The Gentle Storm vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen, formerly of The Gathering, has checked in with the folowing update:

"Dear friends, as some of you may have seen on his Facebook page already, The Gentle Storm’s drummer Ed Warby was hospitalized two days ago and will not be able to play the Monsters of Mariaheide festival in Mariaheide, Netherlands with us tomorrow (January 30th).

Every musician hates to cancel shows, so we set out to do the impossible: find someone who could step in. After a frantic 24-hour search we have to accept the fact that it is impossible to replace Ed on such short notice, because, well, he is one of the best drummers around!

I have asked the guys that were with me on the Drive Tour to fill in last minute and save the day. We will play a special live set consisting of my solo work as well as some The Gathering classics. It will be different, but I still intend to raise the roof!

Get well soon Ed, all of us wish you a speedy recovery!! We love you!"

Van Giersbergen previously issued the following update on The Gentle Storm for later this year:

"Dear friends, I'm very excited to announce a very special show that will take place on December 17th at Melkweg, Amsterdam. This full band performance will be part of the first ever Anneke van Giersbergen Fan Weekend, so if you have tickets for that event, you don’t need a separate ticket for this performance. Since the fan weekend is already sold out, this will be a great opportunity to hang out with fans from all over the globe that are coming to Amsterdam for this special occasion.

Tickets are available here.

But wait, there’s more. After many years of recording and touring constantly, I will be taking a break from performing live after December 17th. Besides hanging with my family and friends, reading and traveling, I also need some quiet months to fully focus on my next album. I have a plan and I think it will knock you off your feet, but I really need to take my time and make this new album the best it can possibly be. I feel like I'm on the verge of something wonderful and I want to give it my full attention when the time comes to start recording and prepare the new touring cycle somewhere in 2017. Expect something heavy and progressive folks!

You all know that I adore playing live and 2016 will be filled with shows, not only with The Gentle Storm and solo acoustic, but also in Dutch theatres with Árstíðir, so stay tuned for some more touring news soon and let’s make December 17th a night to remember!"

The first ever Anneke van Giersbergen Fan Weekend will take place December 16th – ­18th, 2016 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and will be packed with exciting events. The Fan Weekend will provide fans from all over the world with the opportunity to meet, socialize and connect with fellow fans. Anneke herself will be present during the whole weekend.

The program is as follows:

Friday, December 16th, 2016
- ­Welcome drink and goody bag
- Meet Anneke, grab some autographs, and get a professional photo taken together
- Dinner
- Acoustic solo performance at the hotel bar (including limited number of free drinks)
- Karaoke night with Anneke (including limited number of free drinks)
- Overnight accommodation included

Saturday, December 17th, 2016
- Breakfast
­- Canal boat tour in Amsterdam with a mini concert from Anneke and a special guest
­- Lunch
­- VIP sound check, go behind the scenes and watch Anneke and her band set up for their show
- Dinner
­- Anneke van Giersbergen full band performance (including limited number of free drinks)
­- Afterparty at the hotel bar (including limited number of free drinks)
­- Overnight accommodation included

Sunday, December 18th, 2016
- “Farewell for Now” breakfast
- Group photo

Go to this location for more details.