Polaris’ Jamie Hails To Miss Hellbound Cruise, Inertia’s Julian Latouche Steps In

Polaris vocalist Jamie Hails will miss Hellbound after being advised against performing due to illness, with Inertia’s Julian Latouche stepping in to keep the band’s two sets on the cruise going ahead.

Fans were queuing to board in Sydney on Thursday, October 22, ahead of the three-night voyage. For Polaris, the weekend now involves a last-minute change behind the microphone, with Latouche learning two sets’ worth of material on less than 24 hours’ notice.

In a statement, Polaris said Hails had contracted a respiratory tract infection on the flight home to Australia. The band said he had been diagnosed with tonsillitis, bronchitis, pharyngitis and uvulitis, and would stay home to recover.

“Despite his best efforts to get back in ship-shape, he has been medically cautioned against performing lest he run the risk of serious long-term vocal damage,” the band said.

Polaris had only just returned to the country ahead of the cruise. Rather than cancel their performances, they called on Latouche to fill in for Hails.

“As we couldn’t bear the thought of pulling out of this weekend’s performances at the last minute, we’ve had to make the difficult decision for Jamie to stay home to recover, while our good friend Julian Latouche from Inertia has bravely jumped on board, learning two sets worth of Polaris material with less than 24 hours notice so that we can deliver these shows as promised.”

The band also called on the crowd to help carry the shows.

“We know that we can rely on his vocal talents and your collective energy to create some amazing memories over this weekend. See you on the high seas.”

Hails’ absence follows several changes to Hellbound’s original bill, including Windwaker’s withdrawal earlier this month. Polaris remain on the lineup, with both performances set to go ahead with Latouche.

Hellbound runs from October 22 to 25 aboard Carnival Splendor, departing from and returning to Sydney.

Featured image: Jamie Hails performing in Berlin on October 13, 2026. Photo: Gina Wetzler/Redferns via Getty Images.