Another revelation from Mr. Porter’s recent interview offers some insight into why Eminem’s shows have become so rare.
In simple words, Em just doesn’t like it. That dislike comes down to several things that, together, make touring tedious for Marshall. First, he doesn’t like how disconnected the audience has become. People focus on their phones instead of being present in the moment. Then, there is this association with drugs. In Marshall’s earlier years, the line between an adrenaline-fuelled concert high and getting high offstage got blurred. Now that Marshall cherishes his sobriety and the routine that helps him get through the day, touring becomes a distraction. And finally, it’s very physical. Mr. Porter knows that better than most. As Em’s hypeman, Denaun is always up on stage, shoulder to shoulder with him. And it’s tough.
Denaun laid all of this out during his 3rd Verse interview:
He likes making the music. If he could put the music out and don’t do shows, he would do it. But I think he has to see people actually care about him doing a show. What he doesn’t get is that when they don’t see you, they might be like this [with their phones up] the whole time because they don’t know when the next time they’re going to see you. So it’s important for them to sit there like this. And I had to understand that because we hate them kind of shows. I hate it because I gotta keep the show going. It’s not easy. I need this energy. I got to fake some energy if they ain’t giving it to me to give it to him. It’s a tough thing. I think the drugs, at one point in time, had something to do with it. He has his sleep schedule. He’s got OCD. He got to sleep at a certain time. He wants this shit to be a certain kind of way. He’s got his life.
I’m always on him about the internal. I’m always like, “Yo, this book I’m reading, Jason Wilson”. I think I gave him this book, and I don’t know when he’ll read it, but one day he will, when he’s ready for that. I think the thing is when you’re sober like that… He’s just positioned in his mind to think bad about it.
It is a lot of work that comes with it. When we get off the stage, and your knees are hurting… We are not up there just doing what others do. You’re getting 10,000 steps on the stage. You’re getting close to that up there. We don’t stand still. We’re jumping, running, moving, walking. Those aren’t small stages. They’re huge. We did a show in Saudi Arabia. It was the biggest stage in the world. We didn’t even feel the whole stage. It’s two of us up there. We’re not just standing there. It’s work. It’s work. And he don’t like not giving people their money’s worth. He just, you know, that kind of artist.
While all of this is understandable, the disappointment is palpable when Eminem fans realise that a post-album tour is no longer a given. And that is why Eminem sells huge arenas now just as easily as before. As Denaun said, we never know when we’ll see Eminem next.