When Olivia Rodrigo announced Daisy Chain Fields, her long-awaited all-female music festival, the music world had one overwhelming response: it was about time. What nobody anticipated was that the conversation would be hijacked by a drummer from an all-male indie band, publicly announcing his band's absence from a lineup they weren't eligible to perform in the first place.
Jacob Tomsky, 47, drummer of Cigarettes After Sex, has since deleted the comment. The people on the internet, however, still want to say their piece.
Daisy Chain Fields Festival Sold Out in 30 Minutes
Rodrigo, 23, announced this week that she is launching Daisy Chain Fields, a Lilith Fair-inspired festival set for 29 August at Great Park in Irvine, California. The lineup is stacked: Stevie Nicks, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Garbage, Sarah McLachlan, KATSEYE, The Breeders, and Rodrigo herself. Every artist is performing for free, with all net proceeds going directly to charities supporting women and girls. Unsurprisingly, it sold out in 30 minutes.
@gma Olivia Rodrigo announces Daisy Chain Fields, an all-women festival inspired by Lilith Fair, the 1990s tour created by Sarah McLachlan. Chappell Roan and Doechii are among the performers, with 100% of net proceeds going to charity. She talks to @ABC News’ Diane Sawyer about what fans can expect from the festival. #oliviarodrigo #lilithfair #daisychainfestival
♬ original sound - Good Morning America
Inspired by McLachlan's groundbreaking '90s festival, which was launched after the industry repeatedly claimed female artists couldn't sell tickets, Daisy Chain Fields arrives in 2026 as both a celebration and a pointed statement. Rodrigo told Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America that she wanted to dismantle the idea that women in music must compete: 'We're all way stronger when we come together.'
Why Did the Cigarettes After Sex Drummer Feel the Need to Weigh In?
Under a TikTok video of that very interview, Tomsky, 47, dropped a since-deleted comment: 'We won't be there lol tf'. When a baffled user asked him to explain, he replied: 'I mean, it feels like some forced promo for a festival, right? I'm just saying our band won't be performing there.'
The defence arguably made things worse. Tomsky had the option to simply scroll up, yet he commented on it unprompted and then described the content as unwanted advertising. If it felt like forced promo, the only person who forced him to engage with it was himself. The internet did not let him off the hook that easily.
The Internet Was Not Having It
Rodrigo's fans immediately swooped into the action. 'Men being offended by something that doesn't involve them is straight up comedy fr', one X user wrote. Another went straight for the punch: 'Why would a man be there in the first place?'
On Instagram, another user put it plainly: 'All festivals cater to men, and the lineup is about 80% male. Let us have this one thing!' Tomsky has not issued an apology or any further statements, which may be the wisest decision to let the drama die down on its own.
How Tomsky's Comment Became Daisy Chain Fields' Biggest Promoter
In attempting to shade a festival he was never part of, Tomsky inadvertently became its biggest promoter. The discourse sent a fresh wave of fans straight to the Daisy Chain Fields waitlist. The sold-out event needed no help in promotion, but it got some anyway.
With the music industry still skewing overwhelmingly male in festival bookings, Rodrigo's venture has clearly struck a nerve. While Tomsky sits this one out, the rest of the world is busy streaming You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love—the album that just debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 485,000 equivalent units, placing all 13 tracks in the Hot 100 top 30 simultaneously. Not a bad week to be Olivia Rodrigo.
