Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney has issued a statement on his recent medical emergency that forced the band to cancel their remaining 2025 tour and festival dates.
Kinney’s statement on the band’s social media reads: “The Good, The Bad & the WTF? Firstly, to everyone who came out to the Mohegan Sun show and was affected by the short-notice cancelation, and to everyone who had tickets to come see the band at one of the other shows, thanks for your understanding. It’s not lost on the band and myself that you spend money, make plans and alter your schedules to come and see us, and it’s deeply disappointing to have had this happen .. I was very much looking forward to getting back out there and playing with the band again, and it’s been a difficult but necessary decision to make. I don’t personally utilize social media and I’m not particularly fond of my health issues being made public, but I understand that people are concerned. When the doctors advised me against playing in the short-term, I quickly went through the 5 Stages of Grief:
1. Denial (I’m fine)
2. Anger (F— this, I’m still going to play)
3. Bargaining (What’s it gonna take for me to hear a better diagnosis?)
4. Depression (This sucks)
5. Acceptance (This sucks, but okay)
I finally concluded that medical doctors with many hard-earned degrees on their walls might know a bit more about health than a musician with some shiny spray-painted records on his wall. The outpouring of love, concern and well wishes has been both extremely humbling and very much appreciated … The good news is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live. … The bad news (for some of you?) is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live.”
The band had initially canceled their May 8 performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Ct. after they announced that the drummer sustained a “non-life threatening medical emergency” during their soundcheck. The following day, the rest of their shows and festival appearances scheduled for 2025 were also cancelled, with the band revealing that Kinney required immediate medical condition, but had a positive long-term prognosis.
As of press time, Alice In Chains’ website still says they will play Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s “Back to the Beginning” show in July.
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