THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Ian Gillan, 81, went to hospital mid tour in Germany with an undisclosed medical problem, and less than a week after Deep Purple shelved their European and UK run he posted that he is on the other side of it †, ‡. "I had a procedure yesterday which was successful," he wrote, adding that rest comes before any return to work †, ‡. No rescheduled dates exist yet, and the band has not said what the procedure was ‡.
THE DETAILS
- Gillan reported the problem while Deep Purple were touring Germany, and two shows were scrapped before the rest went †.
- Fifteen postponed dates across Germany, the Netherlands, France and the UK, from 3 November in Dortmund through 25 November at London's Royal Albert Hall ‡.
- The postponement came on the advice of his medical team and management †.
- Tickets already bought stay valid for rescheduled dates, whenever those land †.
- December shows in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico are still on the books †, ‡.
- Gillan's statement went out on his own social media, not a label or promoter ‡.
WHY IT MATTERS
COMEBACK: an 81 year old singer coming through a procedure and talking about getting fit enough to work again is the best news Purple fans could get this month. What stands out is that Gillan called it himself, admitting he hoped to finish the tour but the risks were too serious †.