LONDON, UK (Stereophonics Fans Website) -
Stereophonics have sacked their drummer
Stuart Cable, a founding member, citing "commitment issues".
Singer Kelly Jones - who has been friends with Cable since childhood - said it had been a "heartbreaking" decision to get rid of him. He said Cable had had "commitment" issues since the release of the band's third album, Just Enough Education to Perform, in 2001.
He said the band - who are currently promoting their fourth album You've Got to Go There to Come Back, would continue as a duo of himself and bassist Richard Jones, with former Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman joining them for live dates.
Jones said losing Cable was "heartbreaking", but attempts to resolve the situation over many months had failed.
The band - riding the success of fourth album You Gotta Go There To Come Back - will continue as a duo of Jones and bass player Richard Jones. A stand-in drummer, Steve Gorman, formerly of the Black Crowes, will be helping out.
Cracks had appeared as the band played in the US with Gorman having to fill in for Cable on several dates.
Officially the band said he had been unable to perform because of ill health.
Jones said: "Me and Stuart started a band when I was 12. Emotionally to me this is heartbreaking, I love him like a brother, but commitment-wise there have been issues since Just Enough Education To Perform.
We've tried resolving them but things stayed the same. Myself and Richard miss Stuart already, a band is like a gang and a lot of the time he simply wasn't there, although it was our fault to allow this situation to develop in the first place.
No one will be replacing Stuart as a band member, Stuart is irreplaceable, but Steve Gorman will continue to sit in on drums for the upcoming shows. No one member of the band is bigger than our songs. It's a rock and roll band and the coming shows will be rocking."
Cable had often seemed a little apart from the rest of the band, happier to clown around than his two bandmates. He also embraced the world of showbiz more than the others by fronting his own TV show and having a celebrity girlfriend - TV presenter Lisa Rodgers.
