As many of us were shocked to hear that Phil wouldn't be performing with Bruce at the final Shadowmania after thirteen previous appearances, I felt that it only right to contact Phil and get the full story on behalf of the members of this site, many of whom buy the tickets for this event.
Here is Phil's email to me on Thursday last - read on . . . . . and tell us what you think.
Hi Dave,
I am truly gutted to not be a part of what is deemed to be the last shadowmania, a couple of months ago i would have put my hands up and stepped down myself because.i could not have coped with it, i have a large piturity tumour that has apparently been growing for about 6 years and that needs to be removed from under my brain ,which hopefully is benign, most of them are, but they reap havoc throughout your body with your whole hormonal system, so you cannot concentrate, you suffer memory loss, ( look at me on some previous shadowmanias ) i would just go completely blank, it effects your mood and attitude, my thyroid has hardly been working hence the weight gain , you name it , the list goes on and on, the sad fact is i am responding well to the medication i am being given to replace in my body what the tumour has prevented me having hormonally speaking, and i am getting better every day , my eyesight is not so good at times and glasses only help to a certain degree as the tumour exerts different pressure on my optic nerves from day to day, but i could have done the gig, i was stunned to be blew out with 6 weeks still to go, so not given a chance really, at the worst i would have maybe needed my glasses on from time to time if i went blurred on stage, but i think the audience would have excepted this rather than me not be there at all..
I am truly grateful for all the messages of support, truly amazed, people have been really kind.
I felt people should know what had transpired with regards to the show as nobody else had been vocal..
Anyhow, i will just have to get over it, thankyou again for your message ,i mean everthing i say, it was really appreciated,
best regards Dave,
Phil.