Gary Holt leaves Slayer due father’s disease and substitute is announced

Slayer guitarist Gary Holt has announced that he will leave the band’s European tour to stay with his father, who is ill.

“My father is very close to the end of his journey,” he said, “I have played these last few shows with a heavy heart and with this heart that I announce that I am leaving the Slayer tour in Europe. I need to go home to help take care of my dad in his closing moments. ”

Phil Demmel, who just played his last show with Machine Head, was called in to replace Holt in upcoming shows. He will make his debut with Slayer this Monday, 3, in Denmark.

Slayer performs in Europe in the coming days as part of the group’s farewell tour.

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First things first, I want to say thank you to Berlin for the AMAZING show tonight!! BEST CROWD EVER! But what I’ve got to say has been very very hard for me these last ten days or so. My father is very near the end of his journey,I’ve been playing these last several shows with the heaviest of hearts.And with that heavy heart I have to announce I am leaving the Slayer European tour. I must return home to help care for my dad in his final moments. Tonight ended with me in tears while finishing Angel of death. But the crowd brought out the best in me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all. And that having been said, I want EACH AND EVERY Slayer fan to give their biggest screams for Phil Demmel @demmelitionmh !! Bay Area legend!!! My dear friend, who having JUST finished a tour agreed to help me and the band out and learn an entire Slayer set in days and come out here so I can return home for my dad. Thank you Phil, you are family, love you bro! Please give him your warmest welcome.And most of all, I gotta thank @slayerbandofficial , @tomarayaofficial @paulbostaphofficial and Kerry King, you guys are TRULY my family, and have had my back through all what has been the roughest time in my life on tour. And thanks to our ENTIRE crew, and @lambofgod @anthrax and @obituaryband and their crews, knowing you all have been there for me through this, FAMILY. Love all of you. To my fans, thanks from the bottom of my black heart, I’ll be back in March to crush once more. And more than anything , thanks to my wife @lisaholt777 , had I been alone for this, my melt downs would have been even greater. Love you baby. See all of you soon. Thank you. And MUCH LOVE to my bros in Exodus! They know what’s going on, and no one has my back more @exodusbandofficial @zetrodus you guys are my rock

A post shared by Gary Holt (@garyholt_official) on Dec 2, 2018 at 2:31pm PST

See Slayer 2018/2019 tour dates:

• DEC 5 WED Hovet Stockholm, Sweden
• DEC 6 THU Oslo Spektrum Arena Oslo, Norway
• DEC 8 SAT Helsinki Ice Hall Helsinki, Finland
• MAR 7 THU Brisbane Riverstage Brisbane, Australia
• MAR 9 SAT Download Festival Sydney, Australia
• MAR 11 MON Download Festival Melbourne, Australia
• MAR 13 WED Adelaide Entertainment Centre Adelaide, Australia
• MAR 15 FRI Eventfinda Stadium Auckland, New Zealand
• MAR 17 SUN Horncastle Arena Christchurch, New Zealand
• MAR 21 THU Download Festival Chiba Prefecture, Japan
• MAR 23 SAT Pulp Summer Slam Manila, Philippines
• JUN 4 TUE Gliwice Arena Gliwice, Poland
• JUN 8 SAT Rock Am Ring Nürburg, Germany
• JUN 8 SAT Rock im Park Nord, Germany
• JUN 11 TUE Sports Arena Budapest, Hungary
• JUN 13 THU Arena Leipzig Leipzig, Germany
• JUN 14 FRI Download Festival Castle Donington, United Kingdom
• JUN 19 WED Geneva Arena Le Grand-saconnex, Switzerland
• JUN 21 FRI Graspop Metal Meeting Dessel, Belgium
• JUN 22 SAT Hellfest Clisson, France
• JUN 25 TUE Tipsport Arena Praha, Czech Republic
• JUL 3 WED Resurrection Fest Viveiro, Spain
• JUL 5 FRI Heavy Rock Festival Stadium Restelo Lisbon, Portugal
• JUL 7 SUN Rock the Castle Vérone, Italy
• AUG 3 SAT Messegelände Balingen Balingen, Germany

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