a member of The xx is taking a break? dates canceled

Baria Quereshi @ the NBC Experience Store (more by Tim Griffin)

Rumours were rife that The xx guitarist Baria Quereshi had left the group after she decided not to play at their gig at the Village Underground in Shoreditch last night.

The band declared they were “devastated” at her absence.

The Quietus favourites took to the stage without Baria, prompting bassist and singer Oliver Sim to tell the crowd: “Obviously this has been a really tough few days for us. This is the first time we’ve played as a three piece…

…He added that although the band had been forced to cancel their European tour dates, they planned to discuss their future after the weekend, and described Baria’s absence as a temporary break rather than anything more permanent.

The statement said: “Baria didn’t perform last night after feeling exhausted from The xx’s recent touring commitments. As a result, the band performed as a 3 piece in London last night and have postponed some European shows which they are hoping to reschedule. They are next due to play in Frankfurt on 3rd November.” [The Quietus]

The xx were just in NYC over the weekend and played a bunch of CMJ-related shows, including one in an NBC store (pictured above), and a Saturday late night set at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. Videos from the latter below…