Simon Gallup of The Cure has missed another of the band’s concerts, pulling out of their Austin City Limits performance due to “another serious personal situation”.
Over the weekend, the good folks in Austin, Texas were treated to the second weekend of 2019’s Austin City Limits festival. However, while folks were working out whether they wanted to see Childish Gambino or The Cure on Saturday night, fans of the latter were met with a notable absence onstage.
Taking to social media, the group revealed that longtime bassist Simon Gallup being forced to return home to the UK at late notice.
“Another serious personal situation affecting our bassist Simon arose yesterday, and as a consequence he had to return to the UK,” the statement explained, before thanking Gallup’s son Eden for filling in on bass duties.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that such an incident had occurred, with Gallup being forced to miss The Cure’s performance at Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival in July due to what was also labelled a “serious personal situation”. In this instance, bass duties were again handled by Eden Gallup.
The group ended their statement by thanking “everyone at the second weekend of the Austin City Limits festival for their understanding and support – we hope you all enjoyed the show tonight as much as we did.”
“ANOTHER SERIOUS PERSONAL SITUATION AFFECTING OUR BASSIST SIMON AROSE YESTERDAY, AND AS A CONSEQUENCE HE HAD TO RETURN TO THE UK – WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK EDEN GALLUP FOR FILLING IN ON BASS AGAIN AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE, pic.twitter.com/fZn1VAdooG
— The Cure (@thecure) October 13, 2019
AND EVERYONE AT THE SECOND WEEKEND OF THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT – WE HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THE SHOW TONIGHT AS MUCH AS WE DID… LOVE AS EVER – THE CURE X” pic.twitter.com/VJ1lJoBVE9
— The Cure (@thecure) October 13, 2019
At this stage, no details have been revealed as to why Simon Gallup has been absent from these shows, though we wish him all the best.
In related news, Robert Smith recently revealed that The Cure have a handful of new albums in the works, with the first – their first new album since 2008’s 4:13 Dream – on track for release within the next few months.
“Actually I have prepared three albums, two of them more advanced,” Smith explained. “The first will be the one that we will release very soon.
“I think that the first single, or the whole album, will come out this Christmas, or a little earlier. It has the title of Live From The Moon and it will surely change its name.”
Whatever the case, longtime fans of The Cure are undoubtedly looking forward to finally hearing some fresh tunes from the goth-rock icons.
Check out ‘Fascination Street’ by The Cure:
