U2 Postpones Tour Due to Emergency Back Surgery For Bono

U2 and Live Nation announced that due to the back surgery that Bono recently had to undergo, the band will postpone their entire 2010 North American tour till 2011. This will give sufficient time for the lead singer to recover.

The singer was actually in an intense course of therapy to be physically fit for the upcoming tour. Perhaps he overdid the training and might have hurt himself without even realizing it. During his regimen, Bono was finding it increasingly difficult to walk and by the time he saw the doctors there was a fair amount of damage already done. If he had not stopped in time, the singer could have caused some permanent damage and possible paralysis. An immediate emergency surgery was undertaken and Bono is now resting. The band is seeing to it that Bono does not rush back too quick from surgery. While the surgery itself has gone well, it is the quality of rest during the coming weeks that will determine the outcome.

Bono had suffered a severe compression of the sciatic nerve and the surgeon also found a ligament tear and herniated disc. This is not something that conventional pain relief treatment can help. Bono is set to undergo a rehabilitation program for the next few weeks. The band was “devastated” and Bono himself was “heart-broken” at this postponement. But some things cannot be avoided. Back surgery is not something that must be taken lightly; U2 fans wish Bono the best and await his speedy recovery.

Glastonbury Festival had been attempting to book U2 for many years. The band’s appearance was expected to be one of the main highlight of the event’s 40th anniversary. U2 had even written a new song for the occasion, so there is disappointment all around.

Dizzee Rascal and Coldplay were being considered, but Gorillaz have been announced as the replacement. Glastonbury festival has had to cope with headliners pulling out even in the past, so they will live.

As far as Live Nation is concerned, though the U2 dropout may seem like a huge hit, it is not as big as it appears. The postponement is not as material to Live Nation’s 2010 results because the strength of the 25 to 75 top shows is what matters, not just the top 10.

U2 and Live nation go way beyond promotion of tours. Two years ago a 12 year contract that covered merchandise as well as other promotions was also signed. Doomsayers predict a bleak future for the concert industry this year. But it is too soon to say anything, this is not the first time the industry has faced similar problems.

The cancellations and cessation of advance ticket sales for the concerts will not make much of a dent in the overall performance of Live Nation or the industry in general. A postponement of a couple of months, especially when you look at it from a long term deal is really not that significant. These dates will get slotted back very soon, after Bono’s recovery and this postponement and the publicity so generated will only serve to bring the crowds back in larger numbers. The tour could very well end up being one of the most successful tours in the history of the business precisely because of the postponement now.