Tropical F*ck Storm Launch GoFundMe, Cancel Extra Dates As Bassist Fights Cancer

Tropical Fuck Storm have had to cancel eighteen months of tour dates as bassist Fiona Kitschin faces treatment for stage three breast cancer.

Upon announcing her diagnosis in January, Kitschin and the band believed that her treatment would last until October 2023, but as of a few weeks ago, she and her bandmates found out that her treatment would need to be extended until the end of April 2024.

The schedule change has led to financial strain for the band, with lead vocalist and guitarist Gareth Liddiard creating a GoFundMe to help his longtime The Drones and Tropical Fuck Storm bandmate.

“Late last year Fiona (of TFS and The Drones fame: bass player, singer and all-round managerial personnel wrangler extraordinaire) was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and has been getting treatment since January,” Liddiard wrote in the GoFundMe description.

He revealed the original treatment plan: “We were given an initial plan that took her treatment up to late October 2023”, and the updated schedule: “She will now have to undertake treatment until the end of April 2024, which has really messed us up financially.”

The statement continued, “We have had to cancel eighteen months of international touring for TFS. We are trying to work around Fi's treatment and occasionally do some shows here in Australia, but unfortunately, it all adds up to a fraction of the work we'd get in any normal year.”

Liddiard shared that Tropical Fuck Storm were initially apprehensive about asking for financial aid, waiting for the time they really needed it. Now, the Melbourne band needs our help. “When we first announced Fi’s diagnosis, we were inundated with offers of help, which we truly appreciate. But wanted to wait to take those offers up until we really needed them, and now we do,” Liddiard added.

“We really appreciate all of your love and support, Fi is staying strong and positive, and she will see you all on the other side once we get her all fixed up.”

You can contribute to the GoFundMe fundraiser here.

Tropical Fuck Storm was formed by Kitschin and Liddiard, who both previously played in The Drones. They then recruited Lauren Hammel from High Tension and Erica Dunn from Mod Con, Harmony and more. 

The band have found success and international fame with their brand of weird rock music.

They released their first album, A Laughing Death in Meatspace, in 2018 to great acclaim before embarking on 2019's Braindrops and 2021's Deep States.

Earlier this year, the band dropped a cover EP titled Submersive Behaviour! which features their own unique spin on classics from legends like Jimi Hendrix, Middle Aged in the Middle East in the Middle Ages, Men Men Menstruation, Compliments to the Chef, and The Stooges. You can listen to that EP on Bandcamp.