When Maynard James Keenan talks separation of church and state, he doesn’t dress it up. He breaks it down like machinery, cold, functional, and completely stripped of emotion.
Right now, that mindset lands just as Aussie fans gear up for his return later this year with A Perfect Circle/Puscifer, speaking to Arizona Republic, the Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer frontman didn’t hesitate when the conversation turned to religion in politics.
‘It’s a mechanism’
“The separation of church and state, I absolutely believe that, because when it comes to state, it’s like… It’s a mechanism,” Keenan said. “It’s a car, it’s an engine, it’s mechanics. There’s no faith involved. There’s a mechanics to this thing. You can have your faith, but it shouldn’t affect how your car runs.”
It’s a blunt way of putting it, but it lines up with how Keenan’s always approached big ideas. Strip away belief, look at function, and question anything that tries to blur the two.
“That’s why separating church and state is important to me, ’cause the government should not be an emotional being,” he continued. “It should be a mechanism. It’s a machinery. No faith involved.”
Back to Australia for the first time in over a decade
Those comments arrive as A Perfect Circle announce their 2026 Australian tour, joined by Puscifer for what’s shaping up as a rare double hit from Keenan’s world, it marks A Perfect Circle’s first Australian run since 2013, and for New Zealand, their first show in more than 20 years.
A Perfect Circle Australian Tour – 2026 Dates ft. Puscifer
- Friday, December 4th – Adelaide, The Drive
- Sunday, December 6th – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena
- Tuesday, December 8th – Brisbane, Riverstage
- Friday, December 11th – Sydney, TikTok Entertainment Centre
- Sunday, December 13th – Auckland, Spark Arena
Artist presale are underway, while the Live Nation presale opens tomorrow (March 19th), Spotify presales will also run ahead of the general on sale.
For full ticket information, head to livenation.com.au and livenation.co.nz.
The tour kicks off in Adelaide before rolling through Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, wrapping in Auckland, it’s not just a comeback, it’s a full circle moment for a band that helped define early 2000s alternative rock.
Puscifer joining the bill adds another layer, their shows aren’t just gigs, they blend theatre, electronics and dark humour into something that sits outside the usual live format.
Analog over algorithm
Keenan also took a swing at modern listening habits:
“I’m hoping that CDs make a comeback because I can’t play vinyl in my car,” he said, calling the format “such a beautiful, rich format,” before taking aim at compressed audio.
“The MP3s, when you crank it in your car, it just doesn’t hold up. It starts to fall apart.”
For someone who’s built a career on detail and atmosphere, that frustration tracks and come December, Australian crowds will get to hear exactly what he means.
Follow me on Facebook:
RELATED
MORE IN News
