The Used have been forced to pull out of their scheduled shows after frontman Bert McCracken revealed he would be seeking treatment for his mental health after facing facing “new and overwhelming challenges”.

The band were set to perform at the Slam Dunk festival in two locations in the UK this weekend – at Temple Newsam in Leeds on Saturday and at Hatfield Park in Hatfield on Sunday – with the singer saying he was “so sorry” to fans who were eager to watch The Used perform.

In a heartfelt post to the group’s social media accounts, McCracken revealed he had been struggling with his mental health and needed to step back from his performing commitments to “focus on professional treatment and self-care”.

“I have always been open about my struggle with mental health and have recently found myself facing new and overwhelming challenges,” McCracken explained.

“For this reason, I won’t be able to play the upcoming shows at Slam Dunk. I am so sorry but needed to make this decision to focus on professional treatment and self-care. Performing live for The Used fans is one of my greatest joys, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. We have the best fans in the world, thank you for your undying support.

With Love, Robbie and The Used.”

McCracken has had a well-documented battle with mental health and addiction over the years, with the emo icon detailing the moment he hit rock bottom amid his alcohol addiction to Kerrang! in 2018.

“The last month of me drinking was just hospital after hospital after hospital,” he candidly revealed.

“I was about to lose everything, that’s the truth of it. So it didn’t happen honestly. My wife was going to leave me, my band didn’t want me around, and so I begrudgingly agreed to go to rehab, thinking that I could live a lie for the rest of my life, like [Seinfeld character] George Costanza – maybe hide alcohol, hide vodka in water bottles.

“I’d made it through about two weeks of rehab, trying to sneak around, and it’s such an effort when you’re in that dire situation. I don’t know if people know the effort that you put into serious addiction. At that point, hearing so many people talk around me – because I was doing the meetings at the time – in that environment when you’re hearing stories that are way worse than your own… All these stories feel like they’re being told specifically for your existence. So that was it.”

We hope Bert gets well soon.

For more, check out the Emo Observer.

Check out Bert McCracken discussing his sobriety:

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