Method Man has addressed his absence from recent Wu-Tang Clan shows in Australia after promoters advertised that “all living members” of the Staten Island collective would be in attendance, leading him to state that they knew he would not be available to perform.
According to Billboard, fans complained that Method Man, Raekwon, Cappadonna, and Young Dirty Bastard did not appear at shows in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney during the Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour. Fans have been demanding refunds. Meth has blamed the promoters for the deception, stating on Instagram Live that they knew he “was booked.”
“Before we even went on the overseas tour, I wasn’t going. I said I wasn’t going. I said I was booked,” he said.
After not seeing Meth and others at the Brisbane show, many fans took to social media to complain about their absence, prompting the ticketing platform Ticketek to offer refunds to people who bought tickets for the Melbourne and Sydney dates.
Meth said that even he saw flyers promoting the whole collective would be there, calling the tour’s organizers “overzealous.”
“I was seeing flyers saying all living members are going to be there… they know that I haven’t agreed to go on the tour yet.”
The “Bring the Pain” recording artist also feels the promoters are deceiving the audience by not informing ticket holders that he and the other members who are not performing won’t be on the bill, only closer to the show date.
“Sometimes the promoters are privy to this information but don’t want to give out this information,” he said. “They’ll wait for the ticket sales, and then they’ll make an announcement close to the date, which I don’t think is fair.”
He clarified his love for Australia but reiterated his unavailability at the time.
“The reason why I’m even giving this explanation is because I love our fans, love Australia. But again, if I’m booked, I’m booked,” he said.
RELATED CONTENT: Method Man Sheds Light On His Mental Health Struggles