Chad Gray, the frontman behind two of heavy metal's most identifiable voices — MUDVAYNE and the now-dormant HELLYEAH — has announced his first-ever solo tour, "Thirty Years of Madness." The 26-date run spans July through October 2026, with BUTCHER BABIES and DEVIL'S CUT providing support throughout.
Gray's reasoning is characteristically direct. In an interview, he explained: "I'm 54 fucking years old. I'm not taking a year off. That's like me putting my happiness in a cage for a year." During a period when MUDVAYNE is taking a break from active touring, Gray made the decision to keep performing rather than sit idle — drawing on both bands' catalogs to put together a set covering three decades of his work.
The backing band for the solo run includes Marcus Rafferty (guitar), Devin Attard (drums), Nick Villarreal (bass), and Joe Bonasorte (guitar) — an ensemble assembled specifically for the tour.
The lineup of festival appearances strengthens the announcement considerably. Rockfest in Wisconsin, Louder Than Life in Kentucky, and Aftershock in California are among the most significant heavy music festivals on the American calendar. Gray performing at all three signals that this solo venture is being taken seriously by promoters and the industry at large.
The HELLYEAH dimension adds specific interest. The band, which formed in 2006 with Gray alongside former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott (who died in 2018), released five studio albums before going inactive following Paul's death. With HELLYEAH unlikely to continue as an active entity, Gray performing that material solo preserves it for live presentation in a way that would otherwise be lost.
MUDVAYNE reunited in 2021 after a thirteen-year hiatus and released their comeback single 'Dull Boy' in 2023. The solo tour during a break in MUDVAYNE's activity represents Gray filling the creative space rather than waiting for the machine to restart.
Presale tickets began June 9. General on-sale started June 12.