Taylor Momsen recently spoke candidly about her difficult experience on Warped Tour, describing the festival environment in blunt terms during an interview on the Zach Sang Show.
The Pretty Reckless frontwoman characterized the touring festival as chaotic and unprofessional, particularly given that it was her band’s first major tour.
“You’re probably not supposed to say that but, like, it was super f*cked up. It’s like a very gross band summer camp,” Momsen said. “It was our first tour, too, our first real tour. In one way, I think it was good for us that the grind of that tour is ridiculous, so it put you through [multiple shows a week]. And they also don’t tell you what time you’re playing till the morning of. You get punished if you don’t go to a press tent, and you get a shitty slot.”
She went on to describe the harsh conditions and unpredictable nature of life on the road during the festival. “Like there was the whole dynamic to Warped tour that I thought was a bunch of bullshit, but, you know, whatever, but it put you through the wringer of what touring is like in the most extreme circumstances – heat, tour buses breaking, and no bathrooms – all the grossness of the road in one place,” she explained.
While Momsen acknowledged that the experience offered some valuable lessons, she stressed that it ultimately fell short of her expectations for a professional touring environment.
“So, in one way, it was good. And the other way, it is completely unprofessional and not what touring is like at all. You know, I take touring very seriously. I take the show very seriously. And that is not what that environment is,” she said. “That environment is a rolling party of bands with no rules, mayhem, debauchery.”
She concluded by noting that although Warped Tour may have been enjoyable for others, it was not an experience she would want to repeat.
“I think the fans probably had a really great time. I think the bands had a really great time. I did not have a really great time on Warped Tour,” Momsen stated. “It was just an experience, one that I wouldn’t want to do again.”
Momsen’s remarks arrive amid renewed attention on Warped Tour’s legacy in music history. The festival ran annually from 1995 through 2019 before returning for a limited 30th anniversary run in 2025, making it one of North America’s longest-running touring music festivals. Its reputation as a “punk rock summer camp,” a phrase Momsen referenced, has long been tied to its traveling, multi-stage format and heavy emphasis on fan interaction, noted by Journeys.
During its peak years, Warped Tour played a major role in shaping alternative music culture, particularly in the early 2000s when it embraced the rising emo and post-hardcore movements while maintaining its punk roots. That same rough, anything-goes atmosphere helped launch countless bands but also created the demanding and chaotic conditions that Momsen criticized.
Despite mixed reactions from artists, Warped Tour’s influence remains undeniable. It served as a career springboard for many musicians and left lasting memories for millions of fans, even as its intense touring schedule generated vastly different experiences for those who took part.
