Troy Sanders, vocalist from metal band, Mastodon is set to join Thin Lizzy for four shows in Europe this summer. Sanders will step into the role made famous by the iconic Phil Lynott when he joins Thin Lizzy as their touring bassist for the festival appearances.
Thin Lizzy includes guitarist Scott Gorham, keyboardist Darren Wharton, lead vocalist Ricky Warwick, guitarist Damon Johnson and drummer, Scott Travis. In 1976, Thin Lizzy went gold with album, “Jailbreak” and today has over 7.6 million views for their song, “Whiskey in the Jar” and “The Boys are Back in Town” with 13.3 million page views on YouTube.
Sanders commented on the announcement, “It’s no secret that Thin Lizzy has had big influence on Mastodon’s music. Being asked to join them on stage is a big deal and true honor to me. I am really looking forward to it!”
The tour commemorates the 40th anniversary of Thin Lizzy’s album Black Rose and the band’s 50th anniversary of forming back in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. The founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist and lead vocalist Phil Lynott, met while still in school. Lynott led the group throughout their recording career of twelve studio albums, writing most of the material. In 1994 the band added guitarist John Sykes then brought in singer Ricky Warwick (frontman for the Scottish band The Almighty) and guitarist Damon Johnson (formerly with Alice Cooper) into the fold.
Guitarist Scott Gorham says in the announcement of the pairing, “We are very happy to welcome Troy to the Lizzy family! We met a few years ago at Download festival and he’s a great guy and killer bass player to boot so very happy he wanted to join us for the shows this summer.” Warwick adds: “Mastodon are a fantastic band and knowing how much of a Thin Lizzy fan Troy is, he will be an amazing addition to the fold.”
Back in 2000, Sanders formed Mastodon with his bandmates and began touring the southern USA, working 40-hour weeks and committing to the band in their spare time. The band’s mainstream success would ensue after Saner left the band, pushing Sanders to the forefront as vocalist and bassist.
Mastodon recently released a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” in honor of their late manager Nick John. According to The PRP, the band performed the cover for the first time at John’s funeral last month, which then followed with a studio recording and a recording of the performance from the funeral.
07/28 – Steelhouse Festival – Ebbw Vale, S. Wales, UK (exclusive “Black Rose” album set)
08/04 – Rewind North Festival – Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK
08/08 – Leyendas Del Rock Festival – Alicante, Spain
08/10 – Alcatraz Festival – Kortrijk, Belgium
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
Leave a Comment