New Year’s got off to a rocky start in some parts of the world, and finished up with a bang in others.
Electronic DJ Erick Morillo had to bail on his gig spinning at the Cafe de la Musique in Trancoso, Brazil, after falling ill.
A source tells us the club was notified last minute that Morillo would be unable to perform. Many feared that the New Jersey native — who did a stint in rehab this summer after missing a string of gigs — had fallen off the wagon. A source familiar with the venue told Page Six, “They’d spent a fortune to bring him down there.”
But when reached for comment on New Year’s Eve, Morillo told us that he had a kidney infection, and was “OK” and “at home.”
He added that speculation about an overdose was “not true.” A rep for Morillo also said that the DJ was sick and did not overdose. When Morillo missed a gig back in March during Miami Music Week, he explained he’d been tending to his mother, who was ill.
We hear Musique ended up booking top French DJ Martin Solveig, who’s collaborated with Bloc Party, to replace Morillo on the big night.
Separately, Black Eyed Peas leader Will.i.am was also in the middle of a New Year’s booking snafu in Brazil after reports surfaced he bailed on a gig at Rio’s Copacabana event, Réveillon. But a rep for the music producer and “I Gotta Feeling” singer said in a statement: “Will.i.am never formally agreed to the gig after some production details were never confirmed.”