Earlier today, Feist issued a detailed statement indicating why she was dropping off as a support act from Arcade Fire’s We tour. In a fairly heartfelt and well-thought-out response, Feist (neé Leslie Feist) did her best to make sense of what it meant for her and her band to be on stage with Arcade Fire following this past weekend’s allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct against Arcade Fire singer Win Butler.
Feist played the first two shows on the tour in Dublin after the allegations came out over the weekend, but today, she dropped out. “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 said, adding that “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.”
Following Feist’s announcement, Arcade Fire issued a statement of their own to Paste, saying that, “We are very sorry to see Leslie go home, but completely understand and respect her decision.” There’s being between a rock and a hard place, and then there is this, which unfortunately affects everyone involved. It’s quite the decision for Arcade Fire to continue with this tour with Butler embroiled in the wake of these sexual misconduct claims for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Beck, who is also a support act on the We tour, appears to be staying on it for now.
Source: https://uproxx.com/indie/arcade-fire-responds-to-feist/