Punk Rock Vocalist Collapses on Stage: What to Know About Wattie Buchan's Condition
The Exploited vocalist Wattie Buchan is recovering after he collapsed on stage. Buchan was performing with his Scottish punk rock band at the La Estrella Roja Calle 66 in Bogota, Colombia on Saturday, Dec. 10 when he suddenly collapsed on stage mid-performance from a suspected heart attack, leaving the crowd in shock as the singer was rushed to the hospital. The band has since canceled the remainder of their tour as Buchan recovers.
Video of the performance showed the band performing the song "Army Life" when Buchan appeared to begin feeling unwell. The vocalist could be seen clutching his chest and bending down before collapsing on stage in front of a crowd number of 900 people. Assistance was immediately called for the 65-year-old, who previously suffered a heart attack on stage in Lisbon, Portugal in 2014, and Buchan was rushed to the hospital. A spokesman for The Exploited later confirmed in a statement with STV News, "The last gig in Colombia, Wattie had another suspected heart attack. He tried playing on but had to actually stop a couple of songs until he eventually collapsed." The spokesperson added that Buchan was "taken away to hospital in an ambulance but over 900 people refused to leave the venue until he heard he was alright."
Buchan also addressed the situation on Instagram, where he shared two images of himself in an ambulance on the night of the incident. He informed fans, "during the end of the set I collapsed on stage in Bogota, COL and was rushed into hospital by ambulance." While Buchan said he is "feeling a bit better," he said he is "still really f-ed." According to Buchan, at the time of the post, he was "resting in a hotel in Bogota and We hope to be able to return safely home to the UK tomorrow."
In response to Buchan's medical emergency, The Exploited has canceled their remaining 2022 tour dates. Buchan's post went on to add, "Due to doctor´s orders all remaining shows for 2022 have been cancelled, including tonight's performance in Cali, COL." The vocalist and the band apologized "o the fans, promoters and everyone affected by this situation" and thanked them "for understanding." Despite the health crisis Buchan shared that the Saturday night gig "was f-ing amazing," praising the "great people thank you so much."
At this time, no further updates regarding Buchan's condition have been shared. In addition to the heart attack he suffered in 2014, Buchan in 2017 was hospitalized with a serious heart condition. The Exploited's shows in August 2018 and September 2019 also had to be canceled due to Buchan's health problems.