No Tour with the new album.

[dmg]

For me it was in 2019 already clear that it was his last tour and I enjoyed it as much as I can. And I know with a new album a lot of people were hoping for a new tour but we have to be realistic.

But why then he would change his speech from saying goodbye to saying "I'll play no matter what"? It was such a strange move from MK. Just mid-sentence change your mind and start telling the opposite, giving people false hope, a perfectly normal way of dealing with things, nothing strange.

I think telling the audience "this is the last time you're going to see me here" near the start of the show is a bit of an atmosphere killer.  The slight change was a good idea but we still kind of knew.

[Robson]

Mark also said that he would play until he fell over. Paradoxically, these words relaxed the atmosphere and brought a smile. But we know no one believed it.

[quizzaciously]

I don't know then what's worse, a never-ending "farewell tour" that many artists are doing, or a false "farewell tour" like this. Nothing seems to be perfect.
I think Paul Simon did it best, announcing his retirement from touring officially and acknowledging he will play one-offs from now on, which he still does.

[dmg]

I don't know then what's worse, a never-ending "farewell tour" that many artists are doing, or a false "farewell tour" like this. Nothing seems to be perfect.
I think Paul Simon did it best, announcing his retirement from touring officially and acknowledging he will play one-offs from now on, which he still does.

I would think an official statement on the web site will come with the album release.  Guy has already confirmed it.

[rmarques821]

I don't know then what's worse, a never-ending "farewell tour" that many artists are doing, or a false "farewell tour" like this. Nothing seems to be perfect.
I think Paul Simon did it best, announcing his retirement from touring officially and acknowledging he will play one-offs from now on, which he still does.

I would think an official statement on the web site will come with the album release.  Guy has already confirmed it.

Nope, there will be no annoucement, Mark himself said so. I've shared this quote a lot but will share it again:

Does that mean the 2019 dates will be his last proper tour? “It might very well be. It will be funny to say goodbye to it, because it’s always been the end of the cycle. But I won’t think about it. I’ll just make a record like I’ve always made, and then when it comes to talking about the tour, I just won’t talk about it.”

[quizzaciously]

I don't know then what's worse, a never-ending "farewell tour" that many artists are doing, or a false "farewell tour" like this. Nothing seems to be perfect.
I think Paul Simon did it best, announcing his retirement from touring officially and acknowledging he will play one-offs from now on, which he still does.

I would think an official statement on the web site will come with the album release.  Guy has already confirmed it.

Nope, there will be no annoucement, Mark himself said so. I've shared this quote a lot but will share it again:

Does that mean the 2019 dates will be his last proper tour? “It might very well be. It will be funny to say goodbye to it, because it’s always been the end of the cycle. But I won’t think about it. I’ll just make a record like I’ve always made, and then when it comes to talking about the tour, I just won’t talk about it.”

Great quote but it contradicts a little bit with the "farewell message" turned "I'll play until I fall over" thing. If you don't want to talk about it, then why do you still talk about it even from the stage? Besides, if you take a look at Mark's social media, it's simply bombarded with questions and inquiries about touring over the roof, everybody desperately wants Mark to tour again and see him live, and he's just like this

It's not a good way to deal with the fan base, especially in the age of technology. It's the year 2024 and we just were blessed with first Mark's post on his social media written almost in a personal way ("Just got a new guitar from Pensa"). It's quite astonishing we are still talking about MK as if he's some kind of demigod living in another dimension, without any connection with fans whatsoever.

Even people who harshly criticised social media in the past changed their minds and you can find the likes of Jim Cameron sharing his ideas to the world, while he said social media is a bunch of monkeys picking each other's hair. Now he's one of the "monkeys". I know it's too late and Mark will never change, just lamenting about some of the missed opportunities and yes, an official statement would be nice, though you are right it likely will never happen.

[cannibals]

I also think there will be no announcement about touring. With the new album he will give some interviews (i think) but you will not see one statement about touring. It's a no go for the interviewer.........

[dmg]

I also think there will be no announcement about touring. With the new album he will give some interviews (i think) but you will not see one statement about touring. It's a no go for the interviewer.........

That's why I think there should be a statement.  I'm not sure there will be, but there should be.

[diremark86]

Food for thought here. Mark has always done things, well, Mark's way. I grimaced when I watched him limp on to the stage for the first time in 2019. It pained me, not because I can't deal with my idols/elders/self aging, but because it was apparent to me the way it made HIM feel.

None of this compares to the way I have seen him in any recent video. I am going to be criticized for actually saying this, but he can't even turn to a guitar sitting next to him in a semi scripted environment and pick up a guitar without help. He appears to be all Mark outside of a clear physical decline. Respect that Mark recognizes it, and leave it there.

There was no real announcement for DS, I hope there is none for MK. Let him find his own way...

[Love Expresso]

Maybe there is something in the 16 pages of the "commemorative booklet" that comes with the album.
(Had to google "commemorative")

LE

[qjamesfloyd]

It could not be made more clearly that Mark won't tour again!! His announcement about ending then maybe not ending during the last tour is understandable, don't forget, touring has been his life since the 70's and faced with being a lot older and less mobile knowing that you just can't do it any longer must be hard to take, there does seem to be a trend of big names giving up touring lately, Mark, Rick Wakeman, Elton John, Lulu to name a few. We have new songs to enjoy this year, so, I am going to focus on that.

[Jules]

I was sure that touring was over, I only had hopes that he would like to do some spare gigs to promote the new record, to show the new songs, but seems that the spare shows are not a chance either.

[dustyvalentino]

I cried and hugged Ingrid at the end of RAH in 2019. I knew it was the end and that a huge part of my life was gone.

[Jules]

I cried and hugged Ingrid at the end of RAH in 2019. I knew it was the end and that a huge part of my life was gone.

I joked with Ingrid at the exit of the Verona's show, last MK one in Europe, that in two years time Kitty would be so bored to see Mk hanging around the house that she will kick his ass out on tour for months!

Then the pandemic came and I guess that changed the whole game.

[dustyvalentino]

I cried and hugged Ingrid at the end of RAH in 2019. I knew it was the end and that a huge part of my life was gone.

I joked with Ingrid at the exit of the Verona's show, last MK one in Europe, that in two years time Kitty would be so bored to see Mk hanging around the house that she will kick his ass out on tour for months!

Then the pandemic came and I guess that changed the whole game.

Possibly, but given the apparent physical issues I'm not sure if the pandemic actually made any difference in MK's case.