Being a web site that only delivers good news is a tough gig sometimes. As a rule we don't do obituaries because as a not-for-profit our mandate is to deliver positive news about the arts and culture in our fine city. So when somebody truly awesome in our city dies we tend to wait and then share positive aspects of their life, celebrate what an amazing person they were and just remind you that your city is better for all that they did while they were here. When You Say Party! We Say Die! drummer Devon Clifford, an acquaintance of mine and a friend of my wife and many of the contributors to this blog, and possibly you, passed away last month, it was a tough go. We don't do tragedy here, but we know that Devon was a passionate and talented human who touched a lot of people - he was supremely awesome. We didn't want to bum you out when we first heard so we let everybody else tell you the bad news.
Today You Say Party! We Say Die! announced that they have changed their name in Devon's honour. This is so beyond awesome. Rest in peace, Devon.
THE OFFICIAL WORD FROM THE BAND:
"To all of our fans and supporters,
Heartfelt thanks for all the messages of love and condolences that you have sent since Devon’s passing. We have drawn a lot of strength from these as we navigate this difficult time. Losing Devon has been a profound loss for the family this band has grown to become. We have taken some time out of the spotlight these last few months to heal, process, reflect and reevaluate the future of this band.
We have talked at great length with each other and our families and friends about the future. Devon’s parents have encouraged us to continue on and given us their blessing. It is their opinion (as well as ours) that Devon would never have wanted his death to end the band. He would have wanted us to continue on.
In the time between Devon’s passing and this statement, we have all reflected upon our personal lives. Krista has decided that her time with us has come to an end as she no longer desires the long drives, poor sleeps and revolting selection of road food. Instead she’s choosing a home, a garden, some gluten-free baking and a proper education. We will miss Krista very much and she remains a part of our lives.
We have turned to our good friends and former tour-mates Robert Andow and Bobby Siadat of Vancouver band “Gang Violence” to play keyboards and drums This new line up will continue the tradition of excellent live shows and sweaty dance floors, with new strength and a renewed commitment to music and touring. The 5 of us look forward to carrying the spirit of our friend Devon with us everywhere.
The cancelled European tour is being rescheduled for this fall and we will announce the dates as soon as possible. We are also planning select shows for the rest of 2010.
Out of respect for Devon and the evolution of life, today we announce that we will no longer be known as “You Say Party! We Say Die!” but instead as simply “You Say Party”.
Lately, we’ve been thinking a lot about the words and meanings we’ve spoken through our music. To return you to the core message of our band, we present the first track “There is XXXX (Within My Heart)” as the next single in North America.
With XXXX and light.
YSP"
