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Torres, aka Mackenzie Scott, has opened up about the “drastic” cancellation of her European tour following the coronavirus outbreak
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Speaking to Pitchfork, Scott recounted how she was performing one of the last shows of her tour in Berlin when the United States imposed a travel ban from Europe which caused mass panic.
“It all happened so much more quickly and drastically than anyone was expecting…To be overseas watching it unfold from the backseat of a van on our cell phones was very surreal,” Scott said.
Speaking about the ensuing tour cancellation, Scott said: “It was really bizarre because we were having such a fun time…Two weeks into touring, you’re finally starting to sound really tight. To have it just shut down like that is a bummer.”
She continued: “I have extreme gratitude for everyone who has reached out to help me and other artists in this time…I’m hoping that everyone is just going to take a nice big breather and heal themselves if they can. Hopefully live music doesn’t die and it all comes back in the fall and everyone’s more excited than ever.”
Speaking about the atmosphere during her final performances, Scott added: “The vibe of the whole tour felt kind of wary and uneasy. The energy was very uncertain from us, my bandmates, our crew, but also from fans.
“When we got to Berlin, people just really showed up. The fear didn’t seem to hurt the crowd the way it did in other places. It was a full room. People’s awareness seemed to be heightened to the idea that they might not get to see shows for a little while. And sure enough, my show ended up being the last one there before they announced that they were closing for two months.”
Scott also opened up about the help she received from fans to get home after the travel ban was announced.
“When I realised that I had to get home very quickly and that tickets were not going to be cheap, I knew I couldn’t put it on the credit card we’d been using because it’d been maxed out already from hotels and travel expenses.
“The cash I made from merch was going directly into paying for gas for the van. I didn’t actually have any money at all to spend. So I just asked people. I asked fans on the internet, which I’ve never done in my life. Asking for help in general is not really my forte. But I got so scared that we were going to get stuck.
“…People were so generous! I’m still trying to figure out what my plan is for thanking people, because it’s the reason I made it home quickly and safely.”
Today, the continuing virus crisis saw more events cancelled. Glastonbury announced that the 2020 festival was cancelled then later, the Eurovision Song Contest followed suit, cancelling the event for the first time in its 63 year history.
The 1975 and Noel Gallagher also postponed upcoming tour dates. You can see a full list of the gigs affected here.
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