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Jennifer Finch has played bass in L7 since the band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. L7 became known as part of the grunge and punk scene in the early 1990s, with hits including "Pretend We're Dead", before splitting up and later reforming. They released a comeback album, Scatter the Rats, in 2019 and celebrated 40 years together with a concert last year.

L7 had been due to play a series of farewell shows this autumn as part of what they are calling their Last Hurrah tour, intended to mark the end of the band's touring career. Finch's illness means she will not be able to join those opening dates, raising questions over how the tour will proceed without one of its founding members.

The wider significance of the story lies in Finch's standing as a key figure in an influential band, and in the practical and financial pressures that come with serious illness, which is why supporters have set up a fundraiser to help with her medical care.