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Canadian musician Feist has left Arcade Fire's European tour midway after allegations about frontman Win Butler's s*xual misconduct came into the limelight.
The 42-year-old singer, who performed at the band's opening two concerts in Ireland's Dublin, took to her Instagram handle on September 1 to share a lengthy note detailing why she chose to be present at the first shows and her decision to leave the tour.
Feist began her letter by stating that she was practicing with her band at a pub in Dublin when she read the news about the accusations against Butler. She said it has been "incredibly difficult" but not more than those who came forward.
Continuing with the statement, Feist said:
"This has ignited a conversation that is bigger than me, it’s bigger than my songs and it’s certainly bigger than any rock and roll tour. To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury.”
The musician announced that she would donate all her merchandise proceeds from the opening nights on Tuesday and Wednesday to Women's Aid Dublin.
Feist, whose first name is Leslie, explained that she was trying to figure out her responsibilities in the situation while receiving dozens of messages from people around her who were "expressing sympathy for the dichotomy I have been pushed into."
"To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury. I was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire—I was here to stand on my own two feet on a stage, a place I've grown to feel I belong and I've earned as my own. I play for my band, my crew, their loved ones and all of our families, and the people who pay their hard-earned money to share space in the collective synergy that is a show."
Feist spoke to several people who have endured similar experiences
Feist said she had spoken to several known and unknown people who shared the "same experiences" ever since the news broke out. Moreover, she noted that there is no sole path to heal from abuse or mistreatment "nor a singular path to rehabilitate the perpetrators."
"It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill treatment. I can't solve that by quitting, and I can't solve it by staying. But I can't continue."
Feist stated that public shaming will also cause fear-based actions, which do not precipitate "empathy, nor healing nor open a safe space for these kind of conversations, nor accountability."
Concluding her statement, the recording artist explained that she is stepping away from their European tour, which she feels "is the best way to take care of my band and crew and my family."
"The last two nights on stage, my songs made this decision for me. Hearing them through this lens was incongruous with what I've worked to clarify for myself through my whole career. I've always written songs to name my own subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self and claim responsibility when I need to. And I'm claiming my responsibility now and going home."
What are the allegations against Win Butler?
Allegations against Win Butler came to the limelight on August 27 after news outlet Pitchfork published a report where three women alleged that they had several "inappropriate" s*xual interactions with the singer between 2016 and 2020.
The women claimed to be ardent Arcade Fire fans and alleged that they were 18 to 23 years old, while Butler was between 36 and 39 when the incidents occurred.
The encounters were dubbed inappropriate based on "gaps in age, power dynamics, and the context in which they occurred."
Moreover, a gender-fluid person, who uses they/them pronouns, accused Win Butler of sexually assaulting them on two separate occasions in 2015. At the time, the person was 18 while the singer was 34.
However, the singer has denied all the accusations and alleged in a statement that their interactions were "consensual."
