Black Keys’ Patrick Carney: ‘We Got F-cked’ Amid Tour Cancellation

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

On Monday, Carney took to X, formerly Twitter, to write, “We got fucked. I’ll let you all know how so it doesn’t happen to you. Stay tuned.” It’s unclear what he is referencing, but the band has been making news with changes to both their schedule and their representation.

In May, the Black Keys canceled the aforementioned tour, which was set for arenas and amphitheaters through the fall, beginning at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Sept. 17. The dates were erased 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 parting” of ways, according to a rep for Azoff. Azoff and Moir became their managers in 2021 following a split from their longtime manager, John Peets, at Q Prime South.

A rep for the band declined comment on Carney’s tweet. A rep for Azoff referred Rolling Stone to the original statement and was not available for further comment. A rep for CAA, the band’s booking agent, confirmed the band is still on its roster as of Monday. 

Shortly after their tour dates were canceled, the duo — Carney and Dan Auerbach — confirmed they were “alive and well” via an Instagram post and said they planned to revise the tour dates. “Following the recent run of shows in the UK & Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the International Players Tour that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly.”

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

Their cancellation comes alongside other big tours being nixed, including Jennifer Lopez’s This Is Me… Live tour. Of the Black Keys’ tour cancellation, Billboard noted that “no other reason was given for the cancellation of the arena dates, though it has been widely speculated that slow ticket sales were to blame.”