The Vines have been forced to cancel tour dates in Australia and Japan because of lead singer Craig Nicholls's deteriorating mental condition.
Nicholls suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and is not well enough to tour. His illness has caused problems with the band before, leading their management to claim that they would cease touring after the release of their second album 'Winning Days'.
However, they began playing live again in 2006, up until the recent release of their fourth record 'Melodia'.
The band released this statement yesterday: "It is with a great deal of regret that The Vines today announced that they have cancelled all of their Australian festival appearances - Homebake, Pyramid Rock and Big Day Out - and their forthcoming Japanese tour scheduled for late November. Craig Nicholls' mental condition has deteriorated extremely rapidly over the past month to the point where he requires immediate help over an extended period of time.
"We are all absolutely devastated that we've been forced to cancel all upcoming shows as there's nothing we love more than playing on stage before an enthusiastic audience. We ask for your understanding in this situation."
