Said the Whale's Tyler Bancroft Had an Appendectomy on Tour

"I have three gnarly holes in my abdomen now and I feel like an opioid garbage can"

BY Calum SlingerlandPublished Feb 20, 2019

Not unlike John Mayer before him, Said the Whale frontman Tyler Bancroft underwent an appendectomy in the middle of tour, and he is now on the road to recovery.

Bancroft revealed on social media yesterday (February 19) that he had spent a night in Vancouver's St. Paul's Hospital earlier this week with "intense abdominal pain," which a CT scan revealed to be appendicitis. His hospital visit coincided with a brief break on the band's current trek alongside Mother Mother.

In a follow-up post made today, Bancroft revealed that the surgery was successful. 

"Thank you to the wonderful staff here at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver for taking such good care of me," he wrote. "I have three gnarly holes in my abdomen now and I feel like an opioid garbage can, the brain fog is something FIERCE. I'm eating jell-o, and so far I'm keeping it down!"

Bancroft plans to return to action for the band's February 23 date in London, ON.

"I think I'll be able to play these shows we've got coming up," he wrote, "but I am gonna have to be pretty subdued on stage so I don't tear anything inside me, hope you can all understand. Gonna be some serious Dad The Whale vibes."

Bancroft's surgery comes days after Said the Whale's van broke down in Alberta, forcing them to miss a show in Saskatoon.

"This tour has been...*eventful*...to say the least," Bancroft continued. "But fortune favors the bold, right? I feel very good about 2019 despite the absolutely batshit crazy set of circumstances that have unfolded the past 10 days. To the toppermost!"

Said the Whale and Mother Mother will return to Ontario for a run of dates on the latter's "Dance and Cry Tour" next week. You can find a complete itinerary here.


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