Pearl Jam postpone North American tour due to Covid-19 fears

Rock band Pearl Jam have postponed their North American tour due to the Covid-19 virus.

In a series of tweets, the Seattle-based group took aim at Donald Trump’s handling of the outbreak and said it was with “deep frustration and regret” that they were pushing back the Gigaton 2020 tour.

The first date was set for March 18 in Toronto, with 13 other cities scheduled across Canada and the US.

They will all be rescheduled.

Pearl Jam’s website lists the European leg of the tour, beginning in Germany in June, as still going ahead.

“As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate,” the band’s statement said.

“Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.

“So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives.

“Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy.”

Pearl Jam said the level of risk to fans is “simply too high for our comfort level”, adding that travel has to be avoided.

And criticising the US government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, the band added: “It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work.

“Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.”

Current tickets will be honoured for the new dates, the band tweeted, while Ticketmaster will be in touch with fans “shortly”.

Pearl Jam, led by vocalist and guitarist Eddie Vedder, were formed in Seattle in 1990.