New York - AFP
Celtic rockers the Dropkick Murphys scrapped the last date on their US tour after a man threw himself in front of their bus in a suspected suicide.
The Boston-area band was traveling Sunday from a San Antonio, Texas, show when the pedestrian ran into the highway near Austin and was killed by their bus, the group said on its Facebook page.
The driver was "severely shaken up" and the bus was too damaged for the band to arrive in time for Sunday night's show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Dropkick Murphys said.
"As much as it pains us to miss a show and we truly apologize for it, we'd like to stop and acknowledge that a man has lost his life. Please keep him and any family he might have in your prayers," the message said.
The band refunded the tickets and its two opening acts, Bryan McPherson and Blood or Whiskey, played a free show in Tulsa.
The Dropkick Murphys have been playing extensively, and Tulsa was to be the last US date until March. On Wednesday, the band starts a tour of Latin America and Europe with a show in Mexico City.
The Dropkick Murphys built a fan base in Boston in the late 1990s and gradually an international following by mixing punk rock elements with Celtic melodies reminiscent of The Pogues or traditional Irish tunes.
The band is also known for its left-wing politics and frequently champions the rights of the working class.