’90s Guitar Legend Announces Surprise New Collaboration for 2027 Tour

Legendary guitarist John William Lowery, better known as John 5, has worked with everyone from Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson to David Lee Roth, Dolly Parton, and Mötley Crüe. Now, he’s adding horror-rock icon Wednesday 13 to his impressive list.

In news shared today, Aug. 2, John 5 announced the surprise collaboration for the summer/fall 2027 touring season. He and his solo band, The Creatures, are handing vocal duties over to Joseph Poole, stage name Wednesday 13, for a round of shows.

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According to Blabbermouth, the collaboration marks the first time The Creatures have included a singer. To mark the occasion, they plan to perform songs spanning John 5’s career, which also includes stints with crossover artists such as Avril Lavigne, Meat Loaf, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The group’s first show is set for the Wacken Open Air Festival, scheduled for July 28 to 31, 2027, in Wacken, Germany.

“I’ve really missed playing these songs that for years were so much a part of my life,” John 5 said, per Blabbermouth. “Having such an amazing showman as Wednesday 13 join me will ensure the performances are killer. And to have the first show we announce be the Wacken festival in 2027 is truly awesome.”

For Wednesday 13, he, too, sees the collaboration as an honor and a great opportunity to relive some of heavy metal and hard rock’s greatest hits.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be sharing the stage with John 5,” Wednesday 13 said. “He has been such a staple in the music world and is one of the best and most respected guitarists out there.”

Speaking to his and John 5’s relationship over the years, Wednesday 13 said, “John and I have been friends for years, and we have toured together with our bands going all the way back to 2010. All the projects he’s been involved with over the years are all of my favorite bands, and have been such an influence on me. To be able to sing some of these songs along with him is truly an honor. I really can’t wait to get out on the road next year.”

A truly versatile guitar virtuoso, John 5 began strumming at the age of 7. He moved to L.A. at 18 and found work as a high-demand session musician for soundtracks, TV, and artists like k.d. lang. His breakthrough came in 1998 when he contributed to the DLR Band album with Van Halen frontman Roth.

From there, John 5 joined Manson’s crew, contributing heavily to Holy Wood and The Golden Age Grotesque. In 2006, he joined Zombie’s outfit, serving as main co-writer and lead guitarist for more than a decade. Then, in 2022, he joined Mötley Crüe, stepping in for Mick Mars when he retired.

Today, he tours solo and with Mötley Crüe. As a solo act, John 5 has released nearly a dozen acclaimed instrumental albums, including Vertigo and Sinner, showcasing his lightning-fast hybrid picking on Fender Telecasters.

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Meanwhile, Wednesday 13, a distinctive voice and musician known as the “Duke of Spook,” leads the titular horror-themed punk rock and heavy metal band. He started in the ‘90s in North Carolina, fronting the horror punk group Maniac Spider Trash until 1996 before forming Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13.

In the early 2000s, he achieved mainstream recognition as the frontman of Murderdolls, a horror punk-slash-glam metal band he founded with Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison. Notable albums include Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls in 2002 and Women and Children Last in 2010.

The mid-2000s saw the frontman launch Wednesday 13, with his debut album, Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying and the Dead, introducing his tour-de-force theatrical style and horror-rock sound to genre fans. Since then, he’s released 10 studio albums under his own name, including Horrifier in 2022 and Mid Death Crisis in 2025.

Additional North American and European dates are expected to be announced in the coming months.

Related: Heavy Metal Legend Who Helped Define a Generation of 2000s Rock Turns 58