Good thing I saw KsE when I did…
[UPDATE: So it seems like Howard Jones is simply hurt and/or sick. Fill-in singer Phil Labonte had this to say on Twitter: "Yep, I'm singing for KsE until HoJo gets better. Not sure how long it'll be but I'm here till they don't need me anymore." If that is indeed the case, the band should have just come out said that in the first place instead of allowing some of these rumors to swirl. In any case, check out this awesome fan-filmed clip of the band playing "My Curse" during the first sans-Howard show. Labonte didn't know the lyrics yet to this song so he sat it out and the whole crowd just took over. So cool. Original story below.]
Whoa.
So I got to go see Killswitch Engage kick off their new tour in Boston last week, and as I wrote, they put on one hell of a show.
Well, the band announced yesterday that lead singer Howard Jones has left the tour “due to unforeseen circumstances.” Here’s the entire press release:
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE vocalist Howard Jones is leaving the band’s current headlining tour with The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Tranquility due to unforeseen circumstances. All That Remains vocalist Phil Labonte will be filling in for Jones for a few shows in the interim, until the KsE guys can determine what the plan will be for the remaining tour dates, which are currently scheduled to run through the end of March.
No one knows why Jones has dropped off the tour after just five days. Speculation ranges from personal/family issues to Jones potentially leaving the band for good. But again, that’s just all speculation.
The ironic aspect is that he’s being replaced on the tour by Phil Labonte of All That Remains. You see, when KsE were looking for a new vocalist after the departure of Jesse Leach, it came down to Jones and Labonte, and Jones eventually beat him out for the job. That in itself is what’s driving the speculation about Jones being gone for good, but realistically, Labonte is probably just the guy the band is most familiar with and who is most familiar with the band’s songs.
Of course, the dark horse explanation for why Jones left the tour is that he couldn’t live with listening to The Devil Wears Prada open for him every night. (Rimshot!)
-Sam
ROFL @ last comment of not wanting to listen to DWP open for him hahahhaa