The Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen Blasts “Gross” Warped Tour Experience As “A Bunch Of Bullshit”

The Vans Warped Tour is often romanticized as the ultimate rite of passage for emo, pop-punk, and metalcore acts. But for The Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen, memories of the 2010 circuit feel less like a career milestone and more like a “very gross band summer camp.”

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In a recent appearance on the Zach Sang Show, the platinum-selling rocker didn’t hold back, detailing the grime and “mayhem” that defined her first major touring experience.

“A Rolling Party With No Rules”

While many veterans of the tour credit the grueling schedule with building character, Momsen found the chaotic environment more frustrating than foundational. For a musician who treats the stage like a sanctuary, the “summer camp” vibe didn’t sit right.

“I take touring very seriously. I take the show very seriously. And that is not what that environment is. That environment is a rolling party of bands with no rules, mayhem… debauchery… It was gross, but still fun.”

Momsen highlighted several of the tour’s infamous hurdles that she labeled as “unprofessional”:

• The Random Schedule: Bands were kept in the dark about set times until the morning of the show.
• The “Punishment” System: Shitty time slots were allegedly weaponized against bands who skipped press tents.
• Extreme Conditions: Non-stop heat, broken-down buses, and a total lack of bathrooms.

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Trial By Fire

Despite calling the dynamic “a bunch of bullshit,” Momsen admits the tour was a trial by fire for The Pretty Reckless. By surviving the “ridiculous grind” of the traveling festival, the band was forged in the most extreme circumstances the road could offer.

“It put you through the wringer of what touring is like in the most extreme circumstances – heat and tour buses breaking, and no bathrooms – all the grossness of the road in one place. So, in one way, it was good. And the other way, it is completely unprofessional and not what touring is like at all.”

Would The Pretty Reckless Ever Return?

With Warped Tour recently resurfacing through anniversary events and destination festivals, fans are wondering who might return to the blacktop. But don’t expect to see Momsen’s name on the flyer.

“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‘. It was just an experience, one that I wouldn’t want to do again.”

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