Anthrax Cancel European Dates
Written by Monty Sewell on April 20, 2023
“Due To A Series of Logistical And Scheduling Issues We Won’t Be Able To Make It To Europe This Summer”
Was the message European Anthrax fans got given after a series of similar cancellations last year. Slovenia’s Metal Days and Germany’s Wacken released their own statements alongside a number of European festival appearances which are now looking for replacements. Last year, following on from their UK 40th anniversary tour the band called off 20 shows, with bassist Frank Bello explaining their reasoning to TotalRock radio: “When I saw the numbers, they were literally triple what they originally started at. We would be coming home at such a loss. You don’t mind a little bit of a loss just to play to the fans, but such a loss — we would have been really bad off for a while. So it didn’t make sense.” Whilst spiralling costs is a common and worryingly uncertain feat for any touring band, Anthrax has stated this year it’s due to a “series of logistical and scheduling issues, we won’t be able to make it to Europe this summer for the festivals we were set to perform at. We’re really disappointed about this, and want you to know that a solid – and overdue – European tour is a priority for us. Lots of exciting things are in the pipeline, so stay tuned.”
Anthrax Live
In their 5th decade as heavy metal pioneers it seems highly unlikely we won’t see Anthrax across this side of the pond again. Since 2021 when the pandemic pulled the plug on their initial intended global anniversary tour the band has been plagued with travel restrictions and complications. Despite being one of the biggest heavy metal bands in the world Anthrax have once again shined a light upon the growing unrealistic financial and logistical expectations faced by bands when on the road. 25% cuts by venues of merchandise and the steady decline in freedom between borders sees more and more musicians squeezed out of pocket until they barely break even. Whilst we wait to see Anthrax back in the head banging grace of our European stages it’s anyones guess as to when.
