(CelebrtiyAccess) — Metal icons Metallica have postponed their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand while frontman James Hetfield returns to rehab.
“As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again,” Metallica said in a statement on Friday night.
“We fully intend to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit. We’ll let you know as soon as we can. Once again, we are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows. We appreciate your understanding and support for James and, as always, thank you for being a part of our Metallica family,” the statement continued.
Metallica was set to launch their South Pacific excursion on Oct 11th at Optus Stadium, with five additional shows scheduled before the tour was to conclude on Oct 31st at Mt. Smart Stadium in Auckland.
At present, Metallica’s upcoming South American tour in April is still on the books.
