The Pits: “THe SHow must go on” …says who?

By: Katlyn Mortimer

Are you or your friends sick right now? At the point of writing this, me too. Alas, dear reader, it’s not just us who have tortured immune systems this flu season, because our favourite artists with all the money in the world at their disposal are also suffering! On 17 February I found myself within microbial spreading distance of Dublin-based four-piece band Inhaler, and have since been telling everyone that frontman Elijah Hewson gave me the plague, because that sounds a little less pathetic than saying I caught my disease inside the sticky walls of 601. So, while Hewson was handing it over to the crowd to belt the choruses of the later songs in the set, I admired the band’s dedication to the age-old adage ‘the show must go on,’ as they powered through their 90 minute show, decimating vocal chords in the process. With each missed note and defeated headshake towards his bandmates, I contemplated if and when it’s too much to ask our favourite artists to sacrifice health for the sake of a concert. In this month’s edition of The Pits, I’ll be discussing cancellations, rainchecks, and the problem of perseverance onstage.

Before I even set foot in the O2 Academy Glasgow that Monday evening, I had heard through the grapevine (Twitter, which I still refuse to call X) that two of four band members had caught colds, but no word of cancellation had been sent out, and I once again found myself a couple rows from the stage, waiting to see how the band were holding up. Support came from Gurriers who performed a fantastic set, with singer Daniel Hoff committing identity theft against Grian Chatten all while getting the crowd energised for the headliners. Taking the stage at 9pm, I was surprised that the band opened with their biggest hit ‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’, which I had previously understood to be the penultimate song of each show this tour. Following this was ‘Your House’, the lead single from their latest album Open Wide, which was intended to be the closing song of the night. It was around this moment I realised that the setlist had likely been adjusted due to the vocally challenging nature of these two songs. Immediately, Hewson was letting the crowd take the higher parts, which we did so with great enthusiasm as he tried to hold each line without breaking. His efforts did not go unnoticed as fans shouted, “You got this Eli!” between songs.

On the whole though, the show was performed as normal, as Hewson’s vocals were not the focus of most tracks, but rather the riffs from guitarist Josh Jenkinson and screaming the words “I fucking hate that bitch” in the chorus of track ‘My King Will Be Kind’. Afterwards, fans pointed out on twitter that their manager took the stage at one point to talk to the frontman as he struggled to maintain his vocals. To my great surprise, the band performed their second show in Glasgow the following evening, and continued the rest of their tour before eventually cancelling the final show of the UK leg due to illness. It was soon announced that the Manchester show had been rescheduled for this May, which was reassuring for many ticketholders.

In such cases of cancellation and rescheduling, it is often difficult or simply impossible to rearrange, such as the tragic incident of Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ show in Vienna being cancelled due to a terror threat. More commonly, an artist may cancel a tour due to health issues, and post what is often a last-minute Instagram story of apology and instruction for ticketholders. While I personally believe it is the duty of fans to possess a level of understanding and empathy for the difficult decision artists are often faced with when choosing to cancel a performance. While this may foil your evening plans, it will also cost artists and venues a significant amount to provide refunds. So, for obvious reasons, cancelling a show is not ideal and affects various levels of the touring industry significantly.

Lead singers may lose their voices, or the constant mental toll of touring can cause performers to reach a breaking point, such as the case of The Last Dinner Party, who cancelled the European leg of their tour last Autumn for this reason. Some criticised this move, claiming that bands should not book overbook gigs and have a responsibility to follow through with commitments. This harsh view is careless, and fails to consider the countless examples when constant touring has had a severe mental impact on artists – take a look at Scottish music icon Lewis Capaldi, who has been open about both his mental health issues and struggles with Tourette’s syndrome. The singer had been seen struggling to finish performances during his shows in 2022 and 2023, causing him to step down from headlining slots, such as Reading and Leeds festival in 2023.

I present the case that fans should ultimately aim to not place so much on the line for seeing an artist on tour, so that in the unfortunate case of disappointment, the blow is minimal. Travelling far and wide, spending a small fortune on tickets, and setting expectations on a gig to be the highlight of your month is a gamble I try and avoid making. This also should serve as a reminder to check out the live music gigs happening in your own town, which will (at most) cost you a bus fare and a couple of pints. Turning the blame towards artists can be counterproductive, and for those fronting a band, the pressure can be overwhelming as it is. Frontman Isaac Wood of Black Country, New Road left the lineup in 2022 due to mental health reasons, which significantly affected the band’s sound. Despite this, the precarious position of the spotlight is one which should be understood as not just a gift, but also a challenge that many artists have to rise to in the moment. The glow of stage lights and the magnitude of an arena or stadium show can easily make an artist themselves seem larger than life, but they are just as human as you and I. If we can self-certify an absence for a tutorial, then they should be able to call off a show. Everyone should have some sick days to utilise.