Deftones are touring Europe right now for the first time since 2018. Well, almost all of the Deftones. Notably, guitarist Stephen Carpenter opted to sit out the entire trek, marking the first time he's ever not participated on a Deftones tour since the band's founding in 1988.
"As much as I would love to be on the road with my brothers, playing for all of our incredible international fans, I have decided to remain playing domestically for now," he wrote in a statement posted on May 20th. "With everything going on in the world, I'm just not ready to leave home and leave the country yet."
In his place, he and his bandmates tapped a musician named Lance Jackman, who played rhythm guitar with the 'Tones on a few dates earlier this spring and is known around Sacramento for several other acts, to handle lead axeman duties on this European run. On June 4th, the band played their tour kickoff with a mighty set at Germany's iconic Rock Am Ring festival, and there's high-quality video of the whole set available for viewing above via YouTube.
Technically, this isn't the first performance without Carpenter on guitar. On May 21st, Deftones' North American tour traveled up to Quebec and Carpenter remained in the United States then, while Jackman filled his shoes. However, the June 4th set is the first major festival appearance without Carpenter's presence, and while the band sound tight as ever, it is a bit strange to not see him up there jamming away.
Additionally, this tour also features their new fill-in bassist Fred Sablan, who took over bass duties from longtime bassist Sergio Vega, who had been touring and playing with the band since 2009 but quit earlier this year due to not feeling fully appreciated for his role in the group.
