Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie has announced that frontman Chrigel Glanzmann will not be able to join the upcoming North American tour due to a family emergency. The band made the announcement just hours before their first show on the tour.
In a statement released on their social media channels, Eluveitie expressed their regret over Glanzmann’s absence, but reassured fans that the show will go on. Fabienne Erni, who joined the band in 2017 as a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, will take the lead in Glanzmann’s absence.
The band also announced that they will be joined by two guest performers, Adrienne Cowan from Seven Spires and Jukka Pelkonen from Omnium Gatherum, who will take over Glanzmann’s part. Eluveitie expressed their gratitude to the metal community for coming together to support them in their time of need.
Glanzmann, who founded Eluveitie in 2002, expressed his disappointment over not being able to join the tour in a heartfelt message to fans. “Sometimes life has its ways to put your feet back on the ground for sure, sometimes even your fucking face,” he wrote. “We all have been waiting for this North American tour so badly. And now this. I can hardly believe this is happening.”
He went on to explain that the decision to stay at home was made at the last minute, but the band felt that cancelling the tour was not an option. “We couldn’t do this to you, our loyal fans, nor to the two amazing bands supporting this tour,” he wrote. “As much as it feels hard to see things positively in this case, this is still an amazing example of how much the worldwide metal community is a fucking family, standing together like no one else.”
Eluveitie’s North American tour, which features support from Omnium Gatherum and Seven Spires, kicked off on March 2nd in Baltimore, MD. The band will be playing a total of 24 shows across the US and Canada, with stops in New York, Montreal, Toronto, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, and other major cities.
Fans have expressed their disappointment over Glanzmann’s absence, but have also shown their support for the band and their decision to carry on with the tour. Many have taken to social media to express their excitement about seeing Erni and the guest performers take on Glanzmann’s role and deliver a unique Eluveitie experience.
Despite the setback, Eluveitie is determined to put on an unforgettable show for their fans. “While we will miss having Chrigel with us on this tour, we made sure to be able to put on an unforgettable show for our fans,” the band wrote in their statement. “We hope that you will join us in supporting Chrigel and his family during this difficult time, and we look forward to seeing you at our shows.”
