KISS Cancel Australian Tour Dates Due to Paul Stanley Illness
Late Wednesday (Nov. 13), veteran rockers KISS announced the cancellation of the entire upcoming Australian leg of their "End of the Road" tour. It's the result of guitarist and co-lead vocalist Paul Stanley suffering complications from a recent bout of the flu, as Ultimate Classic Rock has reported.
The band shared a detailed statement explaining the situation, with Stanley expressing his regret at canceling the eight-date tour due to illness. The trek was set to kick off this Saturday (Nov. 16) at Perth, Australia's Entertainment Centre before ending later this month at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. Read the band's full message down toward the bottom of this post.
"Words cannot begin to convey our massive disappointment in having to cancel our End Of The Road tour of your incredible country," Stanley said. "Our connection to you is unparalleled and decades deep."
He continued, "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."
As revealed in the group's statement this week, doctors have advised Stanley to further rest due to a "bad case of influenza." It initially appeared that a few days of recuperation would suffice for the musician. However, upon further evaluation, that was unfortunately not the case.
It's not the first time that health issues have somewhat curtailed KISS' 2019 touring activities. Two months ago, KISS bassist and co-lead vocalist Gene Simmons underwent an urgent medical procedure that postponed the group's "End of the Road" show in Salt Lake City.
However, the band's Japanese dates for later this year appear to still be on the books. (See those below.) The band will pick things up again in the new year with more touring. KISS recently announced when the final "End of the Road" show will take place. Get KISS concert tickets here.
KISS "End of the Road" 2019 Tour Dates
Dec. 8 – Sendai, Japan @ Xebio Arena
Dec. 11 – Tokyo, Japan @ Tokyo Dome
Dec. 14 – Morioka, Japan @ Shi Ice Arena
Dec. 17 – Osaka, Japan @ Osaka Dome
Dec. 19 – Nagoya, Japan @ Aichiken Gymnasium
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