Pearl Jam Cancels Vienna Show Due to Eddie Vedder's 'Damaged' Throat: 'Horrible Timing'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Samir Hussein/WireImage Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is apologizing to fans in Vienna for canceling their show at the last minute.
On Wednesday, the legendary rock band announced they would be canceling their show scheduled for that evening due to "extreme circumstances," which left frontman Eddie Vedder's throat "damaged."
"To all those who were anticipating a great Pearl Jam show tonight in Vienna, we were too. However, due to the extreme circumstances at the last outdoor site outside of Paris (heat, dust, and smoke from the fires) our singer Ed Vedder's throat was left damaged," the band wrote on Instagram. "He has seen doctors and had treatment but as of yet, his vocal cords have not recovered."
"This is brutal news and horrible timing…for everyone involved. Those who work so hard to put on the shows as well as those who give their precious time and energies to attend."
The band then said they are "deeply sorry" and assured they exhausted every effort to play before canceling. "Ed wants to play. There's just no throat available at this time," they wrote.
Tickets for the show will be refunded.
Last month, the band brought a fan who lives with ALS on stage and sang a special rendition of "I Believe in Miracles" by The Ramones in his honor.
The fan, whose name is Roland Mandel, originally bought tickets in 2019 to see the Berlin, Germany date of the band's 2020 tour, which was canceled due to COVID-19. Amid the pandemic, however, Mandel was diagnosed with ALS and could no longer use his standard ticket for the eventually rescheduled show. By the time he tried purchasing a seat for handicapped audience members, they were sold out.
Later, with the help of his family, friends, the venue and a social media campaign, he was able to secure a seat.
"He should also experience this special night," Vedder, 57, said to the crowd, according to a video posted by the Live on 4 Legs Podcast's Twitter account. "He worked his ass off to be here tonight. We love you Roland."
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pearl Jam
Meanwhile, in May, drummer Matt Cameron tested positive for COVID-19 and an 18-year-old local drummer volunteered to step in his place at the Oakland Arena show.
"Everybody, this is Kai; Kai, this is everybody!" said Vedder as he introduced the high school student to the crowd from the clip the band posted on YouTube.
Kai Neukermans of Mill Valley plays for his band The Alive, consisting of his 14-year-old brother, who plays bass, and their friend Bastian Evans, 17, who helms the group's guitar and vocals.
RELATED VIDEO: Miley Cyrus, Pearl Jam, Madonna, BTS and More Cancel Concerts Amid Global Coronavirus Fears
When Vedder introduced the teenage drummer to the crowd, he mentioned having seen The Alive perform, telling the audience he was impressed by "how hard they can play."
"You're leading the band, brother," he said while handing off the responsibility to Neukermans in the video.
The band is currently on the European leg of the tour after wrapping up their North American shows in May. This tour was originally set to follow the release of their 2020 album Gigaton, but it was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, they announced they would finally be going on the road.
"Thank you, Pearl Jam fans, for your patience and flexibility as we have waited to reschedule the band's postponed 2020 North American tour," the band said in a statement. "For nearly two years, the band has wanted nothing more than to play their new music live for you. The whole Pearl Jam team shares your excitement for us all to be safely on the road again together."
