The original Misfits lineup is set to reunite for the first time since 1983 at this year’s Riot Fests in Chicago and Denver. While the gigs will bring together singer Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only, and guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein for the first time in over 30 years, there’s the little issue of the drummer. The horror punk pioneers went through numerous drummers during their “original era”, with Arthur Googy lasting the longest from 1980 to 1982. So who will sit behind the kit for the reunion gigs?
Instead of going back to the well with one of their short-lived former band members, the Misfits have tapped ex-Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies drummer Dave Lombardo for the Riot Fest performances.
“I first met Dave back in 1988 when Danzig did four shows with Slayer in the US, before the first Danzig album was released,” Danzig told Rolling Stone. “Dave is one of the best drummers around, and I can’t wait for everyone to see him pounding Misfits songs live for these special shows.”
“The Misfits created the horror punk attitude and had a massive influence on modern rock, punk and metal,” Lombardo said of joining the group. “It was an easy decision for me to join them for these monumental shows. I was honored to be asked, and am very excited to be playing with the band.”
Only added that when it came to Lombardo, he and Glenn “immediately on the same page from the very start; a good sign of things to come. I think the darker side of punk we created with the Misfits spawned the growth and evolution of punk into thrash, and sired bands like Metallica and Slayer, just as we inspired countless others in the punk revolution.”
Lombardo will make his debut with Misfits when they head to Denver on September 2nd. The Chicago gig goes down on September 16th. As for the potential of future performances, “We’ll see how it goes,” Danzig said back in May. “It may lead to some other work, but who knows how it’s going to turn out?”
