The Blackout have announced that they will no longer be continuing their current ‘Final Party’ UK tour following vocalist Gavin Butler’s turn in health last night in Manchester. Butler was forced to leave the stage two songs before the end after, what has now been confirmed as a recurrence of a previous neurological issue.
The band have posted the following statement on their official Facebook page:
“Hey guys,
So some of you may already be aware of what’s happened with Gavin, others may not be. Long story short, at our show at Manchester Academy 2 last night (Oct 26th), Gavin suffered a recurrence of a neurological issue known as a hemiplegic migraine, which can affect motor skills, including speech and loss of sensation in certain limbs. As a result, he left the stage two songs from the end of the set.
Having consulted local medical advice, in addition to what Gavin was told in hospital when this issue had occurred earlier this year, it’s become clear that one of the key issues in helping Gav get better is rest.
Unfortunately, that has put us in a difficult position, and it’s with great regret that we have to announce we will not be performing any of the remaining dates on the “Final Party” tour at this time. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but we have to put the well being of the members of the band above all else, and we cannot perform to the standards we think you guys deserve without Gavin.
We will be working on a solution to this in the coming days, and will let you know the moment we know when we’ll be able to play again.
We are truly sorry guys, but we hope you understand. Your words of kindness have been humbling and very much appreciated. We will see you soon.
The Blackout.”
The band will no longer be playing their scheduled shows in London, Glasgow, Norwich, Nottingham, Newscastle, Belfast and Dublin. Ticket holders should keep their eyes on the band’s official pages for details on what happens next.
We would like to use this opportunity to wish Gavin all the best.