American punk band Alkaline Trio has been forced to cancel their UK tour at the last minute as guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba fights a medical condition that has left him unable to walk.
Former blink-182 guitarist Skiba says his condition has left him unable to “walk, talk, play, or sing” properly, forcing the cancellation of five UK shows and a headline appearance at the 2000 Trees festival.
The band has not revealed the specifics of Skiba’s condition, but the tour has been canceled after the band arrived in the UK. They have now returned to the States for treatment.
“We are immensely sorry, but we must cancel our dates in England… due to medical issues Matt has been suffering from that have worsened,” the band’s statement reads.
“He’s gonna be okay, but needs to be treated stateside as soon as possible. We will be back healthier and stronger.”
The reluctant but necessary cancellation, announced on the day of their first show in Birmingham, has been met with an outpouring of love from their fans. That prompted Skiba to address the issue directly via a video posted to Instagram.
“Thank you for all the love and support,” he says. “It means the world to me. You guys deserve a better show than I can throw right now. I've got numbness in my feet, numbness in my hands, and as you can tell, I’m losing my voice. I can’t really talk, walk, play, or sing.
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“I’m gonna go home and get looked at. I love all of you so much, and we’ll be back ASAP to make these shows up to you.”
Shows in Birmingham, London, Newcastle, Leeds, and Manchester are affected and are expected to be rearranged in due course. Beloved UK alt-rockers, Don Broco, will take their place at the Gloucestershire, UK, gathering, which was meant to conclude their tour.
Guitar World wishes Skiba a speedy recovery.
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