Oh, sadness, part 2: WAS Edition.

It's sort of no secret around here that I love/adore/want to have babies with the gents of We Are Scientists (okay, maybe not that last bit...but you get the idea). I mean, just look at the blog title.

But alas, alack!

I was sort of excited when I got this bulletin from the boys yesterday:

BRAIN THRUST MASTERY!!!

This November and December, our neediest fans in the UK will be invited to reap the rewards of our latest philanthropic effort: BRAIN THRUST MASTERY, a free seminar design to help students take control of their lives, which are, let's face it, likely crashing and burning as we speak. These limited engagements feature instruction in such proven techniques as "Mind Sound (TM)," "Time Vision Performance (TM)," and "Emotional Intuition Transfer (TM)."

Take instantaneous control of your physical, academic, sexual, medical, psychological, historical, emotional, intellectual, financial, theoretical, and automotive destiny with BRAIN THRUST MASTERY!!!



November
Wed, 7 - Heriot Watt Student Association, Edinburgh
Thurs, 8 - Leeds College of Music
Mon, 12 - Keele University Student's Union, Staffordshire
Thurs, 22 - Bournemouth University Student's Union
Sat, 24 - Cardiff Student's Union


December
Thurs, 6 - Strathclyde Student's Union, Glasgow
Mon, 10 - Northumbria Student's Union, Newcastle
Fri, 14 - LSE Student's Union, London

These dates, are, of course, on top of our already impossibly arduous touring schedule, which will see us tooling around the UK - playing actual music - throughout November and December. Those dates are listed elsewhere, because if you think we're going to type all of those out now, you're out of your fucking mind.

Okay, so I can't go to any of those dates 'cause they're in the UK. But it sounds like a typically good We Are Scientists time, so anybody who can make those should really go.


Unfortunately, one of my friends passed this news on to me this morning:

We Are Scientist drummer 'relinquishes his duties'

Michael Tapper quits band ahead of UK tour
1 hour ago

We Are Scientists' drummer Michael Tapper has quit the band.

The sticksman has departed the group and will not accompany them on their forthcoming tour.

According to the band, the split is amicable and they issued the following statement to NME.COM: "Michael Tapper has relinquished his duties as drummer of We Are Scientists in order to pursue other things."

A permanent replacement is yet to be named.

Meanwhile, the band kick off their UK tour next week (November 7), playing a series of university venues.

As previously reported, at some dates the band will support themselves, offering self-improvement seminars to fans.

The band will play:

Edinburgh University Student Union (November 7)*
Leeds University Student Union (8)*
Keele University Student Union (12)*
Bournemouth University Student Union (22)*
Cardiff University Student Union (24)*
Glasgow University Student Union (December 6)*
Newcastle University Student Union (10)*
London University Student Union (14)*

* Brain Thrust Mastery session

From NME.

Okay, wtf? HEY ALL OF MY FAVOURITE BANDS WHY DON'T YOU ALL JUST GO BREAK UP RIGHT NOW??? Hrmph!

Well. I suppose it could be worse. They're still We Are Scientists. They'll just need a new drummer, as sad as it is to see Tapper (from whom I've never got an overly-friendly vibe, actually, but that's just me) leave. But Tapper! Where else are you going to find a drummer with a name like TAPPER??

Here are the rest of those UK dates:

3 November 2007 Empire Middlesborough
5 November 2007 53 Degrees Preston
6 November 2007 Civic Whitehaven
7 November 2007 University - Potter Row Edinburgh+
8 November 2007 Met University Leeds+
10 November 2007 University Guilford
11 November 2007 University Leicester
12 November 2007 University Keel+
13 November 2007 UEA Norwich
15 November 2007 Cresset Peterborough
16 November 2007 University - Sub Bar Derby
17 November 2007 University Plymouth
18 November 2007 University Southampton
20 November 2007 University Swansea
21 November 2007 Exeter Westpoint Arena Exeter*
22 November 2007 Bournemouth BIC Bournemouth*+
24 November 2007 Cardiff CIA Cardiff*+
25 November 2007 Brooks University Oxford
26 November 2007 Birmingham NIA Birmingham*
28 November 2007 Nottingham Arena Nottingham*
29 November 2007 University Bangor
30 November 2007 Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester*
1 December 2007 Skegness Weekender Skegness
2 December 2007 University Warwick
3 December 2007 Sheffield Hallam FM Arena Sheffield*
4 December 2007 Hull Arena Hull*
6 December 2007 SECC Glasgow*+
7 December 2007 Fat Sam’s Dundee
8 December 2007 AECC Aberdeen*
9 December 2007 Ironworks Inverness
10 December 2007 Newcastle Metro Radio Arena Newcastle*+
13 December 2007 Roadmender Northampton
14 December 2007 London Earl's Court London*
*supporting Kaiser Chiefs
+Brain Thrust Mastery date