The Black Keys Cancel Australia, Japan

The band was to play a mix of 10 festivals, arenas and clubs in Australia and New Zealand April 2-19 through Love Police Touring. The act was then doing a two-night stay at the 2,400-capacity Studio Coast April 22-23.

The Turn Blue tour is expected to resume May 28 at Primavera Sound in Spain, followed by other festivals in the U.S. and Europe.

The Australian run was to include an April 3 headliner at Bluesfest in Byron Bay. Replacing The Black Keys are Alabama Shakes and Paolo Nutini. The festival had already lost Lenny Kravitz and Ben Howard in recent weeks during to scheduling conflicts.

A similar reason saw the Gipsy Kings cancel its first visit to New Zealand. The group was to play Wellington April 1 and Auckland April 2 for Bluesfest Touring.

The act will still play Australia, at its April 4 slot at Bluesfest Byron Bay and five club headliners until April 13.

Bluesfest acts doing New Zealand sideshows from this week include Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Beth Hart, Michael Franti & Spearhead, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, and David Gray.

Due to “exceptional demand” in Auckland for Jurassic 5’s April 10-11 stops at the Powerstation, Bluesfest Touring canceled the April 9 show in Christchurch so the band could play a third Auckland date that night. In addition, the Wellington show was moved to April 8, with a venue-change from the fully seated Opera House to the dance-friendly Shed 6.