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Pearl Jam Postpone North American Tour Due To Coronavirus

Coronavirus fears have forced Pearl Jam to postpone the North American leg of their Gigaton tour

Pearl Jam Postpone North American Tour Due To Coronavirus

Pearl Jam have been forced to postpone the upcoming North American leg of their Gigaton tour due to fears surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement was made last night on Instagram in a message from frontman Eddie Vedder.

"As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand 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," says Eddie.

"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 PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date."

He goes on to explain that despite working hard with management and associates to find an alternative solution, the level of risk to the audience is "simply too high for our comfort level".

Read the full message below.

There has been no word on potential postponement of Pearl Jam's European tour, which kicks off in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 23, and includes a huge headline show in London's Hyde Park on July 10.

Pearl Jam's upcoming album Gigaton will be released on March 27 via Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records.

“Making this record was a long journey,” says guitarist Mike McCready. “It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption.

"Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times."

View this post on Instagram

As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand 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 PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date. 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. 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 this 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 energized 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. - Ed & Pearl Jam

A post shared by Pearl Jam (@pearljam) on

Following the postponement of the North American tour in March and April, here are all the shows Pearl Jamp have lined up. Get your UK tickets here.

Pearl Jam tour 2020

June

23 Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
25 Berlin Waldbuhne, Germany
27 Stockholm Lollapalooza Festival, Sweden
29 Copenhagen Royal Arena, Denmark

July

02 Werchter Rock Werchter Festival, Belgium
05 Imola Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Italy
07 Vienna Wiener Stadhalle, Austria
10 London American Express presents BST Hyde Park, UK
13 Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland
15 Budapest Budapest Arena, Hungary
17 Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
19 Paris Lollapalooza Festival, France
22 Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands

Check out more:

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