Jeff Beck has canceled the second leg of his European tour.
Beck, who turned 70 on June 24, has been instructed by doctors to stop performing for six weeks. He also will "undertake a short hospital procedure."
We are unsure of the nature of Beck's condition, a condition that recently was the result of "emergency medical attention." We hope to update this story when we have more information.
The announcement was made earlier today, June 26, via a news item posted on Beck's official website, jeffbeckofficial.com. You can read the complete post below:
"It is with the greatest regret that Jeff Beck has been forced to cancel the forthcoming European dates of his worldwide tour, set to begin in Austria on June 27.
"Following many months of international touring and after seeking emergency medical attention, Jeff will now undertake a short hospital procedure, and his doctors have instructed a complete break from performance for a total of six weeks. Following the treatment, Jeff will fulfill his U.S. tour commitments beginning in Missoula, Montana, on August 8.
"He sends his profound apologies to those fans who had bought tickets for the European concerts and very much looks forward to playing for his American audiences after he has completed his treatment."
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UPDATE: 3 p.m.
Guitar Player magazine's Jennifer Bergeron found this May 5 report at contactmusic.com that might shed some light on Beck's condition.
Apparently, Beck experienced discomfort during his tour with Brian Wilson last year and had an endoscopy (an internal examination done with a camera at the end of a flexible tube) on an undisclosed body part or organ while in Chicago.
At the time, Beck gave the following statement to the U.K.'s Mojo magazine: "What I didn't realize was that the tour bosses wanted me to spend the whole afternoon doing promo to prop up ticket sales. So we did this meet-and-greet stuff where audiences pay good money to watch rehearsals, which robbed me of my afternoon nap. I ended up in Chicago University Hospital having an endoscopy. They still had me playing the next night. It was a bit blood and guts, but I had fallen in love with the idea of playing with Brian Wilson."
In Other Jeff Beck News
In February, Beck announced that his next studio album, which is still expected to be released later this year, will be a "very important" release. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he discussed the timing of — and process of creating — his upcoming release.
“I think I’ve drawn attention. I’ve worked, worked, worked for the last three years. Now is the time really. My [70th] birthday is coming up, if you get me. I thought it was time for a really good studio album I had control over and time to do properly instead of a budget problem. Even though I do have budget problems!”"
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
