In December, Five Finger Death Punch had to cancel a show and guitarist Jason Hook had to eventually leave the tour to have gallbladder surgery. With the band back on the road in Europe with Megadeth, it seems Hook may have come back on the road too soon.
Today, the band announced Hook is leaving the tour to continue recovering from the surgery. The band have announced Andy James, a solo artist prominent on Youtube, as Hook's replacement.
Here is the statement from the band:
“Hamburg Knuckleheads,
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, our brother Jason Hook will not be able to perform tonight. He needs additional time for his recovery and must step back from the current tour in order to have the opportunity to do so. We discussed this as a band and Jason’s well-being is our priority – health comes first.
“It was Jason’s express wish that we continue the tour so with Jason’s blessing we have invited our friend Andy James who has agreed to step in and finish the tour for Jason.
“We are grateful for Andy stepping up and will continue to deliver the great show the fans deserve every night.
“We’ve been having an incredible run with our friends in Megadeth and Bad Wolves so far, and the vibe of the tour has been amazing. We look forward to seeing all the German fans next and appreciate all of you joining us in wishing Jason a speedy recovery.
James posted his own message, excited about the gig:
“As some of you may have heard I have been asked by @5fdp to come and fill in for Jason Hook as he heads home to better health as they finish their European tour. I’ll do my best to help maintain the high level of show these guys smash out every night and do the material justice not just from a professional standpoint but also being a huge fan of the band! I’d like to thank @ivanmoody @zoltanbathory @5fdpchriskael @charlieengen and their amazing crew for making me feel very welcome as we complete the rest of the European shows for all you knuckleheads out there that wanna come and throw down. AJ
James will be on the rest of the band's European tour. It's probably safe to assume fans could expect Hook back with the band for the US dates in the spring.
With Megadeth and Bad Wolves:
Feb. 06 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Festhalle [Tickets]
Feb. 08 – Oberhausen, Germany @ Koenig-Pilsener Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 09 – Stuttgart, Germany @ Schleyerhalle [Tickets]
Feb. 10 – Munich, Germany @ Olympiahalle [Tickets]
Feb. 12 – Warsaw, Poland @ Torwar [Tickets]
Feb. 14 – Prague, Czech Republic @ Tipsport Arena [Tickets]
Feb. 16 – Milan, Italy @ Alcatrazz [Tickets]
Feb. 17 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Hallenstadion [Tickets]
Feb. 19 – Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle [Tickets]
Feb. 20 – Budapest, Hungary @ Budapest Sportarena [Tickets]
With Papa Roach, I Prevail and Ice Nine Kills:
4/8 – Sunrise, FL // BB&T Center [Tickets]
4/10 – Duluth, GA // Infinite Energy Center [Tickets]
4/11 – Pelham, AL // Oak Mountain Amphitheater [Tickets]
4/13 – San Antonio, TX // AT&T Center [Tickets]
4/14 – Ft. Worth, TX // Dickies Arena [Tickets]
4/16 – Houston, TX // Toyota Center [Tickets]
4/18 – Phoenix, AZ // Talking Stick Resort Arena [Tickets]
4/19 – San Diego, CA // Viejas Arena [Tickets]
4/21 – Los Angeles, CA // The Forum [Tickets]
4/23 – Tacoma, WA // Tacoma Dome [Tickets]
4/25 – Portland, OR // Veteran Memorial Coliseum [Tickets]
4/27 – Morrison, CO // Red Rocks Amphitheatre [Tickets]
4/29 – Kansas City, MO // Sprint Center [Tickets]
5/3 – Baltimore, MD // Royal Farms Arena [Tickets]
5/5 – Worcester, MA // DCU Cente [Tickets]
5/6 – Newark, NJ // Prudential Center [Tickets]
5/8 – Cincinnati, OH // Heritage Bank Center [Tickets]
5/12 – Detroit, MI // Little Caesars Arena [Tickets]
5/14 – Pittsburgh, PA // PPG Paints Center [Tickets]
5/15 – Camden, NJ // BB&T Pavilion [Tickets]
5/17 – Nashville, TN // Bridgestone Arena [Tickets]
5/19 – Rosemont, IL // Allstate Arena [Tickets]
5/20 – St. Paul, MN // Xcel Energy Center [Tickets]
[via MetalSucks]
