Fans may not want to believe it, but all signs are pointing towards the break-up of The Moffatts.

A story in the Victoria Times-Colonist quotes Mike Ravenhill, a family friend of The Moffatts, as saying that one of the triplets, Dave, left the group in August.

"Dave just wants to break away for now. He's just burned," Ravenhill told The Times-Colonist. "These guys have been on top of each other since they were two or three years old."

Ravenhill went on to say that Dave is planning to go to university while the rest of his brothers -- Clint, Scott, and Bob Moffatt -- want to continue making music under a new name.

The emotions in messages posted by Moffatts fans in chatrooms, online fan clubs, and on The Moffatts official message boards range from disbelief to anger.

"I refuse to believe anything about the situation of the moffatts," reads a message on the Yahoo Moffatts club posted by moffatt_fan_4_life2000. "Soon enough I will learn the truth, and that is good enough."

"Okay I have a problem with them," says BabyFire on The Moffatts' message board. "Since everyone knows we basically created the moffatts, why would they want to leave us???? So all our money, all our hopes, is gonna be put in the trash just because some guys couldn't hack it, with a boy band image!"

Although no one officially connected to The Moffatts has directly stated that the group is finished, Bruce Allen Talent, which helps to manage the group, did release a statement, quoted by The Times-Colonist:

"At the present time, there are no concert dates on the books for The Moffatts. It has become obvious to the band that there is a push/pull going on as to what direction the band should take musically. A change in direction not unanimously supported usually means a change in personnel. This is very possible, as members are looking at options."

The Canadian music group made up of one set of triplets and an older brother started singing and recording before they were teens. The group enjoyed huge success in Canada with their pop tunes on the album "Chapter 1/A New Beginning". Their popularity took a nose dive however, when they tried a harder sound on "Submodalities", released last year.

There is some speculation among fans that Dave disagreed with his brothers' decision to change The Moffatts' sound.

"Hey ... did anyone ever think that they're stopping because they aren't making any money anymore?," wrote one fan on The Moffatts Yahoo message board. "Submodalities didn't really do that well world wide, so maybe Dave was like 'wait a minute ... we should stick to pop 'cause we're not doing well as rockers!' And then the other guys were probably like "no, we wanna play rock music!" And another thing ... I know for a fact that they didn't cover the costs of the Aug. 23 Molson Amphitheatre concert ... only 3 000 people came. Then the next night they did a free concert ... there's no money being brought in there! Then there was only 1000 people at the London show on the 25th. I really think it has something to do with the money issue ... but that's just my opinion!'

Lending some credibility to fans' speculation about Dave's problems with The Moffatts' music was Ravenhill's comment to The Times-Colonist that Dave may return to the music world as a solo artist, although he'd pursue a softer sound than the one his siblings have been pushing.

Despite Ravenhill's interview and the statement from the group's talent agency, fans are still confused about what exactly is going on with The Moffatts. If there is any doubt remaining in their minds however about the future of the group, perhaps a clue can be found on The Moffatts' official website.

"Dear friends, Over the past 6 years, The Official Moffatts Web Site has provided news, tour information, photos, chat, message boards, song samples and more," reads the message from the site's webmaster. "We were THE first Moffatt site on the net in 1995 and grew and grew and grew. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the fans, moms, dads, mom and dad fans, Dave Mack, Williams/Bell & Associates, Provident Financial Mgt, Capitol Records, and of course The Moffatts for all of their help and support over the years. The Moffatts were a band that really appreciated the power of a web site and the need to stay in touch with their fans. They embraced the web site from the beginning. I have been informed that The Official Moffatts Web Site is to be taken down on December 1st, 2001. At that time all email @themoffatts.com will not be available, either, unless something drastically changes. Please make other arrangements for email and clean out your boxes."

The dismantling of The Moffatts' official website could be taken as an (obvious) hint that the group is either taking a (long) break or splitting up.

Officials from The Moffatts' record label were not immediately available to comment on the break-up rumours.

Boy bands can't always stay sweet and glossy.

Such is the case for the Moffatts, who are wearing their first signs of facial hair and will be in London Saturday night to show off their new look and music.

Their sound is evolving and so are their experiences.

"It's all about learning," said one of the triplet brothers, Clint Moffatt, from their home in Calgary.

"We can never stop learning."

The four brothers are shedding their pop-sounding skin that attracted young girl listeners and are moving toward a rocked-up pop style. "We have to sort of outlive that (boy band image)," Clint said.

Thanks to the guidance of Bob Rock, who has produced albums for Metallica, Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi, the Moffatts released a new album last year called Submodalities that tries to capture their development as musicians and as growing teenagers.

The release is the seventh in their collection since they first hit the musical landscape as a pre-teen kid country band out of Nashville, where they lived and worked for five years. Their previous album Chapter 1: A New Beginning, sold more than two million copies, went platinum in Canada and catapulted the pop-band onto the world stage, surrounded by boy-crazed young girls.

"They all keep getting better," Clint said of their music-making evolution.

The brothers; Scott and triplets Bob, Clint and Dave are home-schooled and basically have grown up in the musical limelight.

Clint said at this stage in their lives they want to focus on their musical careers and postpone plans for post-secondary education.

Unlike other boy bands, they write most of their own songs.

Songs in their latest release, Submodalities, reflect their Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Nirvana influences, as well as their "own sound" that Rock suggested they do.

At this point in their lives when most pre-20 boys would be pondering which career to pursue or post-secondary school to attend, the Moffatts are reinventing their musical direction and style.

It's a new direction that may shake up faithful boy-band Moffatt fans.

"We're just evolving into something else."

Clint said with the change in style, "Some of the fans have changed as well. We may have lost some of the younger fans."

In that changeover of fans, Clint hopes their following will include more boys.

To correspond with the growth and change in the Moffatts' style, Clint hinted that considering a new band name has crossed their minds.

Staying with them through their growing pains is their recording label, EMI, which Clint said gives them "enough room" to chart their artistic direction.

"They are going to be patient with us."

Their show in London is the last of a three-date Ontario tour and the last for a while, said Clint.

Clint said they will take the time to "regroup" and prepare for a new album.

"We're slowly working on a new album," he said, adding, "We're not going to be rushed."

The Moffatts performed in London before and Clint said, "It was an amazing crowd . . . The crowd never stopped."

Since Saturday's gig is their last live show for a while, London audiences can expect a hyped show. "We try to blow them away," said Clint.

Move over Matthew Good Band, Tragically Hip and Alanis Morissette -- The Moffatts are the new saviours of Canadian modern rock.

Scott Moffatt likes to think so anyway.

"Personally, I think we've opened a door for modern rock bands in Canada," says the eldest Moffatt during a phone interview from his family's Bragg Creek home.

"Before (the single) Just Another Phase was released, Our Lady Peace wasn't being played on Top 40 radio. I mean, you heard Creed and stuff like that, but besides that ... (The song) opened up that door for a lot of Britpop-influenced bands."

The 18 year old is going to need plenty of that gutsy self-assurance if his band is to pull off their next studio album.

Moffatt hopes the follow-up to their sort of big-selling latest release, Submodalities, will attract an older, more musically sophisticated audience and also appeal to the band's loyal fanbase. To their credit, The Moffatts tried to break free from the boy band mould with Submodalities, which featured a rockier guitar sound than their previous efforts.

"Being stamped with the stigma of being a boy band is very difficult," says Moffatt.

"It's hard to break out of that ... But I think it's happening slowly. They won't be the first to admit they're fans, but they really appreciate the fact that we're not the Backstreet Boys or *NSync."

Critics tended to be kinder to the brothers since they were the only band -- barring Hanson -- who played their own instruments and didn't run around in silver space suits.

"The industry right now has respect for The Moffatts."

The Moffatts haven't set a date for recording the new record yet, but Submodalities producer Bob Rock (Tal Bachman, Metallica, Veruca Salt) has already expressed interest in working with the guys again.

"Bob Rock is a great music man," says Moffatt, whose own musical tastes run more towards the alternative side of things, with Gorillaz, Radiohead and Hank Williams III being his current faves.

The Moffatts play the Coca-Cola Stage tonight. The last time the band played the Stampede was two years ago when a freak snowstorm made their set a little bit interesting. "I was freezing my ass off. But there were five or six thousand people in the audience so it was a blast."

EDMONTON -- The Moffatts said goodbye with a song to an Edmonton fan who had become a friend at her funeral this week.

 The pop band paid their respects to Lindsey McLachlan, 16, with an appearance at her funeral Tuesday at Memories Funeral Chapel where they sang a song in honour of the girl who had been fighting a lifelong battle with liver cancer.

 "It was just amazing what they came and did," said McLachlan's close friend Krystal McDowell.

 "They're such nice people. I know she would have loved it."

 McDowell said her friend first met the Moffatts after the performers' manager read a story about McLachlan in a newspaper in which the teenager said she'd like a dream date with band member Scott Moffatt.

 That dream came true a year ago when they flew McLachlan in for dinner in Calgary.

 Another time the group sang to McLachlan at an Edmonton show.

 The Moffatts dedicated Tuesday's concert to McLachlan.

 McDowell said the band members talked to McLachlan on the phone and even visited her in hospital, where she spent the last five months.

 "Scott was definitely her favourite," she said.

 "They just loved her. They were really good friends with her.

 "They'd given her backstage passes to their (Edmonton) concert (Tuesday) but she didn't make it.

 "We wanted to thank them because it was so amazing what they had done."

 McLachlan had battled liver cancer several times since she was a toddler, and succumbed last week following a liver transplant using part of her mother's organ, a bout with chicken pox and an infection.

 The funeral chapel at 13403 St. Albert Tr. was overflowing with mourners, McDowell said, adding it is a testament to the wonderful person her friend was.