OCTOBER 23, 2003
Metallica regrettably announced today that they are canceling their South American tour, which was set to begin on October 25th. All shows have been cancelled, and no dates have been rescheduled at this time.
The band cited physical injury and mental exhaustion as the reason for the cancellations. Stated Metallica's James Hetfield, "Between reconnecting recording, and touring St. Anger, we've been going non-stop for the last eighteen months, and, simply put, we are fried... both in body and in mind."
In particular, drummer Lars Ulrich, is being treated for a recurring rotator cuff injury, dating back to their 1991-93 "Black Album" tour, and has been advised to continue to rest his shoulder in order to avoid any further aggravation to the injury.
Said Lars Ulrich of the cancellation, "Nothing, and I mean NOTHING disappoints us more than not being able to follow through on our commitments. It's been too long since we last toured South America, and I hope that our friends there will understand that for Metallica to cancel these shows, there has to be a pretty heavy reason. In order for us to play "the Metallica way", we have to be at our absolute best. If not, we are not giving our fans what they expect from us... and what we demand from ourselves."
Bassist Robert Trujillo added, "We sincerely apologize to the fans, the promoters, and everyone involved in bringing Metallica down to South America, and truly hope to play for you all in the near future."
Guitarist Kirk Hammett summed up the band's feelings this way: "This is the first time in our twenty-two year history that Metallica have cancelled a tour, and we are beyond disappointed. Our decision was not an easy one, but it became obvious to all four of us that if we don't take care of ourselves now, we'll be no good to anyone in the future."
Metallica will now begin their "Madly In Anger With You World Tour" in Tokyo, Japan on November 6.