Following a very impressive O2 Forum Kentish Town headline show in August last year, Fozzy are back for a 10-date UK Spotlight headline tour. This tour kicks off in Cardiff this Friday, and Chris Jericho told MetalTalk he is thrilled to be back.
“The UK has always been the second home for Fozzy,” Chris Jericho told us, “and we always look forward to rockin’ with all of you! The Spotlight tour is our biggest UK tour ever, and we are stoked to bring the Fozzy party to your shores with new songs, a new show and the same Fozzy intensity and fun factor that you’ve come to demand and expect from us!”
As well as being the frontman for Fozzy for over 20 years, Chris Jericho is also known for his 35 wrestling championships, including eight World titles and ten Intercontinental Championships with the likes of WWE, WCW and AEW.
“It’s a rockstar persona in wrestling and a wrestling persona in rock ‘n’ roll,” Chris Jericho told Carl Marsh. “They’re all reciprocal. When I first started [wrestling], I wasn’t the biggest guy in 1990. But I realised I could have the biggest personality. I looked at Mick Jagger, Freddie Mercury, David Lee Roth, and these great frontmen who can control the crowd and have had them in the palm of their hands at all times.Â
“That’s basically what wrestling is. Whether you’re a good guy or a bad guy, you want people to react to what you’re doing at the highest level. That’s the basic concept, bottom line, and secret to making it in show business, whether you’re an actor, singer, wrestler, comedian, news broadcaster, or whatever it is.”
Fozzy began, “just like any other band,” by playing covers and working out their style and vibe. “There were basically three stages to the band,” Chris says. “There was the beginning from 2000 to 2004, where we did covers. Then, from 2005 to 2010, we did some original stuff, but in 2010, we said, ‘Why don’t we go full-time and really give this a go?’
“In 2016, we started getting played on Rock Radio here in the States, which is a huge deal. That took the band to a completely different level to where we’re now, a mainstream rock ‘n’ roll band with seven Top 20 hits in a row. So, you can see the band’s growth from the popularity and mainstream success we’ve had over the last five or six years.
“Twenty-three years on, we’re bigger than we’ve ever been. I don’t think a lot of bands can say that. So, it’s been a cool journey for us to be where we’re at.”
Their latest single, Spotlight, was released as 2023 drew to a close and would hit No. 12 in the main US Single Chart. “I think it hit the top 20 in four or five weeks,” Chris says, “which is the quickest we’ve ever got in the Top 20. It’s different in the UK, but radio play is so important and means so much in the States.
“In the UK, we are getting ready to do our biggest UK headlining tour ever. So, we continue to grow in the UK as well, which is very important to us because we’ve been coming to the UK since 2005, and it’s always been like a second home to us.
“We are always very, very cognisant of touring regularly in the UK and playing as many places as possible. It’s not just always London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. It’s important to go everywhere in the UK that you can because we’ve got so many fans around the entire territory.”
Their 10-date Spotlight UK Tour begins this Friday in Cardiff. “Every city has a vibe to it, and that’s anywhere in the world,” Chris says. “When you’re talking about the UK, instantly you’ll think, okay, Glasgow in Scotland’s permanently insane, or in the States, Chicago is always crazy, or Sydney, Australia, is always an awesome time.
“Within 30 seconds, you’ll know whether the crowd is going to be hot or not. Welsh crowds are always great, too, but it’s cool to play different cities other than just Cardiff.
“The most important thing as a live performer is connecting with the audience, hooking them, and ensuring they have a great time right out of the gate. And when you set that tone from the show’s beginning, people know what they’re getting into.
“At a Fozzy show, right at the start, we expect a lot and give a lot, too. People know they’re coming for a ride, and it will be a good one. So wear a helmet, put on your seatbelt and get ready to rock.”
2024 was quite the year for Fozzy. The title track from their seventh album Judas has been streamed over 65 million times on Spotify alone and was sung word for word by 81,000 fans when Chris Jericho and Fozzy performed at the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) sold-out Wembley Stadium show in August.
For now, the focus is back on the UK. Chris will bring his bandmates, Grant Brooks, on drums, bassist PF Farley and Billy Grey, leading the charge on guitar shredding solos for what promises to be a lightning ride.
“When you’re in front of a crowd, you have to connect with them and ensure they are interested in and get behind what you’re doing,” Chris Jericho says. “If you can do that, you’ll always have a gig because people will be excited to hear what you’re going to do and be involved in what you have going on. And that’s the most important thing about the whole show business.”
Fozzy will be joined by British four-piece The Hot Damn and US hard rock band Pistols At Dawn. Fozzy Tour Tickets are available from here.
