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.”
Dave Burgess, the guitarist, songwriter, and original member of the influential rock and roll group The Champs, has passed away at the age of 90.
An obituary confirmed that he died on October 19, 2025, in Dover, Tennessee.
Burgess became widely known as the creative force behind The Champs, the group that broke through with their 1958 instrumental hit Tequila. The track was first released as the B-side to Train to Nowhere, but radio stations quickly flipped the record and gave Tequila heavy play. In only a short time, the song climbed to the top of the Billboard pop chart and earned the first Grammy Award for Best R'n'B Performance.
Born on December 3, 1934, in Los Angeles, Burgess entered the music world during the early period of rock and roll. He took his stepfather’s last name and began recording as a solo performer before forming The Champs in the late 1950s. The group featured saxophonist Chuck Rio, whose real name was Daniel Flores, who wrote Tequila and delivered its iconic shouted line.
The Champs produced several hits throughout the late fifties and early sixties, but Tequila remained the song that secured their legacy. Its lasting popularity grew even stronger after it appeared in the 1985 cult film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, where it accompanied an unforgettable dance scene.
Outside of his time with The Champs, Burgess built a long career as a songwriter and producer. He was credited with more than seven hundred copyrighted works, and his creativity reached across multiple genres, influencing the sound of early American rock and roll.
Burgess is survived by his son, David. He was preceded in death by his wife, Deon, and his daughter, Charmaine. A celebration of his life took place on November 8 at Anglin Funeral Home in Dover.
