“A dream come true, I’ll never forget it”: Jay Weinberg guests with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Jay Weinberg in Slipknot mask
(Image credit: Getty Images/Brill/ullstein bild)

Ex-Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg popped up to guest with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on Sunday night at the Aussie band’s date in Nashville.

It continues what Weinberg is calling ‘Side Quest Summer’ – the drummer has now guested with Infectious Grooves, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and now King Gizzard, along with his now regular slot with Suicidal Tendancies.

King Gizzard were playing the Ascend Ampitheater and brought out Weinberg for one song – Perihelion. Luckily the performance was caught on video:

Weinberg seemed to love his cameo, posting on Instagram later: “It was such an honor to sit in for a song with the legendary King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard last night! Endless love and gratitude to my bro @mickeycavs and the @kinggizzard dudes & crew for such an insanely kind invitation. 

"A dream come true, I’ll never forget it. Can’t wait to cross paths again someday.”

The drummer was sacked from Slipknot last November, a decision that seemed to hit Weinberg hard. At the time he said that he had been “heartbroken and blindsided” by the news. Slipknot brought in ex-Sepultura drummer Eloy Casagrande earlier this year as Weinberg’s replacement.

Weinberg bounced back quickly though, joining Suicidal Tendencies in March, writing on his Instagram account: “When I think of the culture and community of heavy music that I’ve loved and considered my creative home for 20 years, I think of Suicidal Tendencies: a foundational pillar and source of inspiration ever since I fell in love with punk, metal, and hardcore... It’s an absolute honor and privilege to play with Suicidal Tendencies, and I can’t wait to start this incredibly exciting new chapter. See you all in the pit!”

Back in July Weinberg said that he was still processing the whole Slipknot experience: “Truth be told, I’m at kind of a point where I’m not quite yet really ready to talk about it, really,” he said. “And that’s not to dismiss the conversation, but I’ve spent time, and spend time, just processing the entire experience.”

Meanwhile, King Gizzard continue on their merry way, working at a rate that makes everyone else in the rock world look positively sloth-like. The Aussie psychedelic band have recently released Flight b741 – their twenty-sixth album is just twelve years. It’s only (only!) their first album this year and like buses they’ll surely be another one along in a minute.

Will Simpson
News and features writer

Will Simpson is a freelance music expert whose work has appeared in Classic Rock, Classic Pop, Guitarist and Total Guitar magazine. He is the author of 'Freedom Through Football: Inside Britain's Most Intrepid Sports Club' and his second book 'An American Cricket Odyssey' is due out in 2025