10cc drummer Paul Burgess has announced that he is leaving the band because the demands of touring have become too much for him.
The 75-year-old musician, who also spent time performing with Jethro Tull, Camel, Magna Carta, and The Icicle Works, has chosen to walk away from the legendary rock group after more than five decades.
He shared: “After so many wonderful years with 10cc, I must admit that the rigours of touring are no longer manageable for me as I get older, and I feel it’s time to let go of the long hours in airports and endless travel on buses.
“I’m not planning to stop playing altogether. I will still perform but at a pace that feels right, working alongside old friends and a new group of fellow musicians called The Guilty Men.”
Frontman Graham Gouldman confessed that it will feel unusual to perform without his “longest-running musical associate.”
He explained: “When Paul and I first joined forces in 10cc, we never could have imagined that we’d still be at it after 30 years, let alone 52.
“Paul has been my longest musical partner and it will feel different to turn around and see another drummer, but I completely understand why he no longer wants to sit on a plane for 14 hours or wake up in a new hotel every day for weeks at a time.”
Ben Stone, who has previously played with Mike and The Mechanics and Bonnie Tyler, will be taking over on drums.
Paul, who had several runs with 10cc after joining in 1973, performed his final show with the I’m Not In Love band in Alexandria, Virginia this past September.
The group is set to continue their And Another Bloody Greatest Hits Tour in the UK next year.
The Maccabees may either part ways again or return with new music and step back into being a “functioning band” in 2026.
The Toothpaste Kisses group shared their intention to call it quits in 2016, then played a run of farewell concerts the following year.
Even so, they came back together in 2024 and hit the stage again this year, taking top billing at All Points East and performing at Glastonbury.
Guitarist Felix White has now shared that their shows planned for next year, which they have not announced yet, will determine whether they continue as a group and begin working on new material for the first time since their 2015 album Marks to Prove It.
The Whatever will be, will be: A Matter of Life and Football writer told the William Hill Sports Book Of The Year Award that their recent performances changed their perspective. He said, “After we played at Glastonbury and All Points East this year, we thought that might just be it, but everyone had such a good time. It felt so euphoric, so why wouldn’t we want to do that again!”
When asked if a follow up to Marks to Prove It might happen, he responded, “The answer is, we don’t know.
“Having those shows in next year means we’ve got enough time to think about it and see which way it’s going to go. If The Maccabees keep going beyond that point, we’d want to feel like a functioning band that are making music and are there for a reason.”
He also stressed that the upcoming dates “will either be the last Maccabees shows, or we’ll try and make some music and see where it goes."
Felix acknowledged that balancing the group’s plans with his other commitments has been tough.
White continued, “I’ve found it really hard to juggle all the things I’ve been doing over the past year or so. When The Maccabees was the only thing in my life, I had to dedicate a large chunk of time to it in order for it to work.
“I didn’t really have the space to even consider it this year, but it’s starting to clear now. As long as I don’t get too good an idea for another sports book, it’ll more likely, but we’ll see what happens!”
The musician said he needs a breather so he can figure out “what’s next for me creatively.”
He shared, “I haven’t got another book in my mind at the moment.
“I’ve had a really mad year where I was doing a film score, writing my book around the FA Cup, playing in The Maccabees, doing the Tailenders podcast and then Jimmy [Anderson] and I went on tour!
“So, I’m just going to have a couple of months of stopping and working out what’s next for me creatively.”
