JASON PIERCE NOT GETTING THE HORN ANYMORE!

had come under criticism from fans and critics for live shows last winter that were seen as overlong and self-indulgent. Pierce appears to have taken the opinions on board admitting that "part of the reason in having a horn section in the first place was, maybe, this romantic idea of being like the Duke Ellington band or the Charles Mingus band on the road."

It is not the first time Pierce has made wholesale changes to his band. in the summer of 1999 he famously faxed the then members to tell them they were fired. The members, who had worked with Pierce on continue the UK leg of their tour at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange tomorrow (March 2). The tour includes an NME 5.0 show at London's Brixton Academy next week (March 8).

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The band are then taking off for a US tour in April. It looks, at the moment, that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club will support.

You can read the full interview with Jason Pierce in next week's NME (March 9) in shops in London from Tuesday (March 5) and throughout the UK from the following day.