By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — British rock star Morrissey won’t perform a concert in Valencia after festivities in the Spanish city kept him from getting a proper night’s rest, the former frontman of The Smiths said Thursday.
A statement posted on Morrissey’s website on the morning of the concert said that the “scheduled show in Valencia has been rendered impossible due to sleep deprivation.”
Morrissey arrived to Valencia on Wednesday after a two-day drive from Milan, but he was disturbed during the night by the festival that included, the statement said, “loud techno singing (and) megaphone announcements” that were audible from inside his hotel room.
“This experience has left Morrissey in a catatonic state,” the statement read.
In another short post on his website, the singer said his night was an “indescribable hell.”
“It will take me one year to recover. And that is an understatement.”
The website added in bold print that “The show is not canceled. Circumstances render the show impossible,” making it unclear if it will be rescheduled or if ticket holders can request a refund.
The 66-year-old Morrissey is touring to promote his album “Make-up Is a Lie,” his first in six years, which was released earlier this month. It is the 14th solo album for the ex-singer of The Smiths, an iconic 1980s rock band.
While loved by his fans for timeless hits such as “How Soon Is Now?” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” Morrissey is also known for his temperamental character and wide array of shifting political views. His support of animal rights has made him a fierce critic of Spain’s traditional bullfights, for example.
The “Las Fallas” festival in Valencia, a city on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast, is famous for its noisy street parties and fireworks. It culminates in the burning of huge, handmade papier-mâché sculptures, which this year takes place on March 19.
UNESCO added Las Fallas to its catalog of intangible cultural heritage in 2016, describes the incineration of the sculptures as “a form of purification” and “social renewal.”
Morrissey stays in Spain for his next two tour dates, playing in Zaragoza on Saturday and Seville on Monday.