Rob Zombie Bassist ‘Piggy D’ Out, Rob “Blasko” Nicholson Returns After 18 Years
(Editor’s note: This story originally ran when we only knew that Piggy D had left the band. We’ve since learned that Blasko is taking his place, so we’ve added some context up top. The original story is duly noted.)
Things have been shaken up in the Rob Zombie camp today, as original bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson is back in the fold. The news came within the last hour, as Rob Zombie officially announced the four-stringer’s return on Instagram.
“After 18 years I am thrilled to announce that BLASKO has returned! ☠️ The original 4 string Zombie monster is back. Get ready for a crazy summer of mayhem. ☠️ #freaksonparadetour #robzombie #blasko #riggs #gingerfish”
Blasko played with Rob Zombie from 1997 to 2006. Since then, he’s played for Ozzy Osbourne.
The news came a few hours after long-time bassist Matthew “Piggy D’ Montgomery announced his exit from the band. We still don’t know exactly why he decided to leave the band, but we at least now know who’s going to handle the low end when Rob Zombie goes on tour.
Original story: In a private Instagram post on his official page, long-time Rob Zombie bassist Matthew “Piggy D’ Montgomery announced that he was leaving the band. Having played with the shock rocker’s outfit since 2006, his first credit on a studio release didn’t come about until the 2010 album Hellbilly Deluxe 2: Noble Jackals, Penny Dreadfuls and the Systematic Dehumanization of Cool.
Rob Zombie himself has yet to comment on the bassist’s exit, but that’s par for the course, since he didn’t really comment on John 5’s departure from the band as well.
Still, Montgomery’s personal statement makes it sound like things happened amicably, as there’s no hint of anger or frustration in his post.
“Dear Friends. My time with Zombie has come to an end. It was an honor to entertain you for the last 18 years. I look forward to the future and wish everyone the best.”
The news of Piggy’s departure comes less than 24 hours after the announcement of yet another leg of the Rob Zombie/Alice Cooper ‘Freaks On Parade tour.’ And while that might be cause for panic in the Rob Zombie camp, they’ve got plenty of time to find a replacement bassist, as things don’t kick off until late August.
Tickets are be available through CitiBank and through artist preorders today. Additional presales will run throughout the week, with the general public finally getting a crack at some tickets this Friday, February 2 at 10 a.m. You can find the full list of dates below.
2024 FREAKS ON PARADE TOUR DATES:
Tue Aug 20 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Thu Aug 22 – West Valley City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat Aug 24 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena ^^
Sun Aug 25 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Tue Aug 27 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds
Wed Aug 28 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
Fri Aug 30 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Aug 31 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sun Sep 01 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Tue Sep 03 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Wed Sep 04 – Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
Fri Sep 06 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Sat Sep 07 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Sun Sep 08 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Tue Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Wed Sep 11 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Thu Sep 12 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 14 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Sun Sep 15 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Tue Sep 17 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Wed Sep 18 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
^^ General onsale begins 2/9 at 10am local for Lincoln, NE only
