by Howard Campbell
[ARIZONA] – As top rock acts cancel tours or appearances on shows in North America due to a spike in the Coronavirus, David Hinds of Steel Pulse says the British band’s itinerary for 2021 is also in doubt.
Steel Pulse were scheduled to be part of Rebelution’s Good Vibes Summer Tour which started in California in early August. They cancelled their appearances, citing a renewed surge of the virus in the US.
“We spent thousands of pounds and dollars on visas, etc, getting ready for this tour. Steel Pulse went out there like other acts to get vaccinated because we are in a line of work that makes it almost compulsory,” he said from the United Kingdom. “We made the decision not to go based on what’s going on.”
Rebelution, arguably the leading reggae band in the US. They are scheduled to headline two nights at Red Rocks in Colorado on August 21 and 22. Along with Inner Circle, Kabaka Pyramid, Israel Vibration, Third World, Mykal Rose and Keznamdi.
Hinds said Steel Pulse withdrew from the tour days before it started. He added that they had informed Rebelution’s management of their intentions once there was another Coronavirus surge.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an alarming increase in Coronavirus cases. Especially in states where vaccination rates are low, mainly in the South.
An enthusiastic response to vaccinations since they became available last year renewed optimism that the live show market would reopen after a year on the sidelines. But the latest surge of the pandemic has forced stars like Neil Young, Stevie Nicks and Garth Brooks to pull the plug on shows and tours.
Cancelled Tours
Steel Pulse have not performed live since a spot date in Ghana in March last year. The Grammy-winning British band were also scheduled to tour Australia early this year but those dates were cancelled.
The Rebelution tour, which ends in October, would have been their most extensive roadwork in over a year.
Hinds, whose parents are Jamaican, lost his older brother Barclay Hay to the Coronavirus last year.
