Robert Kelly Talks ‘Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll’ Cancellation on ‘Bennington’

Denis Leary’s Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, which just recently wrapped up its second season, was unfortunately cancelled by FX at the beginning of the month. The show’s cancellation is a real shame, as seeing Leary back on the small screen (playing his usual debauchery-prone self) with such a solid cast and fun plot was a really good time. While the show enjoyed killer ratings during its series premiere and subsequent first season, the second season’s ratings are what ultimately brought it down.

During an appearance on SiriusXM show Bennington, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll co-star and New York City comic Robert Kelly revealed to hosts Ron and Gail Bennington that the show simply couldn’t compete with the various events (some planned, some not) that went down while the show’s second season was under way.

“The show got the boot, and it’s sad because I love the show and I love the cast,” Kelly said, clearly disappointed. “It was the ratings. I mean, the first week we had a mass shooting, the second week there was terrorism, the third week was Trump speaking, the fourth week was Hillary speaking, and and then they had the Olympics. It was a rough fucking summer, but whatever, it’s over, you move on.”

Kelly’s turn on the show wasn’t his first time gracing the small screen, and it certainly won’t be his last. He’s a talented comic, one of the most beloved in the NYC scene, and he’s sure to be picked up for another gig soon. That, however, doesn’t take away from the fact that Kelly is genuinely bummed to not be playing Hector “Bam Bam” Jimenez, the drummer in Leary’s fictional rock band The Assassins, anymore.

“It’s a bummer because it was so fun to do,” said Kelly. “Leary and us, we were family. We were a band; we fought, we fuckin’ laughed and all that, so it really hits you like a ton of bricks.”

“I will miss it, it was a fun ride.  Playing the drums, being with them. Leary, Corbett, all them, Elaine and Liz and my man rehab, John Ales.  It’s weird. because this is my life.  All my life I’ve gotten these families- my surrogate families- like in jail, rehab, AA, in comedy. Then you go on the road, the club is your family for the weekend- the waitresses, the manager, blah blah blah. You’re constantly leaving people. So when this ended, I’m like, fuck!

“And it’s weird, cause, where does Bam Bam go? What happens to …what the fuck happens to that dude that people got to fuckin’ know? Whatever you saw him last do….it’s weird.”

One of the biggest questions for Kelly now is whether he’ll continue to play the drums, which he had to learn to play for the role. “Do I still play the drums now? I don’t know what the fuck to do,” he said, not sure whether to carry on Bam Bam’s legacy or not. “The show was the motivation to play, cause I’d learn those songs for the show. that’s what pushed me at 45 to learn a fuckin’ instrument. And now I have this $10,000 electric drum kit and it’s a little too much.”

Kelly is in the middle of his “True Story” tour. For dates visit robertkellylive.com. The Bennington Show airs on SiriusXM’s Raw Dog 99 weekdays from noon to 3pm.

 

Read more comedy news.