Primus, the funk metal band led by bassist and vocalist Les Claypool, recently announced the cancellation of their upcoming Rush tribute tour. This came as disappointing news to many Primus fans who were looking forward to seeing the band pay homage to one of their biggest musical influences. In this article, we will explore the key reasons why Primus decided to cancel their highly anticipated tour.
Health Concerns
One of the main factors leading to the tour cancellation was health concerns within the band. Guitarist Larry LaLonde has been dealing with a back injury that would have made it difficult for him to withstand the rigors of a lengthy tour. At age 59, frontman Les Claypool has also been experiencing some medical issues that affected his ability to commit to a major tour. Primus has always put on high-energy shows, so the physical demands of nightly performances likely caused concerns. With the health of two core band members in question, cancelling the tour was the prudent choice.
Scheduling Challenges
In addition to health worries, it seems the band members were unable to align their schedules to make the tour possible. Outside of Primus, Les Claypool has a busy career with several other musical projects. Larry LaLonde is also a member of Possessed in addition to his Primus duties. Reportedly, the proposed Rush tribute tour dates were in conflict with other professional commitments. Since the tour was meant to celebrate Rush’s 50th anniversary, the timing was inflexible. This made it logistically impossible for Primus to pull off the tour while accommodating every member’s schedule.
Rush Tribute Tour Details
To better understand why the cancellation was such a difficult decision for Primus, it helps to look at what the tour would have entailed.
Planned Setlists
The band had intended to perform two full sets at each tour stop. The first set was to feature Primus’ own music, allowing them to play their hits and fan favorites.
The second set was planned as a start-to-finish cover performance of Rush’s classic album A Farewell to Kings. Released in 1977, this progressive rock concept album contains songs like “Closer to the Heart” and the epic “Cygnus X-1” that Primus felt would be a joy to recreate.
Special Guests
Primus had invited a couple of high-profile guests to make appearances during the Rush tribute shows. Geddy Lee, the legendary lead singer and bassist of Rush, was confirmed to perform at least a couple dates. This would have provided a nice full-circle moment.
The band also intended to have drummer Danny Carey from Tool sit in as a special guest. Carey is renowned for his technical prowess and would likely have handled the demanding Rush material with aplomb.
Stage Production
No expense was being spared for the stage design and production elements. There were plans for elaborate lighting sequences and visual effects tailored specifically to complement the Rush songs. Primus was also expanding their touring lineup to include extra musicians to help recreate the full, lush studio arrangements.
Financial Considerations
In general, touring is an important revenue stream for most bands. Given the high overhead involved, cancelling a tour can have significant financial implications.
Lost Income
Primus has been a perennially popular live act since the ’90s. Their shows generate income through ticket sales, merchandising and concessions at venues. By calling off the Rush tribute tour, the band likely forfeited a considerable amount of potential earnings. The tour could have probably filled mid-sized arenas and may have grossed between $250,000 to $500,000 per show if ticket prices were $50 to $100 per seat.
Sunk Costs
In preparing for a major tour, there are upfront costs invested well before the first show is played. These sunk costs include fees paid to venues to reserve dates, tour accounting and logistics planning, gear shipment, tour rehearsals and more. Since these expenditures already occurred, cancelling the tour meant Primus had to write off these pre-tour investments without the ability to recoup via concerts.
Fan Disappointment
While health and practical factors justified cancelling the shows, Primus still had to grapple with mass fan disappointment.
High Anticipation
Both Primus and Rush have tremendously loyal followings. A collaboration was hugely appealing to both fan bases. Tickets would have been in high demand. Rush even shared news of the tour on their social media, elevating expectations. This all led to great anticipation for what was shaping up to be an incredible music experience.
Social Media Reactions
When news broke of the cancellation, many fans posted sad and frustrated reactions on Primus’ social accounts. Quite a few fans shared that they had already made travel plans or requested time off work to attend one of the shows. Others simply expressed dismay that they missed the opportunity to see two of their favorite bands share a stage. There were certainly many brokenhearted fans.
Next Chance Uncertain
From the band’s statements, this Rush tribute tour is not postponed but permanently cancelled. Both bands will be occupied with other projects. So it is unclear when Primus might have another chance to pay tribute to their heroes in Rush. This adds to the disappointment of fans as this particular concert experience appears to be gone forever.
Conclusion
While the primal funk-metal rockers of Primus are usually ready to bring their unique twist to any concert tour, health issues and scheduling challenges made it impossible to commit to their planned Rush tribute shows. This resulted in an unfortunate cancellation despite invested finances and eager fans. But Primus still intends to honor Rush by playing “A Farewell to Kings” in full at select dates in the future. They remain two pioneering bands bound by mutual admiration and inspiration.