All is good in the Slayer camp. The band is ready to resume active duty.
With vocalist/bassist Tom Araya now on the right track to recovery, Slayer have announced their rescheduled UK tour dates. The dates will kick off on May 26th at the 02 Academy in Leeds, with the band playing seven headline shows, ending with two in London. All tickets for the original shows are valid, and The Haunted will remain as main support on all dates.The original dates had to be put on hold due to Araya's ongoing treatment for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Originally, Araya opted for a series of minimally-invasive procedures, and while they resulted in some improvement, they didn't entirely remedy the severe pain, numbness or muscle spasms that Araya continued to experience. Consequently, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate.
"I think that his just making the decision to have the surgery has helped improve the way he feels," said long-time Slayer manager Rick Sales. "While no one wants to go under the knife, his doctors are very confident about this procedure taking care of the problem once and for all."
The new UK schedule is as follows:
Wednesday May 26th - Leeds O2 Academy
Thursday May 27th - Glasgow Barrowlands
Saturday May 29th - Birmingham O2 Academy
Sunday May 30th - Manchester Academy
Monday May 31st - Nottingham Rock City
Wednesday June 2nd - London HMV Forum
Thursday June 3rd - London HMV Forum
Music-News.com
