Hole’s Courtney Love and Melissa Auf der Maur haven’t performed together in eight years. The separation will end when the two reunite for an upcoming Planned Parenthood benefit, Bans Off My Body. The event takes place at Town Hall in New York City on March 14.
Bass player Melissa Auf der Maur joined Hole shortly after the release of 1994’s commercial breakthrough Live Through This. She played bass and co-wrote a number of tracks on the band’s next album, the Platinum-certified Celebrity Skin.
But Auf der Maur exited the band in 1999 and became a touring member of The Smashing Pumpkins. It was the beginning of the end for Hole, who officially disbanded in 2002.
Watch: Hole – Awful
Love reformed the band in 2010, although it featured a vastly different lineup. Auf der Maur and Eric Erlandson weren’t present, and neither was Hole’s classic lineup drummer Patty Schemel. In their place were guitarist Micko Larkin, bass player Shawn Dailey and drummer Stu Fisher.
This lineup put together Hole’s fourth album, Nobody’s Daughter, in 2010. Reactions were mixed-to-negative, with many questioning why Nobody’s Daughter wasn’t a Courtney Love solo record.
Watch: Courtney Love wins Icon Award at NME Awards
Things started to look up in April 2012, however, when Love, Erlandson, Auf der Maur and Schemel played a two song set at a New York afterparty. It remains Love and Auf der Maur’s most recent public performance together.
The Bans Off My Body benefit is hosted by non-profit reproductive health care organisation Planned Parenthood and the Feminist Institute. Other performers include Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell and his wife Etty and Joan As Police Woman.
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Love was recently honoured with the Icon Award at the 2020 NME Awards. In her acceptance speech she revealed she was 18 months sober. “I can’t believe that and that’s pretty wild,” she said. “Thank so much, I’m very honoured. Thanks a lot.”
