Aerosmith Sticks To The Plan

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry says the band’s European dates will not be canceled in the wake of Monday’s deadly attack at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.

Perry said he initially thought the band should postpone the tour, but then decided that’s not what Aerosmith fans would want.

Jim Hill – Aerosmith
Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Mich.

“I don’t think I want to live like that or the band wants to live like that, and our fans don’t want to live like that. I think that when we play now it is one more strike against the other side, and it is almost like it has notched our show up another bit, it is like a celebration of freedom and we’re not going to stop,” Perry said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday.

Aerosmith will play Munich on Friday on its Aero-Vederci Baby! Tour. Steven Tyler said the attack that killed 22 people and injured dozens hit him as a father and a musician.

“The world is really moving fast. We have to try to do something about it and it is one thing to say, ‘We know what you did and you’re not going to phase us, and you’re not going to scare us,’ but yes it is scary and yes you did scare me. But we are going to try to do something to make sure it doesn’t happen the next time and that is what we have to start working on,” Tyler said.

Others have decided to cancel events. The London premieres of “The Mummy” and “Wonder Woman” were canceled, while Blondie and Take That canceled shows in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. Netflix also scrapped a few screenings.

Several European dates on Grande’s tour are suspended, including concerts that were scheduled for Thursday and Friday in London. The tour resumes on June 7 in Paris.