Pearl Jam Postpone ‘Gigaton’ Tour, KISS Cancel Meet & Greets Over Coronavirus Fears
Eddie Vedder’s team said, “We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority.”
Pearl Jam and KISS are the latest artist to change their touring plans in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Pearl Jam have decided to postpone their upcoming North American tour, which was due to get under way in Toronto on 18 March due to the worsening situation with coronavirus. The band said in a statement: “As residents of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed first-hand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.
“So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives. Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy.
“We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority. So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements: This scheduled first leg of our ‘Gigaton’ tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date.”
Pearl Jam add: “We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level. Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide.
“We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid. It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work. Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.”
Pearl Jam’s statement concludes: “Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of coronavirus and retain their sense of community and take care of one another. Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energised as ever. We are so sorry… And deeply upset. If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.”
In other coronavirus-related news, radio station KLAQ 95.5FM report that the scheduled meet and greet at last night’s KISS concert at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso was called off.
In an email sent to those who had purchased meet and greet packages, KISS manager Doc McGhee said: “Our meet and greets have always offered us and you our fans a unique opportunity to literally stand shoulder to shoulder together.”
Listen to the Best of Pearl Jam on Apple Music and Spotify.
UK English
