Legendary rocker Paul Stanley has come down with a nasty throat infection that requires vocal rest and unfortunately caused KISS to pull out of their farewell tour in the land Down Under. The announcement was made Wednesday evening via KISS' official Facebook page, informing fans there would be no "Detroit Rock City" coming to Australia.
"Promoters One World Entertainment and TEG Live today announced that the KISS Australian tour, due to commence next Tuesday, has been cancelled due to illness. KISS and both promoters are absolutely gutted by the news and sincerely apologize to fans.
Earlier this week it was announced that U.S doctors had advised Paul Stanley to rest due to a bad case of influenza, prompting the rescheduling of the tour’s first show in Perth to the end of the run and the cancellation of New Zealand."
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Hoping for a Recovery
Gene Simmons and the boys were hoping the rescheduling of the concerts would allow 67-year-old Stanley, who is the rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist in the band, to rest up.
"It was hoped the extra few days rest would allow Stanley the chance for a complete recovery so the tour could proceed as planned.
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."
The Starchild Speaks
Paul Stanley feels awful about not finishing up the "End of the Road Tour," which is slated to be the last world tour by the rock stars. He released a statement about the situation to fans.
"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."
Fans Are Bummed
Fans are obviously upset that KISS won't be rocking Australia, but they are sending well-wishes to Paul Stanley while he recovers.
One person wrote on Twitter, "Paul and KISS, REST UP and get better. Prayers going out to you Paul Stanley for better health SOON!"
Another fan commented, "Disappointing about [KISS] not making it to Australia next week. I caught up with [Paul Stanley] last year about the tour and how excited he was to perform here again."
One fan thought it was crazy for those criticizing KISS for cancelling while Stanley is ill:
"Wow people complaining about Kiss not coming to Australia. Paul Stanley was actually hospitalised because of being sick, so to expect him to travel this far is ridiculous especially for his age."
KISS' "End of the Road" tour began January 31, 2019 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada and is set to end on July 17, 2021, with a final show in New York City.
Refunds are being offered to those who already purchased tickets to the Australian leg of the tour. It's unclear if Stanley's illness will have an effect on any other aspect of the final run.
