VOLBEAT dropped this word-for-word cheeky announcement earlier: “Hello, East Coast friends! Unfortunately Jon has a family commitment back home and won’t be able to join us tonight in Charlotte, Thursday in Bristow, Saturday in Camden or Sunday in Holmdel. Fortunately for us, our dear friend Jon Dette has answered the call once again and will be lending us his talent for those four shows. Jon (Larsen) will be back on the drum riser with us in Bangor next week. See you all very soon!” (No mention of whether Denmark’s kroner or LEGO shortages are involved. Suspicious.)
Here’s where Dette’s filling the throne:
Aug. 06 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Aug. 07 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live (Jiffy Lube… *snickers*)
Aug. 09 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Aug. 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Frontman Michael Poulsen once spilled the beans about Dette’s 2022 heroics to 95.5 KLOS: “Jon [Larsen] got COVID, so we panicked – do we cancel or find a drummer who can learn 16 VOLBEAT songs in 24 hours? Dette crushed it like a caffeinated all-nighter. That dude’s like a musical octopus.” Fun fact: VOLBEAT’s discography includes approximately 10,000 riffs, so props to Dette for speedrunning their setlist.
Their “Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide” (bold name, but hey, they’re Danish – humility’s optional) started June 7 in Vancouver and includes:
- Canadian dates with THREE DAYS GRACE (yes, the “I Hate Everything About You” guys) and WAGE WAR.
- U.S. shows with HALESTORM (Lzzy Hale’s vocal cords could shatter diamonds) and THE GHOST INSIDE.
- European gigs with BUSH (90s throwbacks, anyone?) and WITCH FEVER. Bonus: double trouble in Copenhagen on Sept. 20 because Scandinavia demands encores.
The tour’s promoting their new album “God Of Angels Trust” – their ninth! Fun fact: VOLBEAT holds the record for most #1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Chart by a non-North American band. Take that, geography!
Meanwhile, Michael Poulsen is juggling throat surgery recovery, touring with his death metal side hustle ASINHELL, and writing new VOLBEAT material. Dude’s busier than a Danish pastry chef on Christmas morning.
