Jeff Lynne's ELO forced to cancel second-to-last concert ever

Jeff Lynne onstage — (Image credit: Carsten Windhorst)

Jeff Lynne's ELO have been forced to cancel their second-to-last show ever. The show, which was scheduled for last night (July 10) at Co Op Live in Manchester, UK, was cancelled minutes before showtime, with the audience already in their seats. Confirmation of the cancellation came in a post shared on the band's social media channels.

"Unfortunately, due to illness, tonight's scheduled performance of Jeff Lynne's ELO at the Co-Op Live will not be going ahead," reads the statement. "Jeff is devastated he cannot perform this evening. More information will become available as soon as possible. For refunds, please go to your point of purchase."

According to fans who attended the first of the two scheduled shows in Manchester, Lynne, who reportedly broke his hand in a collision with a taxi before the band's final run of dates, struggled to perform.

"Jeff Lynne had to be helped onto the stage," posts Andy Linehan. "He was missing his cues, forgetting words and almost collapsed two-thirds of the way through the concert. They had to bring him a chair, and he was struggling to stay on it. By the end of the concert, the band had to sing Mr Blue Sky for him and his backing singers looked visibly shaken up. At the concert's end, the crew rushed onto the stage to help him off."

"Honestly, I was almost in tears," writes John Matthews. "It was a very sad sight watching him visibly, gradually deteriorate in front of your eyes."

"ELO were brilliant last night, although I was saddened by how shattered Jeff Lynne looked at the end of the concert, and how he had to be helped off the stage," says Tony Clayson. "Hope he’s okay, and it was not a concert too far."

Jeff Lynne's ELO are scheduled to play their final ever show on Sunday at Hyde Park in London, bringing the curtain down on the Electric Light Orchestra's 55-year career.

Artists

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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