Soulfly didn't make it to their first show on the GWAR tour without a crisis. Overnight in Albuquerque, someone broke into the U-Haul carrying the band's gear and walked away with everything that makes their live show distinctive — the stage backdrops — along with personal belongings from at least one crew member.
Max Cavalera's band hit social media immediately after discovering the theft, posting a direct appeal to the metal community: "Red alert! Someone broke into our U-Haul truck last night in Albuquerque as it was on the way to the Gwar tour. They took all of the Soulfly backdrops and one of our crew's personal bags. Please if you see anyone or hear of anything suspicious reach out."
The theft puts the band in a rough spot heading into a high-profile support run with one of heavy metal's most visually theatrical acts. GWAR is not a band you want to pull up next to looking stripped down — context matters when your stage setup is part of the identity. Soulfly without their backdrops is still Soulfly, but the backdrop theft strips away a layer of presentation that any touring act depends on.
The Tour Goes On
Soulfly has confirmed the tour is proceeding. The GWAR run, which also features King Parrot, kicks off March 19 in Richmond, Virginia and winds through the U.S. before wrapping at the end of April. The theft happened before the first show even hit the calendar — the U-Haul was still in transit when it was hit.
This isn't an abstract loss either. Soulfly's live backdrop setup has been part of the band's presentation across multiple album cycles. Getting them replaced mid-tour while actually on tour is a logistical nightmare, particularly for an act operating on the kind of margins that make touring viable in the first place.
King Parrot is also on this run, making it a stacked bill for fans of aggressive metal. The dates cover a wide swath of venues across the northeast, midwest, and south before heading back west through April.
Tour Dates: GWAR / Soulfly / King Parrot
- March 19 — Richmond, VA @ The National
- March 20 — Reading, PA @ Reverb
- March 21 — Albany, NY @ Empire Live
- March 22 — Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
- March 24 — Hartford, CT @ The Webster
- March 25 — Wilmington, DE @ The Queen
- March 26 — Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
- March 27 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues
- March 28 — Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
- March 29 — Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
- March 31 — Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom
- April 1 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
- April 2 — Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
- April 3 — Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere's
- April 4 — Saginaw, MI @ The Vault
- April 5 — Green Bay, WI @ EPIC Events Center
- April 7 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
- April 8 — Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
- April 9 — Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
- April 10 — Lawrence, KS @ The Granada
- April 12 — Grand Junction, CO @ Mesa Theater
- April 14 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
- April 15 — Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall
- April 17 — Sacramento, CA @ Channel 24
- April 18 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
- April 19 — San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
- April 20 — Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
- April 21 — Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
- April 23 — Austin, TX @ Emo's
- April 24 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
- April 25 — Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen Music Hall
- April 27 — Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
- April 28 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
- April 29 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Get tickets via Ticketmaster.
What's at Stake
Metal bands are used to getting hit on the road. Van break-ins, truck burglaries — it's not rare enough to be shocking anymore, which is its own kind of indictment. What makes this one louder is the timing: right before the tour, far from home, with no time to source replacements before stepping onto a stage with GWAR.
Soulfly's current lineup — Max Cavalera on guitar and vocals, sons Igor Amadeus Cavalera on bass and Zyon Cavalera on drums, plus guitarist Mike De Leon — is a tight unit that's been touring behind the recent Chama album cycle. None of that changes the fact they're rolling into Richmond without their backdrops.
If you're in Albuquerque and know anything, the band is asking directly for community help. And if you were already planning to catch this run, go. Soulfly live is worth it regardless of what's on the backdrop. The riffs are the same. The intensity is the same. The tribe shows up for Max — that hasn't changed.
More metal news and tour coverage at Metal Mantra. Check our 2026 tour tracker for the full calendar of heavy music on the road this year.
