The Black Keys have mirrored on the cancellation of their total 2024 North America tour, commenting on the “toxic” nature of the modern-day music business.

When the duo – comprising guitarist and singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney – introduced the cancellation of their 2024 tour supporting Ohio Gamers, many speculated it was as a consequence of poor ticket gross sales. Carney later expressed dissatisfaction with the band’s administration, saying that they had booked “rooms they shouldn’t have been in”.

“All the things went tits up,” Carney tells The Instances, elaborating additional on the explanations for the tour’s cancellation.

“Reside Nation owns a chunk of virtually each administration firm, and so they personal Ticketmaster, and so they even scalp their very own tickets – which they simply received sued for [by the Federal Trade Commission in September 2025].

“So I’m an artist managed by Reside Nation, attempting to barter with Reside Nation, being promoted and ticketed by Reside Nation? It’s insane, man!”

The state of affairs finally led the duo to have to fireside their crew months earlier than the trek was scheduled to begin.

“We needed to fireplace our entire crew. Why? As a result of Reside Nation cancelled 4 months earlier than the primary present with out a single name,” Carney continues. “It’s my dumb ass for being concerned on this silly business. It’s evil.”

Guitarist Dan Auerbach chimes in: “Toxic.”

Elsewhere, the duo communicate on the present state of social media, and the way artists are considerably required to play the social media sport.

“Whenever you get well-known actual fast, you’re all of the sudden surrounded by individuals who appear to be they’re your buddies however they’re not,” Carney says.

“That’s while you begin asking your self, what does all of it imply? I don’t wish to be a content material creator. I don’t assume it’s cool to be on Instagram on a regular basis. We’re within the pure state of issues, which you’ll hear on the primary album – and the final.”

“Junior Kimbrough [legendary blues musician] by no means made a TikTok video,” Auerbach provides.

View a full record of upcoming Black Keys tour dates through their official web site.

Sam is the Affiliate Information Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Completely immersed in music tradition for almost all of his life, Sam has performed guitar for 20 years, studied music expertise and manufacturing at college, and in addition written for the likes of Guitar World, Whole Guitar, Metallic Hammer and MusicRadar.