For Beck, touring with Arcade Fire is no longer where it’s at.
The alt-rock star has dropped out of supporting the Canadian band on the US leg of its “We” trek two weeks before it’s due to start on Oct. 27.
Although Beck didn’t give a reason why he was quitting the tour, he is the second artist to bail on Arcade Fire following Feist, who cited the sexual misconduct allegations against the group’s lead singer, Win Butler, as her reason for leaving the European leg in September.
“I can’t continue,” the “I Feel It All” singer wrote on Twitter about her “incredibly difficult” decision to split from her fellow Canadians on tour.
“To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury,” she wrote. “I was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire — I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage.”
In a Pitchfork report published in August, three women accused Butler of sexual misconduct, while a fourth woman accused him of sexual assault. The “Ready to Start” singer has denied the accusations.
The Arcade Fire and Beck double bill was a potent pairing of two Album of the Year Grammy winners. Arcade Fire won for “The Suburbs” in 2011, while Beck triumphed for “Morning Phase” in 2015.
Ticket buyers were notified in an email that Beck was “unfortunately no longer able to join Arcade Fire on their upcoming North American tour. Taking his place will be Boukman Eksperyans.”
But in terms of both popularity acclaim, the Haitian band is a big step down from Beck, who has won eight Grammys to go along with hits such as “Where It’s At” and “Devils Haircut.” So it’s the audience who is the real “Loser” here.