Elvis Costello Cancels Tour Dates After Cancer Treatment

By Jem Aswad

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Elvis Costello cancelled the remaining six dates of his European tour on doctor’s recommendation following treatment for a “small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy,” the singer said in a note on his website.

However, Costello, 63, struck a reassuring tone in his characteristically verbose message to fans, apologizing for the cancelled shows but also announcing that he has completed a new album slated for October.

“Six weeks ago my specialist called me and said, ‘You should start playing the Lotto,’” he wrote. “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,” he continued. “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. … 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.”

“To leave you with some more optimistic news,” he concluded, “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.”

The cancelled dates are below:

July
Fri 6th         UK, Manchester, Castlefield Bowl
Sun 8th         CROATIA, Pula, Pula Arena
Mon 9th         AUSTRIA, Graz, Kasematten – Schlossberguhne
Weds 11th         AUSTRIA, Vienna, Konzerthaus
Sat 14th         NORWAY, Tysnes, Tysnesfest Gjesrstad Arena
Mon 16th         SWEDEN, Rattvik, Dalhalla