The Black Keys open up on tour cancellation: ‘What was presented didn’t exist’

The Black Keys have opened up regarding their canceled 2024 arena tour, which led to their split with their management company and high-powered industry executive Irving Azoff. 

As you may recall, the 2024 tour was canceled without any public statement. It was then addressed in a social media post from the “Lonely Boy” duo, who stated that they were reworking the dates to offer a more “exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band.”

New dates weren’t announced until Monday, and speaking now with Rolling Stone, frontman Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney detail what went down behind the scenes.

“The essential thing that we learned here was how many management companies are directly connected to a company that runs every single aspect of promotion in this country,” Carney says. “This whole industry is so intertwined from ticketing to promotion to the management company.”

“You’re dealing with management companies that co-own festivals with this other company,” he adds. “You’re at the [whims] of these people who have other interests.”

In the weeks following the tour cancellation and the parting with management, Carney posted, “We got f*****” without any other details. Carney says he “had to delete [the post], so I didn’t get sued,” but explains why he felt that way.

“It was told to me by someone that we ended up parting ways with that the dates were being rebooked into rooms that were scaled down,” Carney says. “So we could cancel this tour and we would re-announce dates in a couple days in these better rooms. But the plan wasn’t there because there were no holds on rooms. It was bulls***.”

“I don’t want to use the term ‘lie’ because I don’t want to get f****** sued,” he adds. “But what was presented didn’t exist.”

The Black Keys have opened up regarding their canceled 2024 arena tour, which led to their split with their management company and high-powered industry executive Irving Azoff. 

As you may recall, the 2024 tour was canceled without any public statement. It was then addressed in a social media post from the “Lonely Boy” duo, who stated that they were reworking the dates to offer a more “exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band.”

New dates weren’t announced until Monday, and speaking now with Rolling Stone, frontman Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney detail what went down behind the scenes.

“The essential thing that we learned here was how many management companies are directly connected to a company that runs every single aspect of promotion in this country,” Carney says. “This whole industry is so intertwined from ticketing to promotion to the management company.”

“You’re dealing with management companies that co-own festivals with this other company,” he adds. “You’re at the [whims] of these people who have other interests.”

In the weeks following the tour cancellation and the parting with management, Carney posted, “We got f*****” without any other details. Carney says he “had to delete [the post], so I didn’t get sued,” but explains why he felt that way.

“It was told to me by someone that we ended up parting ways with that the dates were being rebooked into rooms that were scaled down,” Carney says. “So we could cancel this tour and we would re-announce dates in a couple days in these better rooms. But the plan wasn’t there because there were no holds on rooms. It was bulls***.”

“I don’t want to use the term ‘lie’ because I don’t want to get f****** sued,” he adds. “But what was presented didn’t exist.”