Against Me! announce newdrummer for Big Day Out tour

Former Rocket From the Crypt, The Offspring, and Angels and Airwaves drummer Adam “Atom” Willard has been confirmed as the newest member of Against Me! and will join the band on their upcoming Big Day Out tour.

VERY STOKED INDEED!!! RT@laurajanegrace Very stoked to say that @atomwillard is going to be filling in on the drums for us for @bigdayout

— Atom Willard (@AtomWillard) December 29, 2012

He replaces Jay Weinberg who unexpectedly announced that he was leaving Against Me! just before Christmas. Bandleader Laura Jane Grace took to Twitter searching for a replacement drummer who was willing to come to Florida for three weeks to learn some songs before flying out to Australia is welcome to join them at the Big Day Out and two sideshows. Weinberg, the son of E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, had been Against Me!’s drummer since late 2010.

I want to let you all know that I am leaving Against Me!, and I wish them all the best.

— Jay Weinberg (@jayweinbergdrum) December 18, 2012

Willard began his drumming career in 1990 as a member of Rocket from the Crypt and remained with the band until 2000. After leaving Rocket from the Crypt Willard served as a drum technician for Weezer and then joined Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson’s side project The Special Goodness. From 2003 until 2007 he was the drummer for The Offspring before leaving to focus on his work with Angels and Airwaves – the “supergroup” led by Blink-182 guitarist and vocalist Tom DeLonge. Willard was a member of Angels and Airwaves from 2005 until 2011 when he joined Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio in his new band The Hell. In addition to these projects Willard has also played with Moth, Social Distortion, Danko Jones, and on the solo debut from former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.

Speaking to FL about Against Me!’s forthcoming Australian shows Laura Jane Grace said fans can expect to hear songs from the band’s new album Transgender Dysphoria Blues: “We’ve been doing sporadic touring throughout the last year and as the songs come together we’ve been throwing them into the setlist, but you recognise also that kids are coming out and they’ll want to hear older stuff, so we’ve been sparing as far as how many we’re putting in. But we’re definitely more excited about playing new songs. I think that as we get closer to the album coming out we’ll be able to play more and more new songs.”

Against Me! Big Day Out tour:

Thursday, January 17 – The Manning Bar, Sydney
Friday, January 18– Showgrounds, Sydney
Sunday, January 20 – Parklands, Gold Coast
Tuesday, January 22 – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne
Friday, January 25 – Showgrounds, Adelaide
Saturday, January 26 – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne
Monday, January 28 – Claremont Showgrounds, Perth