Only the last five dates on the lengthy tour were canceled but some media outlets made it sound like the end of the band was at hand. The affected concerts were to take place in Montreux and Zurich, Switzerland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Bergen, Norway; and Turku, Finland.

Maybe the night-owl band members just don’t like the almost endless summer days at northern latitudes.

A newspaper and television station in Finland reported that the band had split, but Velvet Revolver spokeswoman Kristine Ashton-Magnuson disputed those reports.

“The band has not broken up,” she said. “In fact, they’re coming back to the U.S. early to start the next record.”

She cited “family obligations” and album “pre-production work” as reasons for the plug being pulled early. She didn’t elaborate on the nature of the family matters or the band’s recording schedule.

The band, which features former members of Guns N’ Roses and the Stone Temple Pilots, launched its European tour on June 3 in Germany, and will perform shows through July 2, including an appearance at the Live 8 charity event in London.

The band has been dogged throughout the tour by talk of ego disputes between singer Scott Weiland and lead guitarist Slash, and rock critics have been running pools on how long Weiland could stay drug-free. (Way to be supportive, folks).

Ashton-Magnuson denied that Weiland was heading back to rehab. “Scott is not back on drugs,” she said.

Velvet Revolver’s August headlining dates and Ozzfest appearances remain on track.