Toto has announced that Leland Sklar will be returning to the band next year when they launch tours in Europe and Japan in support of their first new album in a decade Toto XIV.The European tour is scheduled to kick off in Brussels, Belgium on January 16th at the Forest National and they will visit cities in France, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden before concluding on February 21st in Helsinki.
The band will then head east to launch their Japanese tour on March 3rd in Sundai at the Sundai Sun Plaza. That trek will be wrapping up on March 15th at the Nagoya Shi Kokaido.
Sklar will be reuniting with the band, taking the place of founding bassist David Hungate, who had the following to say about his reasons for stepping away from the group, "There's no place like home, particularly after 4 months on the road. The past two years reunion with Toto has been one of the sweetest experiences, and greatest honors of my life.
"All good things must come to an end however. I no longer have the stamina and resilience required for extended touring, and I do need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
"Much gratitude to the fans and friends who have supported the band over the years, and to my brothers in Toto... I can never thank you adequately for the music, the laughs and the friendship going back 40 years. Love and happy trails to you all."
The band had this to say about his departure, "We would like to express HUGE love and gratitude to or brother David Hungate for his gifted playing, his amazing professionalism and good humor. It was awesome having you back these last two years and we will cherish the memories. You have not seen the last of us. Stay well brother."
Toto 2016 European Tour Dates
January:
27 - Brussels, Belgium Forest National
28 - Strasbourg, France Zenith
29 - Paris, France Olympia
31 - Bordeaux, France Patinoire Meriadeck
February
1 - Nantes, France Zenith
3 - Rouen, France Zenith
4 - Epernay-Pierry, France Le Millesium
6 - Torino, Italy Parcolimpico Torino
7 - Montichiari, Brescia, Italy Palazzetto dello Sport
9 - Vienna, Austria Gasometer
11 - Tilburg, Netherlands 013 Poppodium Tilburg
14 - Groningen, Netherlands Oosterpoort
15 - Aarhus, Denmark Scandinavian Congress Center
17 - Stavanger, Norway DNB Arena
18 - Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene
19 - Stockholm, Sweden Fryshuset
21 - Helsinki, Finland Icehall
Japan Tour Dates
March
3 - Sundai, Japan Sundai Sun Plaza
4 - Yokohama, Japan Pacifico
7 - Tokyo, Japan Nihon Budokan
9 - Fukuoka, Japan Zepp (Fukuoka)
10 - Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima Ueno Gakuen Hall
14 - Osaka, Japan Festival Hall
15 - Nagoya, Japan Nagoya Shi Kokaido
