Venom Prison have cancelled all their 2022 shows after vocalist Larissa Stupar realised she’d piled too much pressure on herself.
The new mum said the Welsh band had made the decision “with great sadness” but that other priorities were simply more urgent.
“During my pregnancy I have made plans to make festivals and shows possible for Venom Prison,” Stupar said via Twitter. “I have now realised that I was being too ambitious and was putting too much pressure on myself to make things happen while navigating motherhood for the very first time.
“Ash, Ben, Mike and Joe have worked really hard to return back on stage while trying to accommodate my situation. And I am very grateful for their support and understanding. We really tried but my son and family need me full time at the moment.”
But she noted an upside for fans: “We are going to focus on the creative side of things for now before we can start playing shows again. This means we have more new material on the horizon and other positives to focus on.”
Earlier this year Stupar wrote a commentary about being a woman in the male-dominated music industry, recalling: “For many female musicians, an announcement of future motherhood can be something unpleasant rather than celebratory.
“When you’re a touring musician it’s not just your band that is affected by that, it’s also the management, record labels, booking agents, PR, your touring crew and anyone else you might be working with.
“Even though I felt very supported by my band colleagues, label and management, as everyone was positive and understanding of my situation, I still felt very uncertain about my future as a musician. … I had so many questions but simply nobody to turn to. There is no HR that can step in and help you figure things out; you are left on your own to plan how your career in music is going to go ahead, how you are going to sustain yourself financially during your time off, or how other women in the industry balance touring and parenting.”
