SHINEDOWN singer Brent Smith has clarified his recent comments in which he said that the band's summer tour, slated to begin on July 31 in Canada, was still "a go." SHINEDOWN's spring North American "Deep Dive Tour" was postponed to the summer once the pandemic broke out, and Smith told Zippo Encore: "As of right now, that's all a go. So we're not backing off of that rescheduled timeline." Smith added: "Obviously our number one priority is the safety of the public, but we also want the public to know something from us to all of them out there: we are not afraid to play for you. We wanna do everything safely and we wanna go by the professionals in the medical community and what we're gonna need to do, but you can't stay inside forever," The singer also said that the band needs to be "extremely diligent" with fans who are older, have pre-existing conditions or compromised immune systems. But he continued: "Don't be paralyzed by fear. You can't allow that to happen, because then this invisible virus, however you wanna put it, then it begins to win. And we can't allow that." After BLABBERMMOUTH.NET first transcribed and published Smith's comments last Friday (May 8), the story was picked up by a number of other outlets, with some fans misconstruing Smith's position to mean that SHINEDOWN would perform this summer against health officials' advice. Earlier today, Brent released the following statement via the SHINEDOWN social media: "ATTENTION Shinedown Nation: I'd like to clear up any misunderstanding about our touring plans that may be out there as some of my comments were a little misconstrued recently in the midst of trying to stay positive in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We'd like you all to know that while we can't wait to play for you and see all of you on the road again, we will only do so when it's safe. The health and wellness of our fans is what's most important and something we take very seriously. "We'll be ready to perform for you when the time is right, and in the meantime, I encourage everyone to take this time to focus on staying healthy mind, body, and spirit, so that when we are able to come back together, we are all the better for this time apart. "Stay strong and optimistic - we will get through this together." Smith told The Pulse Of Radio he's confident that the human race will get through the current crisis. "I think we are at our best when we need one another, and I cannot say this with more gusto and more honesty: we are going to get through this and we are going to get to the other side of this," he said. "It's gonna take some time and you're gonna have to be patient, but try your best. It's very important that you take care of yourself physically and mentally right now." If it's not canceled or postponed again, SHINEDOWN's summer tour is slated to run from July 31 through September 12. The "Deep Dive Tour" promises deep cuts and B-sides from throughout SHINEDOWN's career, along with the group's many radio hits.
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