All This For Nothing, who were due to appear tonight as part of the Baileys Bedfordview heat alongside Ozias, The Burnouts and Human Nebula, have pulled out of the show following the exit of guitarist Jacques. In a statement shared today on Instagram, the band said they had spent the last 24 hours trying to find a way forward but felt that every alternative would have been false to both the music and the people coming to see them.
The band wrote: “Due to the immediate departure of our guitarist Jacques yesterday, we won’t be able to perform at Baileys tonight. This isn’t something we take lightly, and we’re genuinely sorry to everyone who was planning to come out and support us. We’ve spent the last 24 hours frantically trying to make a contingency plan, but all options felt disingenuous and not true to our music or the fans. Please know that this decision has absolutely nothing to do with the Wacken Metal Battle team, Emalyth, fellow bands, sponsors or affiliates. All they have done is be incredibly accommodating and helpful, and we are deeply indebted to them. This was purely down to one member not seeing a way forward with us.”
All This For Nothing also explained that the shape of the band itself left little room for compromise at such short notice. For them, stripping away one of the guitar roles would have left too much missing from the songs, while using backing tracks or stepping out as a four-piece was never something they were prepared to do. They also said that, although a surprising number of players had already offered to step in, there was simply no realistic way to get someone ready in under a day. The Baileys Bedfordview heat had been set for tonight, 27 March.
The statement continued: “ATFN is a twin guitar band. Always has been, always will be. A huge part of our sound is the harmonised leads and riffs and ambient layers, which make the sound what it is. Removing those elements leaves huge gaps in the arrangements, and we sure as fuck are not going to be lame and throw a guitar on a backtrack. We’re also not going to go out as a four-piece and hope it works. All or Nothing. Lastly, despite a surprising amount of players wanting to step into the role, there is zero time to train a new person on how to play those parts in under 24 hours. In the spirit of the Battle, choosing any of those options felt like a last-ditch resort to present something that’s half as good as what we know it can be, and will not honour the die-hard fans nor the bands who live and breathe this music that we love more than anything.”
Even with the cancellation, the band made clear that this is not the end of the road. They said a new guitarist is already in place and that work has already started on getting him up to speed for future dates. They also used the statement to thank Jacques for his time in the band and to point ahead to new music expected this spring.
“We wish all the competing bands the best of luck and thank everyone for their understanding in this shitty time. We have already found our new guitarist, and we will be hard at work getting him up to speed to honour all our future dates. We wish Jacques all the best moving forward, and we’re saddened by his decision. We want to thank him for all his immense contributions to the band, and we will always hold his time with us very dear. We’ve written an amazing album and we cannot wait to share it with you all. ATFN isn’t going anywhere. We’re already regrouping and will be back soon, stronger than ever, with new music on the way this Spring. With deepest love, sincerity and a very sore heart, Paul and the ATFN team.”
