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Watch: JASON NEWSTED Joins BLACKBERRY SMOKE For Cover Of BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ In Farmington, Pennsylvania
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted joined Atlanta country rock band Blackberry Smoke on stage on Friday 17 July at Timber Rock Amphitheater in Farmington, Pennsylvania, performing a cover of Black Sabbath's "Fairies Wear Boots". The guest appearance came during a run of joint dates as Newsted's group, the Chophouse Band, supports Blackberry Smoke on tour, highlighting his continued connection to the wider rock and metal community since leaving Metallica.
Newsted and the Chophouse Band began their first-ever North American headlining tour on 1 July at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Massachusetts, and are playing eight headlining shows plus ten supporting Blackberry Smoke dates across an 18-date run spanning the South, Midwest and East Coast, concluding with two nights at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on 24-25 July. The current lineup features Newsted alongside Jesse Farnsworth, Jimbo Hart, Humberto Perez and Robert John-Tucker, playing a mix of original Americana-rooted material blending bluegrass, folk, soul, rock and metal influences, with Newsted describing the project as doing it purely "for the fun" rather than financial gain.
In short
- Jason Newsted guested with Blackberry Smoke on a Black Sabbath cover
- Performance took place 17 July in Farmington, Pennsylvania
- Part of Chophouse Band's first North American headline/support tour
Explained simply
Jason Newsted was the bassist of Metallica from 1986 to 2001, a period during which the band became one of the most commercially successful heavy metal acts in history. After leaving Metallica, he chose to remain active in music rather than retire from the industry entirely. This ongoing involvement in rock and metal communities has defined his career for more than two decades.
Newsted's current musical project is the Chophouse Band, which performs original compositions blending Americana, bluegrass, folk, soul, rock and metal influences. The band is undertaking its first North American headlining tour, during which it will also perform selected supporting dates with Blackberry Smoke, an Atlanta-based country rock band. The tour extends across the American South, Midwest and East Coast over several weeks.
Black Sabbath were pioneering British heavy metal musicians from the 1970s whose work remains deeply influential across rock and metal genres. Their compositions, including "Fairies Wear Boots", continue to be performed by musicians across different styles as tributes to the band's foundational impact on rock and metal music.