MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD, POISON and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS have officially postponed their "The Stadium Tour" to the summer of 2021.
Earlier today, the four bands issued the following joint statement: "We wanted to continue to communicate with our fans and update you with valid information as it becomes available. The official decision has been made to move all 2020 North American Stadium Tour dates into the summer of 2021. The new stadium dates are being rescheduled, your tickets will be honored for all postponed shows and refund policy information will be made available shortly. Stay tuned, be safe and we will see you next year."
"The Stadium Tour" was scheduled to kick off in less than three weeks — on June 18 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida — and run through September 5 in Los Angeles. The bands reportedly also booked time at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville to rehearse for the tour.
When it happens, "The Stadium Tour" will mark the CRÜE's first live dates since wrapping its 2014/2015 farewell tour. CRÜE toured with POISON back in 2011 and DEF LEPPARD teamed up with POISON for a string of road dates in 2017 — but the upcoming jaunt marks the first time all four acts have hit the road together for an extended tour.
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of concerts and festivals have either been postponed or canceled, as social distancing and self-quarantining make performing live music and attending live shows all but impossible.
Last month, Joan Jett said during a SiriusXM virtual town hall that she "would not feel comfortable" playing stadium shows during the coronavirus pandemic. "I wouldn't feel comfortable putting the band or my crew in that position," she said. "I don't really have that right to mess with their lives like that.
"I'm not saying it's an easy decision," she explained. "I know people are struggling all over the country with what to do and how to do it.
"Of course I wanna play. As soon as we can do it, let's figure out a way to do it. I've heard there's some ideas with drive-in, like a drive-in movie, where you can still see live music and you're in your car. That's a step, and that's a step I'd enjoy taking. But it's still not people together. And that's gonna take a while.
"When people feel safe to be together, I would hope that we'll all feel the same way," she added. "I can't make decisions for other people as well. If things are safe, I would be into it. But, obviously, that means testing and all that stuff. And I have had my tests. But you've gotta keep doing it."
POISON singer Bret Michaels concurred, telling Arizona Republic that he will be ready to play the shows when he gets the green light from the authorities. "The health is number one," he said. "The health of the fans. The band's crew. The people working at the venues. The first responders. That comes first. And if the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] says it's a go? I will be there, ready to rock. [And if not], then it's not over. It's just postponed. Those dates have almost all completely sold out. We added a second night at Fenway. I think Jacksonville went quick. Milwaukee was the quickest sellout they ever had. It was like 43 minutes."
More than 6.2 million coronavirus cases have been reported worldwide and more than 372,000 deaths so far, putting public health systems and emergency services under immense pressure.
U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Americans to heed what federal, state and local officials are asking of them in order to curtail the spread and dampen the impact of the virus on the population.
