Brand New have announced the cancellation of their upcoming UK tour, following the allegations made against front man Jesse Lacey of sexual assault against a minor.
Jesse Lacey the 39-year-old of punk rock band Brand New was alleged to have solicited nude photos from a woman named Nicole Elizabeth Garey when she was just 15 and he was 24 years old. This came from the victims Facebook, that was then widely shared online.
Lacey has since issued a lengthy statement responding to the claims ahead of their scheduled European show dates, addressing the fact he had “developed a dependent and addictive relationship with sex” early in his life, which led to a “consistent and terrible problem.” He wrote that he has sought professional help for his issues after being a ‘habitual cheater’ in relationships and using his ‘power’ as a musician with girls.
He also wrote “I apologize for the hurt I have caused, and hope to be able to take the correct actions to earn forgiveness and trust.”
This statement doesn’t respond specifically to the allegations from the individual who told the world that Lacey “manipulated the hell out of me, demanded specific poses/settings/clothing, demeaned me, and made it clear that my sexuality was the only thing I had to offer.”
It’s now following this that the band have decided to post-pone their upcoming UK and Ireland dates, though it seems unlikely to be rescheduled. They told the world from their Facebook page today (13/11/2017), in which they wrote: “Due to the events of the last few days, Brand New will be postponing its upcoming three shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Ticket refunds will be accepted at the original point of purchase.”
Support group Martha immediately pulled out of the tour, with touring member Kevin Devine also resigning.
Brand New were due to play the following venues:
NOVEMBER
16 DUBLIN Olympia Theatre
18 LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
19 GLASGOW O2 Academy
The band had already hinted at how long they have left together before there impending break up at a recent live show. Brand New told the world they are planning to split up when they released new merchandise on their online shops, with a host of t-shirts featuring the dates 2000-2018, which confirms their planned time to stay together. At a live show Jesse Lacy told the fans in the room, “We’re gonna be a band for about 14 more months, so thank you so much for being here tonight.”
These recent events could bring the band to have a closer end date.
