The Middle East is "ceasing"

The Middle East @ BV-SXSW 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

After it was reported that Australian band The Middle East announced their break-up from the stage at Splendour in the Grass, the band issued this statement:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :

writing to inform you that we’re ceasing. i’m not sure if we’ll make more music later on or not.
we don’t feel like playing anymore for a whole lot of reasons that i won’t list here and i’m afraid if we continued any longer it would just be a moneygrab. i’d rather go hungry. thank you to all those who came to shows.
we had fun.
t.s elliot wrote ‘you are the music while the music lasts’, but he also wrote that confusing little book about cats so don’t put too much stock in his quotes.
i’m very tired. until next time.
sincerely yours,
the middle east.

The band’s new full length album was just released in the US in July. They never got around to visiting our shores in support.