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Beck Drops Off Arcade Fire’s Tour Amid Win Butler Sexual Misconduct Allegations

By Daniel Kreps

Daniel Kreps

Beck has dropped off the Arcade Fire ’s upcoming North American tour, where the singer was to serve as opening act, amid accusations of sexual misconduct against the band’s frontman Win Butler .

Ticket buyers were informed of the change via email Friday, “Beck is unfortunately no longer able to join Arcade Fire on their upcoming North American tour.” Taking his place will be Boukman Eksperyans,” the Haitian band that recently opened for Arcade Fire on their European leg. 

No explanation for Beck’s exit was provided, and reps for both Arcade Fire and Beck did not comment to Rolling Stone . As of Saturday morning, the shows – slated to begin Oct. 27 in Washington, D.C. – were removed from tour section of Beck’s website.

After opening the first two shows of that tour, Feist explained her decision to depart in a lengthy statement on social media, revealing that she first learned about the accusations against Butler after she and her band had already traveled to Europe for the tour. Despite the allegations, Feist opened the tour’s first gig in Dublin but donated proceeds from merch sales to a local women’s aid organization.

“This has ignited a conversation that is bigger than me, it’s bigger than my songs and it’s certainly bigger than any rock and roll tour,” Feist wrote. “To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury.”

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In August, multiple women came forward in a  Pitchfork  report that detailed Butler’s alleged sexual misconduct, the accusations of which ranged from sexual assault to unsolicited sexting. While Butler admitted to the extramarital affairs, he responded that they were all “consensual.” “I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened,” Butler wrote.

Butler’s wife and bandmate Regine Chassagne said in a separate statement, “Win is my soulmate, my songwriting partner, my husband, the father of my beautiful boy. He has been my partner in life and in music for 20 years. And for all of the love in our lives, I have also watched him suffer through immense pain… I know what is in his heart, and I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did. He has lost his way and he has found his way back.”

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Feist quits Arcade Fire tour after band's frontman is accused of sexual misconduct

Image: Feist

Singer Feist announced Thursday she was leaving Arcade Fire’s tour following a bombshell report accusing the band’s frontman of sexual misconduct. 

Leslie Feist, who performs by her last name and hails from Canada, was a guest artist on indie rock band Arcade Fire's “We” Tour, which kicked off Tuesday in Dublin.

The band’s frontman, Win Butler, was accused by three women of inappropriate sexual interactions and of sexually assaulting a gender-fluid person, according to a Pitchfork report published Aug. 27. NBC News has not independently confirmed the reporting.

The allegations, which Butler has denied, prompted Feist to exit the tour, saying, “I can’t continue.”

“I’m imperfect and I will navigate this decision imperfectly, but what I’m sure of is the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation,” she said in a lengthy letter to her fans. 

The artist said she learned of the allegations when the report was published over the weekend.

“At a pub in Dublin, after rehearsing with my band, I read the same headline you did. We didn’t have any time to prepare for what was coming let alone a chance to decide not to fly across the ocean into the belly of this situation,” she said.

She said it has been “incredibly difficult” for her since the allegations against Butler surfaced. 

“To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury."

She stressed, “I was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire — I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage.” 

“We all have a story within a spectrum ranging from baseline toxic masculinity to pervasive misogyny to actually being physically, psychologically, emotionally or sexually assaulted,” Feist continued.

She said her latest performances ultimately prompted her to depart from the tour. 

“The last two nights on stage, my songs made this decision for me. Hearing them through this lens was incongruous with what I’ve worked to clarify for myself through my whole career," she wrote. "I’ve always written songs to name my own subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self and claim responsibility when I need to. And I’m claiming my responsibility now and going home.” 

Speaking on the accusers, she said, “More than anything I wish healing to those involved.”

Win Butler

Arcade Fire said in a statement to NBC News: “We are very sorry to see Leslie go home, but completely understand and respect her decision.”

Arcade Fire formed in 2001 and won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2010.

Butler is married to bandmate Régine Chassagne, with whom they share a son.

The Pitchfork report outlines the accusers' accounts of their interactions with Butler. Their names were not revealed.

The three women said their sexual interactions with Butler were inappropriate because of their age gap with the singer and power dynamics. The gender-fluid accuser claimed Butler assaulted them twice in 2015.

Butler, however, shared a different account of the interactions with the accusers to Pitchfork. Through a spokesperson for Risa Heller Communications, Butler denied the allegations, saying the interactions with all four accusers were consensual.

"I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened," he said. "While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior."

He explained that his wife knew of the relationships, saying: “The majority of these relationships were short lived, and my wife is aware — our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some.”

He also noted that in his 30s he started drinking and suffered from heavy depression.

Chassagne also shared a statement saying, “I know what is in (Butler’s) heart, and I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did. He has lost his way and he has found his way back. I love him and love the life we have created together.”

Breaking News Reporter

arcade fire to cancel tour

Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.

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Featured stories, after allegations against win butler, an existential crisis lingers for montréal.

Yara El-Soueidi

Hair blows across the face of a woman as a silhouette of Win Butler's profile overlaps. Montréal's Biosphere burns in the background; the 1976 tragedy has been used in Arcade Fire imagery.

"I usually write," Élise Jetté laughs. "It's hard to speak about a very emotional subject like this one."

The freelance music journalist had always been a fan of Arcade Fire . More than just one of her favorite bands, Arcade Fire defined her career. The band that made her a music journalist. As a young student at Université de Sherbrooke, she had gone to three shows, back-to-back, before the release of The Suburbs , the band's Grammy-winning record.

"Being at their show at the time had the same energy as being at church in front of a priest," Jetté says. "We were all there, in front of them, glorifying them. They were... I don't want to say gods... but they were so highly respected and loved!"

Since forming in 2001, Arcade Fire had been one of the brightest gems in Montréal's musical crown. Led by Win Butler, an American who grew up in Texas, and Régine Chassagne, a Francophone Québécoise with Haitian roots, the band symbolizes the reality for many Montréalais and Montréalaises: Living in a city that mixes French and English in every aspect of its being. A city where people come to find themselves through cold winters and hot summers, through language barriers that are erased in gatherings. Living in a city that prides itself on its cultural scene and mostly its music, whether it is produced in French or English. For the last two decades, Arcade Fire has been the most visible export of that scene.

But since the end of August, the Montréal music scene has had to reckon with sexual abuse allegations against Butler. To quote Pitchfork 's shocking investigative piece , three women alleged "sexual interactions with Butler that they came to feel were inappropriate given the gaps in age, power dynamics, and context in which they occurred." The story also alleged that Butler sexually assaulted a fourth person, who is gender-fluid, "twice in 2015, when they were 21 and he was 34."

In a response, communicated through New York-based crisis public relations expert Risa Heller, Butler acknowledged the sexual interactions, but claimed they were consensual:

"While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior," Butler wrote. "As I look to the future, I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of. [...] I'm sorry I wasn't more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people — I f***** up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences."

In November, a fifth woman came forward to allege an " ongoing abusive relationship ."

While many outlets reported the news right away and had extensive coverage in the days following , the reaction in Canada seemed delayed. This wasn't the first time someone from the Canadian music scene had been accused of sexual harassment and probably wouldn't be the last. However, this situation felt especially dire. Butler is a star who both enabled and troubled the growth of a scene that has been recognized globally for its creative talent. He represented something more than just a beloved hometown artist — he's an international star who helped earn the Montréal scene a global reputation.

Jetté's story could be the story of many other people living in Montréal. Everybody who lives in the city has a story about the band. But since the allegations came to light, Arcade Fire has become a synonym for something darker, something even the people evolving around them couldn't see coming. This time around, the question lingered: How and why did this happen?

In Québec, 'we glorify them.'

Olivier Lalande is no stranger to the Montréal music scene. Before working as an online content editor, he was a music journalist and one of the first to interview Arcade Fire before its big break.

"Around this time, in 2003, there was already a cult around them in the underground scene," Lalande says. "I was a freelance music journalist in charge of the music section of Nightlife and I used to spend time on a forum called Montréal Shows. This forum is where it all started. Every time Arcade Fire would perform, people would go nuts. I was curious."

After the release of its first album, Funeral , in 2004, the band quickly gained attention from mainstream media across the world. The following year, David Carr, one of the most prominent pop culture columnists in the United States, profiled Montréal for his New York Times column . Carr described the city as the breeding ground for a creative, out-of-the-ordinary music scene: "Being the biggest destination [for music] in a region almost guarantees an influx of musically inclined, disaffected young people to both play in and listen to bands. Bad weather helps, because it keeps songwriters inside and bands rehearsing. And perhaps most importantly, a nascent musical scene requires lots of cheap real estate for musicians and their fans to hang out and play in."

Carr's article, for the most part, existed because of Arcade Fire's newfound glory on the international scene. In the nearly two decades since, the band's released six albums total, performed on Saturday Night Live five times and toured internationally. In 2011, The Suburbs won the Polaris Music Prize as well as album of the year for both the Juno Awards and the 53rd Grammy Awards.

"When you'd walk around Montréal and saw members of Arcade Fire on the street, you would feel extremely special," Jetté says. "You know, we [Québécois and Québécoise people] have this connection with our artists. There's cultural belonging. As soon as someone who comes from our home shines abroad, we go crazy. We've done it with Céline Dion, and we've done it with Xavier Dolan. We've done it with many artists. Our Québec TV series are translated into many languages. A lot of Québec culture is found elsewhere because it is distinct from Canada. It has a color; it has a particular flavor. When we succeed globally, it makes us exponentially proud, here in Québec."

Jetté's words are echoed by Lalande, who confirms the godlike state of artists in the French-speaking province. Lalande mentions how albums are announced in the province: Instead of a sortir ("release"), artists offrir ("offering"), as if they were gifting us their talent rather than releasing their work.

"Look at any variety show in Québec," Lalande explains. "Every time there's a popular artist who's a guest, it feels like ... Christ has come back to deliver us from our sins. I know I'm exaggerating, but there's a lot of this. We glorify them."

The heavy, religious lingo is no mistake: French-Canadian Catholic history looms large in Québec, but that language has, over time, come to describe cultural products, too. This underlines a bigger issue: the systematic glorification of artists and their perceived infallible behavior through the eyes of fans, making it easier for them to be abusive toward those who love them unconditionally.

A culture of silence lets abusers run free.

Maryse Bernard, known as Maryze, a young up-and-coming artist from the Montréal scene, explains how disappointing the allegations were when she read the news: "It's disheartening, especially for people who saw Arcade Fire as a very fun-loving, positive community. Because then it's, like, 'Oh, even the good ones here have stories that come out.' So you wonder kind of like, who in the scene can you trust?"

In Montréal, artists help and mentor each other in order to export their talents outside of the city.

"Montréal was always this kind of cultural mecca of Canada," Bernard says. "I think there has been this kind of myth of Montréal, especially in the heyday of Arcade Fire, of that scene that was very artsy and free and welcoming and, you know, open to all people. A city where you could be yourself no matter how freaky your art was. It was a place to explore creativity."

To most of the people who spoke for this article, the accusations against Win Butler came as a surprise. The band was known for taking a stand on social issues, most notably by supporting initiatives in Haiti. Régine Chassagne, the band's lead singer and Butler's wife, co-founded KANPE , an organization that brings help to underserved rural communities in Haiti.

"They were very much involved in the Montréal community," adds Bernard. "They were the kind of artists that, you know, smaller artists would hang out with. And in some ways, that's great if they could offer forms of mentorship, because many young artists need help and be reassured that they don't need to jump through all these hoops to be in this industry. You can do what feels good for you. But it's when big artists [like Arcade Fire] take that [relationship] to their advantage that these things [like abuse] are happening."

Bernard says a culture of silence exists in the Canadian scene, where abused people decide to stay silent to preserve their careers. As if there is a general understanding that these things will happen in someone's career.

"It's just this weird unwritten rule that [abuse] is just gonna happen, that you'll have to deal with this if you want to get in," Bernard says. "You're going to have to deal with a certain amount of it. Some people will treat you badly, especially if you're starting out and you don't want to rock the boat."

Bernard mentions that artists have been talking more and denouncing sexual abuse in the music scene more, but there's still a level of fear that careers will be tarnished or that they won't be taken seriously. This silence lets abusers roam free in the scene without apparent consequences.

"We see them at a panel or a festival, and they're just like hanging around. I'm like, 'How many people is this making uncomfortable? How many people know that this is a bad person that we should be careful around? And that shouldn't really have access to the community anymore? And they're still just here, like nothing?' " Bernard notes.

Courageous and resilient, Bernard isn't a stranger to all of this. She herself has suffered abuse in the industry by someone she's not yet willing to name. "I'm still afraid to call out my abusers within the music industry, you know, and for what? I do feel that I'm in a position where I would be believed and that I would be taken seriously, but I'm still scared of the repercussions. I even hear myself, you know, like metering my words and calculating some responses because I don't want to, like, I don't want to put myself in an unsafe position."

'With Arcade Fire, it was like questioning something that was bigger than us.'

When the Pitchfork story was published on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022 — coincidentally, at the start of election season in Québec — Canadian media took the weekend to report the news. La Presse , a major Québécois news source, released a short report on the allegations that evening and the CBC ran a story the next day on TV. After Pitchfork 's follow-up featuring a fifth allegation, only one major Canadian media outlet ( TVA and Journal de Montréal through QMI Press Agency, all three entities owned by Québécor, a media conglomerate) featured the story in French. With scant coverage on the allegations, consequences were practically nonexistent, which only adds to the culture of silence in the music industry.

"We saw the CBC fail to have an online-accessible story about Butler until, like, a day or two after the investigation broke," explains Toronto-based pop culture critic Jill Krajewski. "Our national broadcaster didn't run a TV story [until Sunday night], and the fact that the [ La Presse ] story broke at 9 p.m. on a Saturday evening in the Québec market makes it not accessible for everyone."

Québécois people are protective of their unique cultural exports. Lalande explains how this cultural pride has an impact on journalism, mostly on reporting cultural affairs.

"A culture journalist, reporter or columnist cannot bring up a public figure's dark side in just any circumstance," says Lalande. "First, most media wouldn't even consider that to be their job. Second, fact-checking takes a certain editorial structure that I don't think most outlets have. It's hard news, it is the job of an investigative journalist, not an arts one. It is not seen as their role."

While this statement brings up the difficulty of reporting on allegations of abuse in the music industry, it also shows the lack of weight these stories pull in major media. But for Élise Jetté, the reason for the lack of coverage might have stemmed from something else — a sort of mourning process.

"Yes, it took time for everyone to react," Jetté says. "We all needed to absorb the shocking news. As much for the real fans as the local media. We had to take a minute, sit down and digest it to be able to comment on it."

Jetté remembers another moment in Québec's music history: the #MeToo allegations of summer 2020. A prominent Québécois label, Dare to Care Records, was thrown into disarray after sexual abuse allegations against one of its artists, Bernard Adamus, were brought to light. The head of the label, Eli Bissonnette, resigned after being accused of protecting Adamus for the past 10 years, knowing that the artist had behaved in problematic ways toward his fans. But they weren't the only ones. More than a dozen people from the music industry were outed, including David Desrosiers, who left Simple Plan as a result.

While public response to these allegations was swift, those against Butler raised an existential question.

"With Arcade Fire, it was like questioning something that was bigger than us," Jetté, who writes for several Montréal-based outlets, says. "It was as if you were asking everyone to kill their darlings. We started questioning: How did this happen? Why did we not see anything? It makes me question my professional roots and my personal attachment to music."

When news broke, the young journalist took a step back to evaluate what was happening and how she felt about the story. She mentions always believing victims, whether they seem trustworthy or not; believing them and offering them support, rather than questioning them. Her feminist beliefs are greater than her love for Arcade Fire. As much as she loved the music, she came to a painful realization.

"Finally, I decided that Arcade Fire wasn't worthy of my admiration anymore."

The only way to change the industry is through education and safe spaces.

"What upset me so much is when I read the article, I was like 'Oh, [Win Butler] used the Pop vs. Jocks event to prey on this young woman who was barely 18 or whatever. You know, that was kind of f***** up!"

Daniel Seligman's voice is thick with anger and disappointment. The Creative Director of POP Montréal, a massive annual not-for-profit cultural event that showcases emerging and independent talent from Montréal and across the world, felt betrayed. Not only was 2016 the last year of POP Montréal working with Arcade Fire for Pop vs. Jocks, a friendly charity basketball game between indie artists from major bands, but the whole experience left a bad taste in his mouth. According to the Pitchfork investigation, Stella (a pseudonym), one of Butler's alleged victims, was contacted by the singer after taking pictures at the event.

"[Butler] had a pattern," says Seligman. "He took advantage of them and the festival! For me, that was s*****, because we were trying to raise money for a local charity. That was actually the last time we worked with the band. That whole experience was actually kind of hard. We were working really hard and we kind of felt slightly taken advantage of. He wasn't very nice to work with; he was slightly abusive. And then after reading that article, I was taken aback."

For Seligman, the only way to change the industry is through education and creating safe spaces in which people will not be subjected to inappropriate behaviors.

"I think it's important just to have an outward display of policies that are slightly symbolic. It shows the people participating [in your events] that the organization is trying to do something that keeps us safer. I think that it is important to have your policies up on your website, making sure you are listening to people, fans and other artists who have issues."

Jill Krajewski and Maryse Bernard also mention that whisper networks — that is, networks of people sharing information about sexual abusers — have emerged across the country. Olivier Lalande remembers a much different climate in the aughts. Rumors of questionable behavior were common, but didn't raise eyebrows. Some artists were even upfront about it.

"Without being aware of the abuse," Lalande says, "I remember being at parties, hearing artists making nasty jokes about the girls they slept with on tour, while they were actually in relationships with people I knew. [...] You'd want to question their behavior, but the answer was always the same: 'He is an artist. We can't really understand what he is going through...' I noticed this a lot."

But for Bernard, another aspect of the Pitchfork article that got her attention was the young age of the victims. Something she can relate to from her own experience in her late teens and early 20s with older people in the Canadian scene.

"A lot of these experiences happen to younger people who haven't had enough life experiences," says Bernard. "It's not like they don't know that certain things aren't okay, but they haven't learned, yet, some behaviors are actually bad and need to be called out. If people are telling you this is just how it is, you're more inclined to believe them. When you're younger, it's easier to take advantage of younger, bright-eyed artists [or fans]."

But even as members of the industry want change, an invisible force remains.

Stories of abuse in the music industry prompted Sarah Armiento to start Hot Tramp Records, a women-only label, in response to the inappropriate behavior she experienced in the music industry.

"When I was in Toronto, I got unsolicited pictures from men, people I worked with, and other types of experiences," says Armiento. "This is what made me want to start a company like Hot Tramp. When I read things like this happening, it makes me remember why I started my label."

Armiento completely understands why women would want to work exclusively with other women in the music industry, who can understand and support each other. She tries to make them feel safe within her label and their work. And she isn't the only one. After Dare to Care's turmoil, Béatrice Martin (aka Cœur de pirate), one of the label's major successes, purchased and renamed the label Bravo Musique, vowing to change things in the industry. In an interview for Exclaim.ca , she said, "A lot of stuff was swept under the rug or nobody did anything about it. I want people to come to me and say, 'This is happening,' and I want to be able to do something about it. It's about respect and decency. Our work extends everywhere: It extends to how we behave like artists and elsewhere. It wasn't clear to everyone where work started and ended, and now it's clearer. So that's good. Boundaries are important."

But, even as members of the industry want to move forward and change, it seems like an invisible force keeps on bringing controversies of its own. Arcade Fire continued its North American tour, though Feist and Beck dropped off as openers . On Sept. 19, 2022 — just three weeks after the first wave of accusations against Butler — Montréal artist Pierre Kwenders, ended his acceptance speech for the Polaris Music Prize by thanking Butler and Arcade Fire for their contribution to his album. Although one radio host at Radio-Canada asked Kwenders about the speech and some other actors in the industry mentioned the incident in tweets, the moment went practically unnoticed.

"That already tells you the problem with Canada's music industry having a culture of silence," Jill Krajewski says. "People made a deliberate choice not to call it out. [...] Why did [Pierre Kwenders] bring up someone accused of sexual assault in a widespread investigation? Were they genuinely thankful for their contribution to their album? That's one thing. But the information [about Arcade Fire and Win Butler] has changed. And it wasn't appropriate to be praising someone accused of sexual assault, certainly not on the platform of Polaris being streamed live on CBC Music, a public-funded media. That was very distasteful."

"If this happened three weeks after the allegations, how can the Canadian fans expect the scene to go forward and change?" Élise Jetté adds. She wonders if artists aren't able to learn from the mistakes of others because they feel protected by the industry. "They aren't afraid of losing their career. I'm vigilant about what is happening in the industry. But they have to get scared of losing something! We need to scare them. They need to be scared of getting caught."

However, acclaim has continued unabated. WE , Arcade Fire's most recent album, was nominated for best alternative music album by the Grammys. The band finished the North American leg of its tour in Montréal to a sold-out crowd. On Jan. 31, the Juno Awards, presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, announced Arcade Fire's nomination for group of the year. When the CBC asked for comment about the nomination, CARAS responded: "We look at Arcade Fire's nomination for group of the year as one for the entire band. While we take the allegations very seriously, in this situation, we are also honoring the rest of the band for their success. We hope the allegations against Butler will not detract from the achievements of the other group members."

As awards mount and repercussions do not, Montréal and the Canadian music scene at large are left with one question: Without any real consequences, will these situations keep recurring?

"It's a question I keep asking myself," ends Olivier Lalande.

Yara El-Soueidi is a millennial writer, culture journalist and columnist based in Montréal, Canada, where she covers the local cultural scene for Canadian and American media.

  • sexual misconduct
  • Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire UK tour: Fans urge band to cancel shows following sexual misconduct allegations as support act drops out

Win Butler, Arcade Fire's frontman, has admitted to relationships outside his marriage to bandmate Régine Chassagne, but says all were consensual and denies misconduct. The claims were made ahead of a tour, which takes in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and London in the UK.

arcade fire to cancel tour

Culture and entertainment reporter @gemmapeplow

Friday 2 September 2022 10:26, UK

Win Butler of Arcade Fire performs at the Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Friday, April 15, 2022, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Arcade Fire are facing growing calls from fans to cancel shows or refund tickets for their upcoming UK tour dates following allegations of sexual misconduct against frontman Win Butler.

The claims by three women and one gender-fluid person were published in an investigation by US music site Pitchfork at the weekend. The four were aged between 18 and 23 at the time of the alleged inappropriate behaviour between 2016 and 2020 - while Butler was in his late 30s, the article reported.

Butler, who has been married to his Arcade Fire bandmate Régine Chassagne since 2003, has said the interactions were consensual and vehemently denied misconduct, but said he was "very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behaviour".

Support act Feist has withdrawn from the tour in the wake of the allegations.

Win Butler, left, and Regine Chassagne of Arcade Fire perform at the Krewe du Kanaval Mardi Gras Ball at Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Chassagne has supported her husband, saying in a statement: "I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did. He has lost his way and he has found his way back."

Following the allegations, some fans of the indie rock band say they are no longer comfortable attending Arcade Fire shows or listening to their music. Some are trying to resell tickets or have asked for refunds from sales sites, and some say it is the band's responsibility to step in and make this happen.

Arcade Fire have played shows in Dublin this week and are due to start a handful of UK dates tonight, ahead of gigs across Europe, the US and Canada.

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After playing in Dublin, Feist announced her departure from the tour on Thursday, saying in a lengthy statement explaining her decision that "the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation".

Fan Daisy Collier, a 30-year-old from Gloucestershire, says Arcade Fire have been her favourite band since she was 15, but her "heart sank" when she read about the allegations. She has tickets for tonight's Birmingham show.

"Having been a fan of the band for that long, it's sort of grief that accompanies the feeling of [reading this] about someone you've listened to and admired and, you know, really felt those lyrics for years," she told Sky News.

"It changes the dynamic of my relationship with their music and with the band. Lots of people on social media have said, 'you have to separate the person from the music'. But he's still the one singing it. So for me to go to that concert, I can't in good conscience stand there and enjoy myself."

Mrs Collier paid for insurance for her tickets, which she says cost about £94 each in total, but was told her reasons for no longer being able to go to the gig did not meet the criteria for a payout.

She then contacted Ticketmaster, who told her they could only offer a refund in the event of a cancellation.

Arcade Fire's WE tour started in Dublin and includes shows in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and London in the UK

'I don't think they should continue the tour'

Whatever happens, Mrs Collier says she will not go to the show: "For me personally, it's not something I want to engage in anymore.

"I don't think they should continue the tour. I think it's insulting to the [alleged] victims to continue to go on a massive European tour.

"As far as Ticketmaster goes, I understand you can't expect a refund for every little thing. But there should be some sort of policy for unprecedented situations like this. It's an understandable situation where you would not want to attend a concert that's being held by someone accused of sexual misconduct."

Mrs Collier is not the only fan, or former fan, who no longer wants to go to upcoming shows.

Another Birmingham ticketholder, who did not want to be named, also told Sky News he would not attend.

"I've been a fan of Arcade Fire ever since the release of [debut album] Funeral in 2004, to this day it's still one of my favourite albums," he said. "Their music has got me through some really tough times and I was looking forward to seeing them for what is now the fifth time.

"I saw the damning article from Pitchfork with the separate accounts from the women who have made accusations towards him... I can't in good conscience go and see them and just dance and sing and put to one side these accusations."

Fans contact Ticketmaster and attempt to resell tickets

In a tweet to Ticketmaster, one ticketholder urged them to "do the decent thing" and offer refunds.

"Cancel the tour and refund fans," another wrote - later saying he had tried to sell his two tickets for the Birmingham show for half price but "can't even give them away".

Another Twitter user said "it no longer seems the right thing" to see the band in Manchester on Saturday.

"The arrogance of him continuing the tour says it all," another said.

However, some fans have said the allegations do not change how they feel about the band.

"I won't stop loving my band," one said on Twitter, adding that Butler was "innocent until proven guilty". Another who went to the band's Dublin show posted: "A brilliant show, by a brilliant band. That's all which is relevant."

The allegations have also led to some radio stations in Canada, the band's home country, to stop playing their music.

Win Butler, from left, Regine Chassagne and Tim Kingsbury of Arcade Fire perform at the Krewe du Kanaval Mardi Gras Ball at Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in New Orleans. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

Win Butler's full statement

Butler released a lengthy statement to Pitchfork in response to the allegations. His representatives pointed Sky News to this when asked for comment.

"I love Régine with all of my heart," Butler said. "We have been together for 20 years, she is my partner in music and in life, my soulmate and I am lucky and grateful to have her by my side. But at times, it has been difficult to balance being the father, husband, and bandmate that I want to be. Today I want to clear the air about my life, poor judgment, and mistakes I have made.

"I have had consensual relationships outside of my marriage.

"There is no easy way to say this, and the hardest thing I have ever done is having to share this with my son. The majority of these relationships were short lived, and my wife is aware - our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some. I have connected with people in person, at shows, and through social media, and I have shared messages of which I am not proud. Most importantly, every single one of these interactions has been mutual and always between consenting adults. It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise.

"I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favours. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.

"While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behaviour. Life is filled with tremendous pain and error, and I never want to be part of causing someone else's pain.

"I have long struggled with mental health issues and the ghosts of childhood abuse. In my 30s, I started drinking as I dealt with the heaviest depression of my life after our family experienced a miscarriage. None of this is intended to excuse my behaviour, but I do want to give some context and share what was happening in my life around this time. I no longer recognised myself or the person I had become. Régine waited patiently watching me suffer and tried to help me as best as she could. I know it must have been so hard for her to watch the person she loved so lost.

"I have been working hard on myself - not out of fear or shame, but because I am a human being who wants to improve despite my flaws and damage. I've spent the last few years since COVID hit trying to save that part of my soul. I have put significant time and energy into therapy and healing, including attending AA. I am more aware now of how my public persona can distort relationships even if a situation feels friendly and positive to me. I am very grateful to Régine, my family, my dear friends, and my therapist, who have helped me back from the abyss that I felt certain at times would consume me. The bond I share with my bandmates and the incredibly deep connection I've made with an audience through sharing music has literally saved my life.

"As I look to the future, I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of. I say to you all my friends, family, to anyone I have hurt and to the people who love my music and are shocked and disappointed by this report: I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the pain I caused - I'm sorry I wasn't more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people - I f***** up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences. I can do better and I will do better."

Representatives for Arcade Fire did not respond to Sky News' request for additional comment on the issue of some fans calling for refunds or for the shows to be cancelled.

Sky News has also contacted Ticketmaster for comment.

Related Topics

Calls for Arcade Fire show refunds after frontman accused of sexual misconduct

4 people accuse win butler of sexual misconduct, music publication reports.

arcade fire to cancel tour

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WARNING: This article contains content about sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

A leader in Montreal's music industry says concertgoers upset by allegations of sexual misconduct against Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler should be allowed to get a refund for the band's upcoming world tour.

The allegations, reported by music news publication Pitchfork, were made by four people against Butler. CBC could not independently verify the allegations as reported by Pitchfork.

One person alleges Butler sexually assaulted them twice when they were 21 and he was 34. Three women accuse Butler of sexual misconduct between 2016 and 2020. The women were between the ages of 18 and 23 while Butler was between 36 and 39 years old. The allegations range from unsolicited sexual text messages and photos, to forceful touching. The people told Pitchfork the alleged interactions were inappropriate based on age gaps and uneven power dynamics, and they felt they couldn't say no to Butler.

In a statement, Butler denied the allegations and said all encounters were consensual and he never touched a woman against her will.  He apologized for "the pain I caused" and for not being "more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people." He also described dealing with depression and alcohol use when the alleged incidents took place, after his family experienced a miscarriage. "I have connected with people in person, at shows, and through social media, and I have shared messages of which I am not proud," said the statement.  "Most importantly, every single one of these interactions has been mutual and always between consenting adults. It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise."

  • Arcade Fire announce 'We' world tour with 3 Canadian stops

So far, the band's world tour, due to kick off Tuesday in Dublin, is going ahead as planned.

"Whether they should cancel the tour or not, I think there has to be accountability," said Daniel Seligman, the creative director of the POP Montreal music festival.

The allegations against Butler prompted outcry over the weekend, with people on social media demanding refunds or the cancellation of the tour.

no way should arcade fire continue with their world tour on tuesday. it’s a wrap. cancel it already. — @JillKrajewski
I want a refund, cancel the tour. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/winbutler?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#winbutler</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArcadeFire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArcadeFire</a> &mdash; @kimmaylynn

'Toxic' music industry culture shifting

Seligman, who has been part of the Montreal music scene for more than a decade, worked with Arcade Fire several times and said there's a history of toxicity within the industry. He described the allegations as a "wake-up call." "The kind of cliché of a rockstar sleeping with a groupie, I think we know a lot more about how those power dynamics work and hopefully he has a realization that he can't do that," said Seligman.  "There's a lot of enabling in this world," said Seligman. "There's people around that allow it to happen, which is upsetting." Seligman last worked with Arcade Fire at the POP vs. Jock charity basketball game in 2016, where Butler met one of the women who has alleged sexual misconduct.  He said Butler was disrespectful to POP Montreal staff members — many of whom said they would not work with the band again — and requested the non-profit pay for his expenses related to the event. "That was not a great experience and to learn that he used that event to kind of prey on a younger woman was difficult to read. It was upsetting for sure," said Seligman.

arcade fire to cancel tour

Butler's wife and bandmate, Régine Chassagne, also put out a statement in support of her husband. 

"I know what is in his heart, and I know he has never, and would never, touch a woman without her consent and I am certain he never did," Chassagne said in the statement. "He has lost his way and he has found his way back. I love him and love the life we have created together."

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database . ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

arcade fire to cancel tour

CBC News journalist

Erika Morris is a journalist at CBC Montreal.

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Arcade Fire fans flogging cut-price gig tickets amid sexual misconduct allegations against lead singer

FILES-CANADA-ASSAULT-MUSIC-CULTURE

Tickets to see Arcade Fire are being offered online for a fraction of their face value amid a storm over sexual misconduct allegations against lead singer Win Butler.

The Canadian band are playing Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday with tickets for the gig originally costing more than £58.

But on Friday afternoon seats for the same concert were available for as little as £23 on secondary ticketing sites like Viagogo.

Meanwhile tickets for the band’s London O2 next Thursday were going for 26% less than face value on Twickets.

Arcade Fire is facing pressure from fans to cancel gigs or refund tickets for their upcoming UK tour dates

The accusations, which have been made by three women and one gender-fluid person and published in an article by US music site Pitchfork last weekend, has led to a swift backlash. Butler has denied the allegations.

arcade fire to cancel tour

Fans say they will boycott Arcade Fire shows and will no longer listen to their music.

Some have also taken to social media to encourage the band to take up the responsibility of reimbursing the tickets and cancelling the show.

Those who have contacted Ticketmaster have been told they would only be offered a refund in the event of a cancellation.

In a tweet to Ticketmaster, one ticketholder urged them to "do the decent thing" and offer refunds.

"Cancel the tour and refund fans," another wrote, before admitting that he had tried to sell his two tickets for half price but "can't even give them away".

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“If kids don’t experience nature, how can they protect it?”

“If kids don’t experience nature, how can they protect it?”

Another Twitter user said "it no longer seems the right thing" to see the band in Manchester on Saturday.

The indie band's support act Feist has also pulled out of the tour.

After playing in Dublin, musician Feist announced her departure from the tour on Thursday .

She said that "the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation".

Butler's accusers were aged between 18 and 23 and he was in his late 30s at the time of the alleged inappropriate behaviour, which was said to have taken place between 2016 and 2020.

Butler, 42, who has been married to his Arcade Fire bandmate Régine Chassagne since 2003, has said the interactions were consensual and denies misconduct.

In a lengthy statement to Pitchfork he said: "I love Régine with all of my heart. We have been together for 20 years, she is my partner in music and in life, my soulmate and I am lucky and grateful to have her by my side...

“Today I want to clear the air about my life, poor judgment, and mistakes I have made.

“I have had consensual relationships outside of my marriage.

"There is no easy way to say this, and the hardest thing I have ever done is having to share this with my son.

arcade fire to cancel tour

“The majority of these relationships were short lived, and my wife is aware - our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some... every single one of these interactions has been mutual and always between consenting adults.

“It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise.

"I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false.

“I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favours. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened..."

Arcade Fire have played shows in Dublin this week and are due to start a few UK dates, which kick off on Friday night.

They are then set to do gigs across Europe, the US and Canada.

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StarTribune

Beck cancels from arcade fire's troubled minneapolis concert, but no refunds offered.

Even before Arcade Fire's frontman Win Butler was accused of sexual misconduct toward young women in an extensive news report posted in late August, many Twin Cities fans noted on social media that opening act Beck was the main draw for them to buy tickets to the two Grammy-winning rock acts' joint concert at the Armory on Nov. 13.

Now Beck has dropped out, Butler's alleged misbehavior has been outed, and Beck fans are out of luck, it seems.

Live Nation representatives confirmed that ticket refunds are not being offered to the Minneapolis concert, despite news over the weekend that Beck had dropped off the tour.

The multi-platinum "Loser" and "Where It's At" hitmaker did not give any reason for quitting the 13-city North American tour, which is scheduled to kick off Oct. 28 in Washington, D.C. Arcade Fire also did not offer any comment on him bailing. Their European tour opener, Feist, also pulled out last month.

News of Beck's cancellation was sent to ticketholders via e-mail, which simply said he "is no longer able to perform," and that he will be replaced by Boukman Eksperyans , a veteran sociopolitical rock band from Haiti.

Boukman Eksperyans also took over opening duties in Europe from Feist, who posted a lengthy statement explaining why she pulled out of the tour: "The best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation," she said.

Butler has sternly denied the allegations — unwanted sexual advances, coercion and other manipulative behavior — made against him by four women in the late August report by music news site Pitchfork, including some from a woman who was only 18 at the time of their interaction.

"I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened," the singer, who is 42 and married to his bandmate Régine Chassagne, said in a statement.

In Minneapolis, a representative for the Armory said ticket-refund policies are entirely up to Live Nation as the promoter of the show. A Live Nation representative pointed to their policy to not offer refunds when opening acts cancel; just headliners.

Tickets to the Armory show — which started at $57 for general-admission floor access when it was announced in May — look to be nearly sold-out except for $200 VIP options. Beck was to play an acoustic set in the opening slot and not his typical high-energy electric performance.

Chris Riemenschneider has been covering the Twin Cities music scene since 2001, long enough for Prince to shout him out during "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)." The St. Paul native authored the book "First Avenue: Minnesota's Mainroom" and previously worked as a music critic at the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.

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Feist: ‘It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill treatment. I can’t solve that by quitting, and I can’t solve it by staying. But I can’t continue.

Feist leaves Arcade Fire tour after sexual misconduct claims against frontman

Canadian singer-songwriter announces she will step back from a tour with Arcade Fire following allegations against Win Butler

The Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist, known mononymously as Feist, has announced she will leave a tour with Arcade Fire following allegations of sexual misconduct against the band’s frontman, Win Butler.

A Pitchfork investigation published last week alleged that the 42-year-old singer-guitarist of the Canadian indie rock band took advantage of age gaps and fandom with four people; three women, aged 18 to 23 at the time, alleged Butler sent unwanted sexual messages between the years 2015 and 2020.

A fourth, gender-fluid, person alleged that Butler sexually assaulted them twice in 2015, when they were 21 and he was 34. Pitchfork viewed screenshots of text and Instagram messages between Butler and the four pseudonymous subjects, and interviewed friends and family members who recalled being told of the alleged incidents.

Butler denied the claims and said the relationships were consensual, adding in a statement: “It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise.”

“At a pub in Dublin, after rehearsing with my band, I read the same headline you did,” Feist wrote in a lengthy statement posted to her social media accounts. “We didn’t have any time to prepare for what was coming let alone a chance to decide not to fly across the ocean into the belly of this situation.”

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“This has been incredibly difficult for me and I can only imagine how much more difficult it’s been for the people who came forward. More than anything I wish healing to those involved.”

She added that the Pitchfork article “ignited a conversation that is bigger than me, it’s bigger than my songs and it’s certainly bigger than any rock and roll tour … To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury.”

The 46-year-old singer said she “was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire – I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage, a place I’ve grown to feel I belong and I’ve earned as my own.

“There isn’t a singular path to heal when you’ve endured any version of the above, nor a singular path to rehabilitate the perpetrators,” she said. “It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill treatment. I can’t solve that by quitting, and I can’t solve it by staying. But I can’t continue.”

Following the allegations, radio stations in Canada and the US started pulling the band’s songs from playlists. Commentators on social media urged fans to boycott forthcoming concerts in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and elsewhere, with many surprised the tour was going ahead at all. Asked for comment by a Guardian reporter at the band’s concert in Dublin this week , a publicist for Arcade Fire said only that the band would continue its tour to promote their new album, We .

In her statement, Feist distanced herself from public shaming, which “might cause action, but those actions are made from fear, and fear is not the place we find our best selves or make our best decisions. Fear doesn’t precipitate empathy nor healing nor open a safe space for these kinds of conversations to evolve, or for real accountability and remorse to be offered to the people who were harmed.”

In a statement to Pitchfork, Butler, who is married to bandmate Régine Chassagne, acknowledged having had sexual interactions with each of the four people, but said they were not initiated by him and were consensual.

In a further statement, he apologised “to anyone who I have hurt with my behaviour”, adding: “I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of [...] I’m sorry I wasn’t more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people – I fucked up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences.”

Noting that she’s “imperfect” and will “navigate this decision imperfectly”, Feist concluded that “the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family is to distance myself from this tour, not this conversation. The last two nights on stage, my songs made this decision for me. Hearing them through this lens was incongruous with what I’ve worked to clarify for myself through my whole career.

“I’ve always written songs to name my own subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self and claim responsibility when I need to. And I’m claiming my responsibility now and going home.”

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Arcade Fire urged to cancel tour as fans boycott Birmingham gig over Win Butler allegations

Butler, the leader of the Canadian rock group, has been accused of sexual misconduct by three fans.

  • 07:55, 2 SEP 2022
  • Updated 10:54, 2 SEP 2022

Arcade Fire are being urged to cancel their world tour - including tonight's show in Birmingham at the Utilita Arena - after allegations against Win Butler, the band's frontman, emerged. Butler, the leader of the Canadian rock group, has been accused of sexual misconduct by three fans.

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Arcade Fire are being urged to cancel their world tour - including tonight's show in Birmingham at the Utilita Arena - after allegations against Win Butler, the band's frontman, emerged. Butler, the leader of the Canadian rock group, has been accused of sexual misconduct by three fans.

Fans are desperately calling for Ticketmaster to issue refunds after the allegations emerged this weekend, in a Pitchfork expose. Butler denies the allegations and is yet to address them on stage, with the band already completing two arena shows in Dublin, Ireland, earlier this week.

The band's third show on the tour is set for Brum this evening. Last night, support act Feist quit the tour, citing allegations against Butler as her reason.

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Radio stations in Canada, meanwhile, have pulled Arcade Fire's music. The band are celebrating the release of their sixth LP 'We' on their current world tour.

In a tweet to Ticketmaster, one ticketholder wrote: "Cancel the tour and refund fans." A Birmingham fan, meanwhile, complained they were stuck with tickets they wouldn't feel comfortable using.

"I can't even give them away," they wrote. And a third wrote "it no longer seems the right thing" to see the band perform live, as the controversy continues. "I have tickets but won't be going," another told BirminghamLive.

"I've been a fan of Arcade Fire ever since the release of [debut album] Funeral in 2004, to this day it's still one of my favourite albums," a Brum ticket-holder told Sky News. "Their music has got me through some really tough times and I was looking forward to seeing them for what is now the fifth time.

"I saw the damning article from Pitchfork with the separate accounts from the women who have made accusations towards him... I can't in good conscience go and see them and just dance and sing and put to one side these accusations."

Butler denies the allegations from four women.

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arcade fire to cancel tour

arcade fire to cancel tour

Arcade Fire fans call for tour to be cancelled after frontman Win Butler is accused of sexual misconduct

They're set to play at the AO Arena in Manchester this weekend

Daisy Jackson

Fans of Arcade Fire have been calling for the band’s tour to be cancelled in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations made against frontman Win Butler.

The singer, who is due to perform at the AO Arena in Manchester this weekend, has stated that the extramarital relationships were consensual.

He is married to fellow Arcade Fire musician Régine Chassagne.

On Saturday, an article published in Pitchfork detailed allegations of sexual misconduct from four former fans of the band.

arcade fire to cancel tour

Three women and one gender-fluid person, who were aged between 18 and 23 at the time, said that Butler behaved inappropriately towards them.

Butler, whose full statement is at the end of this article, said: “While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior.

“Life is filled with tremendous pain and error, and I never want to be part of causing someone else’s pain.”

He added: “I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.”

The Arcade Fire musician also said: “I f***ed up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences. I can do better and I will do better.”

But despite calls from fans who were left reeling by the accusations to cancel or postpone their tour, Arcade Fire went ahead with their scheduled opening night in Dublin last night.

arcade fire to cancel tour

They were supported by singer-songwriter Feist, who donated the proceeds from all of her merchandise to Women’s Aid.

The Canadian band will then head to Birmingham on Friday, and Manchester on Saturday 3 September, before moving on to perform in cities across Europe.

Several fans have said that they applied for a refund from their point of purchase but that these requests were denied.

Many have written that they don’t feel comfortable attending the shows in the wake of the allegations.

People messing with the ⁦ @setlistfm ⁩ for tonight’s Dublin Arcade Fire gig. pic.twitter.com/T82zk1q5wA — Finian Murphy (@finianmurphy) August 30, 2022

One person wrote: “I’m a massive Arcade Fire fan, so I’m pretty gutted about the Win Butler revelations. Was going to Manchester to see them play on Saturday and just not sure I can now. I hope they at least give fans the option of a refund.”

Another said: “Really let down that @arcadefire are continuing to tour despite the allegations that have been made..I have zero interest in going on Sat 3rd to cheer on a man who has behaved in such a manner. Cancel and refund us the huge amount spent to see you.”

Someone else commented: “Got tickets to see them in Manchester on Saturday… been a fan since Neon Bible and have so many important memories attached to their music. Hope they cancel the tour and the victims are OK.”

Arcade Fire’s Facebook page has also been flooded with messages from fans asking that they call off the tour, including one comment that said: “If you’re not going to cancel the tour at least postpone it until an investigation has happened. People aren’t comfortable supporting a group with a frontman who has these allegations against him…”

Win Butler’s statement in full

“I love Régine with all of my heart. We have been together for twenty years, she is my partner in music and in life, my soulmate and I am lucky and grateful to have her by my side. But at times, it has been difficult to balance being the father, husband, and bandmate that I want to be. Today I want to clear the air about my life, poor judgment, and mistakes I have made.

“I have had consensual relationships outside of my marriage.

“There is no easy way to say this, and the hardest thing I have ever done is having to share this with my son. The majority of these relationships were short lived, and my wife is aware – our marriage has, in the past, been more unconventional than some. I have connected with people in person, at shows, and through social media, and I have shared messages of which I am not proud. Most importantly, every single one of these interactions has been mutual and always between consenting adults. It is deeply revisionist, and frankly just wrong, for anyone to suggest otherwise.

“I have never touched a woman against her will, and any implication that I have is simply false. I vehemently deny any suggestion that I forced myself on a woman or demanded sexual favors. That simply, and unequivocally, never happened.

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“While these relationships were all consensual, I am very sorry to anyone who I have hurt with my behavior. Life is filled with tremendous pain and error, and I never want to be part of causing someone else’s pain.

“I have long struggled with mental health issues and the ghosts of childhood abuse. In my 30s, I started drinking as I dealt with the heaviest depression of my life after our family experienced a miscarriage. None of this is intended to excuse my behavior, but I do want to give some context and share what was happening in my life around this time. I no longer recognized myself or the person I had become. Régine waited patiently watching me suffer and tried to help me as best as she could. I know it must have been so hard for her to watch the person she loved so lost.

“I have been working hard on myself – not out of fear or shame, but because I am a human being who wants to improve despite my flaws and damage. I’ve spent the last few years since Covid hit trying to save that part of my soul. I have put significant time and energy into therapy and healing, including attending AA. I am more aware now of how my public persona can distort relationships even if a situation feels friendly and positive to me. I am very grateful to Régine, my family, my dear friends, and my therapist, who have helped me back from the abyss that I felt certain at times would consume me. The bond I share with my bandmates and the incredibly deep connection I’ve made with an audience through sharing music has literally saved my life.

“As I look to the future, I am continuing to learn from my mistakes and working hard to become a better person, someone my son can be proud of. I say to you all my friends, family, to anyone I have hurt and to the people who love my music and are shocked and disappointed by this report: I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the pain I caused – I’m sorry I wasn’t more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people – I f*cked up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences. I can do better and I will do better.”

Featured image: Publicity photo

Lanxess has issued a statement after a chemical spill triggered a major incident in Trafford

A statement has been issued addressing a chemical spill in Trafford Park that triggered a major incident to be declared.

A massive emergency services response was scrambled to the area on Monday morning, and residents and businesses in Trafford Park and the surrounding areas were told to keep keep all doors and windows shut.

Lanxess, a specialty chemical company with a plant on Tenax Road, confirmed that the spillage occurred during the unloading of a tanker truck.

The company has also confirmed that a full investigation will take place.

The chemical spill triggered a 300m cordon around the scene in Trafford Park until the Major Incident was de-escalated yesterday afternoon.

One person, believed to be a worker at the plant, was taken to hospital as a precaution.

A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service confirmed that the risk to the public was low, but issued some symptoms to watch out for.

They said: “If anyone in the local area suffers symptoms including breathlessness, wheezing or bluing of the lips and fingers, you are advised to seek medical help via NHS 111 online – 111.nhs.uk.”

Lanxess has now issued a statement addressing yesterday’s chemical spill incident in Trafford.

A spokesperson said: “Specialty chemicals company LANXESS has begun the investigation of today’s incident at the site in  Trafford  Park, Manchester, thoroughly. At around 9 o’clock this morning, a chemical spilled during the unloading of a tanker truck.

“Emergency services arrived at the site shortly after to work with the site and contain the spillage. The leak was contained and stopped by late morning.

“To ensure safety of all employees, the site was evacuated. One person was taken to hospital for observation as a precaution. The cooperation with emergency services and authorities went smoothly.”

A spokesperson for NWAS said: “We can confirm that we have deescalated from a Major Incident after a chemical leak at an industrial site on Tenax Road, Trafford Park, Manchester.

“Resources were scaled back to support the ongoing operation by Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service however, the incident has now closed down with all NWAS resources leaving site.

“Our protocols require us to deploy enough vehicles to support a large-scale incident; fortunately, they weren’t required on this occasion. One patient has been taken to hospital for further assessment.

“The risk to the public from the leak has been determined to be low; however, if anyone in the local area suffers symptoms including breathlessness, wheezing or bluing of the lips and fingers, you are advised to seek medical help via NHS 111 online – 111.nhs.uk.

“We want to thank the local community for their patience while emergency services continue to deal with the situation.”

Danny Jones

Two fans were arrested following the latest Manchester derby at the weekend after one fan threw a missile onto the pitch mid-game and another was suspected of tragedy chanting in the stands.

After being detained by Greater Manchester Police on Sunday, the Manchester City fan who threw a blue flare in André Onana’s direction after Phil Foden’s equalising goal in the 3-1 win has now been released on bail with conditions.

Identified as Adam McNally from Bullcote Green in Royton, Oldham, he has been charged with throwing a missile onto the pitch and being in possession of a firework or flare at the sporting event.

As for the fan arrested on suspicion of tragedy chanting, after stewards inside the Etihad Stadium were notified “following reports made in the crowd, the man was promptly arrested by officers.” He has now also been bailed.

Saat suporter Manchester City melemparkan flare ke Onana yang membuat pertandingan sempat terhenti.. 😐 pic.twitter.com/QGYBwrgbMm — Extra Time Indonesia (@idextratime) March 4, 2024

The member of the home support was captured in images circulated on social media making an aeroplane gesture, seemingly mocking the 1958 Munich Air Disaster in which 23 people, including eight of Manchester United’s famous ‘Busby Babes’ team, were killed.

It was the 66th anniversary of the crash just last month.

It was only in July last year that another City fan was slapped with a fine and a banning order after mocking the Hillsborough Disaster of 1989 following a game against Liverpool in December 2022 and Man United had to condemn a section of their own fan base for chanting about the same tragedy .

Despite recent pushes from the Premier League, FA and football clubs all across the UK, tragedy chants like these are still present in the game and remain a prevailing problem in modern fan culture.

Salford City apologise to Bradford City following ‘shameful’ tragedy remark made by staff member on social media
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Neither of the Manchester clubs are yet to come out and issue a statement following the two incidents, but there will almost certainly be a fresh push from increased safety amongst home and away fans, as well as a reminder that tragedy chanting is simply unacceptable.

The Premier League, FA Cup and European champions went on to win the game 3-1 despite Marcus Rashford’s impressive early strike, with Foden grabbing two and Erling Haaland sealing the result at the death.

You can watch the highlights from Man City’s home victory over Man United in the 192nd Manchester derby down below:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester,  subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE .

Featured Images — Sky Sports (via screenshot)/The Manc Group/ @UTDPatron (via X)

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IMAGES

  1. Arcade Fire urged to cancel tour as fans boycott Birmingham gig over

    arcade fire to cancel tour

  2. Arcade Fire UK tour: Fans urge band to cancel shows following sexual

    arcade fire to cancel tour

  3. Arcade Fire Announce 2022 Tour

    arcade fire to cancel tour

  4. Arcade Fire sets release date for 'Everything Now,' announces tour

    arcade fire to cancel tour

  5. Win Butler: Arcade Fire fans flogging cut-price gig tickets amid sexual

    arcade fire to cancel tour

  6. Feist discusses dropping off Arcade Fire tour last year

    arcade fire to cancel tour

COMMENTS

  1. Arcade Fire Fans Demand Group Cancel Tour Amid Sexual ...

    Fans of Arcade Fire are calling for the band to cancel their tour so that refunds for tickets can be issued. The move comes as the Canadian indie rockers are facing backlash after a weekend report ...

  2. Beck Drops Off Arcade Fire's Tour Amid Win Butler Allegations

    October 15, 2022. Beck Redferns. Beck has dropped off the Arcade Fire 's upcoming North American tour, where the singer was to serve as opening act, amid accusations of sexual misconduct against ...

  3. Fans call on Arcade Fire to cancel world tour

    Fans call on Arcade Fire to cancel tour following sexual misconduct allegations against Win Butler. The Grammy-winning band, which last performed at Osheaga Festival in Montreal in July, is set to ...

  4. Feist quits Arcade Fire tour after sexual misconduct allegations

    Elsewhere, some fans have called on Arcade Fire to cancel their ongoing UK and Ireland tour following the allegations, though it has so far gone ahead as planned.

  5. Feist quits Arcade Fire tour after band's frontman is accused of sexual

    Leslie Feist, who performs by her last name and hails from Canada, was a guest artist on indie rock band Arcade Fire's "We" Tour, which kicked off Tuesday in Dublin. The band's frontman, Win ...

  6. Arcade Fire's lead singer was accused of sexual misconduct. Why can't

    When tickets to Arcade Fire's tour dates went on sale in May, Adam Lazarus quickly snatched up a pair for himself and his wife. Both were huge fans of the Canadian rock band, which rose to ...

  7. Allegations against Win Butler still linger over Arcade Fire's hometown

    Arcade Fire continued its North American tour, though Feist and Beck dropped off as openers. On Sept. 19, 2022 — just three weeks after the first wave of accusations against Butler — Montréal ...

  8. Arcade Fire UK tour: Fans urge band to cancel shows ...

    Arcade Fire are facing growing calls from fans to cancel shows or refund tickets for their upcoming UK tour dates following allegations of sexual misconduct against frontman Win Butler.

  9. Feist quits Arcade Fire tour, citing allegations against Win Butler

    Arcade Fire have faced calls to scrap their tour, but have so far continued to play, with dates in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and London scheduled for the coming week.

  10. Calls for Arcade Fire show refunds after frontman accused of sexual

    Three women accuse Butler of sexual misconduct between 2016 and 2020. The women were between the ages of 18 and 23 while Butler was between 36 and 39 years old. The allegations range from ...

  11. Arcade Fire fans flogging cut-price gig tickets amid sexual misconduct

    "Cancel the tour and refund fans," another wrote, before admitting that he had tried to sell his two tickets for half price but "can't even give them away". Read More Arcade Fire to play first ...

  12. Arcade Fire: inside first concert since accusations of sexual

    Rón Maguire was near the front of the queue for Arcade Fire's concert in Dublin on Tuesday evening, the start of the band's European tour, and marooned somewhere between agony and ecstasy ...

  13. Beck reportedly pulls out of Arcade Fire tour amid sexual assault

    Musician Beck. Photo: Katy Winn / Invision. Beck will reportedly no longer support Arcade Fire on its upcoming North American tour, according to a message sent to ticketholders on Friday, Oct. 14.. The letters did not cite the reason why Beck dropped off the tour, which is scheduled to begin later this month in Washington D.C. and make its way to San Francisco for a sold-out show at the Bill ...

  14. Arcade Fire: Juno awards defend nomination amid Win Butler sexual

    In the aftermath of Pitchfork's investigation, Feist cancelled her sets supporting Arcade Fire through Europe and the UK, while Beck withdrew from opening for the band on a North American tour ...

  15. Beck cancels from Arcade Fire's troubled Minneapolis concert, but no

    Beck cancels from Arcade Fire's troubled Minneapolis concert, but no refunds offered ... many Twin Cities fans noted on social media that opening act Beck was the main draw for them to buy tickets ...

  16. Feist leaves Arcade Fire tour after sexual misconduct claims against

    Adrian Horton. The Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist, known mononymously as Feist, has announced she will leave a tour with Arcade Fire following allegations of sexual misconduct against the ...

  17. Arcade Fire urged to cancel tour as fans boycott Birmingham gig

    Arcade Fire are being urged to cancel their world tour - including tonight's show in Birmingham at the Utilita Arena - after allegations against Win Butler, the band's frontman, emerged.

  18. Arcade Fire

    Welcome to the official Arcade Fire website. Visit for the latest news, tour dates, listen to Arcade Fire's music and watch the videos. Browse Arcade Fire t-shirts and merchandise in the official shop.

  19. Should Arcade Fire cancel their upcoming tour? : r/arcadefire

    Even though Win is obviously a massive part of Arcade Fire, he is not all of Arcade Fire. Regine, Richard, Tim and Jeremy did not do anything wrong, nor did the other people involved in the tour (producers, tour managers, merch managers, supporting musicians, etc.).

  20. Arcade Fire fans call for tour to be cancelled after frontman is

    Daisy Jackson - 31st August 2022. Fans of Arcade Fire have been calling for the band's tour to be cancelled in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations made against frontman Win Butler. The singer, who is due to perform at the AO Arena in Manchester this weekend, has stated that the extramarital relationships were consensual.

  21. People who have tickets to the WE tour. Still gonna go or nah?

    Everyone forgets the accusations of rape and sex with a 14 year old. Some people are turds… their music is still legendary. . 43 votes, 148 comments. 25K subscribers in the arcadefire community. The go to Arcade Fire fan site.

  22. Fans call on Arcade Fire to cancel tour following sexual ...

    Fans call on Arcade Fire to cancel tour following sexual misconduct allegations against Win Butler. stcatharinesstandard.ca. Related Topics Arcade Fire Indie rock Alternative rock Rock music Music comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment. rfamico • Additional comment actions. Ah yes, the classic, "I found some tweets ...

  23. Question for people who want the band to cancel the tour and are

    Frankly, the idea that tickets are non-refundable in general even when you buy them months in advance is a total exploitative shit show on the part of venues and ticket sales sites, but that goes far beyond the scope of just Arcade Fire.