Alice in Chains Tour Cancelled: Drummer Sean Kinney’s Medical Emergency Forces Band to Pull Out
A medical emergency suffered by longtime drummer and co-founder Sean Kinney has forced iconic rock band Alice in Chains to cancel the opening night of their U.S. tour. According to a statement posted to their Instagram Story, Kinney experienced a non-life-threatening medical emergency following soundcheck at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Thursday.
The cancellation came as a shock to fans who had already begun arriving at the venue. “I literally pulled into the venue when fans told me,” one attendee shared online. The band was scheduled to take the stage just hours later, marking the start of a multi-city run across the U.S. In a statement, Alice in Chains wrote: “We unfortunately have to cancel tonight’s show. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.”
As reported by Metro.co.uk, the band has yet to confirm whether upcoming shows – scheduled for May 10 in New Jersey and May 11 in Ohio – will proceed as planned. The canceled performance was intended to kick off a summer tour that will culminate in a major appearance on July 5 at Black Sabbath’s final live show at Villa Park in Birmingham.
That historic event features a stacked lineup, including Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Gojira, Anthrax, Billy Corgan, Guns N’ Roses, KoRn, Tool, and members of Aerosmith and Soundgarden. As Metro.co.uk previously reported, Kinney’s condition is not thought to be life-threatening, but no further details have been released.
The band has a rich history, formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney. The lineup soon solidified with the addition of bassist Mike Starr (later replaced by Mike Inez) and iconic frontman Layne Staley. They were peers of bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, though their sound was darker and more metal-influenced than their grunge contemporaries.
Their 1990 debut Facelift, featuring the hit Man in the Box, put them on the map, and the 1992 follow-up Dirt became a defining album of the era, with songs like Rooster, Them Bones, and Would? tackling themes of addiction, war, and existential despair. After years of success, the band entered a long hiatus in the late ’90s due to Staley’s struggles with addiction. His death in 2002 marked a tragic chapter in the band’s history.
In 2006, Alice in Chains regrouped with new vocalist William DuVall, who shared lead duties with Cantrell. Today, Alice in Chains is celebrated as one of the most influential rock acts of the past four decades. Fans are now eagerly awaiting word on both Kinney’s recovery and the future of the remaining tour dates.
According to Metro.co.uk, Alice in Chains took to social media to announce the cancellation, posting: “After our soundcheck this evening at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Sean experienced a non-life-threatening medical emergency. We unfortunately have to cancel tonight’s show. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.”
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