Last month, alternative rockers The Black Keys canceled their entire North American tour. Speculating the cancelation was due to low ticket sales, fans shared screenshots of unsold ticket inventory at high prices.
Now, The Black Keys have reportedly ditched their high-profile management. The duo was managed by Irving Azoff and Steve Moir. Billboard reported that the parting was amicable, but the band has so far declined to comment. Azoff is the head of Full Stop Management, and he helped shepherd the careers of the Eagles, Van Halen and Steely Dan, among others. He was also the previous CEO of Ticketmaster.
The band released a statement last week saying: “The band wants to assure everyone that Dan & Patrick are alive and well. 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. Everyone who had purchased tickets and/or VIP to the initial tour dates will be fully refunded – and when the new plans are announced, will be the first to be able to buy tickets.”
They continued: “Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the surprise change… We’re pretty sure everyone is going to be excited when you see what we have in mind though, and look forward to seeing everyone soon.”
The Black Keys released their latest album, “Ohio Players,” on April 5. The band, comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, were due to kick off a 31-date North American tour that was supposed to run through the fall.
