Band will move dates to 2023
Stryper has postponed much of its fall 2022 tour dates to spring 2023 due to economic circumstances and “other issues.” The Christian rockers shared the news on social media, stating dates between October 8th and 25th will be be moving to next year.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are postponing most of our September tour dates to the spring/summer of 2023. Refunds will be automatically issued. If you have purchased a meet and greet through Stryper’s Etix page, those will be refunded as well. New dates for next year are being rescheduled now. We will be able to keep several of the 2022 tour dates as scheduled, including the Texas dates, the international and destination dates,” the band writes.
They are transparent about their issues, citing bus and labor shortages along with gas prices as the main factors of their decision.
“Unfortunately there were some economic cards stacked against us. Anyone in the music business will tell you about the tour bus and labor shortage out there. We’re felling it first hand. The tour bus business is like the housing market right now with 10 times more bands trying to rent buses than are available. And you’ve seen the cost of gas lately. When you’re putting 10,000+ miles on a bus, as we were planning to do, gas prices absolutely matter for a tour like ours.
“There are some other issues at hand as well that played a part in our decision to postpone the tour. As you all can imagine, we’re very disappointed to have to make this decision. At the same time, we’re excited about what’s to come.
“We have a new album being released in October. We’d like the opportunity to play several songs from that album, and give it a proper tour to support it. So spring of next year makes more sense to do that. You will have had more time to consume the album and let us know which songs from it you’d like to hear live.
“We can tour MORE markets in the spring. Due to the over saturation of the touring industry right now, we honestly had a tough time hitting some of the cities we wanted to play this year. But by moving this to the spring, it will allow us to play MORE cities.
“We could go down the line with a half-a-dozen other reasons that played into this decision. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and make the best decisions you can given the information at hand. And that’s what we’ve done.
“We didn’t come to this decision lightly, but we are positive that moving this tour to the spring and early summer of 2023 will make for a better experience for everyone. Thank you all for sticking by us.”
The band wraps by stating they will be live-streaming their Dallas show on September 29th. Details are forthcoming.
The group has shared two songs from their forthcoming album. “Rise To The Call” was released in June while “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” was released last month. The new album, produced by frontman Michael Sweet, firmly continues the trend established over the band’s last few albums, the new music sees the band growing heavier while also maintaining their trademark melodies, virtuoso guitar playing, and air tight rhythms. More details will be revealed as they become available.
The band recently completed a Kickstarter campaign to begin working on a Netflix style official documentary that dives into the Christian rockers’ 35 years together. The crowd funded campaign surpassed its goal of $200k and the band can now start creating the 90-120 minute film. Stryper promises to “go MORE IN-DEPTH, include MORE ORIGINAL MUSIC, and create the definitive, authorized film dedicated to the stories of Stryper and the best fans in the world, YOU!”
Stryper is renowned for its distinctive brand of “heavenly metal,” extraordinary crossover success and venerable endurance. The group ascended to prominence in the 1980s with Billboard Top 40 hits like “Calling on You,” “Honestly,” and “Always There for You,” and has maintained a global fanbase ever since. Stryper is the first band to ever have two songs in MTV’s Top 10 simultaneously with their hits “Free” and “Honestly.” To date, the Dove Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated band has sold over ten million albums worldwide.
Today, some 35+ years after emerging from the southern California nightclub scene, the foursome continues to record, tour and perform for loyal fans around the world. Comprised of original members Michael Sweet (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Sweet (drums), and Oz Fox (guitar), plus the addition of seasoned bassist Perry Richardson (formerly of Firehouse), the group finds itself creating their finest, most powerful music yet.
