WASHINGTON — Upcoming tour dates for Australia and New Zealand have been canceled by the heavy metal band Metallica after their lead singer James Hetfield had to be admitted into an addiction treatment program.
Metallica band members Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo issued a statement on the band's Instagram account saying, "our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again."
The band members went on to tell fans that they promise to make up for the missed tour dates saying, "We fully intent to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit. We'll let you know as soon as we can."
The band's touring company Live Nation is labeling the disrupted tour dates in Australia "POSTPONED" on their website. Metallica was scheduled to play the first show of their Australian tour in Perth on October 17th. All 6 shows in 5 Australian cities now have the label "POSTPONED" with "Tickets Unavailable" on the Live Nation website. Live Nation says tickets to the shows will be refunded and alternative tour dates are being discussed, according to Reuters.
