Zanger Jean-Philippe “JP” Lagacé heeft aangegeven dat hij na maar liefst 16 jaar stopt bij de Canadese hardcore band Get The Shot. De zanger geeft aan dat hij in april te horen kreeg dat hij werd vervangen omdat hij door zijn baan als docent niet voldoende beschikbaar was om te touren. Hoewel hij dit begreep en accepteerde, voelde hij zich buitengesloten toen hij zijn vertrek niet op zijn eigen manier en tijd mocht communiceren. Uiteindelijk besloot de band zonder hem verder te gaan, wat leidde tot het definitieve einde van hun samenwerking. Lagacé zat sinds de oprichting in 2009 bij de band.
JP’s statement luidt als volgt:
DEPARTURE FROM GET THE SHOT
After 16 years of legendary moments with all of you my friends across the globe, it’s with a heavy heart that I must announce that I am no longer the vocalist and songwriter of GTS.
Here are the facts.Last April, I was informed by the band that they decided to replace me permanently with another singer in order to tour more and have more flexibility in their touring schedule. As some of you know, I’ve been a college teacher for 14 years now so I can’t tour more than I already do.
Even if I never intended to quit, I totally understood and respected the band’s position. I was at peace with this. All I asked for was to announce my departure asap during the spring because I believed the fans needed to know the situation and I also wanted to say goodbye properly to the public during the last 4 shows we had left this summer.
Unfortunately, the band refused my request stating that it might be prejudicial to the business and might compromise upcoming tour opportunities. I was asked to announce it later at the end of August (just before my final show in Quebec City) so that the transition could be done without hurting the band’s continuity.
I told the band I wasn’t comfortable with this. After being the singer and songwriter of GTS for 16 years, it felt like a strange way to end our collaboration. I had the impression of being silenced and found this disrespectful not only to me but to the public who has supported us for so long. But it was made clear to me that my departure couldn’t be mentioned publicly for the moment. If I wanted to do the summer shows and post a goodbye letter on the band’s socials in the fall, this was a non-negotiable condition for the band.
Following that, I heard nothing from GTS until recently, when the band announced a tour in Europe without mentioning my absence as the vocalist. I was disappointed by the situation, as I had not been informed of the announcement beforehand. Keeping my departure from the public under these circumstances, even for business reasons, felt questionable for me and went against my values.
When rumors of my departure started to arise and fans’ questions began to appear on the band’s socials, I received an email from GTS informing me that, considering the situation, the band took the decision to not do the summer shows with me and that our collaboration was over from now on. I was offered the opportunity to co-write a post with the band to announce my departure, but I declined, preferring to let the band and myself express our views freely on the matter.
I am heartbroken by how things ended without a proper goodbye. This ain’t how I envisioned the conclusion of the most important achievement in my life. Still I don’t keep any resentment towards anyone and this message is in no way a retaliation against GTS. I just wish things had ended differently, especially since the situation could have been handled humanely and amicably. That being said, I wish these guys the best for the future, I thank them for the good times and keep amazing memories of all the stages we destroyed together.The hardest thing for me now is to say a temporary goodbye to you, the people, the warriors who gave me hope and joy for the last 16 years. For your energy, your love, your kindness, your madness, your strength, your generosity, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, I don’t know if I would still be alive.
A big thank you also to all the bands, promoters, labels, venues and agents I had the chance to work with. None of my adventure with GTS would have been possible without you.But rest assured, this is not a farewell. The hardcore scene will forever be my home and you will see me again soon with another heavier band & new war music to make you reach your PRs in the gym. And those of you who are into punk rock can still follow me with my other band Downstater for the time being.
Much love my friends and see you again soon.
De band schrijft op hun beurt:
Friends and Supporters,
After 16 solid years of collaboration, GET THE SHOT and Jean-Philippe Lagacé have mutually decided to part ways.
Even though we successfully built this band working around JP’s teaching commitments for years, it became increasingly difficult for the rest of the band to be content with restricting touring to the same specific moments each year. As GTS keeps evolving, more opportunities present themselves and it simply demands more flexibility from us all.
Saying goodbye brings its share of emotions, but we stand by this decision and think it’s what’s best for the band.
We are extremely proud of the music we’ve created with JP and how far GTS has come. We can’t thank him enough for his creative input, dedication and passion throughout the years. The four of us wish him nothing but the best.
That being said, we’re excited to announce that our guitarist, Olivier Roy, will be taking up vocal duties.
All 2025 touring plans remain unchanged. See you in the pit!
GET THE SHOT
Oli, Dan, Tom and Pat
Get The Shot gaat in juli weer op tour en heeft dan concerten in Canada en Frankrijk gepland staan.
