The legendary alternative group DEVO are calling it quits after 50 years of making music together. The Ohio-based new wave band, who announced a farewell tour for 2023 earlier this year, have now confirmed that their current tour will be their last.
Lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh spoke with The Guardian about the decision, comparing the band’s relationship to that of a married couple. “It’s tricky being in a band,” he said. “Imagine you had four wives and you worked together.”
Bassist Gerald Casale added that the band’s “fully formed” identity meant that people couldn’t change them. “You’ve got a body of work informed by a whole manifesto and philosophy,” he said. “Do you let go and move on to the next thing?”
Mark Mothersbaugh joked that he was looking forward to the band’s 100th anniversary tour in 2073. However, Gerald Casale said he was “in denial”, as he was reluctant to give up live performances. “It was part of Devo’s DNA,” he said.
The band have been praised by the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, while Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain called them “the most challenging and subversive” of all the bands who made it in the mainstream.
Mark Mothersbaugh said that Devo had always hoped to be an art movement, and that college radio was the only way people could hear the band.
Their sold out show at London’s Eventim Apollo marked the end of their European tour, and the band now have a string of US dates kicking off in November.
A new documentary titled Devo, directed by Chris Smith, is also in the works. It is expected to explore the band’s incredible legacy and look at their impact on the alternative music scene.
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