[artist id="995"]Metallica[/artist] postponed their concert in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday after lead singer/ guitarist James Hetfield was taken to the hospital, according to The Associated Press. Organizers said 16,000 fans left the Stockholm Globe Arena without seeing the band perform.

Spokeswoman Carolina Satterwall told the AP that Hetfield caught a stomach bug Sunday and suffered dehydration, but left the hospital that evening. He has returned to the United States with the rest of the band.

Fans found out about the cancellation minutes before the concert was due to start, when the other members came onstage to deliver the news.

Drummer Lars Ulrich said the bandmembers were "truly, truly, truly sorry."

"Trust me, none of you guys wanna hear me, Rob or Kirk sing," he added, referring to bassist Robert Trujillo and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett.

On Sunday, the band posted a message on its Web site saying: "Tonight's second show in Stockholm has been cancelled due to James falling ill and receiving medical attention at the hospital. The show WILL be rescheduled sometime this spring, so keep watching this space for more details. We apologize to all our fans who have travelled from near and far and we look forward to coming back soon."

The band's next scheduled concert is March 25 in Birmingham, England. The band will be inducted into the [article id="1602689"]Rock and Roll Hall of Fame[/article] next month.