UPDATE: Jinjer have now officially canceled their upcoming North American tour dates, including their run as part of the Knotfest Roadshow. The group has also launched a donation campaign for their native country of Ukraine. Get more info here.
Though an official word has yet to be made, it appears as though Jinjer are bowing out of their U.S. tour plans amidst the ongoing large scale invasion of their native Ukraine by Russia.
St. Louis-area venue The Factory tipped the possible tour cancellation in a post revealing that the band would not be performing their planned show March 13 at the venue. In their statement, they explained, "It is with great sadness that Jinjer have been forced to cancel their upcoming U.S. tour dates. As the band and their families reside in Kyiv, their focus is on the safety of their families and their country. We all hope for a quick and peaceful resolution."
A follow-up addition to the post later revealed that the venue was making a $5,000 donation to the United Hatzalah's emergency response efforts in Ukraine to help provide treatment and emergency medical equipment while the conflict continues. Additional donations can be made here.
Further lending credence to the potential tour cancellation was an article from the BBC speaking with Ukrainian musicians about how they're dealing with the crisis. Jinjer's Eugene Abdukhanov was one of those interviewed for the piece, with the article stating that he had "abandoned his day job" to concentrate on the immediate crisis.
The BBC article cited the musician who was establishing a charity "to help the military, to help civilians," and was planning to spend his time with friends running a shelter that would provide "food supplies, water [and] protection" for those displaced by the conflict.
Abdukhanov also stated, "I received some texts from our Russian fans, apologizing and saying they're definitely against this. I didn't receive any angry texts from the Russian side, trying to justify this. Even though some people have this militaristic position, they're ashamed enough not to mention this to me."
We have reached out to the band's press contacts for confirmation and will update with any new information.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine started in the early morning hours of Feb. 24 after weeks of escalating military tension along the border and a sharp condemnation from various world leaders. Later that day, the Ukranian band issued a statement confirming, "As we write this text, for the moment, each member of Jinjer and our families are safe and unhurt."
On Feb. 27, Abdukhanov provided a video message for fans in which he condemned the ongoing invasion. "Hello, the whole world," Abdukhanov began. "I'm speaking to you from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which is now under the siege of Russian troops." He then expressed his appreciation for the support of fans worldwide and the solidarity shown toward his country.
"I would like to speak to all the people of the civilized world, all our fans, all music fans, all metalheads worldwide, no matter where you're from, especially if you're from Russia," he continued. "This war cannot be justified by anything, no matter what propaganda says. No one deserves what we are going through now here in Ukraine. The innocent people of Ukraine are suffering. I'm not talking about politicians; I'm not talking about our government. The innocent people of our country are suffering… All the people of Kyiv are spending their days and nights in the shelters in basements. Children are spending their days and nights in the shelters. They are scared. They don't have proper food. They don't have enough water. They don't have any comfort. Do they deserve this?"
He concluded by saying, "Please spread the word about Putin's aggression. Together we can stop this."
Jinjer's tour schedule includes a mix of their own shows as well as dates as part of Slipknot's Knotfest Roadshow. Stay up to date with their tour plans here.
