Simon O’Connor will not join Modest Mouse on its upcoming tour after allegations surfaced that the guitarist sent inappropriate Instagram messages to an underage fan.
The band announced the lineup change on July 31 and confirmed that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav would take O’Connor’s place. Its brief statement did not say whether O’Connor had permanently left Modest Mouse or explain the decision in greater detail.
The announcement followed O’Connor’s public apology for sending a sexually explicit meme to a fan who said they were 16 at the time of the exchange.
O’Connor began performing with the band in 2021.
A Teen Fan Shared Screenshots of the Instagram Exchange
“Simon O’Connor will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” Modest Mouse said in an official Instagram statement. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar,” the band continued. “We look forward to seeing you all out there.”
The allegations originated with a Reddit user who identified themselves as 17 and said the Instagram interaction occurred when they were 16. The fan said their birth date was visible in their profile at the time. According to Billboard’s account, screenshots appeared to show O’Connor opening the conversation with a sticker before sending a sexually explicit meme involving a nude man.
The fan said O’Connor subsequently viewed an Instagram story counting down to their 17th birthday and sent an apology. Another screenshot reportedly showed O’Connor referring to a “party night” and saying that he had been viewing things “with one eye.”
He later wrote that the fan had surprised him with multiple likes and “very little intro besides bikini pics,” adding that they were “both to blame.” That message was later deleted, according to the screenshots.
O’Connor Said He Mistook the Fan for an Online Troll
O’Connor responded in the Modest Mouse subreddit, saying he believed the Instagram account belonged to someone who had previously used fake profiles to provoke or mislead him. He said his opening message and the explicit meme were intended as an attempted “gotcha” directed at the person he mistakenly believed was behind the account.
“After a few minutes, I realized that I had made a mistake and this was not the person who I had dealt with before,” O’Connor wrote in the apology reported by Pitchfork. He said he unsent the messages and ended the conversation after recognizing his mistake.
“I’m genuinely sorry to the person who received those messages,” O’Connor continued. “They didn’t deserve to be put in that position, and I’m sorry for the stress and attention this has brought them.”
O’Connor acknowledged that some people would not accept his explanation but said he could only tell the truth, accept responsibility for his mistake and apologize.
The Tour Will Continue With Seth Jabour
Modest Mouse has not announced any canceled performances connected to the lineup change. Jabour, a guitarist and founding member of the New York indie-rock band Les Savy Fav, is expected to perform during the approaching dates.
His other work has included playing in the former Late Night With Seth Meyers house band. Modest Mouse is scheduled to perform at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre before appearing at the Outside Lands festival on August 7.