October 20, 2008 10:48

The Long Blondes split up

Band call it a day following guitarist Dorian Cox's illness

The Long Blondes have announced that they have split up.

Guitarist Dorian Cox posted a blog at MySpace.com/thelongblondes announcing the break-up of the Sheffield band this morning (October 20).

He wrote that the main reason for the split was because he was unsure about when he would be well enough to play guitar. The Long Blondes man suffered a stroke in June, resulting in a series of gig cancellations.

Cox thanked fans for their support and goodwill. "We have decided to call it a day," he wrote. "The main reason for this is that I suffered from a stroke in June and unfortunately I do not know when/if I will be well enough to play guitar again.

"On behalf of the band I'd like to say a big thank you to anyone who ever came to one of our shows, bought one of our records or danced to one of our songs in a club.

"Thank you, if it wasn't for you the whole thing would have been pointless.

"Finally on a personal note, thanks for all your well-wishing messages."

The Long Blondes released two studio albums: 2006's 'Someone To Drive You Home' and this year's 'Couples'.

They released a collection of their early singles, entitled 'Singles', today. They won the Philip Hall Radar Award at the Shockwaves NME Awards in 2006 after forming in 2005.

All at NME would like to wish Dorian and the rest of the band members all the best for the future. Sign in to MyNME and leave your messages for the band below.

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