 In March 1987, during the tour with The Soup Dragons, David Conway announced his decision to leave the band, due to a gastric illness, disillusionment with music and ambitions to become a writer.Conway's departure left My Bloody Valentine without a lead vocalist—a situation Shields, Ó Cíosóig and Googe decided to amend by placing advertisements in the local music press.The audition process, which Shields described as "disastrous and excruciating", was unsuccessful due to Shields "mentioning The Smiths, because [he] liked their melodies", which attracted a number of vocalists he referred to as "fruitballs".