A guitarist for Prince’s band 3RDEYEGIRL has apologized to Torontonians who waited in line outside Massey Hall yesterday for an anticipated performance by the band.
A long lineup began to form outside the historic downtown venue Tuesday morning after rumours surfaced that the band would be performing a surprise gig in Toronto. At around 3:30 p.m., Live Nation released a statement saying that there would not, in fact, be a show.
In a Facebook post Tuesday night, band member Donna Grantis told fans she was sorry for the “confusion” and “disappointment” yesterday.
“I can’t wait to perform in our great city for you and I hope to make you proud!” she wrote in the post.
“We promise to deliver an unforgettable experience when we rock Toronto.”
The rumours began when the band posted a message on Twitter overnight Monday, hinting at a possible Toronto date.
The message, which appeared to spell the city’s name backwards, was later removed.
“4th day of November, we need a purple high: OTNOROT CALLING…,” it read.
To add to the confusion, Ticketmaster at one point had posted information on its website promoting a show at the venue last night.
Live Nation issued a statement late Tuesday, apologizing for posting “incorrect concert information” on the site.
“The only reservation was for a production rehearsal. There was no concert scheduled for today,” the statement said.
Shortly after news broke that a show would not be happening Tuesday night, rumours again began to circulate about a show on Wednesday. Some who had waited in line even said they would likely be back to try to get tickets again.
However, a man at Massey Hall, who identified himself as a crew member, told CP24 that two concerts originally planned for Tuesday and Wednesday night had been cancelled. He did not provide a specific reason for why the shows were cancelled.
Band member Hannah Welton also released a statement to fans on Twitter, calling the incident a "total mixup."
“Thank you so much for your love, support & concern,” the post read.
“… there was never a show confirmed. We apologize for the inconvenience & look forward to the day we rock Toronto. We love and appreciate you.”
