Nick Jago: I'm fired

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have parted with their drummer. Of that, there is no doubt. The question is, though, was he sacked, or has he been sort-of passively-aggressively forced out?

Jago believes he's been fired:

“I just had dinner with Rob and Pete and, well, I'm not in the band anymore.

“They presented it to me like they need a break, I took it as I am fired again and to be honest with you I respect their decision. I don't make it easy for them.”

“I hope to be able to play with them again in the future as a reunion as there is really no bad feeling other than we all wanna be happy and right now we are not.

"Maybe playing drums for BRMC all the time is not my calling and there is something else I'm supposed to do. We will see.”

It's hard to believe that someone's calling could be doing anything other than playing drums for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

The rest of the band, meanwhile, tell a slightly different story:

“It's true, Nick wont be joining us for the upcoming European tour but it's not true that he is fired.

“We just feel Nick needs time to sort out exactly what he wants right now. His heart and all his energy and attention is on his own solo project and he needs to see that through.

“We welcome his singing and songwriting in BRMC, but his focus, at least at the present time, is on doing his own thing and we wish him the best.

“He is our brother, our musical partner, and we love him dearly and look forward to playing with him again in the future.”

In the future. Not now, though. Bloody hell, no, not right now.