The rock band Garbage, fronted by singer Shirley Manson, is currently on tour in North America. And it might be the last time they perform on this continent again.
In onstage speech during the band’s show on Sept. 17 in Washington, D.C., Manson said the logistics of touring in American have become difficult and blamed “the thievery of the record 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,” she said. “It has, thanks to the thievery of the record industry, made touring very, very difficult.”
“We’re not complaining, we’ve had a [expletive] great run. I bring this up only because my concern is, of course, for young musicians who go out there and tour,” she continued. “They’re holding down jobs, they take two weeks off 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. 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.”
“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,” Manson said. “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.”
The band then all raised glasses to the audience as Manson said, “We all feel that we’ve been so immensely privileged and we’ve enjoyed unbelievable support from our fans, from you. At times in the music industry, they’ve told us we’re old, we’re over, nobody’s interested, nobody gives a [expletive], 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.”
Garbage is known for such songs as “I’m Only Happy When it Rains,” “Queer,” “Stupid Girl” and “I Think I’m Paranoid.” Other members include Butch Vig, Steve Marker, and Duke Erikson.
