A couple of months ago, I got the chance to see one one of the most powerful punk bands to do it this decade, and they go by the name of G.L.O.S.S.! Their performance and energy totally blew my mind – I left that show with a HUGE smile on my face! What really impressed me was how they made me feel that as a human and a punk, the level of respect at that show was off the chain, and for that fact I will never forget the night! Yesterday, as some of you might already know, G.L.O.S.S. called it quits. Please read the band’s statement below, plus you can check out a killer photo essay featuring the photos of Angela Owens. I know I’m not alone in saying that this band has left a mark on the global scene of Punk Rock, and has proved Weirdos will always prevail!
Hey y’all,
G.L.O.S.S. has decided to break up and move on with our lives. We all remain close friends, but are at a point where we need to be honest about the toll this band is taking on the mental and physical health of some of us. We are not all high-functioning people, and operating at this level of visibility often feels like too much.
We want to measure success in terms of how we’ve been able to move people and be moved by people, how we’ve been able to grow as individuals. This band has become too large and unwieldy to feel sustainable or good anymore—the only thing growing at this point is the cult of personality surrounding us, which feels unhealthy. There is constant stress, and traveling all the time is damaging our home lives, keeping us from personal growth and active involvement in our communities. Being in the mainstream media, where total strangers have a say in something we’ve created for other queer people, is exhausting.
The punk we care about isn’t supposed to be about getting big or becoming famous, it’s supposed to be about challenging ourselves and each other to be better people. It feels hard to be honest and inward when we are constantly either put on a pedestal or torn down, worshipped or demonized. We want to be whole people, not one-dimensional cartoons.
We are so thankful for everyone who has supported us and taken the time to tell us what we mean to you. If this band was for you, you know who you are, and no one can take that away. We will be playing Not Dead Yet Fest in Toronto in October, and planning one final show in the northwest with details to come. All of the money we make on Bandcamp after our break-up will be donated to the Interfaith Works Emergency Overnight Shelter, a low-barrier homeless shelter in Olympia, WA. Our records will remain in print.
Thank you for understanding why we have decided to put this down. While we know it might be sad for a lot of you, please understand that it is sad for us, too, but also relieving and nurturing. Ending the band is the right thing to do if we want to have healthy personal lives. (On that tip, while we appreciate your support so much, please don’t email us asking us not to break up or asking us about merch.)
We are eternally grateful for the people we have met and the places we have been due to G.L.O.S.S. Making these connections has been deeply rewarding and meaningful. Thank you so much for everything over the past year and a half.
Sharing this experience with you all has truly meant the world to us.
With love,
Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit
All Photos by Angela Owens
GLOSS OLYMPIA HARDCORE FEST 2016
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