NLR break up

Front man John Seth announced earlier today, that the New Loud Rockets have broken up. This comes three weeks after their last show and the dismissal of drummer, Phil Erasmus. [Now would be a good time to stream and view their first and last music video, Bleeding in a Cab as you sob through the rest of this post.]


The four remaining Rockets set out recently to find a replacement for Phil, but due to what they call "personal issues amongst us", Jadan has left the band. Anyway, read what Johnny boy had to say:

"dear friends and lovers

it is with a heavy heart that i announce that the economic unit once known as new loud rockets has come to an end.

i know. it's a kak one. sadly, due to personal issues amongst us, J-dog mccullough will no longer be with us and as such we are down to three dashing young men in search of musical glory.

however...worry not, dear friends, the end is not as nigh as one might have thought. we will persevere, possibly under a new name and most definitely with a fresh new approach. we've had many positive responses to our appeal for a drummer and we'd like to make it clear that you can expect a whole lot more from...new found prophets??? it's a band name i've been sitting on for months...no but seriously we'll think of something cool.

we'd like to thank all of you for your love and support over the past two years. we started this band as 5 clueless kids with nothing other than having some fun in mind, and it has grown into something beautiful and special that we all hold close to our hearts (and hopefully you do too :)

our first gig was in a very dingy club called lepht in front of maybe 30 of our dearest friends. What turned out to be our final one was in front of close to 700 of our dearest friends too. we love you all. thank you for being part of this journey with us. every word, every chord, every song came from a place of sincerity and honesty.

all of us have made some amazing friends, played with some incredible bands, and realized what in many ways were impossible dreams. for this we thank you. here is to the next chapter.

upwards
onwards and


love and rockets



P.S - we don't, and have never sounded like, the fucking strokes."

I think everyone has a favourite New Loud Rocket experience. Their Hidden Cellar show with Desmond was probably mine, or maybe, their video launch? Good times. For all the posts ever done by Smack Talk on NLR, click here.

The very Strokes influenced band played their last show at Assembly in January with The Plastics and Dear John Love Emma. What a rocker. RIP guys, RIP.
[Photos by Adriaan Louw and Zahra Robertson]