JESSE, the 46-year-old vocalist of the rock band RIZE, was arrested on November 7 on suspicion of using cocaine, days after he mocked fans at a sold-out show and as his agency began cancelling his bookings.
The arrest was reported on November 7, according to reports. The suspect, whose real name is Jesse McFaddin Solato, tested positive in a urine test, a sports newspaper reporter said.
It is not his first drugs case. In 2019 JESSE was arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis, along with RIZE bassist KenKen, the younger brother of drummer and actor Nobuaki Kaneko.
Kaneko, 45, commented at the time that the band had produced a "clumsy" result. He said the members were then given regular drug tests led by their agency.
A sold-out arena and a jeer
JESSE had paused activity from January this year, with his agency citing repeated injuries and a need for long-term treatment. He resumed in July.
On November 3 he performed with The BONEZ, a band he runs alongside RIZE, at TOYOTA ARENA TOKYO. The roughly 8,000-capacity show sold out.
Between songs he told the crowd he was nervous about a long set after his break, a music magazine writer said. Fans took the remark as a thank-you for waiting.
He then said he had not wanted to play a venue that big. There were no screens, leaving some seats with a poor view of the stage.
To those seats he called out "You're far!" and "Serves you right!" The tone, the writer said, was mocking.
“I respect JESSE and love him, but this time it was too much.”a fan on social media, after the November 3 show
Cancellations and silence
His agency said on November 9 that it was cancelling his appearances, under The BONEZ name, at events through March next year.
For RIZE, the agency said on November 7 that it would confirm the facts and respond strictly and appropriately.
Kaneko and JESSE grew up together. In 2018, when JESSE paused live work because of cervical radiculopathy, a nerve condition in the neck, Kaneko wrote on X that playing in a band with him until death was one of his life's great goals.
On November 7, Kaneko posted a single line to his Instagram stories: "I've been made a fool of."