Chad Gray is about to find out whether his name alone can fill a venue.
The Mudvayne and Hellyeah vocalist has launched his first-ever solo shows, with the singer admitting his upcoming US tour will be the real test of whether fans are willing to turn up for Chad Gray without either of his main bands attached.
For Australian fans, there’s already a chance to see exactly what Gray’s solo era looks like when he brings his 30 Years Of Madness show to this year’s Good Things Festival.
Speaking with The Logan Show, Gray explained that while the first five solo performances have given him plenty of encouragement, a full tour presents a completely different challenge (per Blabbermouth).
“Well, the pressure is that I know that if I go play a MUDVAYNE show that people are gonna be there. I knew that when I went and played a HELLYEAH show, people were gonna be there. And these first [solo] shows that we’ve done, the first five, three of them were sold out. Two of them did f**king phenomenal. One of them sold 200 less tickets than when MUDVAYNE played that venue, which was amazing. So, I have the idea stuck in my head that people do wanna see this. But now that I’m doing a full tour, this is kind of the big test. Like, do people really wanna see this?”
The solo setup
Gray’s solo setup isn’t simply a greatest hits exercise with a different name, his backing band features Mudvayne touring guitarist Marcus Rafferty alongside Devin Attard, Nick Villarreal and Joe Bonasorte, with Butcher Babies and Devil’s Cut supporting the US run.
The set will draw from both Mudvayne and Hellyeah, giving fans the unusual opportunity to hear material from two major chapters of Gray’s career in one show.
“Yes, it’s not MUDVAYNE. Yes, it’s not HELLYEAH. But it’s me. I’m the voice of both of those bands and with an incredible backing band. So if you like these songs, you’re gonna get these songs.”
That concept will make its Australian debut in a particularly fitting setting when Gray joins the stacked Good Things Festival 2026 lineup this December.
Gray is booked to perform his 30 Years Of Madness — Performing Mudvayne & HELLYEAH set across the festival’s Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane dates, alongside Limp Bizkit, Spiritbox, Simple Plan, Polaris, Bad Religion, Alexisonfire, Grinspoon, Ministry and a huge collection of international and Australian acts.
A rare break
The Good Things appearance comes during a rare touring break for Mudvayne, Gray says the band’s decision to take 2026 off was precisely what pushed him towards getting back on the road rather than sitting at home.
“I’ve been taking the last four years off, ’cause I’m touring once a year for the last four years, and I’m not used to that. In f*cking HELLYEAH, in MUDVAYNE too, we toured ‘L.D. 50’ for 26 months, and then we broke for two weeks.”
Gray has spent most of his career in constant motion, juggling Mudvayne and Hellyeah while moving through album cycles and lengthy tours. After Mudvayne’s 2021 comeback, the band subsequently toured with Rob Zombie and Megadeth before celebrating the 25th anniversary of L.D. 50 in 2025.
That final tour proved particularly successful, with Gray recalling packed venues throughout the run, instead of waiting around for Mudvayne to return, Gray is taking the catalogue into his own hands.
“F**k this sh*t. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been taking the last four years off, ’cause I’m touring once a year for six weeks, and I’m not used to that.”
Good Things 2026 dates:
- Friday, December 4th – Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse (16+)
- Saturday, December 5th – Sydney, Sydney Showground (16+)
- Sunday, December 6th – Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds (16+)
Good Things Festival 2026 pre-sale tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 18th at 10am AEST.
General public tickets go on sale Thursday, August 20th at 10am AEST via Oztix.
The question of whether Australian people really want to see Chad Gray solo will get a very public answer at Good Things. I for one, am very keen!
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