Founding Blondie guitarist Chris Stein has announced that he’ll be sitting out the band’s next series of concerts because of an issue with his heart.
In a message posted on his Twitter and Instagram pages, Stein writes, “I’m sad and frustrated to report that I’m not going out with the next bunch of Blondie touring. I’ve been dealing with a dumba** condition called Atrial Fibrillation or AFib which is irregular heart beats and combined with the meds I take for it I’m too fatigued to deal.”
The 72-year-old musician adds, “I’m still all in with recording and other band projects and I should be out for [discussion events, etc.,] later on…That’s it, I’m fine, I’m around here and I love you all.”
Stein also reports that original Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock will be playing with Blondie on the band’s upcoming shows.
Meanwhile, in a separate Facebook post, Stein notes that the heart condition was the reason he was sitting down during Blondie’s most recent shows.
He adds, “My brain is doing great and I’ve been writing during [the COVID-19 pandemic],” while revealing that he has a book deal in place in the U.K. for a memoir, while things are pending in the U.S.
Blondie kicks off a 10-date U.K. tour on April 22 in Glasgow, Scotland. The trek runs through a May 7 concert in Birmingham, England, and ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr will open all dates. The band also has a handful of California performances lined up in May, including sets at the 1980s-themed Cruel World festival on May 14-15 in Pasadena.
Then, in August, Blondie will launch a 10-show U.S. trek dubbed the Against the Odds Tour, featuring U.K. punk veterans The Damned as the support act.
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