Van Halen Tour Cancellation Due To Sickness, Not In-Fighting

When Van Halen announced plans to make a new record with original frontman David Lee Roth, it was widely assumed the project would wind up getting cut short. Everyone involved hasn’t been able to get along for the last three decades. Why would they start now? Earlier this week, the guys did, in fact, cancel their upcoming Japanese tour, but this time, it had nothing to do with personal animosity.

According to the band’s website, lead guitarist Eddie Van Halen was forced to undergo emergency surgery for Diverticulitis. He’s said to be recovering well, but it’ll take him between four and six months to rehab fully, making all of the Japanese dates impossible. For those who aren’t doctors or haven’t suffered from the ailment themselves, diverticulitis is a condition in which little pouches grow in the colon. Most older people have it in some form or another, but according to The Atlantic, particularly bad cases can block the bowels or rupture, requiring immediate surgery.

This is definitely bad news in the short term for Eddie, but it’s good news for Van Halen fans who initially saw this wildly named medical issue and assumed it was a bullshit cover for the band members once again hating each other. Life is too short not to be able to hear “Panama” played live. Get well soon, Eddie.