BANGALORE: English Hard rock band Def Leppard's scheduled performances in Bangalore and Mumbai have been cancelled in light of general unrest in India. E-18, the organizers have cited recent serial blasts in various cities and the church burning fiasco as the only reason for this cancellation. Def Leppard, known for their hits including 'Pour some sugar on me,' 'Hysteria' and 'Love Bites' were scheduled to perform at Palace Grounds in Bangalore on October 17 and at MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai on October 19. The second leg of their world tour in support of their new album 'Songs from the sparkle lounge' was originally scheduled to begin in India will now start at Tokyo and take them to Australia and will end in New Zealand.

According to Farhad Wadia, CEO of E-18: "It is the most responsible thing to do considering what has been happening in various cities." When asked if this was a directive from authorities, he denied it and went on to explain: "As a concert promoter, we have a duty to the public. I don't want to jeopardize public safety. Through organizing a concert, I don't want the loss of an animal, forget human being. I also don't want a law and order situation on my hands. The show will be rescheduled for early 2009."

The Def Leppard website released a statement saying: "We are sorry to report that due to unforeseen circumstances, the two shows in India (scheduled to take place on October 17 and 19 in Bangalore and Mumbai, resp.) have been cancelled. We apologize to our Indian fans and we hope to be able to make up for it in the future."