McCulloch Ditches Japan Show Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Ian McCulloch, the lead singer of Echo And The Bunnymen, was in Japan for a solo acoustic tour involving two Tokyo dates at fairly small clubs. 

Vinyl Japan –

The shows sold out quickly. The April 13 concert went off without any problems, but the next night’s performance never happened, because McCulloch bolted.

According to a message posted on the Facebook page of the promoter, Vinyl Japan, the show had to be canceled because McCulloch and his manager suddenly decided to leave Japan due to worries that war might break out on the Korean peninsula after the U.S. warned North Korea it might take action if Pyongyang went ahead with an expected nuclear test or missile launch.

The message implied that the promoter didn’t know McCulloch was leaving Japan until he was already gone, as it stated that the singer left “without permission.”

So far, McCulloch is the only known foreign artist to take off due to such fears.

During the same tense week there were also Japan concert tours by Coldplay (who performed two nights in Seoul, as well) and Mary J. Blige, which both went ahead without issue. Pollstar‘s efforts to reach McCulloch’s booking agent were unsusccessful at press time.