Green Day postponed the Asian leg of their Hella Mega tour in reaction to the developing coronavirus outbreak.

The band vowed to reschedule the dates – which were to start on March 8 and also feature Fall Out Boy and Weezer – as soon as it could.

The coronavirus, which is similar to SARS, affects the lungs and airways and can cause coughing, shortness of breath and high temperatures. Symptoms can be fatal in an estimated 3 percent of cases. World Health Organization figures suggest that more than 2,800 deaths have occurred, while around 40,000 people have recovered. It was first identified in China but most recently spread to Europe and Asia, with cases now identified in most of the world’s nations, including the United States.

“We have unfortunately made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming shows in Asia due to the health and travel concerns with coronavirus,” Green Day said in a statement. “We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets. … We’ll be announcing the new dates very soon.”

The Hella Mega European tour dates begin on June 13 and run until June 29. Afterward, the bands set to travel across North America together, starting in Seattle on July 17 and ending in Boston on Aug. 27. Dates in Australia and New Zealand follow, from Nov. 8 to Nov. 22.

On announcing the triple-band tour, which includes other acts a openers, all three groups released new music. Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong described their track, “Father of All … ” as "the new soul, Motown, glam and manic anthemic." "Punks, freaks and punishers!" he added. "The Dirty messy. The Stink. The lyrics are like a party and lifestyle of not giving a fuck. The life AND death of the party. Not political. Surviving in chaos. The real shit."

 

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