The return of live music in 2021 was still far from straightforward, and Stone Temple Pilots and Bush became another example of how quickly touring plans could change.
In September, Bush announced that the band would not be able to move forward with its planned fall US tour dates, including its co-headlining run with Stone Temple Pilots.
The tour had been scheduled to begin September 30 in Mesa, Arizona, and was planned to include 11 dates before finishing in Oklahoma City on October 17.
Bush said that the decision was connected to COVID related circumstances and described the cancellation as a particularly difficult one after a year and a half of attempted starts and stops.
For Stone Temple Pilots, the news meant that the planned co-headlining dates with Bush would also change. The band said it was disappointed by the cancellation but planned to continue with its own headline dates.
The situation reflected the uncertainty surrounding live music at the time. By the second half of 2021, concerts and festivals were returning in many places, but artists and promoters were still dealing with changing health circumstances and the practical difficulties of keeping tours on the road.
Both bands had released new albums during the previous year. Bush's The Kingdom arrived in 2020, while Stone Temple Pilots released Perdida that same year.
For fans, the cancellation was another reminder that the return to normal touring schedules was not going to happen overnight.
Stone Temple Pilots indicated that they still intended to perform their remaining headline dates, while Bush apologized to fans and fellow artists affected by the cancellation.
The planned tour had promised a major pairing of two bands closely associated with the alternative rock era, but in September 2021 the realities of touring during the pandemic proved impossible to ignore.
