THE QUIREBOYS‘ founding frontman Spike has fired back at his former bandmates, saying that he has “no intention” of walking away from the group.
After the British rock stalwarts announced last month that they had parted ways with Spike and “will continue as a five-piece with all other current members,” he responded with a statement of his own, saying that he had received “a letter from three of my band members informing me that my services are no longer required to sing or perform with them.”
Earlier today, THE QUIREBOYS released a lengthy new statement in which they accused Spike of “refusing” to speak to them and “consistently declining” to meet and discuss band issues over the course of the past nine months. They also claimed that they had “been trading as THE QUIREBOYS through a business registered with Companies House & HMRC for many years, a company Spike was asked to join but declined, preferring instead to be hired on a freelance basis, ‘cash in hand’.” They reiterated that “Spike does not legally own the band or the name.”
Just hours later, Spike, whose real name is Jonathan Gray, released a response to THE QUIREBOYS‘ statement, insisting that he holds the trademark to THE QUIREBOYS name and accusing his former bandmates of trying to “discredit” him by “say[ing] anything about me they see fit, whether it’s true or not.”
Spike‘s full statement reads as follows:
“Once again, I find myself having to clarify points made about me that are untrue, misleading and somewhat dismissive – and at a time when I have aimed to be dignified, respectful – and avoided proactive attempts to make divisive statements.
“Personally, in recent weeks I have been focussed on supporting two dear friends who are seriously ill and, well, there are sometimes more important things in life than shouting about band line-ups. Given what so many people have been through in the last two years, I’m sure many will understand the need for empathy, dignity and perspective.
“First and foremost, I would like to put the music fans first and thank THE QUIREBOYS fans from the bottom of my heart for the enormous show of friendship and support in the last week. It has meant so much at a difficult time and I’ve needed some time to process the shock of events in the last week. However they now try to re-cast events, I was not expecting their letter and it had a brutal, cold conciseness to it that was so sad.
“Looking forward, I would like to make clear that I have not resigned or walked away from my own band, THE QUIREBOYS, and I have no intention of doing so. As the founder, only original member and singer of THE QUIREBOYS, this is my band, I created the intellectual property that made the band distinctive. Further, I hold the trademark to THE QUIREBOYS name and I also have the name registered with Companies House. My former band members, I believe, work under a different business name – not THE QUIREBOYS. With Guy Bailey, I penned the benchmark QUIREBOYS songs – such as Hey You, I Don’t Love You Any More and 7 O’Clock – which have defined the band musically for decades and, to this day, remain the hallmark songs of any QUIREBOYS show.
“During lockdown, the band was inactive as a touring entity and various things made us grow apart, which was sad. I invited them to play the Dice FM show which was declined. As lockdown ended in early Summer 2021, I set out to do some informal acoustic shows to help get people back into small, local venues. To be clear, THE QUIREBOYS were not touring at this time and were in fact rescheduling shows into 2022. They were not active. I was greatly saddened at this time that there were attempts and threats by a band member to disrupt these shows, specifically of me doing some impromptu gigs as Spike from THE QUIREBOYS – which I have always been. Subsequently, I was shocked to then find myself locked out from THE QUIREBOYS social media accounts without any explanation. It was around this time that I went into the studio to record the vocals for the re-recorded version of ‘A Bit of What You Fancy’. Despite writing these songs with Guy Bailey, no one personally sent me a copy of the final recordings or artwork. In my mind this said a lot about a lack of friendship or respect towards me.
“Things like this add up and, sadly, change the dynamic between members of a band. The attempt with today’s Facebook post to discredit me is riddled with inaccuracies. I’m shocked and appalled some of my former band members think it’s fair game to say anything about me they see fit, whether it’s true or not. To some, the post may read like an attempt to claw back favour after the understandable fan reaction to their decision to sack me last week.
“Despite the breakdown of relations during the pandemic, band members have seemingly booked some shows without my prior agreement. I understand they now need to honour these commitments but they will need to move forward under a new name.
“I will return with a new QUIREBOYS line up. In fact some of you will probably recognise a few of them.
“All that’s for another day. For now, I have some solo dates to play, some personal matters to attend to – and then it’ll be time to plan the new era for THE QUIREBOYS. I would never quit the band that’s been my life, in the same way I’d never walk out on my fans that rightly expect me to front a band I started – a band called THE QUIREBOYS.
“I will be seeing you at shows and at the bar for a drink very soon.
“God bless, Spike“.
THE QUIREBOYS most recently performed without Spike aboard this year’s Monsters Of Rock cruise, which departed out of Miami, Florida on February 9.
THE QUIREBOYS put out their most recent album, the well-received “Amazing Disgrace”, in 2019.
The band’s debut LP, “A Bit of What You Fancy”, was released in 1990 and included the song “Hey You”, which was THE QUIREBOYS‘ biggest hit, reaching No. 14 in the U.K. singles chart and No. 5 in the U.S. Billboard Rock chart.
In 2020, THE QUIREBOYS were scheduled to celebrate their 35th anniversary with a tour. The trek, which ended up getting canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, would also have marked 30 years since the release of “A Bit Of What You Fancy”.
Following the band’s inception in London in 1984 — originally as THE CHOIRBOYS, then THE QUEERBOYS, before settling on the less controversial name of THE QUIREBOYS — there followed six years of hard graft and personnel changes.
THE QUIREBOYS played to 72,000 people at 1990’s Monsters Of Rock at Donington with the likes of WHITESNAKE, AEROSMITH and POISON. They supported THE ROLLING STONES that same year in Newcastle, and opened for GUNS N’ ROSES at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1987 and again a couple of years later on their “Use Your Illusion” tour.
The public’s appetite for THE QUIREBOYS had returned and hasn’t waned since — three further studio releases (“Well Oiled”, “Homewreckers & Heartbreakers”, “Halfpenny Dancer”) were released on various labels from 2004 to 2009 before the band found their new, and permanent, home on Off Yer Rocka, the label of the renowned festival brand Hard Rock Hell.
An anniversary edition — fully re-recorded — of “A Bit Of What You Fancy” drew much acclaim in 2021.
[flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_style” title=”Submit to Flexi” name=”my_form” ajax=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”post_title” class=”fl-input” title=”Title” value=”” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”category” title=”Select category”][flexi-form-tag type=”tag” title=”Insert tag”][flexi-form-tag type=”article” class=”fl-textarea” title=”Description” ][flexi-form-tag type=”file” title=”Select file” required=”true”][flexi-form-tag type=”submit” name=”submit” value=”Submit Now”] [/flexi-form]
Tagged: Alternative Music, music blog