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The Psychedelic Furs cancel spring and summer North American dates over a “serious medical issue”
The Psychedelic Furs have cancelled spring and summer North American shows after citing a serious medical issue in the band.
The Psychedelic Furs have called off their upcoming North American tours after citing a “serious medical issue” within the band, cutting short what had been shaping up as a busy run of spring and summer dates.
The London post-punk veterans had only recently announced an extensive summer trek across North America with Living Colour on the bill. Before that, they were set to play a separate string of US shows alongside We Are Scientists. Instead, on Friday, May 8, the band told fans that “due to a serious medical issue in the band, the tour dates scheduled for spring and summer are being cancelled.”
No further detail was offered about the nature of the issue. The message was brief and matter-of-fact: “Please accept our deepest apologies for the inconvenience. Refunds are available at point of purchase. More soon.”
At present, the only Psychedelic Furs date still listed is their appearance at Darker Waves Festival in California on November 14. Whether that survives the rest of the year’s uncertainty remains to be seen.
The cancellation lands in a strange moment for the band, whose presence has recently extended beyond the stage. Their signature song, “Pretty In Pink,” appeared in the opening episode, “The Crawl,” of Netflix’s fifth and final season of Stranger Things, folding one of their most recognizable tracks back into the pop-culture bloodstream.
That song has long been the group’s crossover anchor. In the UK, The Psychedelic Furs emerged as one of the defining post-punk and new wave acts of the early-to-mid 1980s, and “Pretty In Pink” later became the inspiration for the mood and title of John Hughes’ 1986 film of the same name. It was the kind of full-circle moment that pushed the band into a wider mainstream memory without ever really erasing their earlier identity.
Led by Richard Butler on vocals and Tim Butler on bass, the group were active from 1977 until their split in 1992, then reunited in 2000. Their first album in 29 years, Made Of Rain, arrived in 2020, marking a late-career return that looked, at least until now, like it might have another live chapter ahead.
The band’s recent history has also been shadowed by losses. Thommy Price, the drummer known for his work with Joan Jett and Billy Idol who also contributed to Psychedelic Furs records, died at 68 last October. Former producer Dave Jerden also died last year, at 75.
