Bay Area metal titans Machine Head have announced a significant, last-minute change to the lineup for the start of their Australian tour. Frontman Robb Flynn confirmed on Wednesday that the band will perform as a three-piece for their upcoming “Good Things” festival sideshows after their hired touring guitarist was forced to withdraw due to a family emergency.
For the upcoming headline dates in Perth, Sunshine Coast, and Canberra, the band will consist solely of Flynn (vocals/guitar), bassist Jared MacEachern, and drummer Matt Alston.
The situation is the result of a string of unfortunate events regarding the second guitar slot. Flynn took to social media to explain the “unique” circumstances, revealing that the band’s usual touring guitarist, Reece Alan Scruggs, was already unavailable due to his father’s cancer diagnosis. When a fill-in musician also dropped out this week, the band was left without a second axe-man.
“These are gonna be some pretty unique shows that we’re doing for the first three [Good Things Festival] side shows in Australia because the guitar player that we had hired to do these six dates ended up having a family emergency,” Flynn explained in a video update (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “And so, as you know from before, Reece‘s father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, and so he’s staying home. Zack [Ohren], who fills in [on guitar] for us sometimes, couldn’t make it out because he had a health issue. And then this guy had something going on.”
Despite the stripped-down lineup, Flynn assured fans that the shows will retain the band’s signature intensity. He likened the upcoming performances to the “Electric Happy Hour” livestreams he and MacEachern hosted during the pandemic, noting that the band has successfully performed as a trio in the past.
“It’s gonna be myself, Jared and Matt. And it’s gonna be basically ‘Electric Happy Hour’ style, which is how Jared and I have been doing the livestreams for five years now,” Flynn said. “In fact, this isn’t the first time at all that we’ve played as a three-piece. The first time we did a secret show at Bloodstock [Open Air] festival, we played as a three-piece. It was just myself, Jared and Matt… we ended up playing about six or seven songs a night for the first two weeks as a three-piece, and it worked out cool.”
Flynn framed the logistical hurdle as an opportunity for die-hard fans to witness a rare configuration of the band, promising a setlist that dives deep into their catalog.
“So, I’m actually looking forward to it because it’s still gonna be ‘An Evening With’ show where we’ve got a lot of songs to pull from,” he continued. “We’re gonna do some deep cuts, some fun stuff. And if you’re coming out to either Perth or Sunshine Coast or Canberra, you’re gonna get a pretty, pretty unique, pretty once-in-a-lifetime viewing of Machine Head shows.”
While the trio format is confirmed for the headline club shows, the band has not yet clarified who will handle second guitar duties for their main stage appearances at the Good Things Festival, which begins in Melbourne on December 5.
Machine Head Australian Tour Dates (Trio Format)
- Nov. 29 – Perth – Astor Theater
- Dec. 01 – Sunshine Coast – The Station
- Dec. 03 – Canberra – UC Refectory
Good Things Festival Appearances (Lineup TBD)
- Dec. 05 – Melbourne – Flemington Racecourse
- Dec. 06 – Sydney – Sydney Showground
- Dec. 07 – Brisbane – Brisbane Showgrounds
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