Helmet cancels US tour due to ‘financial issues and lower than expected ticket sales’

It’s hard for a band to make money on the road. Unfortunately, since the COVID pandemic shutdowns, we’ve all seen the repercussions of this reality, with bands having to cancel previously announced tours due to rising costs. This was repeated earlier today, when Helmet announced that their planned tour with Local H was off.

According to a Facebook post, the series of dates was canceled due to a “combination of significant financial issues and lower than expected ticket sales.” The full statement is as follows:

“Helmet regrets to announce that we have to cancel our upcoming US tour with Local H. This cancellation is due to a combination of significant financial issues and lower than expected ticket sales, which is a common issue for many artists this year. We look forward to getting back on the road in 2025. In the meantime, our European tour in November is proceeding as planned.”

Alongside the band’s statement, Helmet frontman Page Hamilton commented on the cancellation.

“As much as we would have loved to get back on the road and play, this time it wasn’t a good idea for us. We’re looking forward to our next European tour in November/December, which is looking good, and we’ll be back in 2025 for more US dates.”

It’s interesting that their European tour is still going, because that’s also an expensive endeavor. Maybe ticket sales are much better there. Still, it’s a loss for many here in the States, because it affects more than just the bands: roadies, merch vendors, venues, bartenders… everyone loses money when tours are canceled.

This isn’t the first time the band has had to cancel dates either. In 2022, Helmet were forced to cancel previously postponed dates due to logistical issues.