Catatonia have been forced to reschedule a promotional trip to the US after drummer ALED RICHARDS was rushed to hospital with suspected appendicitis.
The band were due to do TV and radio interviews in Los Angeles and New York at the beginning of April, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, to back up the release of the album ‘Equally Cursed And Blessed’in the US on March 28.
But their promo duties were cancelled and members flew back to Wales as soon as they heard that Aled had fallen ill – sparking a host of rumours that the band were about to split .
A spokesperson said: “It was a day and a half before they were due to leave to return home. Aled was about to leave Wales and fly to New York to join them for interviews, but was ill with suspected appendicitis. “Cerys was in LA and another two were in New York, and they got early flights home. Aled had to go to hospital to get checked out. I don’t know how long he was kept in for, but he is okay now.”
The news will have come as a blow to the band, whose record company WEA want them to make a big push on the States this year. They played showcase gigs in New York and LA earlier in the year.
The spokesperson said they were currently writing and demoing new songs in the UK and would start recording a new album soon. But she said they would return to America before the summer, adding, “I would definitely think they will want to go back out there sooner rather than later.”