Ex-Slayer drummer and founding member Dave Lombardo is the latest musician to be confirmed for Adelaide Festival next March, with the Philm and Fantômas legend locked in to play the third night of the four-night Zorn in Oz: Triple Bill series.
Lombardo will be playing as part of trio called Bladerunner, to be joined by John Zorn on alto-sax and downtown bass legend Bill Laswell. Bladerunner has previously toured Europe as a quartet with Fred Firth on guitar, first debuting in 2000. The bill will also include Essential Cinema, a screening of experimental films accompanied by a live soundtrack conducted by Zorn, and Cobra, an improvised game piece also led by Zorn.
Adelaide Festival’s artistic director David Sefton was pleased as punch to add the 48-year-old to the bill, simply saying, “With a stellar list of artists already announced for the Zorn in Oz concerts, I’m just thrilled to confirm the addition of another superstar, Dave Lombardo.”
Not everyone is so stoked about Lombardo, though – both Slayer guitarist Kerry King and frontman Tom Araya have spoken out about the drummer’s departure from the metal act recently, with Araya saying the band was forced to replace him due to “ongoing issues”:
“He wasn’t happy, so he decided to have his Facebook rant and told the world about a lot of issues going on within the band that are legally binding and private. I thought that was wrong and it was upsetting. A lot of the claims he made were untrue. Part of the agreement is you don’t do that.”
Seems like we won’t be seeing Lombardo back with Slayer anytime ever – all the more reason to go catch him the flesh as part of Adelaide Festival.
Triplebill – Bladerunner, Essential Cinema and Cobra
Thursday, 13th March
Festival Theatre, Adelaide
Tix: Via Bass
