ICYMI: Metallica/Suicidal Tendencies Supergroup Playing Bluesfest 2024

Earlier this morning (January 24), the lineup for the 2024 Byron Bay Bluesfest grew with the fifth artist announcement, topped by an exclusive appearance from Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. But it also came with the one of the biggest plot-twists in Bluesfest lineup history: a funk-metal supergroup featuring members of Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies.

The band Infectious Grooves will appear at Bluesfest ’24, marking their first live performances since 2019, and their first in Australia since 2008 (when they played at the now-defunct Soundwave festival). Notably, the band features an all-star cast of punk and metal legends, fronted by Suicidal Tendencies leader Mike Muir (with former bandmate Dean Pleasants on lead guitar).

To boot, Metallica’s very own Robert Trujillo plays bass in Infectious Grooves, and Dave Kushner – best known for playing in the Slash-fronted Guns N’ Roses side-project Velvet Revolver, as well as his work with Dave Navarro and Danzig – plays rhythm guitar. Rounding out the supergroup is drummer Jay Weinberg, who played with Slipknot from 2014 until just last year.

In a press release, Bluesfest director Peter Noble called Infectious Grooves “a true funk punk supergroup”, and vouched that their set at this year’s festival will “funk your mind up”.

Noble said of Bluesfest’s expansion into a wide range of genres: “For those of you who don’t already know, Bluesfest is not just a blues music festival. Yes, it has blues at its heart, but a little like the Woodford Folk Festival, it stretches the genre into anything that fits.

“Over the years, not only have the greatest blues artists in the world played, such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Joe Bonamassa, Taj Mahal, and so many others, but it is also the festival that first presented the Dave Matthews Band, Kendrick Lamar, as well as Bob Dylan on a festival stage, James Brown, Patti Smith, Paul Simon, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop and so many more, including the first Australian festival appearance of both Jack Johnson and Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals. There is simply no other festival quite like Bluesfest.”

Also announced in today’s Bluesfest ‘24 lineup expansion were the likes of The Waifs, Brad Cox, Yirrmal and Dirty Honey. Head here to see the full lineup.

Bluesfest 2024 will be held over five days at its usual home of the Byron Events Farm in Tyagarah, kicking off on Thursday March 28 and wrapping up on Monday April 1. Tickets are on sale now – find them here.