We won’t tour anymore due to music industry ‘thievery,’ ‘90s rock icons say

The popular alt-rock band Garbage has elaborated on the reasons behind their decision to stop touring extensively in North America.

During the band’s tour stop at the Anthem in Washington, DC, last Wednesday, lead singer Shirley Manson attributed the decision to the “thievery” of the recording industry.

“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,” the singer said to the crowd. “It has, thanks to the thievery of the record industry, made touring very, very difficult.”

Manson went on to say that while the economics of touring on a massive scale have become “untenable,” it’s a “fantastic privilege” to be on this current tour, as Garbage doubts they will “do a tour of this size again.”

The singer went on to express her concern for younger artists who often have to go above and beyond just to make ends meet on the road. See video of her speech here.

“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,” said Manson “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.”

In concluding the impromptu speech, Manson saluted the crowd for their support, even through the many challenges the band continues to face.

“At times in the music industry, they’ve told us we’re old, we’re over, nobody’s interested, nobody gives a f—, nobody wants to play us on radio, nobody wants to interview us,” Manson said. “And then you lot came along. You were like, ‘get behind us, Satan’. And we won’t forget it.”