update: British "modfather" Paul Weller [ tickets ] has called off a seven-city tour of North America, just a week before it was scheduled to get underway.

According to a statement issued via Weller's official site, the costs of mounting a U.S. tour proved to be "disastrous," prompting the decision.

The statement noted that Weller hopes to attempt a North American tour in 2001, at which point Weller's representatives say that record label support could materialize to help offset costs.

Ticket-holders can obtain refunds at their point of purchase.

Weller’s tour was scheduled to open on Oct. 6 in Boston, and was expected to visit the New York, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco markets.

A U.K. tour, originally booked to follow the U.S. dates, will continue unaffected.