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Bloc Party cancel whole US tour

London art-rockers Bloc Party have been forced to cancel their entire US and Canada tour, where they've been supporting emo superstars Panic! At The Disco, due to drummer Matt Tong's collapsed lung.

Tong, pictured, was admitted to hospital in Atlanta last week; initially four dates were cancelled - read here - but now they've had to quit the tour entirely due to their drummer's health.

Doctors have advised Tong not to play for at least two or three weeks. Singer Kele Okereke has penned a message to fans Stateside:

“We would like to apologize to all of our fans here who won’t be able to see us on this tour. We were looking forward to playing in a number of American cities that we’ve never been to before, however, Matt’s health is our number one priority right now.”

All cancelled dates are listed below. Bloc Party's second album, A Weekend In The City, is out early next year on Wichita.

November (refunds available from point of purchase)
16 Toronto Ricoh Coliseum
17 Rochester Gordon Field House
18 Lowell Paul E Tsongas Arena
19 Philadelphia Wachovia Center
21 Detroit Palace of Auburn Hills
22 Chicago UIC Pavilion
24 Minneapolis US Bank Theatre
25 St Charles County Family Arena
26 Council Bluffs Mid-American Center
28 Denver Magness Arena
29 Salt Lake City E Center

December
1 Portland Memorial Coliseum
2 Vancouver Pacific Coliseum
3 Seattle Everett Events Center
5 San Jose HP Pavilion
6 Long Beach Long Beach Arena
7 Glendale Glendale Arena
8 Las Vegas Orleans Theatre
9 San Diego ipayOne Center

i cant imagine

how much this must suck. go all the way to america and have to sit around doing shit-all.

and then some fucker

leaks your album, not a good week for them.

indeed

but cancelling a tour will undoubtedly hit their sales harder than a leaked album

hope you get well soon Mr Tong

i just want to take a moment to say

Matt Tong is a fucking wicked drummer. i don't think it is said enough.

collapsed lung?!!?

ouch that sounds serious - hope Mr Tong gets better real soon.

couldn't they have just got a session drummer in?

i mean, its drums...

its not lead vocals or anything...

there are shedloads of good drummers that would have been excellent temp drummers...

geesh...

what a way to run a business...

get well soon

xo

true that

he writes the drum parts, he plays the drum parts - fine - but if his body throws him off course for a big tour then, hell, i know people who could step in and do a job. Nobody would mind; nobody's going to ask for a refund because the drummer is ill...

just seems like a bad call for all of them, including Tong - Yankeeville can make you rich.

totally...

if i got sick and i played drums, i would be totally dudes hire someone to finish the tour...

perhaps they think it would be better if they tour when the album comes out next year though? who knows...

i just hope this decision wasn't reached with the help of lots of cocaine etc etc...

logistics

they are already part way through the tour - to rehearse a new drummer would take weeks - by which time the tour schedule is over

even if you put aside the personal feelings of kicking a band member when they're down in order to bring on a substitute it just isn't practical - or very nice

there are greater rewards in life than cash y'know

I'm surprised that no-one has yet said

... it's all gone a bit Matt Tong.

*abandon reply*

no

You cynical jerk! They're a band, not a bunch of money grabbing mercenaries!

no

You cynical jerk! They're a band, not a bunch of mercenaries!

quitting the tour

was mostly because of matt's lung but they also quit because they thought the guys in Panic! were arrogant and knew nothing about music.

Pete Tong RIP

It's all Pete Tong's fault.He should have never got involved in Matt's career...

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