A sour note

Only a few days ago, the future looked very bright for PWR BTTM: wall-to-wall media coverage, love all over the place (including here), likely breakthrough album Pageant set for release today. The LP's appearance has been totally overshadowed by sexual assault allegations made against the band's Ben Hopkins - allegations that have apparently been circulating in private online for some time but have only surfaced in public.

PWR BTTM have issued a statement referring to the "alleged behaviour" but not explicitly refuting/denying it. At a time like this, you'd expect close associates to rally round them as positive character witnesses - but now two touring members of the band have quit, and all of their support acts have pulled out, including T-Rextasy, whose statement is particularly damning: "We wish we could say these allegations come as a complete surprise, but that is not the truth. We made a mistake supporting this band. We put our career above the safety of fans who have trusted us and supported us and there's no way for us to remedy that." PWR BTTM have also lost their slot at the Hopscotch Festival.

Innocent until proven guilty and all that - but a lot of people close to them seem to have decided the allegations are true.