Singer Leaves Barenaked Ladies Months After Drug Arrest

TORONTO — Singer-guitarist Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies.

The news comes several months after drug charges against Page were dropped in the U.S. His arrest came after the band, known for its clean-cut image and whimsical lyrics, released an album of children's songs titled, "Snacktime."

The band's Web site said Wednesday that Page will pursue solo projects, including theatrical opportunities.

Page, his girlfriend and her roommate were charged with drug possession in July after police found cocaine at an apartment in New York state. In late October, all three secured a deal to have charges dropped if they stayed out of trouble for six months.

Page wished the band the best.

"These guys are my brothers," he said in the online statement. "We've grown up together over the past 20 years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

The band was formed in Toronto and released 12 albums, producing hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000," "Brian Wilson" and "Too Little, Too Late."

The other members will return to the studio in April and will tour in the fall.

"It's the start of a new chapter for all of us," band member Ed Robertson said. "Here's to the future!"

Comments

[milo h minderbinder]

So does this set the stage for that long hoped for Moxy Fruvous reunion?

[zenwhenicanbe2]

The music biz is rarely fun and games...........and at the end of the day you cannot have people who do coke jeopardizing your career. These dudes have wives and kids and mortgages and I'm sure that Steven had been warned dozens of times before this......­..........­.... Doing cocaine in the music business of 2009 is straight clown college.....

Think of this factor, any coke charge is a felony and that conviction almost assuredly guarantees a blanket restriction on travel. Good luck being in the Bare Naked Ladies if you can't even leave the state.

[philinburb]

Wow - fight on brave little drug warrior. This is a rock/pop band after all - so no milk and cookies for you.

[RepugsOut08]

Lol!!! I will say this in defence of zenwhenicanbe2. Frank Zappa had a staunch rule of zero tolerance for drugs if you played n his band.
Frank toured the world, and didn't need the hassle of some member of his band getting busted in a foreign country. That and the fact that you had to have your wits about you to play Frank's complex music.

[BearsLeft]

I can't imagine anyone else's voice singing "The Old Apartment".

[Sporin]

I'm not the least bit surprised. This was surely not Steven's first "indiscretion" but there's no doubt in my mind that the most recent indecent KILLED Snacktime. They were going to do a big kid-tour with Snacktime and they had to pair it down to nothing, essentially killing what would have been a HUGE revenue stream for the band. Go check out revenues from Wiggles concerts if you doubt the money-making power of a good kid's album and tour.

I'll continue to buy every album the band makes and ill give Steven's solo stuff a listen as well. Lets hope this opens the door for a glorious reunion tour down the road someday.

[milo h minderbinder]

Great point. A rock band is going to care about drug use in terms of the legality and problems it causes, but not a huge deal for their reputation.

For a kids act, it's a totally different story, look at what happened to Paul Reubens.

And at this point in their career, doing kids albums is probably BNL's best shot at selling the most records. Seems to be a more and more common move for bands with the potential to be kid friendly, look how well it has worked for someone like They Might Be GIants.

[ChiGuy]

It sounds to me like Page was given his walking papers by the rest of the band, and was offered the option of announcing his resignation to pursue other projects, in order to save face.

Whatever the reason, it's a shame. Page's voice was the primary trademark, THE sound of the band. I can't imagine the BNL without him.

[Landgeek]

I dunno...
I have met them a couple time in the distant past, back when "Maybe You Should Drive" came out, before they were big and Ed, Ty, Jim and Andy were really nice, goofy guys but Steven seemed to have that "Rock Star" vibe going and was pretty stand-offish. That surprised me, since they were playing to a smaller crowd at a hotel in the middle of California in. Still it was an awesome show and I have seen them live six or seven times prior to and since then. I can see Steven wanted to go his own way because of ego or restlessness.

Steven was an integral part of their sound and frankly, the whole drug thing didn't sound like that big of a deal compared to what "could" have happened so I can't see the rest of the guys giving him his walking papers.

Not to mention that "sqeaky clean" image aside, a lot of their songs have an edge to them- Old Apartment, Alcohol, I'll Be That Girl, etc. There is incredible talent there but they aren't a boy band singing about stupid stuff (goofy stuff -sure, but not stupid), but I admit I am totally biased, since I am a hardcore, longtime fan.

[ellawensmom]

I bought the Snacktime CD for my son, and we both like it alot. This makes me kind of sad.
It does perhaps explain why he knew the ninjas had been there, though.

[milo h minderbinder]

I have never been a fan of Page's singing, but it's hard to imagine the band without him in it.

I also have a hard time imagining him having a successful solo career, his singing is way cheeseball...maybe he will be able to get into musical theatre, although I'm skeptical he really has what it takes for that.

[rektruax]

intravenous demilo h minderbinder... Just kinda popped into my head.

[milo h minderbinder]

Ah, my favorite (nonexistent) Tap album title/cover.

[slartiblogfest]

Okay, admit it, you love it when the headlines write themselves, however sad the news is.

[kentatm]

man this sucks. i cant imagine a BNL show without him.

[PepeLepew]

Not the Barenaked Ladies? We need all the good Canadian bands we can get .. or else we'll be stuck with Nickelback!

[MountPanic]

Being one of the original Gordon fans (US Fan Zero, to be exact), I haven't been feeling their most recent stuff quite as much, but I'm disappointed they're splintering this way. I hope they work it out once Steve gets some more of the vanity out of his system.

My friends and I hung out with them at a bar before their Portland show on the "Maybe You Should Drive" tour. They were all really nice and funny and just surprised that somebody liked them. Andy seemed the least comfortable with the attention, so it was small surprise when he left the group. On of the best shows I have ever seen. It was before anyone in the States knew about them, so the people who were there were REALLY into them. The vibe was unlike any show I've ever been to. Sigh... greatness.

[blindjester]

"Maybe you should drive" was the cd we took into the delivery room when my son was born.

I don't go to a lot of shows, but I've seen BNL four or five times. I'm sorry for their breakup.

[grailknight]

They're not bare, naked, or ladies.

[BearsLeft]

Thank you Captain Obvious.

[rektruax]

They're not Leaves either.

[TheBaffler]

One talentless member gone, yet the cumulative suck of the band remains constant.

[blindjester]

Maybe their style of music isn't to your taste. Fine. but these guys are immensely talented.

Paige has an incredible voice, and is a fine guitar player. His songwriting is first rate. Two others in the band are good songwriters and multi-inst­rumentalis­ts. You don't have to like them, but there's no reason to log on just to be ugly.

I see, though, that you take time to post comments saying how much you hate Obama, most democrats, Heath Ledger, Cher, Coldplay, Radiohead, and any number of other people. Maybe hating is just your style.

I wonder what you actually like.

[blindjester]

Page, not Paige. My bad.

[RobinLandseadel]

This is freaking surreal. Getting kicked out of a rock band for failing [?] a drug test is like being kicked out of Studio 54 on account of that white powder on your nose, cognitive dissonance so loud as to induce tinnitus.

[milo h minderbinder]

Except that this band's latest album was a KIDS album, and they ended up having to cancel the entire tour over it. And it wasn't failing a drug test, he was arrested for it.

[Landgeek]

I am so totally sad. I have been a huge BNL fan since Gordon and I love them! I hope BNL can survive this since Steven is such an integral part of the songwriting team along with Ed. Their harmonies are awesome and everytime I listen to $1,000,000 (which is still often) their almost cracking up while singing still makes me smile.

Wow, I am just so bummed.