Slayer: “Fuck it, We’re Just Gonna Tour Through 2019, Too”
Lots of folks seemed to have illusions that Slayer were going to hang up their cleats entirely after their 2018 “farewell” runs. The band was pretty clear that future one-off shows (i.e. festival headline dates) would be a possibility once this current run of touring is done, but that of course hasn’t stopped metalheads from whipping themselves into a frenzy over Slayer’s alleged retirement, because who bothers to read actual articles when every bit of important information can simply be gathered from a headline?
The first show Slayer announced for their post-touring lifestyle was a slot at the 2019 incarnation of Hellfest. But now the band has issued a press release indicating they’ll continue touring in 2019… just in places their farewell tour hasn’t yet brought them, with runs of South America, Australia and Japan in the works. Explains Kerry King:
“We always knew this tour would take us into 2019, and we’ve been blown away by the response we’ve been getting here in North America. We’ve heard about fans who have driven five, six hours, or flown in from other cities or countries to see us, so we want to assure our fans that we’ll be on the road through 2019 and will get to as many places around the world as possible to make it easier for everyone to come and see us one last time.”
And here’s Tom Araya:
“I just want to take the time out to say thank you to all our fans who have made this first part of this tour phenomenal. You really are loyal and dedicated fans and we appreciate that so much from you. We still have quite a few places to play, so next year, keep your eyes and ears open so you can catch us live one last and final time. Again, thank you!”
On one hand, cool, I’m very glad that Slayer fans in South America, Australia and Japan get to experience the band one last time. On the other, would’ve killed Slayer to indicate to those fans further in advance that this was in the works, potentially saving those who bought tickets to travel to the U.S. or Europe a whole lot of money? They literally waited until the day after their North American run ended to announce these plans.
No word on when the 2019 tour dates will be announced, but we’ll let you know when they are. I’d bet we’ll see some more festival dates like Hellfest added soon enough, too.
Slayer’s North American farewell run just wrapped up last night, while the European tour is scheduled for fall.
