METALLICA // Postpone October Australian Tour

Metal legends Metallica have announced they must postpone their upcoming Australian and New Zealand leg of the Worldwired tour.

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Organisers Live Nation are working to reschedule the dates, which included special guests Slipknot. A message from the band states that guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield has re-entered rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.

A message titled “A note from Lars, Kirk, and Rob,” reads:

We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.

As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again.

We fully intend to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit. We’ll let you know as soon as we can. 

Once again, we are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows. We appreciate your understanding and support for James and, as always, thank you for being a part of our Metallica family.”

According to Live Nation, refunds will be available for all tickets, including the Enhanced Experiences and Black Tickets. The promoter urges ticketholders to wait at least seven days for processing.

Founding member Hetfield first entered rehab in July 2001 for alcohol and other addictions, which postponed the recording of studio album St. Anger. Following his release in December 2001, Hetfield told MTV “recovery is the most difficult and challenging thing I’ve ever attempted (along with parenting), [It’s] also the most grounding and gratifying gift I’ve ever received (along with parenting).”

There is no information regarding the performance of Slipknot at this time.