British alternative rock group Bloc Party have cancelled the remaining 19 dates of their current North America tour in light of a serious injury to drummer Matt Tong. Tong was admitted into an Atlanta hospital last Thursday (Nov. 8) with a collapsed lung.
According to a statement issued today (Nov. 14) from Bloc Party’s publicists, doctors have advised Tong not to travel or play again for another few weeks to allow his lung time to heal.
The nixed dates, opening for Panic! At The Disco, run from Nov. 16 at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum through to the Dec. 9 show at San Diego’s ipayOne Center.
In the statement, frontman Kele Okereke said, “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.”
The band is expected to go ahead with a 20-date U.K. tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, beginning Jan. 27 at the Southampton Guildhall, in England. The tour will support the release of the band’s sophomore set, “A Weekend in the City,” due Feb. 5 in the U.K. and Europe through Wichita Recordings, and the following day in the United States via Vice/Atlantic.
