Three weeks after singer Tom Chaplin entered rehab, Keane have been forced to cancel their upcoming North American tour dates.
The tour, which had already been rescheduled, was seen to be an important one for the band, and was to have kicked off at New York's esteemed Carnegie Hall this Wednesday September 13.But Chaplin needs more time to recover from his drink and drug addictions, with bandmate Tim Rice-Oxley explaining, "Obviously it's crucial that Tom is given the time to get better properly. With the first dates in America only a fortnight away, his doctors feel there is undue pressure on Tom to rush through rehab and get back out on the road.
"That's why, between the three of us, we've decided to cancel the North American tour. We'd like to apologise to the fans who've bought tickets, but we've done this in the best interests of our friend - which, ultimately, is in the best interests of the band too.
"At this stage we plan to go ahead with the tours of the UK and Europe in October and November. We'll be keeping in close touch with Tom and his doctors about how he's progressing and we'll keep you posted."
It remains unclear when Keane will return to North America, though their October UK and Europe dates are at this stage going ahead as planned, kicking off 17 October in Hull.
