Saxon have canceled what remained of their European “Seize the Day World Tour” dates because vocalist Biff Byford caught COVID-19 on the road, the English heavy metal band said in a statement on Friday. They plan to reschedule the shows to a later date.
The three Saxon shows that remained, scheduled for March 17–19, were in Dresden (March 17) and Ulm (March 19), Germany, and Linz, Austria (March 18). Saxon’s latest, another covers collection called More Inspirations, comes out on March 24.
See Saxon’s statement below.
READ MORE: Saxon Guitarist Paul Quinn Will Stop Touring With the Band After Four Decades
“We are very sorry, but due to Biff Byford catching Covid whilst on tour, the remaining European dates in Dresden, Linz and Ulm are cancelled and we are looking to reschedule them as soon as possible,” Saxon said.
They added they were “sorry for all the inconvenience this causes but is way beyond anyone’s control.”
Last week, it emerged that Paul Quinn, Saxon’s guitarist and one of their two remaining co-founders alongside Byford, was stepping away from touring with the band.
Quinn and Byford had played together in a group called Coast before forming Saxon, which was first named Son of a Bitch. They changed their name to Saxon in 1978. Quinn will continue to record with the group and may make the occasional live appearance.
We at Loudwire wish Byford all the best in his recovery.
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