Brent Fitz, who plays drums for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, will miss the last six shows of the band’s summer 2019 U.S. tour so that he can undergo emergency surgery for a detached retina. Filling in for him for all dates between August 6 in Nashville, Tennessee and August 13 in Orlando, Florida, will be Shane Gaalaas.

Fitz broke the news of his absence from the tour in a tweet earlier today. He wrote: “Unfortunately I’ve had to leave the current SMKC tour due to emergency surgery for a detached retina. It leaves me heartbroken to not be able to play the last week of shows. I will miss everyone but just know that the mighty Shane Gaalaas has come to save the day on drums!”

Earlier this summer, SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS rhythm guitarist Frank Sidoris, missed several European shows as he traveledback to the U.S. to be with his wife, Alexandria Finley, for her first full-on chemotherapy treatment in her battle with with cervical cancer. Cory Churko, who plays alongside CONSPIRATORS members Todd Kerns and Brent Fitz in the cover band TOQUE, filled in for Sidoris.

Slash is continuing to tour in support of his latest album, “Living The Dream”, which was released in September via his own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records.

“Living The Dream” is Slash‘s fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Fitz (drums), Kerns (bass and vocals) and Sidoris (guitar and vocals).

In a 2015 interview with Moshcam, Slash stated about his working relationship with THE CONSPIRATORS: “It’s just something that clicked right from the very beginning. Initially, Myles and I just had that spark, sort of a creative connection, from the very, very beginning. And that’s something that’s established; it always happens when we work together. And then, with Brent and Todd, it’s the same kind of thing where we just have a really great writing and performing and recording chemistry, where everybody just really digs what we are about individually and collectively, and it just works.”

Unfortunately I’ve had to leave the current SMKC tour due to emergency surgery for a detached retina. It leaves me heartbroken to not be able to play the last week of shows. I will miss everyone but just know that the mighty Shane Gaalaas has come to save the day on drums!

— Brent Fitz (@brentfitz) August 6, 2019

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net