With vocalist/bassist Tom Araya now on the right track to recovery, SLAYER announces the rescheduling of its UK concert trek. The dates will kick off May 26 at the 02 Academy in Leeds, with the band playing seven headline shows, ending with two in London. All tickets for the original shows are valid, and The Haunted will remain as main support on all dates.
The originally-scheduled dates had to be put on hold due to Araya’s ongoing treatment for what was diagnosed as a Cervical Radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Originally, Araya opted for a series of minimally-invasive procedures, and while they resulted in some improvement, they didn’t entirely remedy the severe pain, numbness or muscle spasms that Araya continued to experience. Consequently, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate.
“I think that his just making the decision to have the surgery has helped improve the way he feels,” said long-time Slayer manager Rick Sales. “While no one wants to go under the knife, his doctors are very confident about this procedure taking care of the problem once and for all.”
The new UK schedule is as follows:
MAY
26 02 Academy, Leeds
27 Barrowland, Glasgow
29 02 Academy, Birmingham
30 02 Academy, Manchester
31 Rock City, Nottingham
JUNE
2 HMV Forum, London
3 HMV Forum, London
Tickets are available at www.kililive.com , www.seetickets.com , and the usual outlets.