Black Keys Say ‘We Got Fucked’ Amid Tour Cancellation

The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney has shared a mysterious message following the abrupt cancellation of the North American leg of their International Players Tour and an “amicable split” with their management team.

On Monday, Carney took to X, formerly Twitter, to write: “We got screwed. I’ll tell you all how to make sure this doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.” It’s unclear exactly what he’s referring to, but the group has made news with changes to both its schedule and performance.

In May, the Black Keys canceled the aforementioned tour, which was scheduled to play arenas and amphitheaters through the fall, beginning at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 17. The dates were scrubbed from the band’s social media pages and official website, with no further explanation.

Then last week, the Black Keys and their management team, Irving Azoff and Steve Moir of Full Stop Management, had an “amicable separation,” according to a rep for Azoff. Azoff and Moir became their managers in 2021 following a split from their long-time manager John Peets at Q Prime South.

A representative for the group declined to comment on Carney’s tweet. A referred Azoff representative rolling stone to the original statement and was not available for further comment. A representative for CAA, the group’s booking agent, confirmed that the group was still on their roster as of Monday.

Shortly after canceling their tour dates, the duo – Carney and Dan Auerbach – confirmed they were “alive and well” via an Instagram post and said they planned to revise the dates of the tour. “Following the recent run of shows in the UK and Europe, including stops at iconic venues like the Brixton Academy and the Zénith de Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the International Players Tour which will allow us to deliver an equally exciting and intimate experience for fans and band, and will soon announce a series of revised dates.

As for their original tour, one date remains: their July 6 performance at the NASCAR Chicago Street Race.

Their cancellation is accompanied by the cancellation of other major tours, notably that of Jennifer Lopez. This Is Me… Live Tour. From the cancellation of the Black Keys tour, Billboard noted that “no other reason was given for the cancellation of the arena dates, although there was widespread speculation that slow ticket sales were the cause.”