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'Missing' lead singer of Glasvegas needed a break, says guitarist

Last updated at 13:10pm on 09.09.09

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The frontman of Glasvegas is looking forward to going on a US tour this weekend despite reports that he had gone missing for five days, a band spokesman said today.

Bandmates raised fears for James Allan's health after he failed to appear at last night's Mercury music awards.

Looking forward: Glasvegas frontman James Allan

The band, nominated for their self-titled debut album, were forced to cancel their performance at the Grosvenor Hotel in London because Allan was "unwell".

The singer had reportedly not been seen by his colleagues since Friday, when the band flew back to its native Glasgow from Italy.

Glasvegas guitarist Rab Allan - James's cousin - told the Daily Record newspaper that the singer had "needed a break" but his disappearance had caused "panic" in the rest of the band.

"He has been working really, really hard," he said. "I miss him. The message is: 'Please get in touch'."

But a spokesman said today that Allan was not missing and was excited about supporting Kings of Leon on a US tour in two days.

A statement released by Columbia Records read: "James is not missing and he's very much looking forward to the Kings of Leon tour dates which start on the 11th September in Bristol Massachusetts in the USA."

Nominees: Only three members of Glasvegas turned up at the Mercury Music Awards last night

Frontman Allan wrote all the songs on their debut album, noted for its kitchen-sink dramas about death, violence and social workers.

The band, which formed in Glasgow in 2003, impressed the Mercury judges with their "bitter-sweet sounds of classic rock 'n' roll" and "gloriously elegiac anthems of contemporary life".

Reader views (2)

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I very much enjoy Glasvegas' first album. I listen to it 3-4 times a week. Hopefully their USA tour includes a stop in Toronto.

- Ed, Toronto, ON, Canada

They have to be the most overhyped band of recent years. I am not sure I would be brave enough to turn up ay yje Mercury Prize with an album as weak as that

- Keith Price, Luton England