Static-X Tease Mysterious Fill-In Vocalist for Wisconsin Death Trip Anniversary Tour Dates

The internet peanut gallery hasn’t been short on opinions about Static-X’s upcoming reunion tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip. Those raised on ’90s nu-metal have reveled in the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of Wayne Static live and in the flesh, while some have been quick to question the other band members’ motives, with Emmure frontman Frankie Palmeri a vocal critic and Static-X’s former tour manager coming to the band’s defense.

Whether you’re all about the reunion or you can’t stand Static-X (or you simply don’t care), one question remains: who will be fronting the band?

While some speculated that members of tour-mates DevilDriver and Dope would step in for a collaborative effort, it seems from a recently posted video that one person will fill the role of Static-X vocalist both on tour and on the band’s forthcoming album Project Regeneration. Who that is, however, is still anyone’s guess.

In an updated trailer for the tour featuring staged footage of the band performing, a vocalist can be seen on stage with a full face-paint getup and hair done in what can only be described as a distinctly Wayne Static-esque style. In an accompanying statement in which the band also announced dates in Europe, the U.K., Australia and additional dates in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, they offered:

“Everyone wants to know who will be singing and how we will be pulling off the material live…. Well, here it is. Watch this video and you will see and hear exactly what we will be doing on the tour.

“For us, the goal was 100% about recapturing the vibe and the spirit of Static-X. We were never interested in using a hologram or using Wayne’s pre-recorded vocals. It has to be real and it has to have a soul and a pulse.

“Static-X has always been four guys. Two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. We didn’t want to mess with that formula. This is the most electric version of Wisconsin Death Trip 2.0 that we can imagine, without actually having Wayne here with us.

“We look forward to celebrating the 20th anniversary of ‘Wisconsin Death Trip‘ with you all, as we pay our respects to Wayne each night around the world.”

In a comment left on the video post, bassist Tony Campos posted a lengthy statement addressing his history with Wayne Static, including their eventual falling out, the reasons behind it, his regrets and what he hopes to accomplish on the upcoming tour:

“Thank you so much for all of the positive vibes and excitement around what we’re doing with Project Regeneration. I wanted to take a few minutes to personally address some of the questions and misinformation surrounding the dynamics of my relationship with Wayne, particularly towards the end.

“It is important for people to remember that I worked, side by side with Wayne, for more than 15 years. He and I shared some of the most amazing experiences of our lives together! We worked together, played together, and helped each other achieve our childhood dreams. Through it all, we developed a friendship that went beyond the band. Together, along with Ken and Koichi, we brought Static-X from the streets of LA, all the way to the main stages of Ozzfest. We made 6 albums together, and shared more on a personal level than I can even put into words.

“Several people came and went through the ranks of Static-X throughout the years. Managers, agents, band members, etc. Through everything, I remained a steady partner to Wayne in Static-X. I love the band, and I love the music that we all made together.

“Being in a band comes along with many challenges. Success, pressure, expectations, fame, money, personal influences, and egos can all be very divisive factors for people that are working and living in such close quarters for extended periods of time. When you add drugs and alcohol into the mix, it can be very easy to lose yourself, and lose sight of what’s really important.

“As time went on, Wayne began to isolate himself from the band. Drugs and alcohol truly began to take over. His personal life became more of the focal point of Static-X, and was on display during band interviews as well as on stage. I found myself in many uncomfortable positions, and began to feel the need to stand up for myself and protect the integrity of the band that we worked so hard to build.

“Unfortunately, Wayne and I eventually reached a point where it seemed impossible to overcome our differences. Wayne expressed his intent to go solo, so we agreed to take some time away from one another and to give Static-X a break. Neither Wayne or I quit the band. Our partnership remained intact, while our personal differences kept us from working together.
After some time, Wayne expressed the desire to tour his solo band under the name of Static-X. I knew that it remained impossible for me to insert myself back into that toxic environment, so I reluctantly agreed to give Wayne my blessing to tour Static-X, without my involvement, for a limited time. We both came to a business agreement and we went about our separate lives.

“During that tour, some legal troubles involving drugs took place, and ultimately led to cutting the tour short. While Wayne did also have a lingering health issue, it was this incident that ultimately ended the Wayne “solo band” touring as Static-X experiment.

“Wayne returned to his solo project and I continued touring with my other projects. We both had hurt feelings. Wayne was angry that I didn’t want to continue on with the way things were and I was angry over how helpless I was to stop any of it from happening to begin with. To make matters worse, we both began vocalizing our unhappiness and our frustrations with one another publicly. I sincerely regret us doing that.

“In the end, you can never be prepared to lose someone that you have cared about, so unexpectedly. In my heart, I hoped that Wayne would eventually rise above his demons and that we would reconcile. I was not prepared for Wayne’s passing. None of us were. It was devastating for me. I never got to reconcile with my friend. I never got to apologize, or to forgive to my friend while he was still alive. I never got to say goodbye.

“Unless you have unexpectedly lost someone, you may not truly be able to understand what I am expressing. It changes everything. It makes you realize how short and fragile life is, and how lucky we all are to be alive. It makes you replay all of the situations in your head and wish that you could have done things differently. All of that, while having to accept the fact that your friend is gone, and that you will never get to express any of this to them.

“The bottom line is:
I miss Wayne. Despite our differences and disagreements, he was my friend for over a decade. He was my brother and my partner. Many of the people that were closest to Wayne in the early years were driven out of his life towards the end. In our own ways, we all did our best to reach him, but we were all powerless to save him.

“I wish that Wayne was here, celebrating 20 years of Wisconsin Death Trip with us. I truly believe in my heart, that if Wayne were sober and healthy, and had distanced himself from the negative influences in his life, he’d be doing this with us. I know that Kenny and Koichi feel the same way that I do.

“Making this record with Ken, Koichi, and our friends, and bringing this to all of the fans, is the best way that I can think of to express my love, my respect, and my admiration to my old friend. Having personally reached out to Wayne’s family and gaining their blessing, I feel like this is the right way to celebrate and remember who Wayne truly was, and all the good times we had together. This is the send off Wayne deserves.

“In closing, I just want to say, I am not interested in rehashing the things that divided us. I am only interested in celebrating the things that brought us all together. I hope this has been a helpful insight. I look forward to bringing everyone together as we celebrate Wayne’s life, and the music we all made together in Static-X.

“I thank you all for the love and support!”

You can find all upcoming Static-X tour dates below the video.

NORTH AMERICA Part 1

STATIC-X & DevilDriver with support from Dope:
June 18 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
June 19 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
June 21 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live
June 22 – Houston, TX @ The Warehouse
June 23 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
June 25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
June 26 – Greenville, SC @ The Firmament
June 28 – Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
June 29 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
June 30 – Scranton, PA @ Levels
July 2 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
July 3 – London, ON @ London Music Hall
July 4 – Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey
July 5 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s
July 6 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
July 7 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
July 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s
July 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater
July 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Citadel
July 12 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
July 13 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s
July 14 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
July 16 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
July 18 – Cadott, WI @ Cadott Rockfest
July 19 – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino
July 20 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
July 21 – Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater
July 23 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
July 25 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Catch One
July 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues

AUSTRALIA
STATIC-X with support from Wednesday 13 and Dope
Aug 22 – Brisbane, Australia @ Eaton Hill
Aug 23 – Melbourne, Australia @ Croxton
Aug 24 – Sydney, Australia @ Metro
Aug 26 – Adelaide, Australia @ The Gov
Aug 27 – Perth, Australia @ Rock Rover

RUSSIA
STATIC-X Only
Sept 20 – St Petersburg, Russia @ Cosmonavt Club
Sept 21 – Moscow, Russia @ Giavclub

UNITED KINGDOM
STATIC-X with Soil, Wednesday 13 and Dope
Sept 24 – Bristol, England @ SWX
Sept 25 – Cardiff, Wales @ Tramshed
Sept 26 – London, England @ Electric Ballroom
Sept 27 – Nottingham, England @ Rock City
Sept 28 – Leeds, England @ Stylus
Sept 29 – Southampton, England @ Engine Room
Oct 01 – Newcastle, England @ Northumbria Institute
Oct 02 – Glasgow, Scotland @ The Garage
Oct 03 – Manchester, England @ The Ritz
Oct 04 – Birmingham, England @ 02 Institute

EUROPE
STATIC-X with Wednesday 13, Soil and Dope
Oct 05 – Paris, France @ File 7
Oct 06 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix Club
Oct 07 – Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
Oct 09 – Cologne, Germany @ Essigfabrik
Oct 10 – Mannheim, Germany @ MS Connex
Oct 11 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Dynamo
Oct 12 – Pinarella di Cervia, Italy @ Rock Planet
Oct 13 – Munich, Germany @ Backstage

NORTH AMERICA Part 2
Dec 10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Royal Bar
Dec 11 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
Dec 12 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
Dec 13 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
Dec 14 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Dec 15 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater