Rock group Green Day to resume touring in March

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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. rock group Green Day says it has rescheduled its concert tour starting in March now that lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong has been treated for addiction.

The tour originally was to kick off in Seattle in September and was to end in Tempe, Ariz., Dec. 10.

All of those gigs, as well as scheduled appearances for January and February, were canceled after Armstrong checked into a treatment facility.

The singer said he was seeking help for substance abuse problems after he ranted on stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival because he thought his group's set was cut short to make way for other acts.

The band later said it had as much time as expected and apologized for Armstrong's behavior.

"We want to thank everyone for hanging in with us for the last few months," the musicians said in a statement on their website Sunday. "We are very excited to hit the road and see all of you again, though we regret having to cancel more shows."

Armstrong wrote a separate message, expressing his gratitude to fans who offered him their support.

"I just wanted to thank you all for all the love [and] support you've showed for the past few months," he wrote. "Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm eternally grateful to have such an amazing set of friends and family. I'm getting better everyday. So now, without further ado, the show must go on... We can't wait to get on the road and live out loud! Our passion has only grown stronger. Happy new year. We love you all. Rage and love."

Green Day said it will now kick off its string of shows March 28 in Chicago. The tour will wrap in Quebec City April 12.