Journey have postponed two dates of their “Final Frontier Tour”, citing “illness.”
The tour, which is set to be the long-running band’s last, kicked off in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in February. This week’s shows in Des Moines, Iowa, and Lincoln, Nebraska, were both cancelled, with rescheduled dates yet to be announced.
A social media statement from Des Moines venue Casey’s Center said the concert was being “postponed due to illness within the Journey band camp.”
It continued: “Fans are encouraged to hold on to their tickets as they will be honored for the rescheduled date. Ticket holders will be notified via email once a new date is announced.
“The band looks forward to returning to Des Moines to deliver an unforgettable performance for fans as part of their Final Frontier Tour.”
The announcement came after the band played down reports of tension within the group. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, singer Arnel Pineda claimed he had been prevented from leaving the band ahead of the tour.
“I said to them I wanted to retire because of my personal problems,” said Pineda. “No answer. Obviously, they don’t want to find another singer.”
This claim was denied by guitarist Neal Schon, who wrote on Facebook: “For clarity, no one was ever prevented by me from making their own personal decisions. At the same time, we were all advised by our representatives that there are contractual obligations tied to touring that need to be honored.”
Earlier this year, the band’s former frontman, Steve Perry, denied rumors he might rejoin the group.
Perry originally joined the band in 1977 and was their singer during their most successful era, performing on hits including 1981’s “Don't Stop Believin’.”
Ahead of the final tour, keyboardist Jonathan Cain said that Perry had been invited to join them and was “thinking about it.”
“I hope he comes out,” continued Cain. “It's never too late. We've got 100 shows, so he's welcome at any one of them. He didn't say no, leave it at that."
However, Perry wrote in a statement posted to X: “To all my friends - I’ve been hearing these recent rumors, and I wanted to speak to you all directly.
“While I’m always grateful for the love people still have for Journey, the rumors about me rejoining the band are simply not true, and I want to gently put them to rest.
“I completely understand why people would hope for that. The music we created together means a great deal to me too. But I’m continuing to explore new creative work and really enjoy working on new music that reflects where I am today.
“Thank you for your continued support throughout the years. Your loyalty has never gone unnoticed, and I am forever humbly grateful. Sincerely, Steve Perry.”
Journey’s “Final Frontier Tour” is expected to resume in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 12.
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