Morrissey hneig niður á tónleikum og dvelur nú á spítala

A performance by Morrissey had to be cancelled on Saturday night after the singer collapsed on stage after just one song. Photo: PA

 

The former Smiths frontman was taken to hospital at around 9pm after performing at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.

Eyewitnesses said he performed his song This Charming Man before "falling to the floor" and was then carried off by technical crew. He was said to be unconcious.

They said the 50-year-old, wearing a light grey open-necked short and black trousers, appeared on stage looking drawn.

He said to the 1,000-strong audience: "Good evening... probably," before performing The Smiths' 1983 hit This Charming Man.

Onlookers said he appeared to be "straining" to perform the song, "wincing" as he did so. They said that as he came to the end of the song his knees sagged and he slumped to the stage.

Two band members rushed to his side and dragged him offstage. He was immediately followed by his backing band and singers and the stage lights went up, to whistles and boos from the audience.

The singer, whose real name is Steven Patrick Morrissey, was taken by ambulance to Great Western Hospital. A spokesman said doctors have examined the singer and are talking to his management team.

Eyewitness Mark Taylor, 40, said: "The stage went dark and he was taken off the stage and then his band then all left the stage.

"There was a wait of about 25 minutes before one of the stage crew came on and said Morrissey had left the building, and that he was seriously ill.

"Everybody started booing, thinking 'here we go again'. He has a bit of a poor track record for cancelling his concerts."

Morrissey, who is in the middle of a world tour, has already cancelled a string of concerts this year due to an "unspecified illness".

In May he cancelled a show at Birmingham's Symphony Hall because of illness. In a statement at the time organisers said the star has been ordered to rest by doctors "to ensure a complete recuperation".

He had previously cancelled a show in London's Royal Albert Hall. Morrissey's four opening dates of his tour – all in Florida – at the end of February and start of March were also cancelled, reportedly due to illness.

The star also missed an appearance in May on the Later... With Jools Holland TV show, where he was replaced by Australian singer Daniel Merriweather.

A spokesman for the Great Western Ambulance Service said: “Just after 9pm we got a call to a 50-year-old man who was reported to be reported to be suffering from respiratory problems and was unconscious.

“We sent a paramedic in a doubled-crewed ambulance.

“When they arrived they found a conscious patient who was not feeling well at all. They made an initial assessment and took him to the Great Western Hospital for further assessment.”

A spokesman for the hospital said: "Morrissey has been admitted to the Great Western Hospital. He is being reviewed by the medical staff and his condition is stable."

Telegraph