Bowling For Soup drummer pulls out of tour after “very emotional and scary” week

Bowling For Soup drummer Gary Wiseman has called off the band’s UK tour after suffering a mysterious illness.

Rontman Jaret Reddick revealed that after a “very emotional and scary” week, the musician had flown home to be with his family and receive treatment from his doctor.

The American pop punk band, formed in Texas in 1994, are touring the UK until May 30 following the release of their 11th album, Pop Drunk Snot Bread.

A statement from Reddick, shared on the group’s Twitter page, said Wiseman had what the team initially thought was a “severe panic attack” before a show in Swansea, Wales on Tuesday.

He was examined by on-site medics before being taken to hospital, while the concert continued with an acoustic performance by Reddick and bassist Rob Felicetti.

He wrote: “Nine hours later he saw a doctor and they found nothing wrong. A heart attack was ruled out and the blood work looked fine.

“Gary spent that day, a day off, in a hotel room where he couldn’t sleep, eat or quench his thirst.”

As of Thursday in Bexhill, East Sussex, Wiseman’s health had still not improved and he had made the decision to send him home to be with his family.

That night’s show also took place acoustically, with members of the supporting bands stepping in to help, and the other members of Bowling For Soup taking over drum duties at times.

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Reddick added: “It’s been a very emotional and scary time for all of us. We are a family. We are brothers. And that comes first.

“As I write this, Gary and our tour manager Dave are on a plane home. We’re planning a show for tonight and tomorrow that people won’t soon forget.

“Everyone will leave happy. We will do all this for Gary!”

Contemporaries of bands like Blink-182 and Sum 41, the band is best known for their singles “Girl All The Bad Guys Want,” “Almost,” and “High School Never Ends.”

They are also known for performing the introduction to the Disney show Phineas And Ferb and the vocal theme for the video game Sonic Unleashed.