John 5

John 5 plays Thekla on Tuesday 13 October, part of his first solo tour of the UK and Europe since a handful of shows back in 2016. He's a guitarist and songwriter-for-hire with more than 30 years behind him, and he's spent a good chunk of that time playing alongside some of the biggest names in rock and metal: Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Halford. He's also worked with Rod Stewart and Alice Cooper, and joined Mötley Crüe in 2022. He hails from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

What makes him a bit of an outlier is that he refuses to fit into a single genre. He mixes rock, country, heavy metal, emo, industrial and bluegrass, and he doesn't just stick to the guitar — he plays banjo and mandolin too. It's a solo tour, so the night is built around him rather than a full band. He's spoken about the tour with a fair bit of enthusiasm: 'I don't think I've ever been more excited for a tour than this one coming up. I haven't been there in so long, and I can't wait to say hello and have a great time with everyone. Super SUPER excited.'

Opening for him is Dan Byrne, a rock singer from Liverpool. He backed The Dead Daisies on a critically acclaimed UK tour, and his 2024 single 'Death of Me' spent more than 11 weeks on Planet Rock's A-List. Between the two, you've got a Liverpool rock voice warming up the room before a Michigan guitarist who's played with half the rock world.

The show is at Thekla, The Grove, East Mud Dock, Bristol BS1 4RB, starting at 6:30 pm on Tuesday 13 October.