Justin Bieber’s Longtime Guitarist Dan Kanter Reveals He’s Not On The ‘Purpose Tour’
Justin Bieber’s longtime guitarist and musical director, Dan Kanter, has announced he will not be in the lineup on the Purpose World Tour, which kicks off on March 9 in Seattle, Washington.
Kanter, a formally trained Canadian multi-instrumentalist, has played alongside Bieber since the start of the then teen singer’s professional career in 2008. Amid weeks of rumors about Kanter’s (and others’) involvement on the Purpose World Tour, Dan shared a slew of tweets on Sunday (March 6) confirming the news.
“Thx to everyone for asking. It’s true I won’t be on this tour. JB, the team, & I will always be family & support each other. It’s all love,” the father-of-one began. He added, “I’m so happy for JB’s deserved success, and proud of all the work we did in the last year to promote Purpose and get this tour ready…”
Thx to everyone for asking. It's true I won’t be on this tour. JB, the team, & I will always be family & support each other. It’s all love…
— Dan Kanter (@dankanter) March 6, 2016
I’m so happy for JB’s deserved success, and proud of all the work we did in the last year to promote Purpose and get this tour ready…
— Dan Kanter (@dankanter) March 6, 2016
“I wish him and all of Team Bieber the best of luck on the road,” Kanter continued. “I’m excited about the future and what’s coming next in my career. Can’t wait to share it. Stay tuned!!”
Dan ended his tweet spree with a message for Beliebers. He wrote, “Beliebers are the best!!! I LOVE you guys!!!”
I wish him and all of Team Bieber the best of luck on the road…
— Dan Kanter (@dankanter) March 6, 2016
I’m excited about the future and what’s coming next in my career. Can’t wait to share it. Stay tuned!!
— Dan Kanter (@dankanter) March 6, 2016
Beliebers are the best!!! I LOVE you guys!!!
— Dan Kanter (@dankanter) March 6, 2016
A new guitarist, Julian Michael, has replaced Kanter on the tour.
About three weeks ago, Michael posted an Instagram picture with Justin and expressed gratitude about his new position in his caption. Some fans have since posted welcome messages for Michael.
The Purpose Tour band’s new music director is bassist Brian Jamal Harvey. He announced his role on Sunday via Instagram.
Kanter isn’t the only long-termer who won’t be touring with Bieber. Stage manager James Stassen (affectionately known as “Scrappy”) let fans know he is not joining the 64-date trek early Monday morning in three tweets.
Yes, it's true, I will not be on Purpose tour, WIsh JB and the rest of the team best of luck out there!
— Scrappy (@scrappy) March 7, 2016
So for those of you that follow me just hoping to meet JB or spam me to be the lonely girl you can go ahead and unfollow #followersdropto7
— Scrappy (@scrappy) March 7, 2016
thanks for all the support, Beliebers really are the best fans
— Scrappy (@scrappy) March 7, 2016
Looking back, a scroll through Scrappy’s Twitter reveals he stopped tweeting and retweeting about Purpose rehearsals in the first week of February.
Kanter shared his last specifically rehearsal-related tweet in the same week, but he did tweet effusively about Justin’s Brits performance (on February 24), for which he accompanied by the singer-songwriter James Bay.
Fast forward to March 1. “Scrappy” responded cryptically to a fan’s excited tweet about the upcoming Denver tour stop, replying, “not quite.” Stassen changed his Twitter bio the same day from an icon of the Biebs to a cartoon pic of a dog. He also removed a description of himself as Bieber’s stage manager.
On Saturday, March 2, multiple Bieber fan Instagram and Twitter accounts shared posts on Scrappy and Kanter’s non-participation in the Purpose Tour before both men officially revealed the news.
According to LinkedIn, Chris Gratton is the extensively experienced new production manager. He had the same role on Ariana Grande’s Honeymoon Tour between 2014-15. Before that, he handled Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour and did the same for The Smashing Pumpkins from 2006-2013.
Other star names on Gratton’s resume include P Diddy, R Kelly, Guns N’ Roses, Kelly Clarkson, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Tracy Chapman, P.J. Harvey, and more.
Once the word was out, some Bieber fans took to Twitter and Instagram to post messages to Kanter and “Scrappy” over the weekend. For fans who have followed the “Sorry” singer’s career since his “Baby” days, they are attached to team members. Their messages range from hyper-emotional, to philosophically pragmatic, and bemused.
dan….tragic….no way no way
— R (@deceivedbieber) March 5, 2016
i never thought i would be here to see dan leave the bieber team, i'm so sad rn
— // NOV 25TH (@lookngfryou) March 6, 2016
I honestly can't imagine another guitarist performing with Justin on tv shows, concerts, etc.. No more "give it up for Dan Kanter"
— rebecca (@allforthebiebs) March 6, 2016
kenny, ryan, scrappy and dan aren't going on tour with Justin pic.twitter.com/dk0noq1PrY
— joel (@purposehoIy) March 6, 2016
So Dan really isn't going on tour.. Damn https://t.co/T3vc6I8RvP
— BRY?N (@bryanizzle) March 5, 2016
i cant watch justin perform without dan playing guitar i dont TRUST ANYONE ELSE
— ? (@PurposeDeIuxe) March 6, 2016
We will never forget you @dankanter. pic.twitter.com/fqwyNYHYSD
— Harri (@harri__ora) March 6, 2016
And in the opposite corner:
I like the fact that we know almost nothing about the tour. There's so much to anticipate and be excited for
— #JB22 (@SoulCompanyx) March 6, 2016
staff work for different artists and wherever they can get work. Their entire livelihood isn't dependent upon one artist or even one music
— Robbie (@DreamingEcho) March 6, 2016
company. All of these people are typically contractors, which means work comes and goes. Learn something about a job before you assume.
— Robbie (@DreamingEcho) March 6, 2016
I'm seeing him for the first time that's all I care about pic.twitter.com/QpLkmF0GJ8
— B (@biebersaccustic) March 6, 2016
I have no idea how it's gonna be. It feels like it's not going to anything like his past tours..
— cley (@outlawdakiss) March 6, 2016
Can these fans that are scared of change just delete their accounts already
— Ty (@bieberplier) March 6, 2016
It's not sketchy though that they went to rehearsals at first it makes sense that they probably had to teach the new people on the tour
— ? (@hoIiestcompanys) March 7, 2016
Band lineup changes happen throughout the industry. That didn't start & end w J. His studio sound evolved on Purpose. Now his live sound is.
— AriaJenco (@Aria_Jenco) March 6, 2016
evolving is what makes a person even greater. with new music, tour evolution is needed…its not always the same team members that will work
— Pablo (@nextoyouss) March 6, 2016
To the bemused.
It's okay to be sad but some of you are actually acting suicidal????
— Nastya (@reb0rnwolf) March 6, 2016
aren't y'all going to see Justin… not the crew pic.twitter.com/6dmo5FTLZ7
— ? (@Iitbiebers) March 5, 2016
Laughing at all the extreme fangirls having heart attacks over how Dan & Scrappy won't be working with Justin anymore.
— Lisa Kastleen (@LisaKastleen) March 6, 2016
@LisaKastleen ikr… They should be happy Bieber doesnt changes his team ad often af my job!????
— Jannie Buhl (@JannieMarieBuhl) March 6, 2016
Meanwhile, in the real world, band and production changes are completely commonplace in the music industry. Reasons can be anything from a decision to update the musical and sound direction, costs and logistics, personal chemistry, or a choice to inject fresh blood into an artist’s live performances.
On Sunday, Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, ramped up excitement for the tour in videos. One was filmed at the Purpose Tour rehearsal in the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. The team has been there since Thursday. Another showed Braun larking around backstage. Everyone has now arrived in Seattle ahead of opening night.
Scooter Braun via Snapchat: pic.twitter.com/Fm5QK8zYB8
— JustinBieberCrew.com (@JBCrewdotcom) March 6, 2016
Haha, Scooter getting everyone pumped for the Justin Bieber #PurposeTour, taken via @DJTayJames on @shots! pic.twitter.com/0mGCy6OwCP
— JustinBieberCrew.com (@JBCrewdotcom) March 6, 2016
Kanter and Scrappy will evidently missed by many. But the show goes on and may now be even better than fans could have hoped for. Just take a look below.
[Photo by Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images]