrived in Dubai on April 3th, he ran into problems at immigrations and got busted. Whatever happened is totally out of our control and we don’t know any details about it at this point. For the concerts in Germany Johan Franzon, a swedish drummer, will take James seat. Please understand, we keep you posted."Kottak was arrested at Dubai airport on April 3rd. He was in transit. Kottak was flying from Russia and was on the way to Bahrain to perform at the Formula I concert when he was arrested.
Kottak, 51, has been fined Dh2,000 for drinking and will be deported. He admitted to drinking, but denied gesturing indecently in public and cursing Muslims. His lawyer had earlier argued that Kottak did not commit an indecent act, but only wanted to show his tattoo on his back to the public.
Stay tuned for updates on this situation.
Scorpions rocked the 10th anniversary of the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix without James Kottak. Mark Cross (TAINTED NATION, FIREWIND, OUTLOUD, HELLOWEEN, METALLIUM) pounded the skins for the setlist below.
Check out fan-filmed footage from the performance:
(Thanks to The Greek Sting Fanclub for the setlist photo)
