With New Order about halfway through a short North American tour, frontman Bernard Sumner today announced on the band’s website that he has suffered a fracture in one of his legs, and while he says he is in pain while performing on stage and “physically unable to give it my all,” the group is not canceling the remainder of its tour.
In the short statement — which can be seen below — Sumner does not reveal how he broke his leg, but he does ask for fans to be understanding of the limits on his performance.
New Order opened the tour July 19 in Austin, Texas, and has performed in Atlanta, Brooklyn and Philadelphia in the past week. Tonight the band is scheduled to play in Columbia, Md., and has a show in Boston this coming week before performing at the Lollapalooza and Osheaga festivals in, respectively, Chicago and Montreal.
Bernard’s Message to New Order’s North American Fans
I have just been diagnosed with a bone fracture in my leg. Don’t worry I’m not going to cancel the North American tour. I wouldn’t do that. It just means that when I go on stage I am in pain and physically unable to give it my all. It’s frustrating and makes performing very difficult but I’m doing the best that I can and ask for your understanding of the situation. As I was leaving a hotel one of the doormen said “Break a leg” apparently that’s just what I have done ouch! Thank you I hope y’all still enjoy the shows.
New Order North American tour dates:
July 28: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
July 31: Bank of America Pavilion, Boston, MA
Aug. 2: Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL
Aug. 4: Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Quebec
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Video: New Order plays ‘Love Vigilantes,’ ‘Regret’ on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’
- Electronic reunion: Bernard Sumner joins Johnny Marr to play ‘Getting Away With It’
- Video: New Order plays ‘Bizarre Love Triangle,’ ‘I’ll Stay With You’ on Kimmel
- New Order announces U.S. tour in July leading up to Lollapalooza appearance
Morrissey should pay attention.
Exactly what I was thinking!
New Order specified “No Penne Pasta” in their hospitality rider.
Morrissey would cancel for having a blister on his pinky toe.
Well Morrissey is a pussy you can’t compare!.
I just walked into the house after getting back from the Merriweather show. unFREAKINGbelievable. Blew my mind. I had zero idea he has a fracture. You wouldn’t know it. He even did his little spin-around-on-one-foot silly dance.
This was a show I won’t ever forget.
I never would have guessed–great show tonight.
Darn, sorry to hear, Rob. I was actually hoping the injury might dissuade him from “dancing.” It’s like watching one’s parent shake their groove thang. Brilliant band, even down one Hooky, loved them since middle school, but MAN ALIVE, I hope he wasn’t going out to the Northern Soul clubs like that.
It’s not New Order without Barney’s two healthy legs!!
Now that’s the punk roots/ attitude Barney!
i’ll be honest: Barney sounded great. probably the best since the ’05 tour. this was show #3 for me since last August and if him being in pain meant less hooting and hollering through “love will tear us apart” then it makes for a better performance.
and what’s with the bad luck? in 2001 he hurt his leg at show #1 of Area: One, then, with Bad Lieutenant, the visas canceled the first tour attempt and the volcano the second.