Just hours after bassist Piggy D. revealed that he was exiting Rob Zombie’s band early on Tuesday morning (January 30th), Zombie announced the return of his original bassist, Rob “Blasko” Nicholson.
“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,” posted Zombie on Instagram (see below), along with the band’s new lineup of himself, Blasko, guitarist Mike Riggs, and drummer Ginger Fish.
Earlier in the day, Piggy D stated, “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. Peace & Love, Matt Montgomery aka Count D., Piggy D., Giggles.”
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Piggy actually replaced Blasko back in 2006 after the latter left Zombie to join Ozzy Osbourne’s band. With Ozzy’s touring days all but over, Blasko is now back in Zombie land.
The lineup change follows a switch at guitar in late 2022, when John 5 exited Zombie’s band to replace Mick Mars in Mötley Crüe. With Mike Riggs back on guitar, and Blasko back on bass, Zombie has three-fourths of his original late ’90s / early 2000s solo band back in place. Ginger Fish, meanwhile, has been with Zombie since 2011.
Both Blasko and Riggs played on Zombie’s classic albums Hellbilly Deluxe (1998) and The Sinister Urge (2001), while Blasko also played on Educated Horses (2006) before his initial exit.
Get Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Tickets Here
The new lineup will be on display when Zombie embarks on his recently announced co-headlining 2024 “Freaks on Parade Tour” with Alice Cooper. The outing, featuring support from Ministry and Filter, kicks off in August.
An artist pre-sale is currently underway using the code FREAKS24, while a Live Nation ticket pre-sale begins Wednesday (January 31st) at 10 a.m. local time using the code SPOTLIGHT. General ticket sales start Friday (February 2nd) at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster. Fans can also look for deals or get tickets to sold-out dates via StubHub, where your purchase is 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s Fan Protect program.
See Rob Zombie’s Instagram post welcoming back Blasko below.
