Dead & Company have cancelled their Playing In The Sand festival.
After drummer Bill Kreutzmann was forced to sit out the planned gigs in Mexico’s Riviera Cancún on doctor’s orders relating to a heart condition, days later, John Mayer had to do the same after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The event was due to kick off on Friday (07.01.22) to January 10, and again, from January 13 until January 16.
And now, the supergroup have decided to pull the plug at the last minute, due to “spiking COVID-19 cases”.
The band insisted they “tried everything possible” to make the show go on, but it was ultimately decided that they could not continue as they felt they would be putting their fans and crew at risk of contracting the virus.
A statement issued to their social media pages read: “With much sadness and after great consideration of every possible scenario, the Playing in the Sand shows in Riviera Cancun on January 7-10 and January 13-16 have now been canceled by CID Presents due to the spiking COVID-19 cases.
“Dead & Company and CID Presents tried everything possible to bring normalcy and to deliver a great experience and amazing music, but with each day it became increasingly clear that canceling is the correct thing to do for the fans and for our crew.
“Please refer to the Playing in the Sand email that will be sent shortly with all details about refunds. See you soon, hug your loved ones, stay safe and be kind. (sic)”
In a previous statement regarding John, Dead & Company wrote: “Today, just prior to leaving for Mexico, per his physician, @JohnMayer tested positive for COVID-19 and will be unable to perform at the upcoming ‘Playing in the Sand’ event in Riviera Cancun January 7-10.”
The supergroup – also comprising Bill’s fellow surviving Grateful Dead band members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, plus Jeff Chimenti and Oteil Burbridge – had announced ex-Primus drummer Jay Lane, would step in for the sticksman.
Making light of the situation, Bill had joked on Twitter: “After a lifetime of playing special beats, it’s almost no wonder that my heart came up with its own idea of rhythm.”
The 75-year-old musician vowed to return to the stage and insisted he has “a lot of music left in me” yet.
He continued in the statement: “All jokes aside, my doctor has ordered me to take it easy (and stay safe) through the end of January so that I can continue to drum and play for you for many tours to come. I have a lot of music left in me and there’s no stopping me from playing it.
“I’ve never been one to obey orders or play by the rules, but in the interest of longevity, I hope you’ll understand.”