“Seek your doctor’s advice if you are in doubt or when it is timely and act as swiftly as you may in these matters. It may save your life.”
Elvis Costello has been forced to cancel the remaining six dates of his European tour on medical grounds.
The veteran musician’s doctor strongly advised Costello to take a break from his current schedule in order to rest following the discovery of “a small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery.”
In a statement on his official website, Costello revealed that his specialist called him six weeks ago and remarked that he should “start playing the Lotto” due to catching the tumour in time.
Having undergone a seemingly successful surgery, the 63-year-old was relieved that his European summer tour could go ahead.
However, as the tour progressed, he found himself struggling with “the demands on a travelling musician, playing 90-minute to two-hour plus performances on a nightly basis.”
Costello admits to being “almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed” but finally came to the realisation that it will take longer to get back to full strength.
As a result, planned dates in England, Croatia, Austria, Norway and Sweden have been cancelled with immediate effect.
Costello’s full statement on his official website reads:
“Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, “You should start
playing the Lotto”, he begins.
“He had rarely, if ever, seen such a small but very
aggressive cancerous malignancy that could be defeated by a single surgery.
“I was elated and relieved that our European summer tour could go ahead.
“Post-surgical guidelines for such surgery, recommend three weeks to four
weeks recovery depending on whether you are returning to a desk job or
an occupation that involves physical work or travel.
“It was impossible to judge how this advisory would line up with the
demands on a traveling musician, playing 90-minute to 2-hour plus performances
on a nightly basis but by the time we reached the Edinburgh Playhouse, I was
almost fooled into thinking that normal service had been resumed.
“I have to thank our friends attending last night’s show in Amsterdam and
those in Antwerp, Glynde and at Newcastle City Hall for bearing me up.
The spirit has been more than willing but I have to now accept that it is
going to take longer than I would have wished for me to recover my full strength.
Therefore, I must reluctantly cancel all the remaining engagements of this tour.
“My apologies go to our ticket holders in Manchester, Pula, Graz, Vienna,
Tysnes and Rattvik but I would rather disappoint our friends there by
not appearing than in pressing on with a show that is compromised and
eventually puts my health at risk.
“My deep thanks go to Pete Thomas, Steve Nieve and Davey Faragher of The
Imposters for all their deep friendship, love and support during this
upsetting time. Thanks also to Kitten Kuroi and Briana Lee whose beautiful voices
have spurred me on to do the singing that I’ve managed, whatever the cost.
“It goes without saying that there are many others who have worked to get us
to the stage and from town to town to whom I am also deeply grateful.
“To leave you with some more optimistic news, The Imposters and I –
together with several of our other friends – have made a magnificent new
record of which we are truly proud. It will be issued in October, I
believe.
“We will return at the soonest opportunity to play that music
and your favourite songs that still make sense to us all.
“Take very good care of your loved ones but Gentleman, do talk to you
friends – you’ll find you are not alone – seek your doctor’s advice if
you are in doubt or when it is timely and act as swiftly as you may in
these matters.
“It may save your life. Believe me, it is better than playing roulette.
“Yours through music. Elvis Costello”
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