Hospitalized
...and cancelled concerts
Hi.
I should probably mention that it’s my birthday today 😊, though this letter isn’t about me. Let's dive in…
There is no doubt. 2016 was a strenuous year for Aurora. (Never forget 2016). Close to year-end, she was touring in USA, but December the 1st she got really sick and hospitalized. The day after we could read the following post on her (then) Twitter account:
Reading through the 139 comments on this thread, there are a couple of voices that she had been pushed too far: maybe it's time to let her have a BREAK?😊((cc: glassnote, decca)) - as expected🙊you work too hard take care and get well soon lovely human being.
In spite of the cancellation, most people seemed to take it well. They wished her the best and prayed for her well-being. Good Warrior-spirits, there: Hey, little winter bird. Take your time and rest. I'm sure Portland will understand. You give so much. Get well soon.
Three days after the operation, Aurora posted a picture of herself sitting in a wheelchair at the airport. She added the following caption:1
When you have to travel home three days after surgery. Long journey home today. I'm still walking like a 150 year old grandmother, but our bodies heal quickly. This grandmother doesn't give up.2
She doesn’t go down easy, our Queen from the Fjord Of Light. After the cancelled show in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, it was predicted she would be ready for her Norwegian tour from the 12th of December.3 Sadly for Halden, it didn’t quite work that well. She had to cancel her first show in Norway too: 4
Attempted to see if I could jump. It was important. I managed without much pain, but I'm very sorry to say I have to cancel in Halden tonight. I need one more day before my body is ready to stand on a stage! Tomorrow I’ll be ready. It feels great not having to cancel any more. I’ve been looking forward to this week so much! I hope there is snow in all the cities we will visit. Excited like a Christmas pig, says Aurora in a press release.
Aurora was interviewed by radio P3’s Christine (above) and she was asked about her hospitalization - Here’s a transcript from the 4:32 timestamp:
Aurora:
I don't remember which city. Portland, I think. We had three concerts left in the entire US tour. And then I suddenly hurt very much, and then I remember telling my two managers: -"Maybe we need to cancel the next interview?", it was a TV interview. -"But I can do the concert tonight, that is fine.". But then it just got worse and worse.We thought just to go for a little walk to the hospital just to check. Then they were just... "Oh, it's about to explode." It was very dramatic: "explore, burst". And it is very dangerous. I had to have surgery almost immediately.
And then I didn't understand what "appendix" was. I had so much morphine in my body. - "We have to remove your the appendix"
"What? Think! Think! What is this?" I didn't understand anything. And then I was really out. We went home two days later. It was also not so good to sit down for so long.
Christine:
No, I just think everyone who followed it from "Silja" just thought like that... Oh my God, shit!Aurora:
So it wasn't so... And then I toured again eight days later. Then I tore up the stitches. It was almost...Christine:
What are you saying? You continued afterwards?Aurora:
Yes, and it hurt a lot. And then of course I had five concerts remaining, so it was like very unfortunate.Christine:
So the next time you get sick, maybe you should just wait until the stitches have healed.Aurora:
Yes, but it's very difficult. The most difficult thing is to cancel a concert.
Aurora went back to Portland for a concert in 2022. There she was interviewed about her last visit there - From the beginning:
AURORA:
Well… I was on tour - I think my second U.S. tour ever - in 2016, and I got my appendix… um… starting making trouble… you know… those rascals - those little rascals… uh… literally little pieces of… um… but, yes. They took it away from me here in Portland. And I feel only complete when I come back.And I'm… Somewhere here my appendix is, like, walking around - strutting the streets, feeling so proud and grown up all of a sudden.
Interviewer:
We're proud to say you've left a piece of yourself here in Portland, that's fantastic.AURORA:
It may be disgusting, but at least it's something
What happened to her appedix?
Aurora told the host Skavlan on TV2 that she had surgery with her own music playing in the background, finding it incredible to imagine the doctors working inside her while her songs filled the room. "I find organs very beautiful and even asked if I could take my appendix home with me," she said, revealing that the theme of organs will play a significant role in her next album. To her disappointment, she was denied taking it home, though.5
Community Spotlight
Auroraph.mothership on Instagram.
Tiff from AURORA's Philippines Warriors puts a lot of effort into building a fast growing, kind and inviting community for Aurora's warriors - especially for those living in the Philippines. Daily, she shares updates and build excitement for upcoming concerts and meet-ups. Her active use of the broadcast channel “Aurora's Rave Party” is also very impressive.
Also, take a look at the Facebook page she is co-administrating. There is a huge trend going on there, in which people create stickers and artwork that they wish to trade with each other at meet-ups. That’s cool, isn't it?
Fabrice’s corner
Fabrice is always the communiy’s most busy bee. In addition to serving us with new reactions and keeping track of all the “lost and found” videos of Aurora, he has now done an impressive work with the interview’s subtitles. Here is something of what that process look like:
- First, I had to make sure I had subtitles (and at least half-decent) for all the interviews (446 videos), which meant either downloading them if available, or generating them otherwise. I ended up with more than 250 new subs files ... That basically took 3 whole days, but that's a one-time thing (except when new interviews show up).
- Then, search for the wanted subject in those subtitles, and keep track of the related videos which are interesting (some are not : for Conqueror, for example, sometimes it was just the lyrics).
- Extract the relevant parts, resize the videos to a "coherent" format, embed the subs in the videos themselves when they're not in English
- Merge everything with some fades in/out, and write the description with links to the sources.
Here is an example video:
Enjoy!
Final words
Phew!
Haven’t you read enough now? Let’s end this, while we’re all happy, safe and healthy. And remember - Aurora needs her space to relax, too 😉
Have a day💚
Rune
Related post
Sources
Svenden, M. 2016, Dec 6. “Aurora viser livstegn etter innleggelsen: – Som en 150 år gammel bestemor”. VG. Retrieved 2025, Jan 21 from https://www.vg.no/rampelys/i/02kAG/aurora-viser-livstegn-etter-innleggelsen-som-en-150-aar-gammel-bestemor
Aksnes, A. 2016, Dec 5. Post on Instagram. Auroramusic. Retrieved 2016, Dec 6 from https://www.instagram.com/p/BNprMixBl9N
Karlsen, M.S. 2016, Dec 6. “Aurora Aksnes (20) ble i forrige uke akutt syk og operert i USA. Nå er hun hjemme igjen.”. BA - Bergensavisen. Retrieved 2025, Jan 21 from https://www.ba.no/pulsen/aurora/musikk/aurora-hjemme-etter-tre-dager-pa-sykehus-i-usa/s/5-8-476783
Karlsen, M.S. 2016, Dec 12. “Aurora avlyser åpningen av Norges-turneen etter blindtarmoperasjon”. KLIKK. Retrieved 2025, Jan 21 from https://www.klikk.no/underholdning/aurora-avlyser-apningen-av-norges-turneen-etter-blindtarmoperasjon-4630959
Solberg, J. 2019, Mar 22. "Aurora ville ta med seg blindtarmen hjem etter hasteoperasjon". Bergensavisen BA.no. Retrieved 2025, Jan 30 from https://www.ba.no/aurora-ville-ta-med-seg-blindtarmen-hjem-etter-hasteoperasjon/s/5-8-1015305
Man, that is crazy. I never knew this. So glad she was okay. Oh, and happy birthday! 😄
Rune! Wishing you a happy birthday. Forever thankful!