disheartened and at a creative impasse, the core members elected to go their separate ways while they were still on good terms (with the notable exception of founder member rodney slater, who claims not to have even known the band were breaking up until stanshall announced it on stage). in january 1970 they summoned the collective will to go out on a high by embarking on a lengthy farewell tour of the uk. as popular as ever in a live setting and with the creative pressure finally off them, the tour went surprisingly well and the bonzos played their final gig at loughborough university in march.