Pearl Jam was forced to cancel their concert in Vienna, Austria, scheduled for Wednesday night after the band’s frontman Eddie Vedder sustained throat damage from their previous show in France.
“Due to the extreme circumstances at the last outdoor site outside of Paris (heat, dust, and smoke from the fires) our singer Ed Vedder’s throat was left damaged,” Pearl Jam shared in a lengthy statement posted to its social media accounts. “He has seen doctors and had treatment but as of yet, his vocal cords have not recovered.”
“This is brutal news and horrible timing…for everyone involved,” Pearl Jam’s statement continued. “As a band, we are deeply sorry and have tried to find options to still play. And Ed wants to play. There’s just no throat available at this time… So very, very deeply sorry.”
“Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase,” the Instagram caption concluded. “Thank you for understanding.”
Fans in the comments expressed concerns about Vedder’s health and appeared understanding about the cancellation.
“Take care of those precious pipes please,” one person wrote.
“Okay, I have a solution… Have the audience sing and Ed Lip sync!!! Hoping Ed a speedy recovery,” one commenter joked.
“Feeling so sorry for the Vienna attendance but if Eddie can’t be there and give his all (as PJ always do), that must be a tough sore. Take care, Ed!” another wrote.
Per Reuters, wildfires raged in southwestern France and Spain over the weekend, forcing thousands of evacuations across the countries. A heatwave is being blamed for the uncontrollable inferno. The report stated that 25,000 acres were burning at the time.
In May, Pearl Jam was almost forced to cancel their Oakland, California, show when drummer Matt Cameron tested positive for COVID. But the band chose an unlikely stand-in when they allowed an 18-year-old high school student to step in and play the song “Mind Your Manners.”
Kai Neukermans skipped school to audition for the part and wound up playing for a crowd of 20,000 screaming fans, per Page Six.
“My heart started racing when everyone started screaming and my heart skipped a beat,” the teen said.