Motörhead have cancelled a show in Denver, Colorado - shortly after abruptly cutting a Salt Lake City, Utah gig short - as Lemmy suffers a bout of altitude sickness.
With a hint of tongue-in-cheek, a statement on the band's website explained the reason behind the cancellation of Friday's appearance, which was set to coincide with the release of their latest LP, Bad Magic.
"The Rocky Mountain High has affected Lemmy like the high altitude of Salt Lake City. It's been quite a while since Lemmy was this “high” in the US, and thus having got a burst of altitude sickness (which made it hard for him to breathe and sing properly) he has very reluctantly decided not perform in Denver. Lemmy is really sorry and wants to thank the fans for their support and trust. He looks forward to the next-up Texas shows…at low elevations."
The hard-rocking collective mark 40 years together this year, but the decades of excess have taken a toll on the iconic frontman in recent times; in 2013, he had a device fitted to prevent his heart from stopping, and suffered a hematoma last year. Earlier this year, he had to cancel gigs due to gastric illness, and his battle with diabetes has forced his to abandon his beloved Jack Daniels and coke to a more insulin-friendly vodka and orange.