From the official website:
Feel free to discuss, I'll add my own 0.02 in here shortly

I think it sucks. Big question mark hanging over the bands future now.

Did he quit? Was he fired? Why? What does Steve know that we don't?

What will the band sound like with Dalton? Is Dalton capable of rocking out on Nada and the like? Was the decision to hire Dalton knee-jerk? Can Dalton add to the creation of music like Steve did? Think "Grain of Rice" and Steve's perfect fills. Who else can do that?

I am apprehensive, but wanting to stay optimistic.

Personally, I find this whole thing tragically unnecessary. I mean, the band stayed together for years, as it was, and Steve was as close to a "founding father" of this band as it was.

Steve is just irreplaceable, period. To think that he can be replaced in a week is just assinine. To think that ANYONE can bring to RCPM what Steve brought is just, well, assinine. His style, his facial expressions (you could TELL he really loved his shit just by watching him), they gave a unique persona as it were to the band itself. Without Steve, the bags are already packed, the band is headed for a complete downward spiral, and faster than before.

I saw something like this coming last year. Remember the whole "turbo ocho" incident? Well, that was sparked by management (or lack thereof). The entire "forum transition"? Another debacle that was caused by piss poor management.

What's worse here is the fact that management has repeatedly ignored the requests of fans. Is this a sign that management WANTS their band to succeed? No, it's a sign that they've alienated both new and old fans.

This could easily have been controlled and reversed, by someone taking control of band management. Obviously Steve didn't have beefs with the individual members, they've been playing for close to 5 years (as it is now) together, so this MUST have been management related (ie: not sending us to enough shows, lying about things, trying to control how he acts, etc).

Again, this is a very, very sad thing for RCPM. Losing a member as integral as this is a bad, bad thing.

I really don't get the people who are just saying they are excited to have a new guitarist, and they don't get why I am bummed.

Steve was there for 10 years. I have developed a lot of loyalty to him. He's not just a hired gun, he's an integral part of the music for the last many years. I loved him on stage and he loved what he was doing. So where is the loyalty of the people who are just dismissing him. How can you remove one single player from this band and not feel a sense of loss. Especially Steve.

I don't know what happened and it doesn't matter at this point. But asking the question is valid. It would be nice to get something more than "for personal reasons." That tells me nothing. So really the band is telling us nothing. And I've heard the case made that an employer can't divulge their real reasons for firing an employee without fear of lawsuit. Fine, whatever. We, the fans, are still left with a burning sense of loss, no reason givien for why this change had to take place, no satisfaction with at least knowing something. Basically we are just told, in a manner of speaking, to suck it up and accept the new guy, and don't ask no questions.

That doesn't work for me, and I don't get the people who it does work for. Don't get me wrong, I am rooting for J.D. to do well. I harbor no ill will towards him. I do however resent having to suffer a big loss and not know the reason the loss took place. And being told that's it's not my business to ask.

Fnorter,

I've got to say you raise some very, very good points that are going to constantly be ignored by management here.

What management doesn't get is the fan's perspective of RCPM. They view it as a business and only a business. To a true fan, RCPM is , well, a family. If you break that family up for any reason, you're going to have to come away with a better excuse than "daddy didn't want to stay", ESPECIALLY when you take away a member of the "family" as important as Steve was.

Steve is an incredibly talented individual, the first few shows I saw them, I stood there just mesmerised at how one person could give so much to what he does. His expressions, his persona all screamed "I love this job", at least they did before the last time I saw them in '08.

I don't know what's changed in management but something has, so much so that an integral member of RCPM just bailed . Their response? We'll just replace him and pretend that nobody cares about the real reason he left.

This is what you get when you let clueless management run things that they shouldn't even be. It's a sad thing, but something that anyone with 2 eyes could have seen coming at least a year ago.

Sadly, this isn't going to be the end of it either, unless someone gets a grip on management. Of course, that's all Roger's department, we'll just see how long he continues to put up with it.

To us they are a family. And this may sound corny but here goes. Because they have come to mean so much to me they have become in some way an extension of my own family. Not really, but you know, it feels like that. I make plans around their tour schedule, I listen to them all the time. They are a huge part of my life. They are like part of my family. Sure they didn't ask for me to feel that way, it's my own doing. But is that 100% true? They are out there touring like no other band I know of, putting on shows in Mexico, making themselves accessible for all their adoring fans. I think they want more than just a financial reward from all this work. They like the adoration that comes with the job. I think they like knowing some of us feel like they are family. That is real success. They are a successful and loved Rock band. Probably as successful as an independent band is going to be.

So given their importance to us, the fans who think of them as family, "Steve is gone for personal reasons" just doesn't cut it. It's a major deal. It deserves a real explanation. Sure, they aren't going to give us that explanation for reason(s) x and y and z. I don't care about reason x. I'm hurting. Just tell me what happened. I can handle it, I'm a big boy. I know you don't "owe" me an explanation. But it would help. It would be a decent thing to do. You know, for your fans who love you...

I share your concerns about management and their handling, not just of this situation, but a lot of other stuff in the recent past. But I am also not happy with the "fans" at the board who are just accepting the change, not questioning it, and telling people like me that I don't have any reason to question it. I don't let go that easy. I have a right to say so. I have a right to ask what happened without being told I am looking for some "conspiracy" to cover up the truth. They don't mean enough to you to have any feelings about a founding and key member just disappearing? Fine, but don't expect me to share your lack of feelings. That's really what's bugging me right now. That and, of course, Steve is gone.

So, it would appear that the original announcement was edited. Here's the new one:

Not that I'm surprised to see the original coverup edited. I'm more pissed off that they're still not saying what happened. Of course, management is always going to cover their own asses. I mean, that's what they're there for, and that's all they're good for, PR!

The statement was changed at the request of Steve, who apparently has been very outspoken on the one-sidedness of the decision (and it wasn't his side), had taken issue with the "personal reasons" remark.

I don't mind the statement being changed, I think it takes humility on the part of the (remaining) band to oblige their former teammate, despite possible animocity between them "personally".

I do, however, take issue with management's decision to silence the thread on the main board. It's like they're upset that people haven't just forgotten him already.

This is all new for me. I was a fan of the Refreshments 13+ years ago, and rediscovered RCPM in 2004 after their last lineup change. I am happy to see the new guy doing such a good job, and people (fans as well as the band) seem to be happy with him. They've already written new music together. Whatever the reason for the departure, though it stings, the band will go on. And I will follow, because it is the music and comradery of the crowd at the shows which keeps me coming back for more. And blasting it every day. And very few changes are drastic enough to change that for me-- this isn't one of them.

While Larson was there since the beginning, he always has been a replacement to some extent. So likewise, he can be replaced. Just like I'll never get to see the ensemble with Blush, Edwards, Johnson, or White, their replacements have done them justice so far. Dalton continues the legacy.

I knew why it was changed (Steve asked, rather told them to).That's not a problem at all. The problem is that they weren't truthful in the first place, and, of course, that they caused this situation to come up.

Like I said in my original post, Steve was there 10 years, he didn't "decide to leave", or "get fired" all of the sudden, after 10 years for no reason, no. The real reason he was fired is management itself, and the changes that have come in over the past year or so since the (new) management has taken over. Of course, Roger will believe almost anything, so they just had to convince HIM that it was the right thing to do.

Can he be replaced? Not by some scary looking, country playing fool, and certainly not less than a week after he's been fired! Management (and RCPM) owe it to the fans to let it rest, at least for a bit here, and NOT name a replacement, or just take a break, but instead they decided to just trek on as it were, throw some idiot in there who may be good (or may not) and trek on immediately.

I was just as perplexed as anyone when I found out that Steve was out. Surely, he will be missed but everyone's got to get over it. We can either cry about it and keep asking why, why, why or we can continue to support this band who's music has brought us so much over the years. And as for Jim Dalton being a "scary looking, country playing fool"...I have seen them twice, so far with Jim. Yeah he came from a country band but, he's more than capable of playing Steve's parts just as Steve was more than capable of playing Brian's parts. Why don't you let Roger and Jim create music together before you come to any conclusions...