We now have CONFIRMATION on earlier rumours regarding THE VERVE. NME has today confirmed that Verve guitarist Nick McCabe is pulling out of all remaining live commitments for the remainder of 1998, due to "stress of touring." This includes the Verve's American tour, which is scheduled to start later this month. The Verve will play these dates as a four-piece, NOT with a replacement as reported elsewhere. There has thus far been NO comment as to whether or not McCabe's actions today will result in a permanent separation from the band. As it stands now, it seems as though McCabe will remain a member of the band, but not a TOURING member of the band. Peculiar as it may sound, similar arrangements have been made by many different groups throughout music history: The Beach Boys toured the late 60's without the presence of svengali Brian Wilson, and more recently, Saint Etienne's Bob Stanley took an early retirement from the live stage while actively remaining a member of the band. However, in the Verve's case, this may become a more serious issue. The relationship between McCabe and frontman Richard Ashcroft has always been delicate -- it was tension between the two during the tour for "A Northern Soul" that caused the band's two-year hiatus prior to their 1997 reformation -- and even recently, when the Verve were storming the globe with "Bitter Sweet Symphony," McCabe and Ashcroft traveled to gigs in separate tour buses. We'll of course keep you updated with any breaking news involving the US tour.