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LIFE OF AGONY drummer VERONICA BELLINO suffers heat exhaustion; BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR performance canceled

15-08-2022

LIFE OF AGONY has been forced to cancel its appearance at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Park, Walton-on-Trent, United Kingdom.

On Saturday, August 13, LIFE OF AGONY released the following statement via social media: “Unfortunately, LIFE OF AGONY will not be able to perform at Bloodstock Festival in the UK ([on Sunday, August 14) due to a medical emergency that occurred directly after LOA‘s Alcatraz Festival performance in Belgium on Saturday, August 13. Drummer Veronica Bellino suffered heat exhaustion due to the oppressive temperatures and is unable to travel to England overnight. A few days rest is needed and the band will pick up the rest of the dates starting in Alkmaar, Netherlands on 16th of August. Thank you.

Guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, who performed with his band VANDENBERG at Alcatraz on Friday (August 12),said that it was “the hottest show I’ve done in my life.”

According to the Anadolu Agency, Belgium is experiencing one of the driest and hottest summers of its history, with temperatures rising over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) this week.

LIFE OF AGONY‘s most recent studio album, titled “The Sound Of Scars”, was released in 2019 to critical acclaim. It was named “Album of the Year” by The Aquarian Weekly and took the No. 1 spot on Metal Hammer‘s (Germany) “Best Of 2019” list (alt-rock/punk).

In March, Raven Banner Entertainment and Cinedigm released “The Sound Of Scars”Leigh Brooks‘s deeply personal documentary which chronicles LIFE OF AGONY‘s rise, fall and rebirth while confronting domestic violence, substance abuse, addiction, depression and singer Mina Caputo‘s gender transition.

“The Sound Of Scars” was directed by Brooks and filmed across several countries while LIFE OF AGONY was on and off the road.

“This isn’t a typical music documentary. It’s as personal as it gets,” Brooks said. “I first saw the band live at the London Astoria in 1996. Since then, LIFE OF AGONY has become an absolute go-to when I felt alone and insecure about myself. This film is an intimate portrait that sheds light on the real-life stories that make their music so vital and relevant.”

“The Sound Of Scars” tells the story of how three friends overcame domestic violence, substance abuse and depression to form one of the most influential bands in its genre. Through the success of their ground-breaking 1993 debut “River Runs Red”, hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest metal albums of all time,” they channeled their cumulative life stories into a soundtrack for a broken generation. At the time, that newfound fame allowed them to escape the tragedies of their pasts, but in the wake of their accomplishments, unforeseen obstacles arose.

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