movieking

This is a big blow to the BNL, as he is generally considering their lead singer, but if his head isn't on straight, I said good riddance.

Yes, he was the one arrested for drugs last summer:

Singer-guitarist Steven Page has left The Barenaked Ladies "by mutual agreement" to pursue solo projects.

The Toronto band and Page together made the announcement last night on BNL's website.

"It's the start of a new chapter for all of us," wrote bandmate Ed Robertson.

Page was charged with drug possession in upstate New York last July, only weeks after the band released a children's album.

In October, Page agreed to a deal with prosecutors that would result in the felony drug charge being dropped if he stayed out of trouble for six months, which time will elapse come late April.

Contacted last night by Sun Media, drummer Tyler Stewart said he couldn't comment much further on the split at this time.

"The band is happy to be moving forward and can't wait to get into the studio to record new material," Stewart wrote in an e-mail to Sun Media.

"That's all I can really say."

The remaining members of the band say they will continue recording and touring together as The Barenaked Ladies.

Page, 38, was not available to be interviewed last night, but on the band's website he wrote:

"These guys are my brothers. We've grown up together over the past 20 years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

According to the band's website, Page will "pursue solo projects including theatrical opportunities while the band enters the studio in April 2009, and hits the road in the fall."

The Barenaked Ladies had a rocky 2008.

Not only was Page arrested, but in late August Robertson crashed his float plane in a wooded area north of Bancroft, Ont., and luckily walked away unhurt along with three passengers.

This year, the Ladies appeared to be on a mini-comeback, with a recent Juno Award nomination for their children's album, Snacktime, just in time to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band.

The Barenaked Ladies have made 11 albums since 1992.

They have had four Top 5 singles in Canada, and two Top 20 singles in the U.S., where One Week reached No. 1 in 1998 and Pinch Me hit No. 15 in 2000.

The band was named group of the year at the Juno Awards in 1993, 1995 and 2001, and twice won the Juno for best pop album (Stunt in 1995, Maroon in 2001).

reverie

Wow.. just wow. That's never anything I expected!

cdollaz

I'm not sure how they will survive without him. Their interplay was such a big part of their appeal, especially live. Robertson, who I assume will become the singer for the majority of the songs, just doesn't have the voice that Page did. He is OK on the stuff that he sang on the albums, I just don't think he has the range and depth to sing the stuff Page sang. This sucks as I love this band.

mdc3000

BNL will never be the same, that's for sure. I love Ed, but it's the Steven songs that really made the band work for me - he just is much stronger vocally... I was shocked and saddened over the summer when the drug stuff happened and I'm honestly surprised this parting of ways didn't happen then... perhaps that was just keeping up appearances and with studio time booked for April, they just figured the jig was up. I hope they both do well apart, but I have a feeling that when they say Page is going to pursue 'Solo Projects' they actually mean 'A Big Mountain of Cocaine'.

CardiffGiant

Thanks for the post, OP. I agree with what others are saying here. I can't imagine the band being close to the same without him.

DJLinus

Wow. This is a shock. At the risk of destroying any street cred that I have, I can easily say that BNL is one of my favorite bands. Their live shows are excellent. I can't imagine BNL without both Steven and Ed.

Totally agree. I can't see Ed tackling something like "Break Your Heart" or "Call and Answer" (especially the ends of those songs).

Steven did a side project - The Vanity Project - a few years ago and it's pretty good:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_vanity_project

movieking

It saddens me that this band will never be the same. Ed was always my favorite, just because of his showmanship, but Steven definitely was the one with the pipes. I wonder if adding another member might be in their future...

Numanoid

Meh. They're just setting themselves up for the sure-to-be-successful reunion album and tour in four or five years.

Dan

I've always hated Ed's vocals...
I'm not as big of a fan as I used to be, but this is definitely sad.

starman9000

Yeah, I'm not really into them any more, but they put on a great show, mostly because of Steve. If this means Kevin will sing more too, those shows are going to get boring really quick. (It's great that he got healthy and all, but he never seemed to fit the vibe with the show IMO)

Tenacious D

LOL. It's all part of the masterplan. A few years from now there'll be a huge boxset.

Mopower

I guess I never realized they were still together. After not hearing any music from them for 8 years.

tylergfoster

Lame. I didn't hear about the drugs, which is exceptionally lame in and of itself, but this is even more lame.

movieking

BNL, Steven Page split 'bittersweet'

Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies stopped by the Sun last night to set the record straight about the split between the band and frontman Steven Page.

TORONTO - Ed Robertson can say first-hand when you have survived a plane crash, not much that happens on the ground after seems as traumatic.

Not even parting ways with your long-time wingman?

"After a plane crash, every day after seems kind of special," he said in an interview at the Sun last night.

And you want each day to be fun.

It's not to make light of the big announcement that key Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page is splitting from the group and won't record on the next record or part take in this fall's 20th anniversary tour.

But it is to keep it in perspective.

"It is difficult, no question," Robertson said. "It is hard on everybody but the primary emotion I would say would be excitement. We needed a blast of positive energy. It is a weird day. But I know for all of us, it is a necessary day."

Page pretty much echoed the same message in an interview on CP24, calling it "bittersweet" and that it was "time."

It was strange seeing them do so much media yesterday -- separately.

The unusual aspect of that was not lost on Robertson -- who jokes, "I am going to have to propose to him to do a pop-song war -- a gangster rap showdown but the pop-rock version."

A lot of people have put forward ideas of replacements -- everybody from J.D. Fortune to Paul McCartney to Jimmy Page and Ellen Page.

"I would never say never," Robertson said on hiring a new musician. "But right now we are focusing on the four of us."

Although Robertson said he did like Page's idea of Meatloaf.

"It would be nice to have a nice protein snack on stage."

Twenty years has flown by since the controversy of this band with the crazy name being banned from playing City Hall.

Fame and accolades, adulation and even fortune came their way in the years that followed. But 2008 was a tough year for this group.

Page's brush with the law and cocaine possession was well-documented in the press -- as was Robertson's near fatal float plane crash near Bancroft.

But what did not get aired publicly was the creative and philosophical differences that had come between the band, which includes Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn and Tyler Stewart.

For example, the band's foray into a children's album was a critical and commercial success -- but it's kind of difficult to market a record for families called Snacktime when one of your key members is on the news, busted for cocaine use.

It's not that the band turned on Page for what was a life mistake, but the fact is, it did not help the band -- which had to cancel a Disney-sponsored concert -- and perhaps a new direction for them to go.

The next project was the band's new album.

One industry producer said yesterday the other members of the band politely put it to Page that they wanted him focused "100%" and certainly did not want further distractions.

Robertson, though, said it did not come down to any one meeting, but he did say recording an album is "a mountain that you have to be prepared to climb as a unit and we knew for us to move forward it would be without Steven."

Page, speaking from Syracuse, said this as well on CP24: "They are anxious to make a record as Barenaked Ladies and I am anxious to make a solo record."

Of course, the fan forums are going crazy with gossip -- some even suggesting Page's new girlfriend, Christine Benedicto, is the "band's Yoko Ono" -- life imitating art but still a woman who has helped break up the band.

Robertson just laughs. "God bless the fans. We have an amazing fan base and I know they feel gutted, but the truth is it does not come down to one thing or one person. He added, "I really wanted to reach out to people and let them know this is a good thing for us and not to worry about what it will be because it will be great for us and for Steven."

And while no separation is done easily, he said, this one was done amiably.

"There is a ton to look back on and be proud of," Robertson said.

"We accomplished far too much to split acrimoniously. It's a pivotal moment but it is not a hurdle or a stumbling block. It's just a new direction."

Just like when he crashed his plane, Robertson has already started to plot out the takeoff of the new-look Barenaked Ladies.

reverie

To me, they seemed like the wouldn't be the "Barenaked Ladies" without any one of them, especially Ed or Steven. But then again, I guess the same could be said about a lot of bands that eventually lost a member or two.