Five years after being dumped by VELVET REVOLVER, the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS have announced that Scott has been "TERMINATED," effective immediately.

The band didn't elaborate, so it's unclear if they plan to continue with a new lead singer . . . if they plan on re-launching a band under a new name . . . or if they just couldn't deal with Scott anymore, and haven't figured out the rest.

However, Scott HAS responded, and it sounds like this caught him by surprise . . . just as he's said it did when Velvet Revolver booted him in 2008.

Scott says, quote, "I learned of my supposed 'termination' from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press.  Not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits . . .

"But that's something for the lawyers to figure out.  In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing all of my fans on my solo tour, which starts this Friday."

 
Interestingly enough, Scott's pre-planned solo tour is based on Stone Temple Pilots' first two albums . . . it's unclear WHY it wasn't an STP tour, but if that rubbed the band the wrong way, Scott seems oblivious to it.

 
Ironically, Scott gave an interview to "Rolling Stone" Tuesday . . . the night BEFORE the termination announcement . . . and he insisted that he had NOT been fired.

Here's some background:  Late last year, Scott said he was "completely open" to reuniting with Velvet Revolver . . . but SLASH later said that wasn't happening, and that he thought Scott only wanted to do it because he'd been fired from STP.

In the "Rolling Stone" interview, Scott said, quote, "STP has not broken up.  I haven't quit.  I haven't been fired.  Slash doesn't know anything about STP.  We're talking right now about when we want to tour next."
 

So apparently Slash knew MORE about the state of STP than Scott did.)

He added, quote, "My personal feeling is that we need some new blood in the band."  By "new blood," he didn't mean a new singer, of course, he meant a new ALBUM.

He went on, quote, "We've been playing the same greatest hits set since we got back together.  I'd like to make a new record.  It will breathe new life into the group."  (--They did release a new album back in 2010.)

Scott also admitted that STP has been going through a rocky period.  He said, quote, "There were some hurt egos.  But that's the way it is.  No one has ever fired anybody in STP.  We're like a family.  It's also a partnership . . .

"We've taken time off before.  They've done their own projects and I fully support that.  No one has been fired and I haven't quit.  That's all hearsay."

 Yeah yeah yeah... Scott will be in INDY on March 23rd.