New Order will be without Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert “for the foreseeable future”.
The True Faith hitmakers have confirmed the drummer and the keyboardist will be sitting out of the group’s upcoming concerts “due to personal health reasons”, but didn’t share any further details.
A statement posted on their social media accounts read: “New Order are very happy to be playing Primavera in Chile in November marking the band’s first performance there in seven years.
“Due to personal health reasons, Stephen and Gillian won’t be touring for the foreseeable future and will not be joining for this show. Bernard, Phil and Tom are really sorry that Stephen and Gillian can’t join us this time, but unfortunately the circumstances make it impossible.”
The news came after former bassist Peter Hook – who left the group in 2007 – recently claimed Bernard Sumner would be touring solo under the New Order moniker.
He told the Rock Daydream Nation show on YouTube: “Barney is touring in New Order on his own this year, because Stephen and Gillian have left, that’s what I’ve heard.
“So now Barney is New Order. Which is quite interesting. He’s actually booked a gig in Chile that he will be playing as the only member of New Order, which is quite rich.”
In recent years, the touring line-up of the band – who were formed after the death of their Joy Division bandmate Ian Curtis in 1980 – has seen Bernard, Stephen and Gillian perform with guitarist Phil Cunningham and bassist Tom Chapman.
Meanwhile, Peter recently insisted he won’t be standing with his former bandmates when New Order and Joy Division are inducted nto the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this years.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: “No. No. Not after what they did to me and my family, no.
“I won’t stand with them. No. I couldn’t give a s*** [how it would work]. I’m not bothered. You’ve got to have morals.
“There’s a lot of bad blood under that very big bridge.”
But he joked reunited Oasis bandmates and brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher could help bring them back together.
He said: “Maybe Liam and Noel could be the intermediaries that you’re looking for. They might be like, ‘OK, you two. Let’s shake hands and get up there and play Transmission, Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Blue Monday.’”