In order to let singer/guitarist James Hetfield continue his recovery, Metallica canceled planned headline sets at the Sonic Temple, May 15th and 17th in Columbus, Ohio, and Louder Than Life on September 18th and 20th in Louisville, Kentucky music festivals on Monday, February 24th.
The band released a statement from Hetfield about the cancellations, which he said were part of his effort to stay on the path of sobriety.
“As part of my continuing effort to get and stay healthy, I have critical recovery events on those weekends that cannot be moved,” Hetfield wrote in a statement. “I apologize to all of our fans who have bought tickets for these festivals. We are working with the festival promoters to provide for refunds or exchanges. My intent with this statement is saying ‘I apologize’ to each one of you. The reality is that I have not prioritized my health in the past year of touring and I now know that my mental health comes first. That might sound like a no-brainer for most of you but I didn’t want to let the Metallica team/family down and, I alone, completely compromised myself.”
Hetfield also noted that his therapy is going well and that it was “absolutely necessary for me to look after my mental, physical and spiritual health.” He stressed that the band is committed to performing the rest of their announced 2020 shows, which at press time included a sold-out show at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, on April 15, as well as other South American gigs in Argentina and Brazil, followed by planned shows in Charlottle, North Carolina, May 1st and 3rd, the Welcome to Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 8th and 10th, as well as the All Within My Hands benefit show for their charity at The Masonic in San Francisco September 12th, a September 26th appearance at the Global Citizen Festival and October 9th and 11th shows in Sacramento.
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