Machine Head mastermind Robb Flynn has opened up about the inevitable conclusion of the band’s career, expressing a desire to bow out with a definitive, “graceful” ending rather than fading away. In a new interview with Rolling Stone Australia, the frontman compared his ideal retirement scenario to the cultural impact of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.”
While the band remains active and successful—recently wrapping a tour in Australia and supporting two acclaimed albums, 2022’s Of Kingdom And Crown and 2025’s Unatoned—Flynn admitted he is conscious of not overstaying his welcome.
“I don’t want this to go on forever, it shouldn’t go on forever,” Flynn told the publication. “It needs to end. Things end. I don’t know when that is for us… I’m always thinking in the back of my head like, ‘It should probably end soon…?’ Just so we can have an exclamation point on it.”
Flynn drew a direct parallel to “Stranger Things,” which is currently rolling out its fifth and final season. He cited the show’s ability to end while still being a massive “phenomenon” as the blueprint he wants to follow.
“You don’t want to be the old guys still hanging around at the party when the party ends,” Flynn explained. “Like Stranger Things! It’s a phenomenon, right? But it’s ending. I hope I reach the point where, when the time comes, we step away gracefully.”
The interview follows the conclusion of Machine Head‘s six-date Australian run, which finished on Sunday (December 7). The tour saw the band adapt to unexpected challenges, performing the first three shows as a power trio after their touring guitarist was forced to drop out due to a family emergency. Flynn was joined by bassist Jared MacEachern and drummer Matt Alston for those unique performances.
Despite the philosophical talk of retirement, Machine Head is charging ahead with ambitious plans for 2026. The band will return to Europe and the U.K. this spring for a massive “Evening With” headlining tour. The trek will feature three-hour sets each night with no support acts, promising “molten metal, raging pits and life-affirming sing-alongs.”
“An Evening With Machine Head” Spring 2026 Tour Dates:
- April 11 – Copenhagen, DK – Vega
- April 13 – Hamburg, DE – Inselparkhalle
- April 15 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja
- April 17 – Zwickau, DE – Stadthalle
- April 18 – Berlin, DE – Columbiahalle
- April 19 – Vienna, AT – Gasometer
- April 20 – Munich, DE – TonHalle
- April 22 – Milan, IT – Alcatraz
- April 23 – Marseille, FR – Espace Julien
- April 24 – Balma, FR – Interference
- April 25 – Pamplona, ES – Sala Totem
- April 27 – Madrid, ES – Riviera
- April 28 – Lisbon, PT – LAV
- April 29 – Malaga, ES – Paris 15
- April 30 – Barcelona, ES – Razzmatazz
- May 2 – Paris, FR – Olympia
- May 3 – Strasbourg, FR – La Laiterie
- May 4 – Saarbrücken, DE – Saarlandhalle
- May 6 – Ludwigsburg, DE – MHP Arena
- May 7 – Wiesbaden, DE – Schlachthof
- May 8 – Cologne, DE – Palladium
- May 9 – Fribourg, CH – Fri-Son
- May 11 – Tilburg, NL – 013
- May 12 – Brussels, BE – Ancienne Belgique
- May 14 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
- May 15 – Manchester, UK – O2 Victoria Warehouse
- May 16 – Wolverhampton, UK – Civic Hall
- May 17 – London, UK – O2 Academy Brixton
