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Echo and the Bunnymen singer bolts Japan due to U.S.-North Korea tensions: promoter

Ian McCulloch was scheduled to play an acoustic set at Shinjuku Marz on Friday night
Ian McCulloch was scheduled to play an acoustic set at Shinjuku Marz on Friday night

TOKYO (TR) – Ian McCulloch, the singer of English rock band Echo and the Bunnymen, has left Japan prior to a scheduled solo concert in the capital due to escalating tensions between the U.S and North Korea, the promoter of the event said in a tweet on Friday.

Label and promoter Vinyl Japan said that it had cancelled the concert after learning McCulloch and his manager left Japan “without permission” prior to a show at Shinjuku Marz on Friday night due to concerns over a possible nuclear weapons test by North Korea.

In recent days, the U.S. has been ramping up efforts to prepare for such a test, including military exercises involving war planes at Kadena Air Base in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday.

Founded in Liverpool in 1979, Echo and the Bunnymen have released 12 albums. McCulloch, who has released a number of solo albums, played Duo Music Exchange on Thursday night. It is not known when he left the country.