Forming in 1999, Kings of Leon’s success transcended genre markers with hits like “Use Somebody” and “Sex on Fire.” Following their ninth studio album, last year’s Can We Please Have Fun, the Mount Juliet, Tennessee-based alt-rockers prepared to hit the road. Unfortunately, a string of shows in Europe and the United Kingdom will not happen this summer as frontman Caleb Followill recovers from a “freak accident.”
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In a video posted to Instagram Wednesday (May 28), Followill, 43, informed fans that he recently underwent emergency surgery after shattering his heel while playing with his two children.
“It’s pretty gnarly and I’ll spare all the details… I’m on the mend, but they told me that I can’t be on my feet, or travelling, or anything for the next eight weeks or so,” he said.
Follohill’s injury has forced the band to cancel all shows in the UK and Europe scheduled for June and July. The scrapped gigs include a headlining set at July’s Lytham Festival in Lancashire, England, along with a June 29 gig at Blackweir Fields in Cardiff, Wales.
Kings of Leon Had New Material in Store
Last May, Kings of Leon released Can We Please Have Fun, their first studio album in three years. Followill and his bandmates were looking forward to playing their latest music live for a European audience, as well as premiering some brand-new material.
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Calling the canceled shows “a big bummer,” Followill said, “We were so excited… We’ve been in the studio, recording a bunch of new songs. We were going to debut a few of them on this run, had a lot of exciting things planned. And now we’re just going to have to pivot and find a new way to continue the work that we’ve started.”
According to NME, the band will still play other scheduled shows this summer, including Southsea’s Victorious Festival and Newcastle’s Come Together Festival.
While Kings of Leon has not announced whether it plans to reschedule the affected dates, Followhill promised fans that “Exciting stuff is coming.”
“I know this isn’t the message that anyone wants to hear, and it’s certainly not the message that I want to be sending,” he said. “But it’s gonna be all right. Everything’s gonna be good, and hopefully we’ll see y’all soon.”
Featured image by Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage
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