The Arcade Fire announced on Saturday (24th March) that they have cancelled all remaining shows on their European tour, as frontman Win Butler requires surgery.

Posting on the Arcade Fire’s website, Butler said, “I have been suffering from a sinus and bronchial infection for the last 3 months, and last night in Stockholm I finally pushed my voice and body farther then they are able to go.

“I have had several doctors advise me to cancel shows weeks ago, and have been trying to push through, but for my own health and safety I need to have sinus surgery so I can get better and start the recovery process.”

He added that cancelling the shows was not something he wanted to do and had been a very difficult decision to make, but realised at the band’s show in Stockholm that it wasn’t working:

“I kept yelling at the monitor guy because I didn’t recognize the sound that was coming out the monitor as my own voice, and it took me until the second song to realize that the sound was coming from me. Today I can barely speaker or make any sound, so finishing the shows is no longer possible.”

Confirming the decision, Win’s brother and bandmate Will Butler said, “Oh boy oh boy was this the correct decision. That Win is sicker than a brick.”