Catfish and the Bottlemen have quietly cancelled the Australian and North American legs of their world tour. In a statement shared with fans Wednesday just hours before the British indie rock band was set to take the stage at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, it was announced that the show, as well as the remainder of the group’s concerts in Australia, was canceled due to an unspecified “band illness.”
“Catfish and the Bottlemen want to thank fans for their support. This weekend they were hoping to still be able to perform but on doctor orders they were forced to cancel their show in Dublin,” the message, sent from the tour’s ticketing partner Moshtix via email, read. “Due to band illness, the Australian dates this month will also no longer be going ahead. The band were really looking forward to these shows and sincerely apologise to everyone for any inconvenience and disappointment. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
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According to social media posts and online reports, US and Canadian ticketholders have also begun to receive similar notifications informing them that the group’s North American tour has also been canceled. Several US dates are still listed on Live Nation’s website, however direct links to specific dates takes guests to a page reading, “event canceled.”
The affected dates include shows in Melbourne, Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth that were scheduled throughout September. The North American leg of the tour was set to kick off in October and include shows in Austin, Los Angeles, Nashville, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and other cities.
The cancellation comes after the group canceled their heavily publicized show in Ireland on Aug. 31 just minutes before doors were set to open. The show, scheduled to take place at RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin, was set to mark Catfish and the Bottlemen’s first concert in the country in five years. However, in a statement just before guests were set to enter the venue, MCD Productions told concertgoers on X that “tonight’s Catfish and the Bottlemen show is cancelled due to artist illness.” Further information was not provided, and the band has not publicly commented on the cancellation.
Catfish and The Bottlemen formed in Llandudno, Conwy, Wales, in 2007, with their debut album, The Balcony, reaching No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart. They released two additional albums – 2016’s The Ride and 2019’s The Balance – before taking a hiatus in 2021. Drummer Bob Hall left the group that same year, with guitarist Johnny Bond announcing his departure in 2022. Lead singer Van McCann and bassist Benji Blakeway are the only members of the original group participating in the current tour.