Yahoo News The Black Keys issue statement as Co-op Live show cancelled day before
The Black Keys have issued a statement on social media after their gig at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester was cancelled just the day before.
The American rock band were due to play a show at the new £365m Eastlands venue tomorrow night (Saturday, April 27). The band's gig was meant to take place in 'the lower bowl' to around 10,000 fans - around half of the venue's full capacity of 23,500.
But bosses at Co-op Live announced today that the venue will not open as planned this weekend due to a number of issues. The Black Keys' show has been moved to Wednesday, May 15.
READ NEXT: Peter Kay's Co-op Live gigs cancelled AGAIN with The Black Keys concert also postponed
In a statement posted on X, the band said they had agreed to reschedule the date at the request of the venue. The statement said: "At Co-op Live's request, we have agreed to reschedule to 15 May.
"We look forward to hitting the stage when everything is up and running."
Tickets for the show remain valid for the new date and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend.
Two Peter Kay shows have also been cancelled and rescheduled, with the Bolton comedian stating that he 'could not be believe it'. He was due to officially open the entertainment venue last Tuesday (April 22).
He was also due to perform on Wednesday. But both shows were cancelled and rescheduled to next week as safety tests continued.
Today, it was announced that the shows next week - on April 29 and April 30 - will have to be cancelled again. They will now take place on May 23 and May 24.
Following the announcement of the cancellations, Manchester council and the emergency services in our region issued a joint statement showing 'support' for the decision. They revealed the exact issues that have led to the decision and the 'outstanding elements' that need to be sorted before a proper show.
These include a fully tested emergency services communication system, some remaining internal security systems and fire safety measures. Last week, the arena's test event had its capacity slashed from around 11,000 to 4,000 hours before it was due to start amid issues to do with power.
The M.E.N. revealed how Greater Manchester's emergency services had raised concerns prior to that decision. Yesterday evening, the the venue's boss dramatically quit amid a tumultuous week for the new venue.
In an official statement issued today, Co-op Live said: "Since making the difficult decision to postpone the live shows at Co-op Live due to take place this week, we have been undertaking an extensive protocol of testing critical procedures to ensure all areas are ready for fans. To ensure all areas are ready for fans.
"To ensure that we can run all show safety, regretfully we have now had to take the decision to reschedule the planned The Black Keys and Peter Kay shows.
"Both The Black Keys and Peter Kay have graciously agreed to reschedule their shows. The Black Keys will now perform on 15 May 2024, and Peter Kay will now perform on 23 and 24 May 2024.
"All tickets remain valid and ticket holders will be contacted by their point of purchase. Refunds will be available for those who can no longer attend. We deeply appreciate the impact this will have on excited fans, and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience that this change will undoubtedly cause.
"Rescheduling Peter Kay and The Black Keys will give us the extra time we need to continue testing enhanced emergency communications thoroughly. This is vital to satisfy the rigorous set of guidelines and protocols that are necessary for a venue of this size to ensure that our fans, artists and staff have the safest experience possible."
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