FEATURE:
No Scraps Left on the Table
IN THIS PHOTO: The Last Dinner Party
Why The Last Dinner Party’s Gig Cancellations Due to Burnout Will Impact Other Artists
_________
I am returning my thoughts…
PHOTO CREDIT: Vishnu R Nair/Pexels
to Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual. It is indispensable and essential reading. Not least because many people do not realise the psychological toll that being a touring artist can take. From the outside, we may look at artists on the stage and feel like they have a perfect life and are living the dream. Drawing energy from the crowds each night. Maybe huge touring artists like Taylor Swift can make that lifestyle look easy. She is someone who has a lot of people around her. Even so, Swift cannot do as many shows as she does and not feel the effects. Think about artists coming through who are doing so many dates. They are also promoting their music, working on new material and really pushing themselves. Trying to give their fans everything but then getting to a point where they need to step back. This is what has happened with The Last Dinner Party. The Mercury Prize-nominated group released their phenomenal debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, earlier this year to huge reviews. The group have had to cancel some gigs due to burnout. Stereogum reported the news:
“Last month, the Last Dinner Party canceled a show last-minute citing illness, then cancelled a handful of dates. Today, the rising indie rock band cancelled five more due to burnout.
“As we came to the end of the UK/Ireland tour, we put some time aside to discuss how to approach the upcoming European tour,” they wrote in a statement on social media, continuing:
The burnout we’re experiencing emotionally, mentally, and physically — is something we’re taking very seriously. After much consideration we have come to the difficult decision to finish the tour with the last show in Prague. This means that we are sadly cancelling our November headline shows in Vienna, Zurich, Parma, Luxembourg and Tilburg. We wanted to give fans with tickets to these particular dates as much advance notice as possible to adjust their plans. We sincerely apologise to our fans who were looking forward to seeing us, and we are truly saddened to not be seeing you this time. Refunds will be issued by your point of purchase to the original method of payment.
This year has been incredible for us but undeniably exhausting and we have found that we need to take responsibility over the amount of shows that we can do. Pushing ourselves past breaking point is not a fair or wise decision for anyone. We hope that you can understand that our reason for cancelling these shows is to protect our well-being and give the very best performances you all deserve.
Moving forward and armed with the knowledge of our limits, we are working with our team to make sure we only book tours that we are capable of fulfilling at the highest potential. We never want to find ourselves in this situation again.
Thank you so much, from the bottom of our hearts, for being the most supportive, generous, and wonderful fans — it means so much to us.
It’s a tough time for touring indie musicians. Earlier this week, Clairo canceled three gigs due to exhaustion; last month, Bright Eyes canceled the rest of their 2024 tour dates and in August the Armed canceled their tour before it even began”.
I think we will find many other artists step back from dates because of exhaustion and burnout. I can see how artists are suffering. They want to see as many people as possible and travel to all sorts of places. That can be physically draining. The emotional effect of being on the road. The adulation from the stage and some comedown and stress when it comes to everything connected to touring. The business side of things. Promotion. It can all combine in a really severe way. I have seen some on social media criticise The Last Dinner Party because they feel like they have cancelled dates and not really done enough to warrant that. Lacking stamina. It is insulting to consider people taking shots at a group who have faced their fair share of challenges since they started. Sexism and those saying they are industry plants. The truth is that The Last Dinner Party have crammed so much in this year. To deliver brilliant shows in different towns and cities requires so much. What is involved in promoting albums and touring in general is a hell of a lot tougher and more demanding than most people realise. It is no surprise that other artists have also cited burnout and exhaustion. It is not a new thing, though I do feel there is this expectation that artists can tour relentlessly and do everything else without it causing any damage. There is a real danger going beyond a point where you can’t really carry on to please fans.
IN THIS PHOTO: Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan attend the Guts World Tour premiere/PHOTO CREDIT:: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images
It is disappointing that some will miss out but it is paramount artists think of themselves and can ensure they are able to continue and perform after a short break. In the case of The Last Dinner Party, they will be back on the road soon enough. I do think that the industry needs to look at some of the pressure and expectation put on artists. I am not sure whether there are ways in which touring can be made easier. Perhaps artists having to shorten their tours. It is hard to make that call as they want to reach as many people as they can. Think about the music industry in general and how rising popularity and fan adulation/obsession can impact mental health negatively. Artists such as Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo have shared their advice on dealing with fame and the pressures that come with succeeding and being very visible in the entertainment industry. It is really challenging for every artist. So much to navigate online and in the real world. The amount of energy it takes to tour and everything else required to build their name and keep their fans happy. Let alone everything that comes from being online. I do hope that The Last Dinner Party are given enough space and time to refresh and rest for a bit and people will give them earned patience and respect. I have seen some criticism but, when you look at other artists who are also pulling out of dates, it is becoming more widespread. If an artist is experiencing burnout then they need to be given time and respect. If they are pushed or expected to go on then that can lead to…
SOMETHING far more serious.