Shinedown bassist Eric Bass has pulled out of the band’s North American tour which starts this weekend as he recovers from a “serious mental health crash.”
Bass, 51, posted a video on social media telling fans he was stepping away from live performing for a while as he undergoes “electrical stimulation protocol that helps with depression.”
Shinedown kick off the tour tonight (Saturday, July 11) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and bass duties will be filled by Josh Sturm and Zack Mack until Bass is fit to return.
Bass says: “I had a pretty serious mental health crash, I guess you could say, a few weeks ago, couple of weeks ago. And I don’t really feel it’s the wise thing for me to do to go out on tour right now.
“I’ve debated whether or not to make this announcement at all and just not be there and then show back up when it’s time. But mental health being such a thing that I have championed and the band has championed, I thought that it would be not the best look to maybe seem like I’m ashamed of it.
“I’m doing a really great treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina called TMS. It’s actually an electrical stimulation protocol that helps with depression.
“That mixed in with talk therapy and that kind of thing. And I’m feeling way better, so that’s good.
“But I just want everyone to know that I wanna be out there. It’s killing me to not be there. Josh Sturm and Zack Mack, two of our great friends, are coming out to help fill in for my stuff until I can come back out.
“I don’t have a timeline for that right now. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, but I wanna make sure that I’m safe.”
Bass says he is grateful to be given the time to focus on his mental health and encourages others to seek help when they need it.
“I’m very blessed to be able to take a break like this,” he says. “I know a lot of people can’t. And I would encourage anyone who maybe is a business owner out there, if you’ve got someone in your company who’s having issues like this, to give them some time if they need it.
“And if you’re going through a mental health crisis, to give yourself time as well, and to reach out to people.
“I did something I’d never done before in my 51 years on earth, is I reached out to someone and I said, ‘I can’t do this on my own and I need help.’
“And it led to some healing that I’m going through right now. It’s not an easy thing to do, to ask for help, but it has to be done.”