Journey, a popular rock band celebrating its 50th anniversary, has just announced the cancellation of their tour. The band was formed in San Fransisco in 1973 by former members of Santana, the Steve Miller Band, and Frumious Bandersnatch. The band’s members have changed throughout the years, and their current line up includes Neal Schon, alongside keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jonathan Cain, drummer and vocalist Deen Castronovo, vocalist Arnel Pineda, keyboardist and vocalist Jason Derlatka, and bassist Todd Jensen.
The band are widely known for popular hits including Don’t Stop Believin’, Any Way You Want It, and Open Arms, to name just a few.
Journey were meant to embark on a 50th annivaersay tour which would have taken them to the UK and Ireland in October and November of 2024, accompanied by the special guests Cheap Tricks. This tour would have been the first time the band would have performed in the UK in over a decade.
However, on the 6th of August the band released a very short statement, as reported by Planet Rock:
Due to circumstances beyond the band’s control, Journey’s UK and Ireland tour is unfortunately cancelled. Refunds will be made from your point of purchase.
The Tour would have started off at the Cardiff Utilita Arena on Wednesday 30th October and would have included dates in Nottingham, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Newcastle before finishing with a performance at the London O2 on Sunday 17th November.
The cancellation has not been well received by fans and ticket holders, with many angered by the band’s lack of explanation.
I’m a ticket holder and all I got was an email saying cancelled. No explanation. Not good enough.
— TheCentralScrutinizer (@ScrutiniserNo9) August 6, 2024
While the band have not comment on the reasoning behind the tour cancellation, it is occurring just days after keyboardist Jonathan Cain sued guitarist Neal Schon in the latest in an ongoing series of legal battles.
This is not the first time the pair has taken legal action against one another. In 2022 Schon filed a cease and desist order to stop Cain from playing the hit Don’t Stop Believin’ at a Trump event at Mar-a-Lago. Cain had performed the anthem alongside notable members of the Republican party, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Song rights is not the only source of friction between the band mates. As reported by Guitar, the legal battles began in earnest back in 2022 when Schon sued Cain over grievances related to budgeting and spending, claiming that Cain prevented him from accessing the band’s American Express card. Cain filed a counter-suit, arguing that it was essential to prevent Schon from “misusing” Journey’s card.
Finances and spending habits remain the cause of the pair’s most recent suit which is outlined in court dockets reported by Bloomberg Law. The dockets indicate that Cain is suing Schon over excessive spending on the road, claiming that the guitarist’s expenses, such as hotel rooms, have gone beyond the budget they had previously agreed upon.
Cain’s attorney, Sid Liebesman, made a statement that was reported by Real Rock News: “none of the parties are seeking any form of damages. It is Jon’s intent for Journey to continue providing great live music throughout the current tour.”
