About The Threads
An independent documentary archive of the tenuous threads that bands make — and break — as they evolve.
What this site is
The Threads is a music-history publication devoted to a single, inexhaustible subject: how bands fall apart. Every group in this archive produced music that people loved. Every group in this archive also produced feuds, firings, betrayals, lawsuits and public embarrassments of a scale that only decades of close proximity, shared money and competing egos can generate.
Our format is documentary. Each dossier presents a case summary, a complete timeline of the band's history with the rupture points marked, a personnel ledger of every key member and how they came and went, and links to official sites and reference material. We aim for the tone of a well-researched rock documentary: factual, thorough, and unable to entirely suppress a raised eyebrow.
What this site is not
This is not a gossip site and it is not a fan site. We do not publish rumours, private information, or unverified claims. The events documented here are drawn from widely published books, court records, contemporary news reporting, and — most damningly — the interviews and autobiographies of the band members themselves. Where accounts conflict, we say so or leave it out.
This site is also not associated with The Threads, the Edmonton band. The creator of this site has no association, affiliation, or contact with that band in any way. Anyone looking for that group should visit their Facebook page.
Why "The Threads"?
Because that is what a band is: a handful of people tied together by threads of friendship, ambition, publishing splits, partnership agreements and tour riders. Some threads hold for fifty years. Some snap in a hotel corridor in 2009. This archive follows the thread in every case, from the first knot to the final fray.
Corrections
Accuracy matters more here than anywhere, because the truth is already ridiculous enough. If you believe any statement on this site is inaccurate, contact us via the contact page with a source and we will review and correct promptly. Our full editorial and legal policies are on the legal page.