The band Pearl Jam has expressed their "extreme disappointment" after canceling some European show dates amid a heatwave and wildfires in various parts of the western portion of the continent and further east. The band says the cancellations have to happen after lead singer Eddie Vedder experienced throat damage citing the extreme heat and smoke from wildfires as the cause after an outdoor show.
The band had to announce the cancellation of their Vienna show on Wednesday, Rolling Stone reported, citing throat problems that stemmed from an outdoor show they performed in Paris. Then on Thursday, the band announced they would be canceling their Friday show in Prague, according to Czech Republic news outlet CNN Prima.
In a Wednesday statement reported on by the Guardian, the band confirmed that it was the "heat, dust and smoke from the fires" that caused Vedder's throat damage. Vedder has seen multiple doctors, including at least one in Prague, and the band reported that still, his vocal cords have not been able to recover.
Tickets to canceled shows will be refunded at the purchase point, the band confirmed.
"This is brutal news and horrible timing...for everyone involved. Those who work so hard to put on the shows as well as those who give their precious time and energies to attend," the band said in a statement.
As CNN reported, the band still has three shows left on the European portion of their tour, including a canceled Friday show in Prague along with two nights in Amsterdam. Pearl Jam will start the North American portion of their tour in September.
