Jay Weinberg announces return to live music after Slipknot firing

Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has announced his first show since being fired by the band late last year.

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Yesterday (January 24), Weinberg took to Instagram to announce that he will be back behind the drum kit with Infectious Grooves, a supergroup consisting of members of Suicidal Tendencies, Faith No More, and Metallica, for the band’s appearance at the Byron Bay, Australia festival, Bluesfest.

“I’m honoured and thrilled to head to Australia with the legendary Infectious Grooves for a special performance at Bluesfest,” wrote Weinberg in the caption, before suggesting that he had other projects yet to be announced: “Stay tuned for more.” The poster depicted in the Instagram post states “Australian Tour ’24”, suggesting that Weinberg may be joining the band for a full-length tour of the country.

Infectious Grooves is a funk metal supergroup consisting of vocallist Mike Muir and guitarist Dean Pleasants of Suicidal Tendencies and Rob Trujillo of Metallica. Weinberg will be filling in for original drummer, Brooks Wackerman of Avenged Sevenfold, who will supposedly be unavailable to play the Bluesfest date. According to Bluesfest’s official website, Dave Kushner of Velvet Revolver will also fill in for one of the band’s guitarists, Jim Martin of Faith No More.

The mainly roots music and blues-themed Bluesfest will take place between March 28 and April 1, and will also feature Jack Johnson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Tom Jones, Drive-By Truckers, Snarky Puppy and more. Tickets for the event are available on the festival’s official website.

Jay Weinberg’s firing from Slipknot was announced in November 2023, with the Iowa metal group stating that they were “intent on evolving”, and that Weinberg’s firing was a “creative decision”. In response, Weinberg released a statement, in which he stated that he was “heartbroken and blindsided” by the news, though he also thanked fans for the continued support. “I’ve been overwhelmed by — and truly grateful for — the outpouring of love and support I’ve received from this incredible community I consider to be my creative and artistic home,” he wrote.

In an interview with NME shortly after the announcement, Shawn “Clown” Crahan stated that the band was attempting to “harness the energy” of late members Paul Gray and Joey Jordison. “They weigh heavy on my heart at the moment and there are so many things happening in my mind about yesteryear,” he stated. “I remember it like it was yesterday.”

Two weeks later, Weinberg revealed that he was undergoing hip surgery to correct a “misshapen part of [his] femur”. In December, Weinberg also stated that he “wouldn’t trade the world” for his 10-year stint with Slipknot. He detailed that the period was one marked by growth, writing: “Throughout that time, I learned much about application, tenacity, and the satisfaction of committing to breaking through creative thresholds; reaching those artistic goals through constant, concentrated hard work — all fuelled by true love of the music.”

Following the news of Weinberg’s unexpected exit from Slipknot, his former Against Me! bandmate Laura Jane Grace – the two of whom have butted heads multiple times during their stint in the band together – wrote on X: “Oh does it suck to find out via Twitter little bitch boy,” and added, “If true, poetic justice.” Grace later tweeted, seemingly in reference to her previous tweet: “Reminder to self: focus on promoting new album single and upcoming tour dates, try not to be a spiteful cunt.”