Eric Clapton Tour 2013 UPDATE: Guitarist Cancels Two Concert Dates Following 'Severe' Back Pain

Mumford & Sons aren't the last act to cancel tour dates this week. Guitarist Eric Clapton revealed via his website that he too is going to sit out a few days due to what he calls "severe back pain." 

A statement on his website read that Slowhand would not be performing as originally scheduled at his show in Vienna on Tuesday, nor at his concert in Stuttgart, Germany Wednesday night. The statement offered its apologies and encouraged fans to return their tickets for refunds at the venues. The site hinted that a rescheduling of the missed shows will be made a later date however. 

The statement says Clapton is currently seeing specialists to figure out the best form of rehabilitation for the guitarist, who is 68. The next date on his European Tour (aside from the cancelled shows) is Friday in Oberhausen, Germany. From there Clapton will play two more German gigs before wrapping up the tour in Prague. 

2013 has been unusually busy for Clapton, even for a musician that still tours on the regular. He spent April and May in the United States, concluding that circuit with a two-day stint at Madison Square Garden for his Crossroads Blues Festival. Early in May he went right back on the road, beginning his European tour in Dublin. 

Clapton is widely considered to be one of the greatest guitarists of all time, renowned for both his solo work and his stints in Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and The Dominos. 

Not to sound callous, but better his back than his beautiful, guitar-seducing hands.