Doug Boyle leaves Caravan

Doug, guitarist with the band for a number of years, will not be playing with them on any future dates. He has been credited with adding a real edge to their live sound and for many fans, has been something of a 'wow' factor in live performances, due to his stunning work on guitar. You'd have to go some way to find a better guitarist.

So often there are underlying differences- usually described as 'musical'- which are in the background, but this is not the case here. As Doug himself says, 'I just feel it's time to move on.' He remains a fan of their music as well as of the band members themselves. 'I wish the guys all the luck in the world and hope they carry on.'

Doug has a variety of things which occupy his time, including writing incidental and TV music and it can't have been ideal being part of a band where there have been long spells of inactivity, unlike bands that operate full time.

Pye Hastings expressed his disappointment at losing such a talented musician, 'I have never seen a better guitarist anytime, anywhere. He is just phenomenal and of course I am sorry he's left. This is not unusual in the history of Caravan, as you know, so we'll pick up and move on.' Pye has made no decision on the outcome of this. He has the option of picking a new guitarist, or maybe sharing lead guitar duties with Geoffrey. While accepting they could never match Doug's work, if you listen in carefully to a number of tracks, you will hear some exceptional guitar playing by both guys. Geoffrey has played lead on albums such as 'The Album', while Pye's excellent work on the album 'Waterloo Lily' shows what he can do, as does a track like 'Keepin' Up De Fences. He is no slouch at all- it's just that he has huge modesty about his ability. On the plus side, it will give even greater opportunities for Geoffrey (the undisputed showman in the band) and Jan to 'duel' with their instruments, so I for one am looking forward to that.

With regard to future dates, Pye is focused firstly on selling his Canterbury home (he has moved to Scotland), so he is understandably not going to decide on whether a new member is required at present. He has been recording at home,'I've laid down some tracks of just me singing with my guitar. I've got loads of ideas. When my house is sold, I'll think about what to do next.' This could include a new album by Caravan and of course, their 40th anniversary comes up in the autumn of 2008, which would be a mouth- watering option for the come-back tour. Obviously it is hoped that Richard Coughlan will feature as the drummer, but Richard recognises that the band can't sit by for ever, so other options might need to be considered.