Scottish punk band The Exploited cancel tour after lead singer collapses on stage in Colombia

A Scottish punk band has had to cancel the remainder of its tour after its frontman collapsed on stage in Colombia.

Wattie Buchan, from Edinburgh, was taken to hospital after collapsing on stage with a suspected heart attack during The Exploited’s gig in Bogota on Saturday night.

The 900 strong crowd refused to leave the venue until they heard the 65-year-old singer, who tried to continue to perform through the scare, was of good health.

The band, who were formed in the Scottish capital in 1979, revealed to STV News that “king of punk” Wattie is now on the mend, but they would have to cancel the rest of the 2022 tour on “doctor’s orders”.

The singer tried to play on but was forced to stop. The Exploited via Supplied

A spokesman said: “The last gig in Colombia, Wattie had another suspected heart attack. He tried playing on but had to actually stop a couple of songs until he eventually collapsed.

“He got taken away to hospital in an ambulance but over 900 people refused to leave the venue until he heard he was alright.

“The Exploited are held as idols over here, and Wattie is seen as the king of punk. He has kept the punk movement alive when everyone in the press said it was dead.

“He is actually a living legend.”

The singer previously collapsed on stage in Portugal in 2014 after suffering a heart attack.

The band, who performed in Peru, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Colombia as part of their tour, released a statement on social media to assure their fans that their frontman was feeling better.

The message, posted on Sunday, read: “Yesterday, December 10, 2022 during the end of the set Wattie collapsed on stage in Bogota, COL and was rushed into hospital by ambulance.

“Thankfully Wattie is feeling better now and is resting in a hotel in Bogota. We hope to be able to return safely home to the UK tomorrow.

“Due to doctor’s orders all remaining shows for 2022 have been cancelled, including tonight’s performance in Cali, COL.

“We apologize to the fans, promoters and everyone affected by this situation. Thank you for understanding.

“Also our London show on the December 16 will also be cancelled. Once again we are sorry about this but Wattie is exhausted and told to cancel all up coming gigs for this year.