Florence + the Machine have been forced to postpone its tour after lead singer Florence Welch broke her foot.
Welch announced the news via her social media pages, writing: “I’m sorry to say that after an X-ray I was dancing on a broken foot last night. It is not in my nature to postpone a show, and certainly not a U.K. tour, but I’m in pain and as dancers know, dancing on an injury is not a good idea. And [I] have been told not to perform to avoid further damage.”
“Please hang on to your tickets,” Welch continued. “We are working our hardest to reschedule these dates for next year and we will let you know as soon as possible. I’m heartbroken as the ‘Dance Fever’ tour has been my favorite show we have ever put on. The communion with you. Your beautiful faces shining. I love you so much, and I’m so sorry to anyone who is disappointed. My heart is aching. I can’t wait to be back on my feet and back in your arms.”
Florence + the Machine is currently on the U.K. leg of their “Dance Fever” tour. The band played the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in London on Friday night and were due to play a second night at the venue this evening. There are seven more dates scheduled throughout the U.K. through the end of November.
Accompanying Welch’s statement was a photograph of blood spattered on a stage next to a microphone. Fan footage from the O2 gig last night suggests Welch, who was performing barefoot, injured herself on stage. “When @florencemachine gives so much she leaves her blood on the stage @o2,” tweeted one fan alongside a video of two roadies wiping down the stage floor.
“Florence ran around so much her feet started bleeding so she had to go backstage a few times to get it fixed, and as the crew was wiping the actual literal blood from the stage my brain kept insisting that they need to throw the paper towels to the crowd afterwards,” tweeted another.
The next stop on the tour is Bournemouth on Monday evening. There is no word yet from Welch’s camp whether that date will go ahead.
From Variety US