/ 1 September 2003

Riding the storm again — without Morrison

The Doors are trying to light a fire among audiences minus the Lizard King, and they don’t care if people disapprove of their attempt to revive the group without Jim Morrison.

”I suppose there’s always going to be those hardcore naysayers who believe that if it’s not Jim Morrison, it’s not the Doors,” said Robby Krieger, one of two original band members in the new Doors.

”I don’t really care what those people think,” the 57-year-old guitarist added. ”If they don’t want to come to the show, they don’t have to. It’s not a problem. Believe me, those who have come to see us have loved it.”

Krieger and Ray Manzarek, also an original member, formed the group again last fall, more than 30 years after Morrison’s death in Paris.

The Cult’s Ian Astbury filled the Morrison role at a weekend concert, leather pants and all.

”He just seemed the most realistically interested,” according to Krieger. ”Obviously, Ian’s always been influenced by Morrison. He’s sort of very similar to Morrison in many ways: he’s Scottish-English, which Jim was, and he’s interested in shamanism and American Indians and all that stuff. He just seemed like the right guy. It felt right when we played with him.” — Sapa-AP