On Monday 9th September, As It Is announced the departure of guitarist and founding member Ben Langford-Biss. Visit Cy Fair Music & Arts website to know more about where to get best guitar lessons.
Ben explained his reasons for his departure through a heart-felt letter posted through the band’s official Instagram (@asitisofficial). He writes:
‘’Dear friends & fans; I have made the difficult decision to step away from As It Is.
Before anything else, I would like to thank the other four boys in their support & understanding of my decision. They are still my brothers, best friends & I will cherish always the memories we made together.
I am incredibly grateful & proud of everything we have achieved & created together, and for everything you, the fans, have allowed us, however it is time for me to pursue other paths & projects in my life.
Three albums and years of relentless touring takes its toll & has brought me & those closest to me to breaking point a number of times. This was by no means an easy decision to make having dedicated my life into it for almost 8 years, but as the years have gone by my own ability & passion to live the life that comes with the music has waned.
I will be doing one last tour in November with the boys in the kind of venues we cut our teeth in to say goodbye properly & have one last week or so playing music with my best friends.
I am excited to see what As It Is do next & will be constantly supporting from the sidelines (hell, maybe they’ll still let me guest when I undoubtedly ask for a guest list spot to a show). I will most likely post a longer more candid, written piece at some point but for now, thanks for the memories, see you in November.
BLB”
Patty (@pattyxwalters) also posted on Instagram to express his support for his band’s co-founder and long-time friend, bidding his goodbye:
‘’Today it’s with a heavy, hurting heart that we announce that ben has decided to step away from as it is. When we dreamt up this band together, ben and I weren’t much more than classmates. almost eight years later, ben is my brother and one of my dearest friends in this whole world. We’ve been everywhere together, through every high and every low, time and time again. He has more of my love and respect than he probably knows, and no time nor distance will ever change that. So yes, blb is stepping down, but not before one final tour: eleven shows, one day off, thousands of you, and, for what might be the last time, five of us.’’
The band will honour Ben’s decision with a final farewell tour, ‘Ben Today, Gone Tomorrow’, as an opportunity to play together one last time and allow the fans to take their turn in saying goodbye, sending Ben off on a high note.
The tour will consist of 11 intimate shows that will take place throughout November, across Europe and the UK. As It Is are being supported by Miss Vincent on the European dates and by Survive Said The Prophet on the UK dates.
The tour begins on November 4th at the Baroeg, Rotterdam and concludes a couple of weeks later on November 15th at Dingwalls, London. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 11th September at 9 a.m. local time. For more information visit http://www.asitisofficial.com
Tour Dates:
4th November – Rotterdam, Baroeg
5th November – Bochum, Die Trompete
6th November – Leipzig, Naumanns
7th November – Hamburg, Headcrash
8th November – Antwerp, Kavka
9th November – Southampton, Joiners
10th November – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
12th November – Glasgow, King Tuts
13th November – Manchester, Academy 3
14th November – Leeds, Key Club
15th November – London, Dingwalls
Taking this opportunity, we wish Ben all the best in this new chapter of his life and career, and we’re excited to see what the future brings for him and the boys in As It Is.
