LAST night’s Stone Temple Pilots comeback gig at Irving Plaza was intended to be a redemption of sorts for troubled frontman Scott Weiland.
In 1998, the flamboyant singer — who was released from jail on New Year’s Eve after serving time for breaching his probation on drug charges — had to cancel a planned solo gig at Irving Plaza after being arrested for drug possession hours before he was due on stage.
“It’s rather fitting to be playing Irving Plaza,” he told The Post yesterday. “Playing this special, small venue is kind of a nice little gesture to the people who were unable to come to that [canceled] show.
“At the time [of the arrest] I just wanted to get bailed out — I was dope-sick and starting to go through withdrawal. Later, I felt really horrible about it — the reality hit me that there were fans waiting to see that show and they were let down, as well as the fans in the other cities where the tour was canceled.”
Weiland, 32, has carried on a high-profile battle with heroin addiction since 1995, leading to several canceled tours, arrests and stints in rehab, as well as a strained relationship with his bandmates.
He hit rock-bottom when he overdosed last July and was subsequently jailed for violating his probation, just as The Stone Temple Pilots were preparing to tour in support of their new album, “No. 4,” released in October.
But since their frontman’s release from Los Angeles County Jail last Dec. 31 after serving five months of a year-long sentence, the band has hit the road.
The multi-platinum hard rockers, whose hits include “Creep” and “Vasoline,” played a well-received gig at the House of Blues in Los Angeles last month and plan to tour the country through the summer.
Weiland — who will marry model Mary Forsberg in Los Angeles on May 21 — has been “clean” for nine months, and is currently traveling with a former drug counselor who’s also in recovery, a man Weiland describes as “another sober friend trudging the same path I am.”
The flashy frontman, who often wears black eyeliner and outlandish glam-rock outfits, said the dynamic within the group has improved dramatically since he’s been off drugs.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, like when you have a family reunion on Christmas Eve.”
He says his jail experience also altered his outlook.
“In jail, being clean, you’re stripped of basically everything and you learn to find solace and appreciation in the little things in life — conversations with people, getting letters from your fiancée, family and friends.”
He credits his fiancée and band mates Eric Kretz and Dean and Robert DeLeo with keeping him on the straight and narrow.
“They’ve been very supportive — they’ve backed me up all the way,” he said.