Garbage slam “unacceptable” music industry in new speech

Frontwoman Shirley Manson addressed the crowd and began, “We have as a band decided that, due to basically the economics of the music industry, that we have to curtail our headline touring business. It has, thanks to the thievery of the record industry, made touring very, very difficult.”

She quickly added, “We’re not complaining, we’ve had a fucking great run. I bring this up only because my concern is of course for young musicians who go out there and tour, they’re holding down jobs, they take two weeks off their work and they go around the country. Sometimes they’re sleeping in their van, sometimes they’re staying in really, really dodgy so-called motels and it’s dangerous and it’s really unacceptable and it really has to stop. Whatever’s going on, it really has to stop. It’s unsafe and it’s unacceptable.”

Manson continued, “So we have just decided that the economics have become untenable, so this is kind of the last time that we’ve decided we’re going to get on a bus and just tour all over North America. It’s a fantastic privilege and it’s so beautiful and exciting and amazing. And all the more so because I doubt that we’ll do a tour this size ever again.”

After highlighting that Garbage feel “immensely privileged” due to “unbelievable support” from their fans, Manson admitted, “At times in the music industry, they’ve told us we’re old, we’re over, nobody’s interested, nobody gives a fuck, nobody wants to play us on radio, nobody wants to interview us. And then you lot came along. You were like, ‘get behind us, Satan’. And we won’t forget it.”

The band raised their drinks to the crowd while lamenting, “We don’t know if we’ll ever see you again, maybe we will, maybe we won’t. But we all want you to be healthy and happy. Stay kind, stay adventurous, stay curious, ask lots and lots of questions, surround yourself with beautiful animals and natural and really, really good people. And if they’re shitty people, get rid of them. If they’re great people, here’s to you.”

They reiterated the sentiment on Instagram, where they added, “We are going out in style and we hope you will join us. That’s life my friends. Nothing stays the same forever. Everything must change. All beautiful things come to an end.”

In a recent review of their 2025 full-length release, Far Out praised the band, writing, “But then there’s the light, and Garbage coast this line with such finesse and charm that it becomes impossible not to look within and ask ourselves whether we’ve given up or if we’ve just entered the beginning of our own personal fight. While we try to figure it out, though, we’ve always got fist-pumping anthems and words of wisdom to push us along.”

For now, the ‘I Think I’m Paranoid’ musicians have plenty more tour stops to go. They continue on September 21st at New Haven, Connecticut.

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