Elvis Costello was forced to cancel a slew of tour dates on his current European tour after being diagnosed with a “small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy.”
According to his website, the singer underwent surgery before starting his summer trek, however, his doctor urged him to cancel the remaining dates on tour to avoid putting his health at risk.
“Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, ‘You should start playing the Lotto,'” he said in a statement. “He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery. I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead.
“Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or an occupation that involves physical work or travel,” he continued. “It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the demands on a traveling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-hour plus performances on a nightly basis but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed.”
Costello was forced to cancel shows throughout July including Manchester, Croatia, Austria, Norway, and Sweden. He extended apologies toward ticket holders, but explained that he would rather not perform than show up to a show that could put his health at risk. Ticket holders are urged to seek refunds at point of purchase.
He ended his statement on a positive note, revealing his new album, due later this year.
“To leave you with some more optimistic news, The Imposters and I – together with several of our other friends – have made a magnificent new record of which we are truly proud,” he said. “It will be issued in October, I believe. We will return at the soonest opportunity to play that music and your favourite songs that still make sense to us all.”
View Costello’s full statement here.
As of right now, Costello is still slated to perform his trek throughout North America this fall. The tour will kick-off in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on November 2 and will hit cities along the way like Washington D.C., Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Vancouver, British Columbia will close out the tour on December 4. Check out the full list of upcoming dates below.
Visit Ticket Club to find tickets to see Costello on tour this year.
Elvis Costello North America Tour Dates 2018
09/14-16 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
11/02 – Bethlehem, PA @ The Sands Bethlehem Event Center
11/04 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
11/06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Paramount Theatre
11/07 – Verona, NY @ Turning Stone Resort Casino
11/09 – Wallingford, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre
11/10 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center Wang Theatre
11/11 – Buffalo, NY @ Shea’s Performing Arts Center
11/13 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
11/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Northrop Auditorium
11/17 – Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live
11/19 – Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre
11/21 – St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
11/23 – Thackerville, OK @ WinStar World Casino
11/25 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre
11/28 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues Anaheim
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
12/01 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
12/03 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
12/04 – Vancouver, BC @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
