Counting CrowsBluesfest organisers announced that this year’s event would be cancelled last Friday (13 March), and the domino effect of its cancellation is rolling on.
Counting Crows were set to perform at this year’s festival, and like a bunch of their peers, including The Black Crowes, Sublime, and The Pogues, have locked in a string of sideshows across the country, along with Bluesfest, three of which are sold out.
But frontman Adam Duritz has warned that many of the acts on the bill aren’t in the same place and could cancel their forthcoming Australian shows without the safety net of the festival, citing the expenses of touring Australia. As a result, he believes artists will think twice about heading Down Under with uncertainties surrounding festivals.
In an interview with News.com.au—which was published last Friday—the Accidentally In Love singer outlined his concerns.
Duritz explained that the cancellation of Bluesfest meant that Counting Crows would lose money on their in-demand Complete Sweets! Tour, despite high ticket sales.
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“That’s going to be devastating for a lot of people’s bottom line because you set up a tent pole like Bluesfest, where for a lot of people, it’s probably the highest paying gig on the tour,” he told news.com.au. “And then it just goes, especially when it goes in this way.”
Duritz added that the costs of touring Down Under for international acts, from airfares to accommodation to freight costs, plus wages, mean that bands can only break even with a sold-out show.
He also explained that, due to the news of the festival entering liquidation, most of the Bluesfest line-up probably hadn’t received “upfront payment” for their performances, and it’s unlikely that acts would be covered by insurance following the festival’s cancellation.
“There’s all these bands coming, and if you’re Buddy Guy or you’re The Wailers or you are The Black Crowes, none of those bands are making a gazillion dollars right now touring,” he said.
“And you plan a trip to Australia; you’re going to be barely breaking even or losing some money… [the cancellation of Bluesfest] spreads out to the other promoters who have got all these gigs planned [around the festival].”
He assured fans that Counting Crows are “not going to cancel” their shows but believes other acts will “cancel their entire tours.”
Duritz concluded that after this situation unfolded, he believes artists and bands will have second thoughts about bringing their shows to Australia.
“Believe me, there’s no one on earth who doesn’t want to come to Australia every year; it’s fucking beautiful, people are great,” he said.
“But it’s so expensive to tour here. You don’t have [tour] buses here because it’s too big, so all the travel is flights. We’re a rock band, and we want to play in Australia, but it’s a struggle not to lose money.”
Tickets to Counting Crows’ upcoming shows are now available.
Counting Crows are touring in support of their recently released new album, Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, which features the single Spaceman In Tulsa. The rock band won over Australian fans in 1993 with their hit Mr Jones from their debut album, August And Everything After, and have remained consistent visitors for their fans Down Under.
The band last toured Australia in April 2023, also appearing at Bluesfest. Check out The Music’s review of their show at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre here.
