Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes cancel January 2022 London shows
The punk rockers have cancelled the shows due to "ongoing" uncertainty around Covid
By Joe Goggins
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes have become the latest band to axe tour dates over the spiralling COVID-19 cases in the UK.
The punk outfit had a pair of London dates in the diary for next month, headlining O2 Academy Brixton on January 21 and 22. However, in a statement shared on their Instagram page today (December 21), they’ve called off the gigs, and will not reschedule. Refunds are available from the point of purchase.
The statement read: “Due to the current escalating Covid situation we have had to make the difficult decision to cancel our Brixton shows in January next year. Unfortunately it just doesn’t feel right to tour whilst there is so much ongoing uncertainty at this time.”
The group went on to apologise for the cancellations, concluding the note with “see you in 2022”. The Hemel Hampstead rockers completed an eight-date UK run last month in support of their fourth album, ‘Sticky’, which was released in October. They played to crowds in Nottingham, Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Manchester.
Recent weeks have seen a slew of tour cancellations as the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 has sent case numbers in the UK sky-rocketing, with the likes of Jessie Ware, Coldplay, The Charlatans, Paul Weller and Supergrass all pulling shows. Last week, the Music Venue Trust called for “decisive and immediate action” from the government to help stave off grassroots closures. Omicron concerns have apparently driven a considerable uptick in no-shows at gigs from ticket-holders, according to a report in The Observer.
However, today’s announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, of a £1 billion support package for hospitality businesses in response to the Omicron threat was slammed by nightlife bosses. Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said: “Businesses are failing, people are losing their livelihoods and the industry is crippled. Mixed messaging, coupled with additional restrictions, has had a catastrophic impact on our sector over the last two weeks.”
“At this critical point, we need strong leadership and a clear pathway from Government with a long-term strategy for new Covid variants,” he continued. “The open/close strategy is crucifying businesses. Every pound of help is much needed. But this package is far too little and borders on the insulting.”