Florence Welch cancels gigs to undergo ‘life-saving’ surgery
The lead singer of Florence and the Machine has announced she's had to cancel gigs in Europe to undergo emergency surgery.
Florence Welch, 37, was set to appear at last week's Rock en Seine festival in Paris and Zurich Openair before she was forced to back out of the performances.
The cancellations came after Welch broke her foot during a performance at the O2 Arena in London in November, leading her to postpone a number of tour dates.
In a post on Instagram last night (27 August), the singer apologised for having to cancel the Paris and Zurich shows and indicated the November incident was not to blame.
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"I'm so sorry that I had to cancel the last couple of shows," she began.
"My feet are fine, I had to have emergency surgery for reasons I don't really feel strong enough to go into yet."
Welch said the procedure had 'saved [her] life', before promising she would be back to finish her Dance Fever tour in Lisbon and Malaga.
The upcoming gigs are scheduled to take place on 1 and 2 September, respectively, though Welch pointed out she would 'maybe not [be] jumping as much' .
"You can do that for me," she told fans.
Welch continued: "Suffice to say I wish the songs were less accurate in their predictions. But creativity is a way of coping, mythology is [a] way of making sense.
"And the dark fairytale of Dance Fever, with all its strange prophecies, will provide me with much needed strength and catharsis right now."
Welch's album Dance Fever was released last year before achieving the Number 1 spot in the official UK chart.
The singer has been met with a flood of support from fans in the wake of her announcement, with many sending their love and wishing Welch a speedy recovery.
"We’re just relieved that you’re OK — health first, always. Ready to send off the era in style as we dance ourselves to death!" one person commented on her Instagram post.
Another added: "No matter what you've been going through, we'll always be there to support you and try to give back all the love that you have showed us through all these years. we love you, Flo, and we all hope you feel better soon."
Welch revealed in November she had been 'dancing on a broken foot' after she injured herself, adding it was 'not in [her] nature to postpone a show', but that attempting to continue was 'not a good idea'.
“Please hang on to your tickets,” Welch said at the time. “We are working our hardest to reschedule these dates for next year and we will let you know as soon as possible."
The UK tour dates were later rescheduled for January and February 2023.
Topics: Music, Celebrity, UK News, World News
Emily Brown