Local H Cancels Shows Following Brutal Mugging

Scott Lucas, one half of the alternative rock duo Local H, has taken to Facebook to announce that the band will be cancelling an upcoming run of live shows and, rather than settling for the “unforeseeable circumstances” you’d expect, Lucas included a play-by-play of the brutal events led to the decision.

Lucas explains that he was attacked from behind in Russia by a mugger who held him in a chokehold until he passed out:

“When I came to, I was in a stairwell with all of my pockets empty. No phone, no wallet, no cash, and (worst of all) no passport. Nothing. Even my hat and glasses were gone.”

Upon seeking help, Lucas soon discovered the damage was way more hectic than he first assessed. Upon examining his throat he noticed “a purple bruise began to form… I was having trouble swallowing.”

Now a month later, Lucas has learned that during the attack, one of his vocal cords had been damaged. Surgery needs to be done quick smart, so the bands have had to pull out of their US shows and are “deeply sorry for it.”

Read the full statement below.

Scott Lucas (Local H) Statement:

“First Morrissey, then Animal Collective, and now this……After weighing all of our options, it looks like we’re going to have to cancel the first 3 dates of the Local H tour – that’s March 21, 22, and 23. We don’t take this decision lightly and we’re deeply sorry for it.

Here’s what happened : A month ago, after a date in Moscow, I was assaulted and robbed. The attacker came up from behind and put me in a chokehold until I passed out. When I came to, I was in a stairwell with all of my pockets empty. No phone, no wallet, no cash, and (worst of all) no passport. Nothing. Even my hat and glasses were gone. It wasn’t until I found someone to ask for help that I realized something else was gone – my voice. When I opened my mouth to ask that person to call me a taxi, nothing but a scratchy croak would come out. I touched my throat and could feel that more damage had been done than I initially thought. A purple bruise began to form. I was having trouble swallowing. Russia………..

When I got back to the states, I just figured that resting my voice and taking it easy would allow everything to return to normal. I’d lost my voice before and I knew the drill : shut the fuck up (basically). But it soon became apparent that this time my voice wasn’t going to just heal itself and I had to see someone. The folks at MusiCares hooked me up with a voice doctor who found that one of my vocal cords had been damaged. How badly damaged, we’re not sure yet – we need a second opinion. But the doctor said if they had to go in and POP(!) the cord back into place, then we have a limited window for that until the damage becomes permanent.

Which means there’s really no way I could make the show in Grand Rapids without worrying about the long term effects – never mind the fact that my voice would totally suck. We feel horrible about this. As some of you out there may already know – we don’t believe in canceling shows (and in reference to the above : if you somehow happen to be a fan of Morrissey, Animal Collective, AND us – then we’re truly sorry to be piling on). So, yes – this fucking blows. But please believe that we’re doing everything we can to correct this situation and to make sure we don’t miss any more dates than absolutely necessary. Please stay tuned and we’ll keep you up to date.

Again – we’re so sorry.

Scott from Local H”

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