Rock band Stone Temple Pilots, whose reunion has been overshadowed by singer Scott Weiland's latest controversy, will launch a 65-date tour of North American amphitheaters next month.

The announcement came two days after Weiland was ousted from Velvet Revolver, the all-star band he ditched Stone Temple Pilots for in 2003.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Velvet Revolver cited his "increasingly erratic on-stage behaviour and personal problems."

Weiland angrily countered the next day that his bandmates were "discontents" engaged in a "a blatant and tired excuse to cover up the truth," which was that the band had not been getting along for some time.

STP last toured in 2002, playing about a dozen shows to promote their final album, Shangri-La Dee Da, which was released the year before.

The band, whose momentum was often curtailed by Weiland's frequent drug problems, fell apart shortly afterward.

The band's popularity had been waning anyway, with sales falling far short of those for their first few albums, which boasted such hits as Sex Type Thing, Vasoline and Interstate Love Song.

But last year's follow-up, Libertad, has sold only 288,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.// Reuters