Refused to cancel Swedish festival gig after singer Dennis Lyxzén suffers 'massive' heart attack: 'Really Shook Up'

Favorite Swedish punk rockers Refused have had to cancel their gig at Stockholm's Rosendal Garden Party festival this weekend after singer Dennis Lyxzén revealed he had suffered a heart attack. The show, which was billed as the band's last festival in Sweden, was canceled after Lyxzén was hospitalized and told to rest by doctors.

“So this morning I had a massive heart attack in my hotel room. It was extremely painful and terribly scary,” the singer said on Thursday (June 13) alongside a photo of himself in hospital attached to a range of medical devices. “Thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses at Uppsala hospital, I'm still around to fight another day. Under the circumstances I feel okay. I'm sore and tired and really shaken.”

In addition to the festival's swansong, the concert would also be Refused's first appearance in four years, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cancel their 2020 North American tour following a March 9 concert in Los Angels.

“I really hate to cancel the show, but the doctor said no rock for a few weeks,” Lyxzén continued. “Which means that the @denied display at @rosendalgardenparty it doesn't happen.
An absolute bummer as I was looking forward to it. But I hope we can get back to you soon.” He said the good news was that with medication his doctors believe he can be up and rocking again “hopefully sooner rather than later.”

The band released a trio of impressive post-hardcore albums in the 1990s, including their 1994 debut, This could be… The truthfollowed by 1996's equally blistering Songs for Fan the Flames of discontent and the 1998 LP considered their creative peak The Shape of Punk to Comewhich added some jazzy and experimental elements to the songs again fueled by Lyxzén's primal vocal screams.

After the breakup after the tour for Shape — with Lyxzén going on to form The (International) Noise Conspiracy — reunited in 2012 for a tour and two more albums, in 2015 Freedom and 2019 War Music.

Lyxzén ended his message on a note of hope and gratitude, signing off: “Life is strange and precious. Take care of everyone and tell your loved ones that you love them.”

The post got a lot of love from Lyxzén's punk brothers, including Thursday singer Geoff Rickly, who wrote: “Nice. Get some rest. We need people like you man,” and Epitaph Records founder/Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, who said, “Sending you love and sincere wishes for a speedy recovery my friend.” An epitaph was released Freedom. The singer also got love from Snapcase, Sick of It All, Rancid's Lars Frederiksen, Thursday and DJ Steve Aoki, among others.

Check out Lyxzén's post below.