The Black Keys fire their managers in “amicable” agreement after arena tour cancellation
Since the arrival of their debut album, The Big Come Up, The Black Keys have been a leading force in the garage rock revival. The band have headlined festivals worldwide and filled arena tours, but even the mighty are starting to fall under the current economic climate.
Back in May, the Ohio band announced that they would be cancelling every date on their planned arena tour of North America. Fans speculated this was due to low ticket sales and high prices, which made touring on such a scale financially unrewarding. The tour, scheduled to begin in September, was set to visit major cities across the US, including Austin, Seattle and Atlanta, with ticket prices ranging from $100 to $300 before Ticketmaster fees.
At the end of May, Ticketmaster removed the proposed dates from their platform, and The Black Keys apologetically removed the purchase point on their website. “The band wants to assure everyone that Dan [Auerbach] & Patrick [Carney] are alive and well,” a statement read.
Continuing, the band seemed to suggest that a North American tour may be rescheduled in the next year or so, but in smaller venues. “Following the recent run of shows in the UK & Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the ‘International Players Tour’ that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly,” the statement concluded.
Following controversy among fans regarding the exorbitant ticket prices, the band has now announced that it will part with its current management team. A new report from The New York Times detailing a rise in high-profile cancellations noted that The Black Keys had recently fired their managers, Irving Azoff and Steve Moir.
A statement from Azoff’s representative claimed that it was an “amicable parting”. At present, The Black Keys have not commented on the matter directly.
Azoff, 76, is a hugely successful manager with an illustrious history in the music industry and a hand in the careers of Eagles, Van Halen and Steely Dan, among other hugely popular acts.
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