Hole Reunion Teased: Courtney Love Hints at Tour with Melissa Auf der Maur

After decades since their last performance with the original lineup, a Hole reunion appears increasingly likely. Courtney Love has sparked speculation with a series of social media posts hinting at a potential tour featuring bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.

Social Media Buzz

On Tuesday, Courtney Love posted a video on Instagram of Melissa Auf der Maur set to Hole’s 1998 hit, “Malibu.” Love captioned the post, tagging Auf der Maur’s account, with the question: “So do we share the kids about the tour?” Rolling Stone reports that Auf der Maur responded to the post with, “it starts with eternal love ….”

Love also reposted a photo from the Chateau Marmont on her Instagram story, originally taken a few months before the release of Hole’s album Celebrity Skin in September 1998. The image features Love, Auf der Maur, and guitarist Eric Erlandson.

Recent Performances and Past Reunions

This latest development follows a recent surprise performance by Love with Billie Joe Armstrong’s cover band, the Coverups, in London, where she alluded to returning to Hole, stating, “Later, I’ll be back in Hole.” SPIN notes that a potential tour would mark over two decades since the band’s final run with the original lineup, The Attractive Monsters Tour, which was co-headlined by Marilyn Manson in 2002.

Hole did reform with a different lineup between 2009 and 2012.

Documentary and Memoir

The possibility of a reunion coincides with the release of Antiheroine, a new documentary about Courtney Love, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. A review in Rolling Stone highlighted the film’s “blunt, borderline-brutal honesty” and its exploration of Love’s self-acceptance.

Adding to the momentum, Melissa Auf der Maur is preparing to release her memoir, Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A 90s Rock Memoir, on March 17. The book details her experiences growing up in Montreal and her musical journey with bands like Tinker, Hole, and Smashing Pumpkins. SPIN reports that the memoir chronicles her time with both Hole and Smashing Pumpkins.

Past Statements on Reunions

Courtney Love has previously expressed conflicting views on a Hole reunion. In a 2021 interview with Stereogum, she dismissed the idea, stating, “No absolutely not. And you guys have gotta get over it.” However, in 2023, she indicated a willingness to revisit the project while onstage with Billie Joe Armstrong’s Coverups.