Johnny Marr Cancels Remainder of U.S. Tour Dates Due to Family Illness

Johnny Marr rarely misses shows — as evidenced earlier this year when he played a round of gigs with a broken hand — but one of his close family members has been stricken with an illness, so Marr regretfully informed fans that he would be canceling 10 forthcoming shows.

"I'm really disappointed to not be able to play the shows," he said in a Facebook post. "The touring has been so enjoyable for me and the band and the audiences have been great everywhere. If it was about just me being unwell I would've found a way to continue as I did when I broke my hand earlier in the year, but to not be there for one of my family is not right. Thank you to everyone for the kind messages. See you soon. Johnny. x"

The page notes that tickets can be refunded at the point of purchase and Marr will work to reschedule.

Here are the unlucky cities and venues:

12/08: Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
12/10: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
12/11: Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall
12/12: Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
12/14: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
12/15: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
12/16: Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse
12/18: Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up
12/19: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
12/20: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey

Marr's been touring in support of his recent release, Playland, which produced the single and music video "Dynamo."

He also got political earlier this fall and called for more artists to rise up against the British government.

"We're so lucky to be able to live in a democracy, and I'm not sure how long that's going to last," he said. "I think the digital age is going to make things more confusing. I think it's going to take control out of the hands of people who live ordinary lives. That's happening very, very fast. Propaganda, misinformation — everything is going to be about people who've got vast amounts of money."

So what is to be done about it?

"Traditionally, it's always been the job of the artist to flag these things up and stand in opposition to oppressive forces, even just to ask questions," he said.

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