Mullingar band The Academic and English act Blossoms will now support The Killers at their Dublin shows next week after Sam Fender announced that he is pulling out of the two gigs.
Fender was due to open for The Killers at Dublin's Malahide Castle in Dublin on Tuesday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 15th but has now said he will not be appearing due to 'scheduling issues'.
The news comes after Fender issued an apology for calling Johnny Depp a "hero".
The acclaimed solo star from North Shields in the UK had posted a selfie of himself with guitarist Jeff Beck and Depp at a bar in Newcastle with the caption "serious heroes" on the same evening as the controversial verdict in the Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation case was delivered.
⚡️ @TheKillers are delighted to add @BlossomsBand & @TheAcademic as special guests for their two sold out Dublin shows at Malahide Castle on 14/15th June 2022. Sam Fender is unable to open the shows, due to scheduling issues
— MCD Productions (@mcd_productions) June 7, 2022
Gates open 5pm
Travel info: https://t.co/NEnXszrd3r pic.twitter.com/nWFPMV5whM
Fender (28) has since deleted the post and issue a statement which said, "I was invited to briefly meet a musical legend and an actor who has been in almost every film I've watched growing up. I went - we chatted music and without thinking I took a photo and posted it as it was pretty surreal."
He added that he has intended his use of the term "heroes" as a reference to Depp and Beck’s careers but realised "in the context of the trial [it] was severely misinformed. I now realise that it was a poor choice of words and timing, but that’s irrelevant."
Fender has not commented on his decision to pull out of his Dublin shows.
Over the moon to be joining The Killers at Malahide Castle, Dublin on June 14th & 15th! ⚡️
— The Academic (@TheAcademic) June 7, 2022
We've loved this band for as long as we’ve been playing music. What an honour. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/X5Oo3dYtFd
Tweeting about the news that they will be supporting The Killers, The Academic, who released their debut album Tales From The Backseat in 2018, said, "Over the moon to be joining The Killers at Malahide Castle, Dublin on June 14th & 15th!
"We’ve loved this band for as long as we’ve been playing music. What an honour."
