KISS fans down under received some disappointing news on Thursday as the band announced it is cancelling all of its Australia and New Zealand shows of its “End of the Road” farewell tour. Frontman Paul Stanley caught the flu and first became sick earlier this week. The band initially tried to move some dates around to give him time to recover, but now have been forced to cancel the whole leg of the tour.
“It was hoped the extra few days rest would allow Stanley the chance for a complete recovery so the tour could proceed as planned,” a statement released Thursday by promoters One World Entertainment and TEG Live reads. “However unfortunately this has not occurred. Stanley has an additional infection in his throat requiring complete vocal rest and medication for at least two weeks and possibly longer.
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“We are devastated with the cancelation of the Australian tour,” the statement continues. “We’ve been in constant contact with the band in the past few days hoping for a positive outcome. We know how much fans were looking forward to the tour. We send our best wishes to Paul for a speedy recovery.”
In total, nine shows were cancelled as a result of Stanley’s illness. He added a message of his own to the statement.
“Words cannot begin to convey our massive disappointment in having to cancel our End Of The Road tour of your incredible country. Our connection to you is unparalleled and decades deep.
“We waited as long as we could and held out hope to the last minute that my situation would clear up and we would be able to march forward. Doctor’s orders ultimately have taken precedence and finally we now find ourselves with no choice but to surrender. With heavy hearts, Kiss,” Stanley wrote.
This isn’t the first time show dates have been cancelled by the band during its farewell tour. On Sept. 13, KISS called off a Salt Lake City, Utah show so that Gene Simmons could fly back to California for surgery.
“Apologies to the fans in Salt Lake City. We will come back and do the show at a later date. The truth is, I have to fly to LA to do a medical procedure. Nothing serious. But it must be taken care of now. Thank you for your good wishes. All is well,” Simmons wrote at the time.
The band’s tour will pick back up on Dec. 3 in Japan.
