Protest the Hero lead guitarist Luke Hoskin has announced his retirement from touring with the band. Though he’ll no longer be hitting the road with his band of 20 years, Hoskin will continue contributing creatively as a studio member of the band.
Protest the Hero haven’t been on the road in over three years, with their initial 2020 tour dates canceled due to the COVID pandemic. Hoskin found himself relieved when his band’s shows were suddenly canceled, leaving him to contemplate his future as a touring musician.
“First, I want to say that I have tossed and turned many nights debating this decision. Myself and the rest of PTH have been playing live for more than half of our lives at this point, so walking away from one of the things I know best was not an easy decision,” Hoskin writes.
“As the band took a pause from live music (as we all did when the pandemic hit), it gave me some time to gain clarity. Though my heart went out to other artists who felt the detrimental effects of not being able to tour, I found myself feeling the opposite: somewhat relieved that touring was off the table. I have always believed that the stress associated with touring was worth it in the end. A day filled with challenges and tension was always relieved by the hour (or so) we got to play at night.”
“And while that rings true for most of my touring career, at some point, my love of playing live started to wane making it tougher for me to justify all the other challenges that came with it. I found myself just trying to “get through it” rather than soak it up and enjoy the process. Knowing that, I am certain it’s time for me to step back from the live side of things.”
“I can say without any hesitation that the fellas in the band who are continuing on with the show still truly love it. Night after night, I’ve watched them relish the moments they got to spend on stage, each one of them glowing after the set. Showgoers, you’ll be in the best of hands moving forward.”
“This isn’t to say that I am not still a part of the band. The guys are letting me stick around to write, record, and laugh at jokes on our Discord. Writing, arranging, and recording have always been my favourite parts of being in a band, and I consider it a privilege to keep writing riffs for PTH. It’s really all I know how to do on a guitar…”
Guitarist Ben Davis has been chosen to play lead on tour in Hoskin’s place. Touring bassist Eric Gonsalves has also departed the band, with Henry Selva (The Human Abstract) taking his place.
“Henry ‘Hankzercules’ Selva from The Human Abstract will be playing bass and bringing his best Soulfly stomp to the stage for PTH. Hank has been someone we’ve known for years, and spent many days on tour with. So we are happy to have him now sharing the stage,” the band writes.
“Our band is a community that is far larger than the ‘members’ you see on stage. Over the years, there have been many people involved in making Protest The Hero what it is today. There are many roles that need to be filled to make this all work, and in the past, it may have been a more rigid “are you in or are you out?” These days, it definitely takes a village, and we are happy to welcome our two newest idiots.”
Protest the Hero have also announced a handful of Canadian gigs for March 2022. Tickets will go on sale Nov. 26 at 10AM local time. Check those dates out below.
03/01 – Ottawa, Ontario @ Bronson Centre
03/02 – Montreal, Quebec @ Theatre Fairmount
03/03 – Quebec City, Quebec @ Imperial
03/05 – London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
03/11 – Toronto, Ontario @ Danforth
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