Metallica has cancelled their forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand as frontman James Hetfield has gone back into rehab.
The metallers were meant to play shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland next month as part of their ongoing Worldwired tour.
Fellow band members Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo took to Twitter to announce the shows would be called off.
A Note from Lars, Kirk, and Rob
We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.
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— Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019
The full statement read: “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. We fully intend to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit.
“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.”
