SICK OF IT ALL's LOU KOLLER undergoes first round of chemo in cancer battle
28-08-2024
Vocalist Lou Koller of New York hardcore legends SICK OF IT ALL has undergone his first round of chemotherapy after recently being diagnosed with an esophageal tumor.
On Monday (August 26), Koller shared a video update via social media in which he said: “Hey, everybody. It’s Lou. I’m here in my recovery room. Hope you’re all doing good. Give you a little update. The first week of chemo was almost two weeks ago. It’s like a week and a half since I had it. And the first three days were brutal. Not fun at all. It got gradually better, and now I feel more like myself. I feel really good this past weekend and today. Luckily, nothing, no complications. And the second round starts this weekend coming up. Hopefully won’t be as bad, but who knows?”
He continued: “Anyway, I will keep you updated a lot more often, but it’s kind of hard for me to come on here for my vanity because I can’t dye my hair, my beard. I feel like I look like shit. But thank you all for your support, thank you for your continued support, emotionally, financially, whatever. You don’t know how much this is helping me. And please look out for the guys in the band, and take care of each other. Thank you.”
After Lou went public in late June with the news that doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his esophagus, his brother Pete, SICK OF IT ALL guitarist, set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover some of the costs of his cancer treatment and assist with living expenses while the group is off the road and unable to tour. That campaign has since raised nearly $300,000, with fellow artists AFI, RANCID and DROPKICK MURPHYS contributing $5,000 apiece, and bands such as SNAPCASE and HOT WATER MUSIC also making generous donations.
The long-running New York Hardcore band subsequently canceled its previously announced European tour dates.
When Lou first posted about the diagnosis on social media, he said: “Doctors 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 full support of the band. As soon as they heard it, they were, like, ‘Forget the tour. Just get healthy.’ … They’re all behind me staying home and us staying home.”
Koller ended the message by saying: “I’ll hopefully beat this thing and see you at the end of the summer … or maybe the winter.”
SICK OF IT ALL‘s latest album, “Wake The Sleeping Dragon!”, was released in November 2018 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2014’s “The Last Act Of Defiance” was produced by Jerry Farley (EVERY TIME I DIE, DEMON HUNTER) over a two-and-a-half-week period at Nova Studios in Staten Island, New York and was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, THE HAUNTED, MADBALL). The cover artwork was created by Ernie Parada.
“Wake The Sleeping Dragon!” featured guest appearances by RISE AGAINST vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath and HOT WATER MUSIC frontman Chuck Ragan.
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