Morrissey Cancels Valencia Concert Due to Lack of Sleep
Morrissey cancelled a concert in Spain, citing insufficient sleep caused by disruptive noise at his hotel. The singer attributed his absence to the "indescribable hell" of a noisy hotel room in Valencia.
A post on the Morrissey Central website detailed the disturbance: "Any form of sleep or rest throughout the night was impossible due to festival noise / loud techno singing / megaphone announcements." The experience reportedly left Morrissey in a "catatonic state."
In a personal message to fans, the former Smiths frontman stated:
"It will take me one year to recover. And that is an understatement."
Approximately 1,500 fans were expected to attend the show at Valencia's Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia.
The Associated Press noted that the noise outside Morrissey's hotel room may have been related to celebrations for Valencia's Las Fallas festival, which marks the arrival of spring.
Morrissey is currently touring in support of his album Make-Up Is A Lie. While his European tour has mostly proceeded smoothly, he cancelled five of eight planned US dates earlier this year, attributing those cancellations to illness.
At that time, he wrote:
"I apologise deeply but it is -44 degrees outside, and EVERYONE is hacking themselves to death, and I am, regrettably, human. I am doing my small and pathetic best."
While cancelling a show due to tiredness is a novel excuse, it is not the most unusual in rock history. Below are some notable examples.
1) Neil Young's Ham Sandwich Incident
In 1997, Neil Young had to cancel an entire European tour after accidentally slicing off the top of his finger while preparing a ham sandwich.
He commented:
"I'd have eaten the thing in one piece if I'd known that cutting it in half would jeopardize the tour. It's macaroni and cheese from now on."
Young was advised to avoid playing guitar while his finger healed, leading to the cancellation of 16 dates, including a performance at the Glastonbury Festival.
2) Lionel Richie Contracts Norovirus from Alex Jones
In 2012, Lionel Richie contracted norovirus after an interaction with presenter Alex Jones on The One Show. Jones later explained to The Sun:
"I'm not ill very often but I remember the norovirus was rife at the time and I started to feel very dodgy. I had a day off but then I probably went back into work a day too early so I was still infectious.
After Lionel and I had just finished our chat on the show, I went to give him a kiss on the cheek and he went in for the lips. He caught the norovirus off me and had to cancel two of his tour dates.
I did feel a bit guilty but, essentially, don't be so forward Lionel! If he'd gone for the cheek, he would have been fine."
3) Mötley Crüe's Snow Roof Excuse
In January 1988, Mötley Crüe cancelled their UK arena dates, citing hazardous snow accumulation on venue roofs as the reason. However, former press officer Stuart Bailie later revealed this was a cover-up for bassist Nikki Sixx's overdose on December 23.
Bailie wrote:
"I'm lying, of course. I have been briefed by the offices in New York and London to put out this fabrication. The truth is that Nikki Sixx, bass player with the Crüe... had died of an overdose on December 23."
Sixx was clinically dead for two minutes but was revived with adrenaline shots. He later wrote the song "Kickstart My Heart" about the experience.
4) Weezer's Frontman Undergoes Leg Lengthening Surgery
In 1995, Weezer cancelled several shows while frontman Rivers Cuomo underwent surgery to lengthen his left leg, which was 44mm shorter than his right. The procedure involved breaking the leg and gradually stretching it over 13 months.
This experience influenced the band's musical direction. Cuomo explained to Rolling Stone:
"The pain of the procedure made that project [a planned rock opera] feel too whimsical, so I scrapped the whole idea and went to a more serious and dark place."
The resulting album, Pinkerton, is often considered Weezer's best work.
5) Keith Richards' Fall from a Coconut Tree
The Rolling Stones postponed their 2006 European tour after guitarist Keith Richards fell approximately 15 feet from a coconut tree in Fiji, sustaining a head injury and a blood clot that required brain surgery.
Richards later downplayed the incident:
"If you saw the tree, you'd realise the joke."
The band's neurosurgeon even joined them on their subsequent world tour.
6) Liam Gallagher Misses US Tour Dates for House Hunting
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher missed the band's 1996 US tour dates shortly after withdrawing from an MTV Unplugged performance due to a sore throat. Noel Gallagher later revealed in a 2011 interview that the real reason was domestic:
"As I'm getting on the plane he's getting off because his wife called, saying: 'We need to buy a house.' What they were doing for the previous three months is anybody's guess. Probably picking gnats out of each other's hair like monkeys."
7) Justin Bieber Ends Concert Early Over Towel Incident
In 2015, Justin Bieber cut short a televised concert in Oslo after one song due to concerns about a wet spot on the stage. He attempted to mop it with a towel, but fans tried to grab the towel and him, leading to his decision to leave the stage.
Bieber later apologized on Instagram:
"I don't always handle things the right way but I'm human and I'm working on getting better at responding not reacting."
8) Drake's Ferry Schedule Confusion Postpones Manchester Show
Drake postponed a third show at Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena in July due to "unforeseen ferry schedule and travel logistics." Initially unclear, it was later revealed that the delay was caused by a miscalculation of the time needed to transport stage equipment from Manchester to Amsterdam.
9) Cold Chisel's Ian Moss Hospitalized After Cat Bite
Australian rock band Cold Chisel postponed a Melbourne show after guitarist Ian Moss was bitten by his family cat, leading to a severe infection that rendered him unable to play. Moss was hospitalized and placed on an intravenous drip.
He humorously stated:
"Sorry to be a pussy - look forward to making amends next week."
10) Kings of Leon End Show Early After Pigeon Incident
In 2010, Kings of Leon cut short a performance in St Louis, Missouri, after a flock of pigeons above the stage caused disruption. Drummer Nathan Followill explained that a bird defecated into bassist Jared Followill's mouth, making it "too unsanitary to continue."
He added on Twitter:
"Don't take it out on Jared, it's the venue's fault. You may enjoy being [defecated] on but we don't."
The Telegraph described the incident as "the most eloquent live review in history."
11) Iggy Azalea Cancels Tour Due to Creative Change
Rapper Iggy Azalea cancelled her 2015 US arena tour, citing boredom with performing the same songs and a desire to start fresh creatively. She stated:
"I've had a different creative change of heart. I want to start totally anew, and if I stayed on my tour, that would mean I wouldn't even be able to start working on that until after Christmas."
Despite this, it took her another four years to release new music.
12) Sheku Kanneh-Mason's Cello Denied Air Travel
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, known for performing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, had to cancel a 2024 concert in Canada after Air Canada refused to transport his £2 million cello. Although he had pre-booked a seat for the instrument, delays and cancellations led to the airline denying carriage.
Kanneh-Mason and his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason, issued a joint statement:
"After nine anxious hours at the airport, we realised our journey wasn't going to be possible. We can only dream of a time when all airlines have a standardised, global and carefully considered approach to the carriage of precious instruments that are booked to travel in the cabin."
