Billy Strings has broken his leg in an skateboarding accident and has been forced to reschedule his forthcoming tour.
Posting an update to his Instagram account, the bluesgrass virtuoso reveals that his forthcoming dates April tour dates have been pushed back to August as he remains in plaster.
If there is one thing history has taught us it’s that guitar playing and skateboarding don’t mix. In 1986, James Hetfield broke his wrist skateboarding and Metallica had to draft John Marshall on guitar for the live show. Carmen Vandenberg broke her arm staking with her neighbors’ kids. And now Strings. He admits the excitement of his Charlottesville show on April 18 got the better of him.
“Well, can’t say y’all didn’t warn me about screwing around on my skateboard!” he writes. “Saturday night I walked off stage right before the encore I was all zazzed up from a really fun show. I grabbed my board and tried to do a trick I’ve done a million times (back 180) and landed awkwardly and broke my leg.”
He is unsparing in the details.
“I heard it snap over the screaming crowd! Sounded like a damn 2x4,” Strings continues. “It’s been an interesting couple days to say the least complete with the most extreme pain and crazy ketamine trips and operations stuff but the staff here at UVA rules. They screwed me all back together. They are absolute angels on Earth.”
Strings is built tough. He says he wanted to carry on with the tour and, as he puts it, “Dave Grohling it” – and reveals that the Foo Fighters frontman reached out to him, in effect, to offer him a seat. “He even texted me and offered me the throne!” continues Strings.
Maybe it was the anesthetic not fully wearing off but Strings was pretty much set on getting back out there and not canceling the show. Luckily, a posse of doctors, bandmates, friends and family changed his mind.
“I don’t believe that I could give you guys the show you deserve coming right out of this surgery,” he writes, “and these first few days are really important as far as keeping this thing elevated and letting it heal. Plus I’m all messed up on painkillers and stuff.”
Strings is well aware of the risks from fooling around on a skateboard. Heck, everyone does. The danger is part of the fun. But he’s trying to remain philosophical. At least he can still play guitar while he’s recuperating.
“It’s a dumb-ass mistake and it’s all my fault,” he writes. “I feel like such an idiot. But what are ya gonna do, ya know? At least I didn’t hit my head or break my wrist or something.”
Strings has rescheduled his Charleston (WV) show for August 4, with his three Fishers (IN) dates now August 6 to 8 inclusive.
Get well soon, Billy.
