Vaccines postpone gig dates as singer needs surgery

The Vaccines have been forced to postpone more gigs after lead singer Justin Young was told he needed a third operation on his throat.

The London band have pulled dates in North America, Japan and Europe.

They will now return to the stage supporting Arctic Monkeys at London's O2 Arena on 28 October.

The Vaccines postponed gigs in Holland, Austria and Northern Ireland earlier this month after Justin Young was ordered to rest his voice.

The band played last weekend's Reading and Leeds festivals before Justin Young found out that he needed another operation.

Gig apology

A message from the singer on the band's site said: "Sorry to keep so many of you in the dark regarding our touring plans over the next few weeks, but we wanted to be sure of them before we spoke to you.

"Unfortunately, the doctor has now confirmed that, this week, he will be operating on my throat for a third time this year.

"It was the wait for this decision, and no other reason, that meant we were able to complete commitments over this last week and why we will not be able to complete those in the coming weeks."

Justin Young had two operations earlier this year after a problem with his vocal chords.

He says he'll need to rest after the latest surgery but has apologised to fans who are missing out on seeing them live.

"As I have said before, we understand any anger or upset, but we hope you all understand that we are completely devastated by this problem that has continued to plague us personally and professionally during the best year of our lives," he continued.

"Cancelling shows in exchange for repeated hospital visits plain sucks.

"I know it may seem unfair that we continue to visit certain places whilst failing to visit your city or country, but touring is all we have ever wanted to do, so to suggest that we may not want to play a show, or that certain shows take priority over others, is not true.

"We are simply following the doctor's orders. You have our word on that."

The Vaccines finished third on the BBC's Sound of 2011 list.

Their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines reached number four in the official UK album chart when it was released in March.