Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen was hospitalized after collapsing onstage during a concert at Bataclan in Paris on Saturday night, Loudwire reports.
According to a statement on the band's Facebook page, Jourgensen was diagnosed with "full-system collapse due to extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion intensified by the lack of ventilation on stage at the venue." The statement goes on to note that doctors had conducted blood tests and concluded that Jourgensen's blood alcohol levels were "well below normal" and that there were no narcotics in his system.
The band was due to perform today at the L'Etaples France Rock en Stock Festival. That appearance has now been canceled, but the band says that Jourgensen intends to complete the remaining shows on the European leg of the DeFiBriLlaTouR.
Jourgensen, whose earlier struggles with heroin addiction have been well-documented, told Rolling Stone back in March that he had once considered retiring from Ministry because of health problems. "For the last four tours, I've been puking up blood," he said. "When I'm at home, I don't drink or anything like that. But when you're on tour, everything's crazy. I never said anything about it because I just thought that was part of getting old and going on a rock tour – you puke up blood!"
Jourgensen apologized through the Facebook statement for the cancellation of the Paris show. "I will make it up to you, somehow," he said. "I love Paris, I love the Parisian people. I’m so sorry …but, shit happens and the shit hit the fan for me last night."
Rollingstone