Tame Impala will require fans planning on attending one of the shows on the band’s fast-approaching US tour to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative test received within the last 48 hours of the show’s date.
“I have talked about this with my cohorts extensively and whilst the last thing I want to do is divide people based on what they believe and don’t believe, now is not the time to be putting everyone at risk for the sake of being nice,” bandleader Kevin Parker wrote in a statement to fans over the weekend.
“My beliefs on this matter align closely with the word of science, which is that the vaccine undeniably helps prevent serious illness and death from covid 19. If this isn’t your view I urge you to re-evaluate,” Parker continued, adding that he understands people have “many different reasons for choosing not to vaccinate” and that he feels for those who cannot due to medical reasons.
“There’s still time to get fully vaxxed before most of the shows… So get a move on if you’ve just been putting it off.”
After being forced to cut short a run of US gigs in March 2020 due to the pandemic, Tame Impala are set to kick off their rescheduled ‘Slow Rush’ US tour this weekend with a headline set as part of the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee, which itself recently announced it would require audiences to demonstrate evidence of vaccination or a negative test.
From there, the Australian psych-rockers will play a slew of headline shows throughout the country, including stops in Chicago, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Texas. See the full list of stops here.
Tame Impala are the latest act to announce they will require concertgoers to show proof of vaccination or a negative test for entry, with the likes of Harry Styles and Jason Isbell both recently announcing similar policies this month.
Touring giant Live Nation recently announced that from October it will require all artists, crew and attendees at their US and UK events to show evidence of full vaccination or a negative test. “Vaccines are going to be your ticket back to shows,” commented Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino in a statement at the time.
The decision came after health officials in Chicago declared there was “no evidence” that Lollapalooza, which Live Nation organises, was a super-spreader event. Over 90 per cent of attendees were vaccinated, and a Live Nation spokesperson at the time said 12 per cent of fans said attending the festival was their reason for getting vaccinated.
Earlier this month, fellow promoters AEG, which organises Coachella, also announced that all its gigs from October onwards will only be open to fully vaccinated ticketholders. “We realise that some people might look at this as a dramatic step, but it’s the right one,” CEO Jay Marciano said in a statement.
“We also are aware that there might be some initial pushback, but I’m confident and hopeful that, at the end of the day, we will be on the right side of history and doing what’s best for artists, fans, and live event workers.”
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