The Jezabels have announced the cancellation of their world tour until further notice, due to the health of keyboardist Heather Shannon. The band have stated they do not wish to tour without the full band.
“Three years ago Heather was diagnosed with a unique type of ovarian cancer,” the band write. “Although she has been able to maintain life as usual generally, between treatments, the time has come for her to undergo further immediate treatment which will require her to stay in Sydney.”
“We were very excited to be hitting the road again in support of our third album, SYNTHIA, but sadly due to a sudden turn of events Heather’s condition requires attention now so touring in the proposed time frame is no longer possible.”
In her own statement, Shannon said cancelling the tour was a “sad decision”, writing, “Up until now, I have preferred to not let this diagnosis get in the way of getting on with life.”
“I feel a deep frustration at this new roadblock, as I now have to take a step back and undergo treatment. The band means so much to me, and cancelling the tour has been a very sad decision.”
“I am hopeful that in the near future we will be back on the road again playing music we love. This album means so much to us, and we were so looking forward to sharing it live with everyone.”
“Having said that, I feel very lucky to be in the care of the public health system here in Australia. I have met many inspiring people and I am receiving the best treatment possible.”
“There is a lot of research going into ovarian cancer at the moment, and a big push for awareness.” Fans wishing to make a donation to help awareness or research can visit Ovarian Cancer Australia or the Australian New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group.
Ticket refunds are available from point of purchase – for more information, head to the Frontier Touring website. SYNTHIA in stores 12th February worldwide.
