Music legends Metallica have announced that their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand will not go ahead, as lead singer James Hetfield enters treatment for substance abuse.
The news was confirmed this morning in a joint statement on the band’s official site, from Hetfield’s fellow band members Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo. They wrote:
As most of you probably know, 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 statement continued:
We fully intend 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. Once again, we are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows. We appreciate your understanding and support for James and, as always, thank you for being a part of our Metallica family.
Promoters Live Nation are working with Metallica to secure new tour dates, and will make an announcement as soon as possible.
The band have confirmed that “all tickets purchased to the shows in Australia and New Zealand, including Enhanced Experiences and Black Tickets, will be fully refunded.”
Details on refunds are available via their site.
