Gel disbands after shocking allegations against guitarist Anthony Webster

Hardcore rock band Gel is disbanding in the wake of shocking allegations against its guitarist, Anthony Webster, coming to light.

A statement from the band cites Webster's "heinous acts" as their reason to split, noting that it has done "irreparable damage" to the group. The band, known for their Persona EP that came out last year, announced their split on social media, days after their final show in Tokyo just this week.

Gel is axing all their scheduled shows and tours including their opening performances for Spiritbox, Volbeat, and Anxious, as well as their sets slated for both weekends at Coachella in April.

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Gel accuses its guitarist of putting the whole band in jeopardy numerous times, and likens it to being in an abusive relationship: Read more

Read Gel's statement below:

“Hey everyone, friends and fans – Gel is no longer a band, and therefore will not be playing any of our currently scheduled upcoming shows. The reason is pretty simple at its core; the former guitar player, Anthony Webster, has committed such heinous acts in trying to forward himself in his musical career that he’s done irreparable damage to the band in the process, and it’s affected us as human beings more than we can even attempt to explain, to the point of being completely unable to do the band anymore. Here are some examples of what he’s done:"

The statement then goes on to reveal that the guitarist stole "tens of thousands of dollars from the band," noting that he "left it all on record for us to eventually find." Per the statement, he spent this money on his own rent, food, and more, adding that he was the only one who had access to the bank account, despite everyone repeatedly trying to gain access.

"Oh yeah, he also spent it on a truly unbelievable number of OnlyFans purchases and mysterious CashApp transactions, likely in the same lane," the statement reads. "He posted nude images of band members on Reddit for the world to see. Yup, just casually, for who knows what purpose. Let that one really sink in. He did that all while still in a band with us too, by the way. Luckily, he’s truly terrible at covering up his tracks, so we have the receipts to prove that one too."

The statement also claims that the guitarist put the whole band in jeopardy several times, noting that he got their van window smashed in with a baseball bat, and drove erratically many a time, among other things. The band comprised Webster, singer Sami Kaiser, bassist Matthew Bobko, guitarist Madison Nave, and drummer Alex Salter.

"Now, I’m sure a lot of people are thinking, well why didn’t you just stop dealing with it? Why didn’t you just leave? If you’ve ever been in abusive relationship, emotionally and / or physically, you’ll probably understand this better. It’s like that, but with your life’s work and passion at the forefront as well. It’s not so easy to just give something up that you care so much about, especially with pressures from outside organizations, people, etc that are all counting on you in some way. We wish that this could have all been easier, and we wish that it didn’t have to end this way – we’re fighters though, and we saw it through to the very end, until it simply couldn’t go on anymore. And we’re proud of that," the statement goes on.

The statement concludes with an apology to all of its fans, especially those

"who this is affecting on a personal level and beyond. We know so many people were counting on us, including Spiritbox, Volbeat, and our good friends in Anxious – we are so sorry that we have to end it this way and we truly hope for the best for all of you."

And,

"Thank you so much to the friends we’ve made over the years, and thank you so much to our fans for always being there for us and showing us how much you care. Take care of each other, and love your friends. Love, GEL," the statement concludes.

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Gel was formed back in 2018 in New Jersy, as a “side project” for the band Sick S–t, the New York Post has reported. Just this year, they wrapped up their Australia tour days ahead of its split.