Why was Lou Koller's European tour canceled? Sick of It All vocalist thanks fans for support amid battling illness

The Sick of It All vocalist, Lou Koller, revealed the reason behind the European tour's cancellation this Friday as he broke the news of a major diagnosis. Koller took to Instagram on June 28 and revealed that doctors had diagnosed him with an esophageal tumor, forcing the band to cancel the tour.

Koller's tumor goes all the way into the stomach and he will undergo treatment throughout the summer. The Sick of It All crew was all in supporting the vocalist throughout the treatment as soon as they heard about the diagnosis.

Lou Koller hinted that the band members wanted him to forget about the tour and to get healthy. The vocalist also thanked fans for the support while sharing that he hopes to beat the tumor and meet them by the end of summer or winter.

As he shared the news with fans this Friday, Lou Koller stated,

“They found a tumor in my esophagus that goes into my stomach, and I’ll have to be getting treatment all summer. And of course, with the full support of the band. As soon as they heard it, they were, like, ‘Forget the tour. Just get healthy.”

Hopeful about beating the tumor soon, Lou further added,

“They’re all behind me staying home and us staying home. Thanks for all your support and I’ll hopefully beat this thing and see you at the end of the summer, or maybe the winter.”

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Lou Koller's revelation about the diagnosis cleared the rumors about the cancellation of Sick of It All's European tour

The abrupt cancellation of Sick of It All's European tour not only left fans in the dark but also led to the rise of many rumors. As the band canceled the tour earlier this week, they only revealed that the reason was a medical situation.

Lou Koller cleared any such doubts and rumors for fans in the video this Friday as he commented,

"So that's the reason. No other reason you heard is the truth. This is the truth."

The Sick of It All crew, including Lou Koller, was to begin the European tour on July 4, which would have covered over 24 cities. The now-canceled tour was not supporting any recent projects and came at the head of the band's 2018 album - Wake the Sleeping Dragon!

The summer tour was to begin at the Fajtfest in the Czech Republic. It would have featured all the band members, including Lou and his brother Pete Koller, Armand Majidi, and Craig Setari. Before wrapping up the tour in August, the band was to make stops in New Zealand, Denmark, Berlin, Italy, and France.

If the headlining tour went as planned, it would have wrapped up on August 3 with Lou Koller and crew performing at the Pol'and'Rock in Czaplinek, Poland. While the band is to have canceled all one-off concerts, promoters like PitFest are trying to replace them on select festival show dates.

Koller will undergo treatment for the tumors through the summer of 2024 (Image via sickofitall.com)

Amidst the tense situation, the vocalist continues to receive support and love from many fans on social media. While most fans have been sending love and strength to Lou Koller, others are praying for his steady recovery and good health.

Lou's brother, and band member Pete Koller, is also running a GoFundMe to support the vocalist's treatment. As of this writing, the GoFundMe has already received over 2K donations and has secured $116,852 out of the $200,000 target.

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As of this writing, the band has not shared an official notification about refunds and reimbursement for the tickets for the canceled European tour dates. While the festival shows may still go on with replacements, fans can expect to hear more about the refund for the one-off concerts in the coming days.