The drummer of Dance Gavin Dance, 32-year-old Matt Mingus, is leaving the band’s tour early to work on his substance abuse issues. In an article from THEPRP, an incident occurred at the band’s Sep. 25 Detroit show in which Mingus failed to play normally and was consequently removed from the stage.
Although the band was frustrated with this performance interruption, they ultimately want the best for Mingus. On Sep. 27, they released a statement that explains how “Matt, along with the band and our team, has decided that the best course of action is for him to immediately go to an in-patient rehabilitation facility to allow him to recover. Matt is and has always been an integral part of Dance Gavin Dance. He is our brother and his health and well-being will always be our first priority.”
Mingus was one of the original members of the band, which formed in 2005 after he and guitarist Will Swan recruited John Mess as their lead singer. There have been 8 band members throughout the band’s history, but Mingus has remained. They released their first album, Downtown Battle Mountain, in 2007, and several more to their most recent Tree City Sessions 2. The band has consistently delivered the passion of emo and hardcore rock while also fusing it with jazz and pop.
The band’s tour dates, like many bands, were already postponed due to COVID, and on this tour, frontman Tillian Pearson missed dates due to the virus. Drum tech Dakota Simmons will fill in while Mingus recovers, playing on “The Afterburner Tour” that is scheduled from now until late October.
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