| By Josh Grossberg
Per Webster, the definition of Evanescence means "a dissipation or disappearance like vapor."
That pretty much sums up the vanishing act founding member Ben Moody pulled when he suddenly hopped a flight home from Berlin on October 24--halfway through the goth-rock band's first world tour.
No reason was given for the walkout. Needless to say, 20-year-old singer Amy Lee and the group's other members weren't too psyched.
"You don't do that to your band. You wouldn't do that to your friends or family. You don't do that to anyone," a ticked Lee sounded off in British magazine Rocksound.
Perhaps Moody was just being, well, moody?
The guitarist hasn't had much previous luck in Germany, having fallen ill last June and forcing the Arkansas-based outfit to cancel several shows in that country.
A rep for Evanescence's label, Wind-Up Records, did not return phone calls seeking comment on Moody's MIA status. According to reports, Moody was spotted at a Little Rock bar Monday. He is supposed to meet with record company execs later this week.
The sudden departure of a key member (aside from playing guitar, Moody is one of the group's principal songwriters) has left the remaining Evanescence players in a jam. While they all ponder Moody's future, the band has vowed to continue on with the tour, with second guitarist John LeCompt to play Moody's parts.
Evanescence, on tour since August, has remaining Euro dates in Glasgow, Scotland and London this week.
Afterward, the band is slated to return to the United States for a November 16 performance at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles, where Evanescence is up for Best Pop/Rock Album for its monster debut album, Fallen.
The band's also scheduled to play Mexico City on November 19 before kicking off a short North American trek on November 21 in Tucson, Arizona, that will take them through the West Coast, Midwest and Canada. They then head overseas again for their first-ever gigs in Australia and Japan in January.
Moody's exit comes as the band appears on the verge of superstardom. Last month, Evanescence picked up the title of Best International New Artist at the MTV Latin Awards in Miami. The group has also been nominated for three awards--Best Group, Best New Artist and Best Song--at the MTV Europe Awards to be held in Edinburgh on Thursday. The band should also reap several Grammy nominations next month.
Moody and Lee formed Evanescence in Little Rock in the late 1990s after meeting at a youth camp while they were still in high school. They chose the name to describe the sweet gloom that combined Lee's ethereal voice with pummeling beats and jarring melodies, as evidenced by the tracks "Haunted," "Everybody's Fool" and the smash piano-driven ditty "Bring Me to Life," which appeared on the Daredevil soundtrack and launched the band's career. Fallen, released in March, has since sold more than 6 million copies worldwide.
Evancescence isn't the only band to lose a guitarist.
Fret-fiddler Terry Corson of Alien Ant Farm, best known for their hard-hitting cover of Michael Jackson (news)'s "Smooth Criminal," recently parted company from his mates, citing "irreconcilable differences." The band has since replaced him with long-time pal and substitute guitarist Victor Camacho. | |
How did I not hear about this until now?