Refused sparkar medlem

Gitarristen Jon Brännström får lämna bandet.

Refused are fucking dead, eller? Från ingenstans dök Umeås och Sveriges viktigaste hardcoreband upp 2012. Återföreningen var ett faktum och hela världen fick sig en bit av den massiva återföreningen som skydde inga som helst gränser. Det skulle bli en sista spelning i Umeå hette det, innan man återigen la gitarrerna på hyllan. Sedan dess har bandets frontfigur Dennis Lyxzén varit fullt upptagen med sitt projekt INVSN. Under helgen meddelar dock bandets gitarrist att han fått sparken från bandet och vi som många andra undrar, varför? Betyder det här att Refused trots allt inte är över. Läs hans meddelande här nedan:

”I was fired from Refused a while ago. I wasn’t given a reasonable explanation and wasn’t even invited to sit down and talk about it, so I’m not completely sure why they decided to go on without me. We’ve always been better at punk rock than democratic processes and dealing with conflicts, so I guess I’m not too surprised it went down like this. Quite sad indeed, but perhaps it’s all for the best. I have always been more interested in writing music than reproducing it, more at home in the studio than on the road. Comfortable with slow intellectual processes rather than reacting instinctively in tumbling settings. What hurts me the most, is obviously the gesture. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’ve made art together and have been tied to together through Refused for twenty years. I used to be proud to call these people my friends.

Enough rationalization and moaning, though. I’m writing to you through this forum to express my gratitude. If it weren’t for you Refused wouldn’t have happened in the first place. All of you who made, and still make, wonderful art, thus inspiring us to also try to do so. All the people whose fights fueled ours. Those who couldn’t stand oppression, who took action against capitalism, racism and sexism. All of you who through words and activism lit sparks, kept ideas of solidarity alive, who actually made a change. And of course all you beautiful people who came and made our shows. Who gave us feedback on our music through dancing, shouting, late night discussions, through bombarding us with human faeces. You made it happen in the nineties, you made it happen during our reunion a couple of years ago. Touching to say the least. And I know you’ll keep it up. Fighting, dancing and creating forever. I know I will. Through my music, through my work, through interactions, through speaking up. Just not through the forum of Refused anymore.

From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. See you in the pit.

Love.

Jon Brännström.”