Nobody thought the Misfits would ever get back together. After years of legal battles, public disagreements, and nearly four decades apart, seeing Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only, and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein share a stage again seemed like something that would never happen. The band spent much of the 1990s and early 2000s tied up in court battles, making the possibility of a reunion seem increasingly unlikely. Yet, in 2016, something happened that many fans had given up hoping for. All hell broke loose.
Following their appearance at Riot Fest in September 2016, the Original Misfits reunited for what would become a series of highly anticipated performances. Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, two of the most recognizable figures in the band’s history, were joined by Doyle, who had entered the lineup in 1980 at just 16 years old. The band famously then imploded in 1983 so for longtime fans, seeing these three together again was something special.
Since that reunion, the band has largely operated on a series of one-off performances rather than committing to a traditional touring schedule. We’ve been fortunate enough to catch them three times ourselves, including their performances at SoFi Stadium, the Forum in Inglewood, and Goldenvoice’s No Values. Each time, they delivered the goods. The current reunion lineup features Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only, Doyle, Acey Slade, and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. They’ve been bringing these reunion performances to audiences for the better part of a decade, but the possibility of something bigger could now be on the horizon.
During a recent appearance on the Conor Bezane Podcast, around the 11-minute mark, Jerry Only discussed the possibility of taking the band on a proper tour as part of the Misfits’ upcoming 50th anniversary celebrations. Rather than continuing with occasional festival appearances and standalone concerts, Jerry expressed interest in bringing the band to different cities across the United States, while also making stops in Europe and South America.
“We’re supposed to do, like, a real tour this time instead of one-off…”
Speaking about the plans, Jerry said the band was supposed to put together a real tour this time instead of continuing with one-off appearances. He specifically mentioned wanting to bring the Misfits to South America, recalling a planned Mexico City performance that was canceled during the COVID-19 shutdown. The concert was reportedly expected to draw approximately 80,000 people. We’re hearing rumors the “fits” will be heading down to Mexico in 2027 to make up this date so that could easily lead to South America.
Jerry talked about the tremendous response he received when he previously performed there with other iterations of the Misfits before these “reunion” shows took place. He went as far as calling South America a must for the anniversary celebrations. Europe was another destination on his mind, with Jerry suggesting that the Misfits could headline festivals throughout the continent. He also expressed interest in a U.S. tour and even mentioned Hawaii as a possible stop.
“I think that that’s something that can happen here for the 50th. I think we should get out there. I think we should do the U.S. tour. I think we should hopefully hit Hawaii. I mean, that would be nice. I mean, it might have to be, like, later on in the program, but I think that South America is a must.
And Europe, I don’t see why we couldn’t headline every festival that they have in Europe.”
Of course, there are a few things worth considering before we start booking our imaginary plane tickets.
The biggest question mark, however, might be Glenn Danzig himself. The frontman has been fairly vocal in the past about his reluctance to return to traditional touring. Danzig has made it clear that the constant traveling and demands of life on the road aren’t something he’s particularly interested in anymore. Playing select shows here and there is one thing, but committing to an extended Misfits tour is an entirely different animal. Ultimately, a lot could depend on what happens behind closed doors and whether everyone involved can come to an agreement.
The Misfits officially formed in 1977, which means their 50th anniversary arrives in 2027. There are already signs that something is being planned, with Misfits skull imagery promoting the milestone appearing around Lodi, New Jersey, where the band first took shape. Jerry’s comments certainly add another interesting piece to the puzzle.
There’s also the possibility of new music. In previous interviews, Danzig has suggested that if the Misfits were ever to record another album, he would need to be the one writing the material. That doesn’t necessarily mean a full-length record is in the cards, but the possibility of an occasional new song or standalone single certainly isn’t out of the question. He famously told FM radio show 98 Rock the following:
“Maybe a song. Not an album. No. [Laughs] Look, people now just wanna download your stuff for free, and they don’t understand that it costs money to go in a studio and record a record. So it’s not really a great business model to go and record a record and then not be able to recoup your money that you spent making the record. So, with Danzig, it might be like the Misfits — maybe I’ll record a song or two and just release it, and it won’t cost that much.”
Between the possibility of a proper tour, international festival appearances, and perhaps even new music, there are several ways the Misfits could celebrate five decades of horror punk history.
For now, we’ll take Jerry’s comments with a grain of salt and wait to see what develops. If everything comes together, 2027 could be one hell of a year for Misfits fans. Hopefully, we’ll know a lot more by early next year.
