Rumour: Line up change/split (updated)

Just over a week ago, someone registered on the Wolfmother forums to ‘break’ the news that the band were going to split. They claimed that Chris and Myles were going to leave and that Andrew was going to have to find some new band members. Not surprisingly, with no source to quote other than “I know the band”, this rumour was rubbished by one and all. The poster persisted for a day or two before dissapearing into the ether.

Now the forum has had plenty of bullshit rumours before, not least the Mammoth debacle (several people a day still find this site by searching Google for “Wolfmother Mammoth” - credit where it’s due, that was one rumour that had legs). So it wasn’t surprising that a newly registered member with no source to quote was quickly dismissed.

Today brought that person back, this time with a ’source’ in tow. Well, to be honest, it still doesn’t verify their claims but it does cast some uncertainty over the band’s line up.

Triple J today announced in their Music News section:

Wolfmother line-up change after Splendour?
Wolfmother tore up the main stage for perhaps the last time with their present line up to close Splendour in the Grass 2008… watch this space for more. Richard Kingsmill talked to the band before they took the stage and delivered this unexpected new twist.

More news about the future of the band as we get it.
04/08/2008 05:35:03

So there is a rumour of a line up change. Whether it’s as predicted, with Myles and Chris leaving the band, we’ll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, with no more tour dates announced and still no definitive album news, all is not well in the Wolfmother camp right now.

UPDATE - The band’s management have, according to Australia’s Courier Mail, denied the rumour about the line up change. But also confirmed that there has been tension within the band. I guess we’ll wait and see.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24127940-7642,00.html
RUMOURS abounded at Splendour in the Grass with whispers that headliners Wolfmother were playing their last gig featuring the original line-up.

Most speculation backstage on Sunday night centred on bassist Chris Ross leaving the band, or at least hanging up his touring shoes, to spend more time with his family.

Triple J picked up the on the goss as part of their web-based Splendour coverage, alluding to a line-up change but providing no details.

Wolfmother’s management and label yesterday both denied a line-up change is imminent.

“It is no secret that there always has been a little bit of tension in the band but at the moment, there is nothing to tell,” a Modular Recordings spokesman told Confidential. “No one is leaving and it’s business as usual.” According to the label, hair-bear frontman Andrew Stockdale, pictured, drummer Myles Heskett and Ross have laid down a handful of tracks in a Sydney studio which “sound amazing”.

News that Wolfmother remain a pack will be music to the ears of Modular boss Steve Pavlovic, after the label last week revealed accumulated losses of $5.9 million by the end of 2007.