Razorlight Play Gig Without Burrows

British indie icons Razorlight have played their first show without drummer Andy Burrows, at the beginning of their assault on America.

Razorlight are huge in the British Isles (Although how escapes me, for one - puzzled online ed), capable of selling out vast arenas and headlining festivals. However, American audiences have been strangely (Sensibly? - online ed) reluctant to embrace the band - despite Razorlight writing a song about the place!

Drummer Andy Burrows recently quit the band, leaving Razorlight to continue with replacement David Sullivan Kaplan. Burrows cited personal reasons in a statement to fans, but widespread industry rumour suggest he may have clashed with lead singer Johnny Borrell.

The band played a set on The Late Show With David Letterman.

To add further insult to injury, Razorlight have been criticised by none other than Peter Doherty. Johnny Borrell played in a primitive version of The Libertines, but the two have been estranged since then.

Speaking to XFM Doherty described the making of his new solo album. "I had to use someone I could trust, really. You have to go by your instincts. Somehow, I had to preserve the nature of these songs which, to me – in my own up-me-arse kind of way – are precious, insular, fragile, beautiful, melancholic songs.

"And yet, we want them to sell by the bucketload. So we needed someone who has integrity and can recognise a good song from a Razorlight song."