Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man has offered an explanation as to why he skipped the group’s recent farewell tour of Australia.
The Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour was billed to have “all members” of the iconic hip hop group together on stage. However, Method Man, Raekwon, Cappadonna and Young Dirty Bastard were all absent from the shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, with no prior warning.
Ticketek offered refunds to punters heading to the Melbourne and Sydney dates after fans who went to the Brisbane show took to social media to flag the no-shows.
In an Instagram Live over the weekend, per Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Method Man addressed the controversy, saying he was never coming to Australia because he was booked with other opportunities, including acting.
“Before we even went on the overseas tour, I wasn’t going. I said I wasn’t going. I said I was booked,” he said.
The 55-year-old rapper accused promoters of still pushing the tour with all living members despite knowing he would not be there.
“I was seeing flyers saying all living members are going to be there and shit, and I’m looking at this shit, like, they know that I haven’t agreed to go on the tour yet. This is promoters, overzealous promoters and shit. I told the guys before we left, I said there’s a chance I will do the overseas dates, but there is no chance that I am going to Dubai or Australia because I’m booked. I have other obligations that I have. And they knew this before we even left for the tour.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
“The fact that this is the second time or third time that this has happened, you guys have to somehow know that at the end of the day while you’re blaming the artists who should show up by the way, especially if they say they are, you guys have to look at the promoters sometimes. Because sometimes the promoters are privy to this information but don’t want to give out this information, you know? They’ll wait for the ticket sales, and then they’ll make an announcement close to the date, which I don’t think is fair… when I made the statement that I wouldn’t be going to Dubai or Australia, I think it should have been known to the general public that Method Man won’t be making these dates.”
He continued: “The reason why I’m even giving this explanation is because I love our fans, love Australia. But again, if I’m booked, I’m booked.”
Tone Deaf has contacted local promoters, Untitled Group, for comment.
The New York-formed group last toured Australia in 2023. The Final Chamber Tour kicked off in February of this year in the US and wrapped in Philadelphia in July.
The Final Chamber Tour will head to Japan in May before kicking off another leg in the US later this year.
