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Pregnant Rockstar Backs out of Tour, Citing Doctor’s Advice
Australian alt-rock band Camp Cope recently kicked off their North American tour, supporting their latest album Running with the Hurricane, back at the start of July. Fans of the band likely notice that they're looking a little different after one member was forced to pull out. Bassist Kelly-Dawn [...]

Pregnant Rockstar Backs out of Tour, Citing Doctor’s Advice

Australian alt-rock band Camp Cope recently kicked off their North American tour, supporting their latest album Running with the Hurricane, back at the start of July. Fans of the band likely notice that they’re looking a little different after one member was forced to pull out. Bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich has been forced to sit the tour out, not joining bandmates Georgia “Georgia Maq” McDonald and Sarah “Thomo” Thompson, under doctor’s advice as she awaits the arrival of her baby on the way.

Ahead of the start of the tour, Hellmrich announced in a post shared to the band’s Instagram account on June 17 that she would, unfortunately, be unable to participate in the tour. Announced alongside a photo of the bassist mid-concert, Hellmrich noted, “I’m currently six months pregnant.” Reflecting on being pregnant while touring, which she admitted had been “both challenging and empowering,” the musician wrote that “there are a lot of unspoken social constructs and discrimination around pregnancy.” However, Camp Cope has “always stood firmly against discrimination and inequality of any kind.” Hellmrich added, “this feels like another chapter in challenging the status quo in that way, that a pregnant person cannot do a certain thing or that being a parent may mean having to give up on a career or your dreams.”

View this post on InstagramA post shared by camp cope (@camp_cope)

“What does come first, always, is our health and well-being. Which is why I wanted to let you know that sadly I won’t be joining Georgia, Thomo and Jenny on our upcoming North American tour,” she went on to announce. “The US & Canada have become a second home to us over the years and I miss it dearly. It was an incredibly tough decision to make, but with the current global health crisis I have been advised by my doctors not to travel internationally this late in my pregnancy due to potential risks.”

In her absence, Lou Hanman of RVIVR would take her place, Hellmrich shared, noting that Hanman saved the day and filled in for me when I caught a virus in the middle of our last US tour.” Hellmrich ended the post by promising, “US & Canada I will see you at a Camp Cope show again soon! For now though I’m going to go lie down, drink a bubble tea, and try not to vomit.”

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The band’s North American Tour kicked off on July 8 in Boston, Massachusetts and includes a total of 18 shows. It concludes at the Regent Theater in Los Angeles on Aug. 3. Hellmrich announced in March, around the release of Running with the Hurricane, that she was pregnant.