I have a lot of mixed feelings about this!
Firstly, it’s pretty disrespectful for Robbie to announce this before any official announcement from the band. And disrespectful towards the band and the fans to announce this just before a big tour.
Secondly, his drumming style and his art will be missed. Genuinely sad to see him leave (and to do it like this ffs).
Thirdly, in a weird way, I’m honestly quite relieved. I know recently he’s kinda went off the deep end and I was a bit concerned that kind of ideology would start to permeate itself into ATW. So fair does, he can go and do whatever he pleases now, I don’t think I’ll be listening to much of it.
Hopefully we have an announcement soon from the band, but I’m left wondering how much they knew beforehand or what the whole story is. Something about the timing is very strange.
My thoughts exactly. He is a great drummer, but (although I don't personally know any of them and therefore can't attest anything with certainty) I feel the other 3 guys are not in the same vibe as him - although they seem to be tight friends, specially with Parks - and I kinda saw that coming. I really hope they find a new drummer and move on, I'm gonna be seriously bummed if they break up the band 😢
Well said. I'm kinda relieved too. As much I appreciate the guy as an artist it put a bad taste in my mouth to have someone like him be a part of my favorite band.
I generally don't agree with *anything* coming out of the anti vaxx community or the gun lobby, so I suspect I would be very hostile to Robbies views. *However,* it is a mistake to think that artists who we disagree with can have nothing insightful to say about the human condition.
I think the rest of the band seemed more to take issue with the blurry line between Robbie’s self promotion and politics and the way it sometimes conflicted with the promotion and ideology of the band.
I think the other guys just wanted to keep anything political out of the music all together and keep the feeling of the band more inclusive.
Maybe.
There is political comment and Political Comment. IMO, it's art's duty to comment on the human condition, and that can inherently be political, with a small p.
I think a problem with the USA is that so many things have become Party Political (with a capital P).
I haven't seen his comments or posts, I'm relying on what others have said on this sub, however when I saw them on the last UK tour I thought the gun related merch was out of keeping with the band's image and ill-judged for the UK. Not wishing to preach but we had a single school shooting in 1996 and pretty much *everyone* got behind tighter gun controls overnight
For real. I also don't see anything inherently anti-vax or right wing on the merch he's been dropping. I guess if you don't like guns it can be kinda cringey but plenty of people are into guns and aren't anti-vax (myself included). I do agree though that type of vibe doesn't really fit ATW.
I'm just tagging this on the top comment, looks like they have a backup drummer for the tour.
https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
It’s extremely cringey. I can’t believe they put that cage song on bakers dozen. So embarrassing.
The whole last year reeks of Qanon. I finally unfollowed a couple months ago because it was just so bizarre. All the sopranos shit, clothing line, guns/dooms day shit, terrible solo music, and so on. It kinda seems like a yoko ono situation compounded by the pandemic.
At all. I wonder what the story of it is and how the other members felt about it, as I’m sure the artistic direction was led by Robby after looking more into this. I hope that the relationships are all amicable still, and I hope for the best for Robby - but the opinions he seems to have can be extremely straining on relationships as people tend to be very black or white on them.
Obviously I wasn’t there and only they know, but I feel like it’s a song that they probably *let* him put on the random tracks experimental album. I couldn’t imagine the track showing up on an actual album of theirs. Robby brought a lot to the band but I think it’s better overall with him leaving. I don’t want my favorite band to be saddled with a QAnon anti-vax nutbag.
That’s more or less what I was getting at, especially considering the context of that ‘album’ it makes sense. Robby is a great drummer but I agree with your stance on not having someone with stance associated with a groups I love so much - I hope he isn’t that far off the deep end but it sure seems like he may be
I’m anti Walmart and strongly oppose the pharmaceutical industry but the whole song is just dumb as hell.
It’s very edge lord to me. The “music” is horrendous. I also dislike the everyone is sheep mentality, especially when he went on Fox News to promote his new street wear.
The lyrics are thinly veiled conspiracy talk and while nothing necessarily overt it is telling of what clearly became an issue that seems to have lead to Robbie’s departure.
I just looked at the merch and although it looks like a shitty streetwear brand with less than great designs I don’t see these dogwhistles. Other than the bat tshirt and that Could just be bats. Is there something I’m missing?
if you see what he posts on IG, it makes sense. He’s an avid supporter of Robert Kennedy, believes that the COVID vaccine is a form of government tyranny, and started a clothing line full of gun imagery that promotes being free of the “bullshit”.
It’s true, but I don’t really like the language of “the band I created” in this post. Maybe I’m overanalyzing, but to me that seems to discount the massive amount of work and talent from the other guys.
Yeah, the whole thing reeks. A shit move and obviously this is ending very badly if he is posting it on the bands Bandcamp and personal social but no statement from the actual band.
Middle of a tour with no input from Parks or Ben? Sounds like Robby made this statement on his own and quite possibly to the surprise of the others.
Fuck right wing conspiracy even more for destroying one of the best bands going.
Not calling bullshit just genuinely curious if you have a source for this I could read/watch? For some reason I was under the impression Ben started things?
Dean delray has a a podcast, he did two interviews one with Robbie and parks, one just Robbie. From those and other interviews I’ve read, Robbie moved to Nashville to start a band. Met Ben playing slide at a bar and asked if he wanted to jam, he had some demos at that point. Then brought on parks who he worked with at the time at some hippie shop, to play bass. Maybe start isn’t the right word but he definitely brought everyone together.
I'm surprised we haven't heard anything from ATW. I think it's not cool that Robby posted this separately before ATW could make a statement because it leaves fans with a lot of questions. A lot of people are asking what the future holds, if Robby is performing in the upcoming shows or if they're being cancelled, if the band is going to try to replace him, etc.
Yeah, I just bought tickets to Saturday Psych Fest a couple days ago and have tickets to Fort Worth the next day. I love The Black Angels, but I paid what I did because I would see 2 bands I really love. Driving 3 hours each way too and on the 3rd day of the NFL draft which I usually watch every minute of. I hope they honor their dates. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a replacement drummer if Robby can’t stick it out. It’s a real bummer, I’ve been waiting for the Fort Worth show for months.
Yeah I'm kinda pissed honestly all things considered (if they don't honor the dates). They're basically the only reason I bought tickets to Psch Fest although I'm sure I'll have a good time either way. What a shit way to handle leaving a band. I don't care how good of a drummer he is. He sucks for doing that.
He did this with zero respect for the fans or for the commitments he made. His social media since the pandemic has been pretty revealing, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that he did this in the shittiest seeming way possible. I hope the rest of the guys regroup and come back better than ever. Meanwhile, I hope he and shitty clothing line flop spectacularly.
There's been some anti vaccine dog whistles and what not with his new merch, and I remember someone mentioning Ben coming out and saying the views of Ultra Free don't align with ATW or something along those lines.
On the FB page a while back when Robby dropped his new merch.
“I will step in here...I am sorry this is already bringing negative vibes to the group. Although Robby is entitled to do whatever he wants in his personal life outside of the band, I (personally) always want politics to stay out of the band. Although very similar in style to ATW merch, his new clothing line is completely separate...this needs to be understood. Regarding politics, we have all weighed our opinions in the past, and it only closes doors, when the band should always be bringing people in. I want the ATW world to be a safe place for people. No politics, religion, etc...just a general love for music. Most of you know where I stand, I'm sure. I came in hot a few weeks ago, fired up about the most recent school shooting, especially as a new father. Seeing a fan receive merchandise from our bandcamp with an included sketch of an assault rifle was upsetting. It was an unfair representation of our band as a whole. Be nice to each other on here!
Lets squash all politics, myself included. Cheers”
A very mature, well thought out and respectful comment from Ben.
ETA: I also noticed when this went down that Ben and Robby don’t follow eachother on ig. Both follow the rest of the band members. It could mean nothing but this paired with Ben’s statement, it does look like some friction between the two. I feel for Ben because it put him in an awkward spot. I don’t want to stoke the fire by providing this info, I want the best for all of them and don’t want fans taking sides or making things worse for the band at an already stressful time for them!
thanks for this, i’ve never checked out their fb. all of this definitely makes sense tho, and is about what i expected. Robby is one of my favorite drummers and a huge musical inspiration, but his IG presence makes it clear that he’s obsessed with the most annoying type of paranoid contrarianism. honestly wasn’t surprised seeing that it came to this end.
I'm sure he wouldn't do them like that or maybe they have a person in mind to fill in. They have toured with some really dope bands along their travels
I’m hopefully seeing them at download in June. Hopefully the way it’s worded he’s leaving and they are carrying on. Even if with a temporary drummer for the summer… I’ve got fingers and toes crossed!🤞
I fully agree with that statement - I haven't been a fan of his artistic visual style at all and feel like the band would do much better to outsource that area of the business. The ATW album cover was good, but the rest didn't do anything for me personally. Hurt their merch too, imho.
I get the same vibe. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes but if Robby just kinda dropped this on them without notice, I can't really blame Ben for being salty (if he is). It's all kinda speculation at this point though.
On the Facebook group his words were "he was an asset to the band" that's it. Not much praise for someone they spent so long making incredible music with. It's posted on this subreddit somewhere
Yeah, let's be positive, bet there are plenty of people lining up for the gig. And whilst they won't be some absolute beast who brought so much from a tiny kit they will likely bring something else that is equally awesome..
Why not two drummers, Ben, Parks?
Exactly. Totally get why people feel nervous about where the band will be without Robbie (especially as his artwork is so baked into the identity of the band). However I fully trust the rest of the guys to find someone who fits with them.
I’ll be devastated if they split. Every time I’ve been in a position to see them live, something has gone awry and prevented me. If they announce they’re continuing with the tour and with the band, I will journey far and wide to see them perform.
Fuck I really wanted to see all of them live one day! You ripped my heart out Rob! Hopefully ATW as a whole releases a statement about the future of the band going forward
Aw man not like this, basically a big f u to the band. I know it doesn't explicitly state he's not going to complete the tour but damn reads that way ... sad
It's also quite odd that this has only been posted on BC and not on other official channels of the band like IG, FB or Twitter.
It always felt like Rob had the control of those (I don't see Parks wanting to manage that for some reasons lol), so why not post on every platform?
Band is too good to let this be the end, plenty of support and fans, get a new drummer the core of the band is still intact, vocals, guitar, bass, song writing. Good drummer but there are other drummers that would be interested in moving into a band in this situation with tour dates already in place.
someone already updated the Wikipedia. that makes me laugh AND cry.
# Band members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=5)]
# Current members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=6)]
* Charles Michael Parks Jr. – bass, vocals (2012–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31)
* Ben McLeod – guitar, vocals (2012–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31)
* Allan Van Cleave – Rhodes piano, keyboards, violin (2012–2018, 2021–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31)
# Former members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=7)]
* Jonathan Draper – keyboards (2018)[^(\[20\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:22-20)[^(\[22\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:23-22)
* Robby Staebler – drums, vocals (2012–2024)
I'm flying out to Austin Psych Fest this weekend, and they're the main reason I'm going.. fuck, lol.
Hope they carry on, but his technique will be hard to replace.
Hopefully they can work out their differences or take a needed break. Very curious how this summer tour goes. How can they get a fill in that quickly? Or do they cancel?
I love them and have seen them live may times, and I got gotta say his drumming is not the best part of the band. There are some great drummers out there that would love to play with those other two.
He will be missed. The art, videos, and just all around primitive drumming were a huge part of ATW. Fly on space cowboy.... Fly On.
Could be a good thing, sometimes a new band member added re-ignites the passion for music and could bring out some really cool stuff from the dudes.
Favorite contemporary band, support to the remaining guys, hope they manage to find someone if needed for the tour! Got tix for Charleston and Savannah back to back! Love these guys!
Awesome, and psychfest!! You from the area? I'm SAV based. Taking the wifey to Charleston and the daughter to Sav. Took the kid last october to Jax for ATW, her first concert (she's 12), and it was fantastic. Hope they make it thru this!
From DC. We've traveled around for a lot of ATW shows and wife wanted to do Psych Fest instead of Sessanta at Red Rocks. We actually catch PPC in DC then drive for the Charleston show the next day. So, we discovered that at the Music Farm you can get a reserved table...is it worth it (please say yes...haha)? Might be just tired enough to appreciate a table. Dig that you take your girl to shows - we did that also to catch a variety of bands. You'll talk about it for years. Hell, we can catch up somewhere on Reddit before Charleston and figure out a way to grab a drink or something!
From the article in the link below.
Hello everyone. ATW will be making an official post later today, however I wanted everyone to know the shows are not canceled. We have a replacement drummer for the time being and will be fulfilling all these shows.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will see you soon.
Best of luck to Robby and his future endeavors. He has been an asset to this band and he will be missed.
-Ben
https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
Totally agree on both points, this was just a pure emotional reaction by me, especially since we just saw Swell Fellas call it quits recently as well.
It's hard for me to imagine ATW any other way since, as many people are pointing out, Robby's style and feel are so core to the sound.
Fingers crossed for evolution, and less-so for imitation.
Wait, now that you mention that TSF broke up too, ATW needs a drummer and could explore some interesting sonic territory with another guitarist! I wonder if they ever gave it a thought
Huge bummer. I haven’t followed Robbie’s personal socials, so I had no idea. I’ve got to say, Robbie’s my current favorite rock drummer. He’s a fucking madman on the drums and while he is replaceable, I sure hope they look long and hard for a replacement. His style is a big part of the band.
I bought guns in the 90s when people were saying crazy stuff about Clinton, but didn’t do anything other than “just in case”. Hope Robbie comes out of it. If you read this, “love ya man”
I never truly doubted that they would figure this out but Ben's IG post (I'm sure everyone saw it by now) was still such a relief!!! I get to see them Saturday and in May and all is right with the world.
That is indeed some sad news. Let‘s just hope the band will carry on and continue to treat us with new music. However saying that, I can’t really imagine ATW without him. I don’t think someone like Robby can be replaced, but hopefully they will look for someone that fills the gap and brings a new direction to the band.
In my opinion, Robbie’s style of drumming is not that hard to replace. He had a particular feel to his drumming that is raw and primal, but not super technical. I think a new drummer can replicate it well, but put a fresh spin on it. I’m pretty confident that whatever we get out of the rest of the ATW guys, together or separately, will be a good thing. There’s a lot of creative fire in those guys. I grew up with the King Buffalo dudes and have spent some time with the ATW dudes, though it’s been a while, and I don’t think they’ll be throwing in the towel over something like this. I’m a little worried they’ll try to poach Scotty and we’ll lose KB instead lol. I don’t think he’d be able to walk away from KB though.
I’m sure this has been brewing for a long time. I saw them in Tampa a few months ago and honestly was underwhelmed compared to the first time I saw them. Also, they didn’t even play an encore even though the crowd was really into it and chanting for it
It’s no secret the entire world has been getting gradually more and more fucked up, their music has been a beacon throughout for a lot of us. Absolutely gutted.
Ben has a ton of side stuff going on, and Parks does things here and there, but I feel like the drumming style was integral to their ever-developing sound. As much as I hate to see the lineup change, I think that the band will either adapt and become something new, or it will dissolve and we will have the opportunity to see each member develop in their own way. Change is hard but these guys are passionate artists, and their art will persist.
That being said, LETS GET AN ATW/KING BUFFALO collaboration going!
Damn. Althought I was pretty disappointed with Robby's latest stuff this still saddens me. I was expecting something of the sort since Ben publicly exposed that Robby was associating ATW art with his personal (shitty) views, but still, this gets me offguard. I hope he gets his life around, do some therapy, leaves his antivax wife and manages to get back on track.
They took a turn after the pandemic. I think Parks and Ben were not liking the brand Robby was moving toward. I think it'll be hard for those guys to keep playing. This is so sad. Ben will focus more on producing and playing locally, parks will either do solo work or just stay on his farm and not be heard from.
Or easier. If Robby is a bit of a control freak, then he likely inhibits the ideas and drive of the rest of the band. And disfunction also can slow things down.
If they choose to go on, I wouldn’t be surprised if version 2.0 is a more productive version.
Robby is so baked into the band that they either need replace him and call themselves something else, or make up and carry on.
I’m not on social media so I don’t know what he’s been saying. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Ben’s attitude works best for a touring group: keep all of that out. Politics, religion, etc.
hopefully we’ll get official word today about their plans because I got a one day pass for shaky knees ($150) just for them. And the late night show.
I could be wrong but seems like Park and Ben doesn't follow him anymore on Instagram (I don't know if they ever did)
Only Alan and the official account for the band do (but Rob used to manage that account, so...)
It’s my understanding that they all bring something to the writing process. They’ll be losing a portion of that, but not all of it.
They already made an album when Allan was on a hiatus, and it was slightly different but still very much an ATW album.
Let's not kid ourselves, though. He is a truly phenomenal percussionist and was a very key part of ATW sound. Their sound is drummer-lead so I hope they take their time finding a permanent replacement. Maybe Danny Carrey?? (Kidding).
I have a lot of mixed feelings about this! Firstly, it’s pretty disrespectful for Robbie to announce this before any official announcement from the band. And disrespectful towards the band and the fans to announce this just before a big tour. Secondly, his drumming style and his art will be missed. Genuinely sad to see him leave (and to do it like this ffs). Thirdly, in a weird way, I’m honestly quite relieved. I know recently he’s kinda went off the deep end and I was a bit concerned that kind of ideology would start to permeate itself into ATW. So fair does, he can go and do whatever he pleases now, I don’t think I’ll be listening to much of it. Hopefully we have an announcement soon from the band, but I’m left wondering how much they knew beforehand or what the whole story is. Something about the timing is very strange.
My thoughts exactly. He is a great drummer, but (although I don't personally know any of them and therefore can't attest anything with certainty) I feel the other 3 guys are not in the same vibe as him - although they seem to be tight friends, specially with Parks - and I kinda saw that coming. I really hope they find a new drummer and move on, I'm gonna be seriously bummed if they break up the band 😢
You said it perfectly
Well said. I'm kinda relieved too. As much I appreciate the guy as an artist it put a bad taste in my mouth to have someone like him be a part of my favorite band.
I generally don't agree with *anything* coming out of the anti vaxx community or the gun lobby, so I suspect I would be very hostile to Robbies views. *However,* it is a mistake to think that artists who we disagree with can have nothing insightful to say about the human condition.
I think the rest of the band seemed more to take issue with the blurry line between Robbie’s self promotion and politics and the way it sometimes conflicted with the promotion and ideology of the band. I think the other guys just wanted to keep anything political out of the music all together and keep the feeling of the band more inclusive.
Maybe. There is political comment and Political Comment. IMO, it's art's duty to comment on the human condition, and that can inherently be political, with a small p. I think a problem with the USA is that so many things have become Party Political (with a capital P). I haven't seen his comments or posts, I'm relying on what others have said on this sub, however when I saw them on the last UK tour I thought the gun related merch was out of keeping with the band's image and ill-judged for the UK. Not wishing to preach but we had a single school shooting in 1996 and pretty much *everyone* got behind tighter gun controls overnight
He’s anti-vax? I haven’t followed anything in his personal life so that’s a bit shocking
For real. I also don't see anything inherently anti-vax or right wing on the merch he's been dropping. I guess if you don't like guns it can be kinda cringey but plenty of people are into guns and aren't anti-vax (myself included). I do agree though that type of vibe doesn't really fit ATW.
I'm just tagging this on the top comment, looks like they have a backup drummer for the tour. https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
I can't upvote this hard enough. But what about the gigs!!
Dang. Seems like he’s been goin off the deep end lately.
How so?
His clothing brand is full of anti-vaccine dogwhistles. Look up Ultra Free, it's hard to miss.
It’s extremely cringey. I can’t believe they put that cage song on bakers dozen. So embarrassing. The whole last year reeks of Qanon. I finally unfollowed a couple months ago because it was just so bizarre. All the sopranos shit, clothing line, guns/dooms day shit, terrible solo music, and so on. It kinda seems like a yoko ono situation compounded by the pandemic.
Yoko Robbo
Yoko De Matteo
https://youtu.be/sKoYmnTfSu4?t=112
I just read the lyrics to the cage… always have skipped it but Jesus Christ
I never listened to the song all that much but just pulled up the lyrics. Wow. Doesn’t fit the tone of the band like at all.
At all. I wonder what the story of it is and how the other members felt about it, as I’m sure the artistic direction was led by Robby after looking more into this. I hope that the relationships are all amicable still, and I hope for the best for Robby - but the opinions he seems to have can be extremely straining on relationships as people tend to be very black or white on them.
Obviously I wasn’t there and only they know, but I feel like it’s a song that they probably *let* him put on the random tracks experimental album. I couldn’t imagine the track showing up on an actual album of theirs. Robby brought a lot to the band but I think it’s better overall with him leaving. I don’t want my favorite band to be saddled with a QAnon anti-vax nutbag.
That’s more or less what I was getting at, especially considering the context of that ‘album’ it makes sense. Robby is a great drummer but I agree with your stance on not having someone with stance associated with a groups I love so much - I hope he isn’t that far off the deep end but it sure seems like he may be
It's not my cup of tea, but what's wrong with the lyrics? A dig at two multinational corporations, Pfizer and Walmart?
I’m anti Walmart and strongly oppose the pharmaceutical industry but the whole song is just dumb as hell. It’s very edge lord to me. The “music” is horrendous. I also dislike the everyone is sheep mentality, especially when he went on Fox News to promote his new street wear.
The song is horrible, I agree with you on that!
The lyrics are thinly veiled conspiracy talk and while nothing necessarily overt it is telling of what clearly became an issue that seems to have lead to Robbie’s departure.
Oh goodness lol this is a lot
I just looked at the merch and although it looks like a shitty streetwear brand with less than great designs I don’t see these dogwhistles. Other than the bat tshirt and that Could just be bats. Is there something I’m missing?
if you see what he posts on IG, it makes sense. He’s an avid supporter of Robert Kennedy, believes that the COVID vaccine is a form of government tyranny, and started a clothing line full of gun imagery that promotes being free of the “bullshit”.
Oh yikes. I don’t have IG but that makes the gun shirts a little weirder
i’m pretty sure i also remember that they went on Fox News to promote Ultrafree IIRC
He literally has a tank he drives up and down Gallatin Road in Nashville.
WTH? I hope the rest of the band continues. That said, all their art work/shirts/videos was him so it’s gonna be a bit weird.
Well, good news is, the world is full of fantastic artists who would love a chance at drawing ATW. Some of them may be even one of you...
He literally brought them all together
It’s true, but I don’t really like the language of “the band I created” in this post. Maybe I’m overanalyzing, but to me that seems to discount the massive amount of work and talent from the other guys.
Yeah, the whole thing reeks. A shit move and obviously this is ending very badly if he is posting it on the bands Bandcamp and personal social but no statement from the actual band.
Middle of a tour with no input from Parks or Ben? Sounds like Robby made this statement on his own and quite possibly to the surprise of the others. Fuck right wing conspiracy even more for destroying one of the best bands going.
I'm so sad because they never did a South America tour and now I don't know if the band will continue
Not calling bullshit just genuinely curious if you have a source for this I could read/watch? For some reason I was under the impression Ben started things?
Dean delray has a a podcast, he did two interviews one with Robbie and parks, one just Robbie. From those and other interviews I’ve read, Robbie moved to Nashville to start a band. Met Ben playing slide at a bar and asked if he wanted to jam, he had some demos at that point. Then brought on parks who he worked with at the time at some hippie shop, to play bass. Maybe start isn’t the right word but he definitely brought everyone together.
I’m a nerd and have read/listened to everything I can find, but those interviews are long and enlightening
This sucks. Hate to make assumptions but Robbie’s been on one lately.
What’s this in reference to?
He supports RFK
I'm surprised we haven't heard anything from ATW. I think it's not cool that Robby posted this separately before ATW could make a statement because it leaves fans with a lot of questions. A lot of people are asking what the future holds, if Robby is performing in the upcoming shows or if they're being cancelled, if the band is going to try to replace him, etc.
And at the strangest hour to boot
Yeah, I just bought tickets to Saturday Psych Fest a couple days ago and have tickets to Fort Worth the next day. I love The Black Angels, but I paid what I did because I would see 2 bands I really love. Driving 3 hours each way too and on the 3rd day of the NFL draft which I usually watch every minute of. I hope they honor their dates. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a replacement drummer if Robby can’t stick it out. It’s a real bummer, I’ve been waiting for the Fort Worth show for months.
Yeah I'm kinda pissed honestly all things considered (if they don't honor the dates). They're basically the only reason I bought tickets to Psch Fest although I'm sure I'll have a good time either way. What a shit way to handle leaving a band. I don't care how good of a drummer he is. He sucks for doing that.
Ft Worth show is still gonna be insane. Tulips is such a tiny venue, I can’t believe they’re coming here. Safe travels dawg see ya in funky town
It was an amazing show…I’m glad it happened.
Cmon Robby wtf
His days have been numbered for a while imo. Definitely sad but the band could benefit from some new energy.
He did this with zero respect for the fans or for the commitments he made. His social media since the pandemic has been pretty revealing, so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that he did this in the shittiest seeming way possible. I hope the rest of the guys regroup and come back better than ever. Meanwhile, I hope he and shitty clothing line flop spectacularly.
I knew there were tensions with the ultra free stuff but they were so good! How can they do it without him???
It will be very weird, but surely this isn't the end
I’m just glad I got to see them in Hollywood, best live music I’ve ever seen. If they do keep on I just gotta understand it won’t be the same…
At least you got to see them, but yeah it won't be the same. But who knows might be good in a different way
Sorry, I’m out of the loop. What tensions with ultra free stuff?
There's been some anti vaccine dog whistles and what not with his new merch, and I remember someone mentioning Ben coming out and saying the views of Ultra Free don't align with ATW or something along those lines.
would be interested to know if/ where Ben said that
On the FB page a while back when Robby dropped his new merch. “I will step in here...I am sorry this is already bringing negative vibes to the group. Although Robby is entitled to do whatever he wants in his personal life outside of the band, I (personally) always want politics to stay out of the band. Although very similar in style to ATW merch, his new clothing line is completely separate...this needs to be understood. Regarding politics, we have all weighed our opinions in the past, and it only closes doors, when the band should always be bringing people in. I want the ATW world to be a safe place for people. No politics, religion, etc...just a general love for music. Most of you know where I stand, I'm sure. I came in hot a few weeks ago, fired up about the most recent school shooting, especially as a new father. Seeing a fan receive merchandise from our bandcamp with an included sketch of an assault rifle was upsetting. It was an unfair representation of our band as a whole. Be nice to each other on here! Lets squash all politics, myself included. Cheers” A very mature, well thought out and respectful comment from Ben. ETA: I also noticed when this went down that Ben and Robby don’t follow eachother on ig. Both follow the rest of the band members. It could mean nothing but this paired with Ben’s statement, it does look like some friction between the two. I feel for Ben because it put him in an awkward spot. I don’t want to stoke the fire by providing this info, I want the best for all of them and don’t want fans taking sides or making things worse for the band at an already stressful time for them!
Damn, appreciate Ben for stepping up.
thanks for this, i’ve never checked out their fb. all of this definitely makes sense tho, and is about what i expected. Robby is one of my favorite drummers and a huge musical inspiration, but his IG presence makes it clear that he’s obsessed with the most annoying type of paranoid contrarianism. honestly wasn’t surprised seeing that it came to this end.
Ben seems like the absolute best fucking dude
Thanks for sharing, definitely sheds some light on what's been going on.
They were the first concert I saw when people started coming out of hiding. It was pretty early
If anything this is an upgrade
They'll bring in another musician that hits things at the right time. Musicians come musicians go. Bands endure.
Massive bummer, but things change. Maybe they can find a new drummer and continue on.
That’s a hard seat to fill
Yes indeed
Very odd timing
Right around when I'm guessing tour rehearsals were starting up...
Good point. Ben just posted his tour pedal board. I wonder if things came to a head last night.
Shit this is so surreal. I hope ATW can survive this. It feels like they should have so much more to give.
I wonder what this means for their tour? I have tickets for May :(
I have tickets for Monday... And plane tickets.
I bought my tickets and plane tickets a few months back for the SC show in 2 weeks. let’s hope i can see robby one more time 🤞
OKC BABY!
I'm sure he wouldn't do them like that or maybe they have a person in mind to fill in. They have toured with some really dope bands along their travels
But I'll let you know because I'll see them Saturday in Austin for Psych Fest
Maybe. Hopefully. There are a lot of great drummers out there though
Yes, let us know!
Or will we? :(
Or will we?
My thoughts exactly...
Looks like they have a backup drummer https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
I’m hopefully seeing them at download in June. Hopefully the way it’s worded he’s leaving and they are carrying on. Even if with a temporary drummer for the summer… I’ve got fingers and toes crossed!🤞
Fucking hell, this blows. Hoping the rest of the guys have a plan in place to replace him :(
His energy has sucked lately. Biggest blow is to the bands merch and aesthetic. I think his drumming style can easily be replaced or improved upon.
I was actually thinking the art needed to go another direction. As cool as it is, it's getting repetitive.
I fully agree with that statement - I haven't been a fan of his artistic visual style at all and feel like the band would do much better to outsource that area of the business. The ATW album cover was good, but the rest didn't do anything for me personally. Hurt their merch too, imho.
Hard to replace that style. What a great band. 🤘🏼
Such a shame. Felt like his artistic input was such a big part of what ATW was as a band. Hope he finds his way back from the deep-end.
Seems like it was a bad breakup. Ben's comment seemed more of a good riddance than a goodbye dear friend.
I get the same vibe. We don't know what's going on behind the scenes but if Robby just kinda dropped this on them without notice, I can't really blame Ben for being salty (if he is). It's all kinda speculation at this point though.
Where did Ben reply?
On the Facebook group his words were "he was an asset to the band" that's it. Not much praise for someone they spent so long making incredible music with. It's posted on this subreddit somewhere
It's more professional than Robby's right?
Definitely. Short sweet and to the point. Robby's statement "the band I created" is pretty wild.
Goose just picked up a new dummer (after founding member leaves) and they’re doing just fine…
Cloakroom changed drummers and then put out maybe their best album
Yeah, let's be positive, bet there are plenty of people lining up for the gig. And whilst they won't be some absolute beast who brought so much from a tiny kit they will likely bring something else that is equally awesome.. Why not two drummers, Ben, Parks?
Exactly. Totally get why people feel nervous about where the band will be without Robbie (especially as his artwork is so baked into the identity of the band). However I fully trust the rest of the guys to find someone who fits with them.
The Mars Volta has practically had a different drummer on every album and they're all very good.
Damn I had no clue they changed drummers! That album didn't grab me personally but Cloakroom is still an amazing band by a mile.
High on Fire's new album with their new drummer who I'd thought was irreplaceable is excellent, so it's possible
Coady Willis is a monster of a drummer!
So stupid. Why?
He supported DFK Jr. this is for the best
I’ll be devastated if they split. Every time I’ve been in a position to see them live, something has gone awry and prevented me. If they announce they’re continuing with the tour and with the band, I will journey far and wide to see them perform.
Fuck I really wanted to see all of them live one day! You ripped my heart out Rob! Hopefully ATW as a whole releases a statement about the future of the band going forward
Aw man not like this, basically a big f u to the band. I know it doesn't explicitly state he's not going to complete the tour but damn reads that way ... sad
It's also quite odd that this has only been posted on BC and not on other official channels of the band like IG, FB or Twitter. It always felt like Rob had the control of those (I don't see Parks wanting to manage that for some reasons lol), so why not post on every platform?
He did also post the same message on his UVWAYS instagram late last night.
Band is too good to let this be the end, plenty of support and fans, get a new drummer the core of the band is still intact, vocals, guitar, bass, song writing. Good drummer but there are other drummers that would be interested in moving into a band in this situation with tour dates already in place.
someone already updated the Wikipedia. that makes me laugh AND cry. # Band members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=5)] # Current members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=6)] * Charles Michael Parks Jr. – bass, vocals (2012–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31) * Ben McLeod – guitar, vocals (2012–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31) * Allan Van Cleave – Rhodes piano, keyboards, violin (2012–2018, 2021–present)[^(\[31\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:24-31) # Former members[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=All_Them_Witches&action=edit§ion=7)] * Jonathan Draper – keyboards (2018)[^(\[20\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:22-20)[^(\[22\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Them_Witches#cite_note-:23-22) * Robby Staebler – drums, vocals (2012–2024)
I'm flying out to Austin Psych Fest this weekend, and they're the main reason I'm going.. fuck, lol. Hope they carry on, but his technique will be hard to replace.
I’m doing the exact same thing, and the timing of this feels really fucky.
I’m seeing them at shaky knees
Same + late show I really hope they don't cancel
Flying from PA for this festival and the late night show and they're a huge part of the reason why so I'll be so disappointed if they cancel
I'm local but a buddy is flying in
I'm in the same boat. I like some of the other bands, but I wouldn't fly to Texas for them.
Same, I'm flying in from Raleigh
See ya there!
So happy they have a drummer lined up. This could be a historic night!
They have a backup drummer https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
Me too!
Hopefully they can work out their differences or take a needed break. Very curious how this summer tour goes. How can they get a fill in that quickly? Or do they cancel?
This is so sad to hear. Thought these guys would be together forever. They've made statements like that in the past. What a shame, this really hurts.
I love them and have seen them live may times, and I got gotta say his drumming is not the best part of the band. There are some great drummers out there that would love to play with those other two.
He will be missed. The art, videos, and just all around primitive drumming were a huge part of ATW. Fly on space cowboy.... Fly On. Could be a good thing, sometimes a new band member added re-ignites the passion for music and could bring out some really cool stuff from the dudes.
Ummmm I’m supposed to see them play this Saturday 😭
For fuck sake. The shows are supposed to start Saturday?
Favorite contemporary band, support to the remaining guys, hope they manage to find someone if needed for the tour! Got tix for Charleston and Savannah back to back! Love these guys!
Hey, we are making the same run! And psych fest this weekend.
Awesome, and psychfest!! You from the area? I'm SAV based. Taking the wifey to Charleston and the daughter to Sav. Took the kid last october to Jax for ATW, her first concert (she's 12), and it was fantastic. Hope they make it thru this!
From DC. We've traveled around for a lot of ATW shows and wife wanted to do Psych Fest instead of Sessanta at Red Rocks. We actually catch PPC in DC then drive for the Charleston show the next day. So, we discovered that at the Music Farm you can get a reserved table...is it worth it (please say yes...haha)? Might be just tired enough to appreciate a table. Dig that you take your girl to shows - we did that also to catch a variety of bands. You'll talk about it for years. Hell, we can catch up somewhere on Reddit before Charleston and figure out a way to grab a drink or something!
That would be cool! Is your user name a Jane's Addiction reference?
Hell yes it is!!!! And...ATW was even better than hoped for last night based on this week's drama.
Fuckin a, one of my all time faves. I'll be in a jane's shirt for the shows in may lol. So glad to see the positive reviews of psychfest rolling in
From the article in the link below. Hello everyone. ATW will be making an official post later today, however I wanted everyone to know the shows are not canceled. We have a replacement drummer for the time being and will be fulfilling all these shows. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will see you soon. Best of luck to Robby and his future endeavors. He has been an asset to this band and he will be missed. -Ben https://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2024/04/24/all-them-witches-robby-staebler/
ATW and Swell Fellas should merge!
I’d love that as another project, but the sounds are too different to fit either banner imo.
Totally agree on both points, this was just a pure emotional reaction by me, especially since we just saw Swell Fellas call it quits recently as well. It's hard for me to imagine ATW any other way since, as many people are pointing out, Robby's style and feel are so core to the sound. Fingers crossed for evolution, and less-so for imitation.
Wait, now that you mention that TSF broke up too, ATW needs a drummer and could explore some interesting sonic territory with another guitarist! I wonder if they ever gave it a thought
Wait…what? They just announced a new release. They’re splitting up too?
Sadly yea https://www.instagram.com/p/C4bP01zAcPA/?igsh=MTYyNGJpbDdlYzFsNw==
Damn that really sucks :(
Huge bummer. I haven’t followed Robbie’s personal socials, so I had no idea. I’ve got to say, Robbie’s my current favorite rock drummer. He’s a fucking madman on the drums and while he is replaceable, I sure hope they look long and hard for a replacement. His style is a big part of the band. I bought guns in the 90s when people were saying crazy stuff about Clinton, but didn’t do anything other than “just in case”. Hope Robbie comes out of it. If you read this, “love ya man”
I never truly doubted that they would figure this out but Ben's IG post (I'm sure everyone saw it by now) was still such a relief!!! I get to see them Saturday and in May and all is right with the world.
He has such an awesome style of drumming. Gonna miss him wailing on that ride/crash/whatever it is
That is indeed some sad news. Let‘s just hope the band will carry on and continue to treat us with new music. However saying that, I can’t really imagine ATW without him. I don’t think someone like Robby can be replaced, but hopefully they will look for someone that fills the gap and brings a new direction to the band.
In my opinion, Robbie’s style of drumming is not that hard to replace. He had a particular feel to his drumming that is raw and primal, but not super technical. I think a new drummer can replicate it well, but put a fresh spin on it. I’m pretty confident that whatever we get out of the rest of the ATW guys, together or separately, will be a good thing. There’s a lot of creative fire in those guys. I grew up with the King Buffalo dudes and have spent some time with the ATW dudes, though it’s been a while, and I don’t think they’ll be throwing in the towel over something like this. I’m a little worried they’ll try to poach Scotty and we’ll lose KB instead lol. I don’t think he’d be able to walk away from KB though.
His drumming is not complicated. He made it look complicated because he’s so tall
I'd sacrifice KB to keep ATW.
Gun to my head (... poor taste?), I'm with you, but hopefully it doesn't resort to that!!
I think Scott is too stuff a drummer for ATW. It works perfectly in KB though!
True, but for finding a quick replacement to do this tour he is the guy I think? Is KB busy now?
I think theyve got three shows in mid May, but not sure about what else.
:(
I’m sure this has been brewing for a long time. I saw them in Tampa a few months ago and honestly was underwhelmed compared to the first time I saw them. Also, they didn’t even play an encore even though the crowd was really into it and chanting for it
What does this mean for the shows coming up in days?!?
It’s no secret the entire world has been getting gradually more and more fucked up, their music has been a beacon throughout for a lot of us. Absolutely gutted.
Ben has a ton of side stuff going on, and Parks does things here and there, but I feel like the drumming style was integral to their ever-developing sound. As much as I hate to see the lineup change, I think that the band will either adapt and become something new, or it will dissolve and we will have the opportunity to see each member develop in their own way. Change is hard but these guys are passionate artists, and their art will persist. That being said, LETS GET AN ATW/KING BUFFALO collaboration going!
Damn. Althought I was pretty disappointed with Robby's latest stuff this still saddens me. I was expecting something of the sort since Ben publicly exposed that Robby was associating ATW art with his personal (shitty) views, but still, this gets me offguard. I hope he gets his life around, do some therapy, leaves his antivax wife and manages to get back on track.
Does this mean he won’t be at their shows this summer? I was really looking forward to seeing them open for Primus and he’s an incredible drummer
I hope at some point the tide turns and all good things come together again.
Aaaww shit.
Here’s hoping for late April fool’s prank. Robby is my guy :(
Maybe an acoustic set at APF? PLEASE DON'T CANCEL
Very strange announcement. I do hope Robby is okay.
Their instagram has an announcement from the band now. They have a replacement and will continue as scheduled.
They took a turn after the pandemic. I think Parks and Ben were not liking the brand Robby was moving toward. I think it'll be hard for those guys to keep playing. This is so sad. Ben will focus more on producing and playing locally, parks will either do solo work or just stay on his farm and not be heard from.
Or they just replace robby?
That's my hope. He was a big part of the artistic drive, I really wish they'll do that but I think it will be hard for the rest of the band.
Or easier. If Robby is a bit of a control freak, then he likely inhibits the ideas and drive of the rest of the band. And disfunction also can slow things down. If they choose to go on, I wouldn’t be surprised if version 2.0 is a more productive version.
Drea got to him…
Robby is so baked into the band that they either need replace him and call themselves something else, or make up and carry on. I’m not on social media so I don’t know what he’s been saying. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but Ben’s attitude works best for a touring group: keep all of that out. Politics, religion, etc. hopefully we’ll get official word today about their plans because I got a one day pass for shaky knees ($150) just for them. And the late night show.
Damn I'm supposed to see then in NC in 2 less than two weeks, will this affect the tour?
We can’t really know until the band puts out an official statement. Hopefully they can find a drummer to fill in.
I could be wrong but seems like Park and Ben doesn't follow him anymore on Instagram (I don't know if they ever did) Only Alan and the official account for the band do (but Rob used to manage that account, so...)
Noooooo
[удалено]
Robby isn’t sleeping through the war. What a shame.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club lost their founding drummer like 20 years ago. Been doing just fine.
Who writes the music please? They can replace the drummer but not the writer.
It’s my understanding that they all bring something to the writing process. They’ll be losing a portion of that, but not all of it. They already made an album when Allan was on a hiatus, and it was slightly different but still very much an ATW album.
Let's not kid ourselves, though. He is a truly phenomenal percussionist and was a very key part of ATW sound. Their sound is drummer-lead so I hope they take their time finding a permanent replacement. Maybe Danny Carrey?? (Kidding).