V2002 BOSSES ‘VERY HOPEFUL’ TRAVIS WILL APPEAR

Drummer Neil Primrose appears to be making good progress from his injuries after a swimming pool accident...

Organisers of the V2002 festivals are “very hopeful” TRAVIS will be able to appear – despite the injury to drummer NEIL PRIMROSE.

Travis are the co-headliners of this year’s V2002, which is due to take place at Weston Park, Stafford and Hylands Park, Chelmsford, over the weekend of August 17-18. However, the group have pulled a series of European festival dates due to the injury to the drummer.

Primrose is set to have an operation to discover how badly he is injured after he struck his head and was knocked unconscious diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool while touring in France.

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He was taken by ambulance to the local hospital in Belfort to receive treatment and to undergo tests. A statement issued yesterday said that “early indications suggest that Neil has sustained a fracture on one of his vertebrae and is still in hospital in France undergoing further tests.”

Festival organiser Bob Angus has issued a statement to NME.COM, wishing Primrose a “speedy and full” recovery, and reassuring fans that Travis still could play.

He said: “We are sure that we speak along with the V festival and Travis fans when we wish Neil a very speedy and full recovery. We are very hopeful they will remain on the V line-up and will be keeping everybody updated as and when we know.”

The band’s management have issued a second statement, which reveals Primrose will “undergo an operation on Thursday morning (July 11) to help repair the injury to his vertebrae”.

The statement continues: “Medical staff advise that Neil shall hopefully be discharged from hospital this weekend and the doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery but it is unclear at this stage how long this will take.

“Neil’s wife has arrived at the hospital today to be with him, while fellow band members Andy Dunlop, Dougie Payne and Fran Healy are being kept regularly informed of his progress.

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The other members of Travis added: “We hope that everyone will join us in wishing our friend and bandmate a full and quick recovery. We’re all thinking of him. Thanks to all our fans and friends for all the support you have shown and we also want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the crew whose actions were so crucial on the night.

“Neil would also like to thank all the fans for all their good wishes. He would particularly like to express his gratitude to all the doctors and nurses in the hospital who are making his stay as comfortable as possible.”

Elsewhere, the band’s manager Ian McAndrew reportedly told Glasgow’s Radio Clyde that Primrose is making “a good recovery” and arrangements to bring him home could be made “in the next few days”.

He added: “I think anything that involves a head injury in water is obviously a serious matter, fortunately for Neil his friends and colleagues were on hand to give him assistance and one of our crew is medically qualified. He was able to assist Neil directly and immediately and help take him to hospital.”

“His recovery is going pretty well, he’s looking a bit chipper today, he’s got a little bit of pain but he’s on his way to making a recovery.”

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