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Alice in Chains recently canceled a brief spring US tour, including a couple of high-profile festival appearances, after drummer Sean Kinney experienced a medical emergency. The veteran stickman has now addressed his health, saying, “I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live.”
As previously reported, Alice in Chains canceled their May 8th kickoff show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, at the last minute after Kinney suffered a “non-life-threatening medical emergency” immediately after the band’s soundcheck that evening.
The next day, the legendary grunge band canceled their entire spring tour, which was slated to include a handful of headlining shows along with sets at the Sonic Temple and Welcome to Rockville festivals. At the time, Alice in Chains stated, “While we were all eager to return to the stage, Sean’s health is our top priority.”
Now, Kinney himself has released a statement via Alice in Chains’ social media channels, assuring fans that he’ll be okay without disclosing the nature of his health condition. His full post reads as follows:
“THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE WTF?
Firstly, to everyone who came out to the Mohegan Sun show and was affected by the short-notice cancellation, and to everyone who had tickets to come see the band at one of the other shows, thanks for your understanding. It’s not lost on the band and myself that you spend money, make plans and alter your schedules to come and see us, and it’s deeply disappointing to have had this happen.
I was very much looking forward to getting back out there and playing with the band again, and it’s been a difficult but necessary decision to make. I don’t personally utilize social media and I’m not particularly fond of my health issues being made public, but I understand that people are concerned.
When the doctors advised me against playing in the short-term, I quickly went through The 5 Stages of Grief:
1. Denial (I’m fine)
2. Anger (F*** this – I’m still going to play)
3. Bargaining (What’s it gonna take for me to hear a better diagnosis?)
4. Depression (This sucks)
5. Acceptance (This sucks, but okay)
I finally concluded that medical doctors with many hard-earned degrees on their walls might know a bit more about health than a musician with some shiny spray-painted records on his wall.
The outpouring of love, concern and well wishes has been both extremely humbling and very much appreciated.
The good news is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live. The bad news (for some of you?) is that I’m going to be fine and I’m going to live.”
As of now, Alice in Chains are still scheduled to perform at the final Black Sabbath concert on July 5th in Birmingham, England. Beyond that, the band has no other dates scheduled for 2025.
Kinney formed Alice in Chains in 1987 with Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley, and Mike Starr. Sadly, Staley died in 2002, while Starr passed away in 2011. The band’s current lineup includes Kinney, Cantrell, William DuVall, and Mike Inez.
English (US) · 