Strange news in the punk rock music world as Against Me!recently announced they parted ways with their current drummer Warren Oakes.
This is the last thing I thought I would wake up to. Perhaps it is good that the bearded always smiling drummer is doing his own thing, but I just don’t like how his band members announced the news. Seemed a little harsh.
Tom Gabel had this to say early last month on his blog ifeelsicktomystomach:
May 1st – 4:13AM – Wilmington, NC […] “We told Warren this afternoon that we are going to look for a new drummer. Andrew, James and I made the decision a couple days ago over lunch. I told them that I didn’t want to play music with Warren anymore. They both agreed that this was a necessary step, it’s been a long time coming. Warren’s heart hasn’t been in this for a while now.”
Sounds to me he was fired. “We are looking for a new drummer” does not sound like anyone parted…
A second post not even 12 hours later adds a little more info:
May 1st – 2:42PM – Driving to Columbia, SC […] “After load in today Warren asked if he could talk with us all again. He said that after thinking about it over night he completely agreed that this was the best decision to make, that he realized his actions as of late have been, if not subconcious, indicitive of him not being fully invested. With his Mexican Restaurant opening soon, he seems ready to start a new chapter in his life. I wish him luck.”
The comments that follow this post are diehard fan comments with positive thoughts for Warren as well as outcries directed towards Tom Gabel for what happened. There are truly mixed feelings with this and I wish I knew a little but more about why this had to be.
Could Warren not take the major rockstar feel? Did he in fact really want to focus on his own restaurant? Were the other members of the band jealous of his charisma that lie behind his magnificent beard???
The official statement was released on the Against Me! MySpace blog:
“After coming to the conclusion that it was time to start a new chapter in his life, Warren Oakes has left Against Me!. While we don’t rule out the possibility of some day playing music together again, for now the four of us feel like this is the best decision to make. We’d like to wish Warren the best of luck with his new Mexican Restaurant, “Boca Fiesta”, which he just opened in Gainesville.”
Warren Oakes added to the blog stating:
“I’ve spent the past 8 years making beautiful music with my best friends and sharing it with amazing people all over the world. I’ve had the honor and privilege of traveling with the most dedicated road dogs on the planet and sharing the stage with the greatest bands. I have been embraced by so many with such graciousness and hospitality and love. Thank you so much to everyone who helped make the dream a reality, especially Tom, James and Andrew. I’ve had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you.-Warren Oakes”
