Opening for Bad religion tour

I'll be at the San Antonio show if anyone wants to get a beer.

Totally stoked. I'm goin to the chicago show!

Laura just tweeted that they're pulling out.

@LauraJaneGrace: Unfortunately we have to cancel our upcoming tour dates with Bad Religion and Polar Bear Club. Full statement here... http://t.co/YMp965TAIO

BAD RELIGION TOUR CANCELLATION

Unfortunately we have to cancel all of our appearances scheduled for the upcoming tour with Bad Religion and Polar Bear Club.
Canceling a tour is definitely not a decision we would make lightly. At this moment, due to our current uncertainty over who is going to be playing drums with us, we feel like we are lacking the ability to put on the show our fans deserve and we think that the best thing for us to do right now is take some time to regroup and finish a record.
Our most sincere apologies to Bad Religion, Polar Club and all of the agents and promoters involved with the tour but most importantly to the fans who were coming out to see us.
If anyone who bought tickets doesn’t want to go to the show now or walks away from the show feeling disappointed we’ll definitely do our best to accommodate some spots on our guest list next time we pass through your town, which hopefully won’t be too long from now.

Oh god dammit, just saw this on twitter. Well good thing I didnt buy tix in advacne for all three shows by me (PA NY NJ) only NY terminal 5.

Well.... who wants 2 tix to Terminal 5 for $70

FUCK. I have 3 tickets for Boston....

sucks for people who already bought tickets but heck yeah new album!

So is Atom Willard not in the band anymore?

No he was just helping out in Australia. It was a temporary thing.

I'm really bummed about this. Brooks has served as a fill-in drummer more than once before, they should've gotten him to do it.

Call me selfish, but this is the best news from the band in a long time. I know the record should be less important than the tour, but the record is what I like most and this means it'll be done sooner (read: done FINALLY)

Also I was just reading the drummer for Polar Bear Club's twitter page, and back when Jay left he was totally one of the people who offered to play drums for AM! on short notice. So he could've done it too. I mean I have no idea how good of a drummer he is, but I'm just saying I think they could have tried harder to find a replacement when they had a commitment. There are clearly tons of people who would jump at the chance to play with them.

that's true but Laura also said something like she was tired of temporary and she wanted a permanent drummer who could finish an album

bleedingheart wrote:

Also I was just reading the drummer for Polar Bear Club's twitter page, and back when Jay left he was totally one of the people who offered to play drums for AM! on short notice. So he could've done it too. I mean I have no idea how good of a drummer he is, but I'm just saying I think they could have tried harder to find a replacement when they had a commitment. There are clearly tons of people who would jump at the chance to play with them.

The key is putting on "a show the fans deserve". sure you could use PBC's drummer, but it would be a lackluster performance with a tired drummer every night. And even if they found the perfect drummer tomorrow.... the tour starts in less than a week, you can't just jump in with a new drummer, you have to find your groove with him, get used to the way he plays. Drummers are not band members who can come and go willy nilly, its the heartbeat of the band, and I think its respectable they dont want to compromise on the caliber of performance their fans have come to know. Sellouts my ass. Having said all this, Im super fucking bummed.

SinsPastSainthood wrote:

The key is putting on "a show the fans deserve". sure you could use PBC's drummer, but it would be a lackluster performance with a tired drummer every night. And even if they found the perfect drummer tomorrow.... the tour starts in less than a week, you can't just jump in with a new drummer, you have to find your groove with him, get used to the way he plays. Drummers are not band members who can come and go willy nilly, its the heartbeat of the band, and I think its respectable they dont want to compromise on the caliber of performance their fans have come to know. Sellouts my ass. Having said all this, Im super fucking bummed.

Yes, but they've really had a lot longer than a week. The tour was announced a month and a half ago. Why would you agree to doing a tour if one of your members has other commitments and you don't have a replacement for them?

...Also I didn't call them "sellouts", I hate that stupid insult and I wouldn't say that. But someone dropped the ball here and I don't think the explanation offered fully explains it.

I personally think that if you consider the following:

- They've been talking about this album for a while and promoting the songs in live shows for a very long time now
- They've been recording this in chunks and it's been very disjointed at best when it has come to getting work done on it
- Allowing themselves to be interrupted by consistent touring while the album sits on the shelf
- How badly it looks that they've been booking tours, promoting the songs on the album, and at the same advertising the fact they're "recording an album" when they haven't done much yet
- The drummer situation

And combine them all together, it makes perfect sense why they cancelled this tour. When I first heard this tour, I was a little surprised. The fans want the album. Laura's transgender news sparked a huge interest in the band. Now is the time to get an album out and pull in new fans, piggy backing on what's left of the media frenzy.

I know we don't like to talk about marketing and labels and making new fans when it comes to our beloved Against Me!, but if they're going to try and do this album themselves, they need as much popularity and support as possible.

Pairing headlining live shows with a finished album that they can promote and that people can physically buy and take home with them is far better than trying to tackle gender issues via Twitter and through tours where they play as an opening band.

I'm glad they cancelled. I feel bad for those that spent the money, but trust me, this can only mean bigger and better things for the future of this band.

I'm in this shit for the long haul. Whatever will make the record sound the best and give them the longest career possible I am 100% okay with. I'm sure this past year has been nuts for the band, so what good would another tour with a different drummer do? What's one opening slot on a tour in the big scheme of things? I don't like going to shows where they don't get an encore anyway! Their encores rule.

...Also I didn't call them "sellouts", I hate that stupid insult and I wouldn't say that. But someone dropped the ball here and I don't think the explanation offered fully explains it.[/quote]

Wasnt referring to you, just to the criticism of the decision in general

Raccoon wrote:

Pairing headlining live shows with a finished album that they can promote and that people can physically buy and take home with them is far better than trying to tackle gender issues via Twitter and through tours where they play as an opening band.

True enough. I just think it was very poor judgement to announce the tour in the first place if they weren't going to follow through. I guess there was a reason I thought a BR/AM! tour sounded too good to be true.

But hey, I will be as stoked as anyone else if this means they actually finish the record soon. How long have they been working on it now, over a year?

I mean you just don't say no to Bad Religion. I can't imagine how bummed they are.

I know it's gotta be killing Laura, Andrew and James. I know how upset they feel for letting down their fans, I'm sure today is hell day from phone calls, tweets, emails etc from fans and "business people". I'm disappointed but hopefully it helps to create more beautiful music, faster. Catch em next time they're in New York or Chicago then

im a fan, still will be, but this is showing a lack of professionalism(?) if you have a drummer situation, thats fine, but dont book a tour then. figure things out 1st and go from there. unless they thought atom was sticking for a bit this is bad form. some of us have to save up for and move schedules around to be able to go to concerts and to cancel is weak, sorry, just my opinion.
i dig bad religion, but wouldn have been going just for them. now im stuck with a ticket for a show i doubt i can get refunded because the shows still happining. just really dissapointed

I think everyone will survive. first time they've fucked up ever, we can forgive

nickwire wrote:

im a fan, still will be, but this is showing a lack of professionalism(?) if you have a drummer situation, thats fine, but dont book a tour then. figure things out 1st and go from there. unless they thought atom was sticking for a bit this is bad form. some of us have to save up for and move schedules around to be able to go to concerts and to cancel is weak, sorry, just my opinion.
i dig bad religion, but wouldn have been going just for them. now im stuck with a ticket for a show i doubt i can get refunded because the shows still happining. just really dissapointed

I am certain this tour was at least planned if not announced when Jay was still drumming.