Photo by Travis Shinn
The Pixies have canceled or postponed a run of concerts in China and Japan that were set to begin this week as concerns continue to grow about the spread of the deadly coronavirus. The cancellation earlier this month of the band’s Chinese dates was linked publicly to the coronoavirus outbreak, though the more recent postponement of the Japanese concerts has not been.
Update: The Pixies’ publicist confirms to Slicing Up Eyeballs that the postponement of the Japanese dates also is due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The band had been slated to play three Japanese concerts beginning Monday night in Yokohama, followed by dates in Tokyo and Osaka. Then it was off to China, for concerts beginning Saturday in Shanghai, along with stops in Beijing and Kowloon. The band’s touring now resumes March 6 in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Pixies were reported to be among a number of western artists — including Stereolab and Craig David — canceling performances in China, where the coronavirus originated and has been most lethal. According to a report from Variety, almost all live music in China through February and March has been canceled.
According to the World Health Organization’s latest update, there are 78,811 confirmed cases of the flu-like virus globally, with 77,042 of those located in China. There have been 2,445 deaths in China, and 17 deaths elsewhere in the world. The coronavirus has been confirmed in 28 nations outside of China.
The announcement of the Japanese concert postponements linked from the Pixies’ website says the band’s tour of that nation “will be postponed due to the artist’s circumstances.”
See you next week, #Japan 🇯🇵
Last tickets available here: https://t.co/ovLOI7eu7N pic.twitter.com/aKKDnPS51F
— PIXIES (@PIXIES) February 18, 2020
Pixies’ Asia tour dates
Feb. 24: Yokohama Bay Hall, Yokohama, Japan
Feb. 25: Ex Theater Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan
Feb. 26: Big Cat, Osaka, Japan
Feb. 29: Modern Sky Lab SH, Shanghai, China
March 1: Tango Live House, Beijing, China
March 3: Rotunda 2, KITEC, Kowloon, China
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