How ‘Fill-In’ Musicians Keep Major Tours and Bands Rolling

By Matt Wake, Spin | Matt Sorum was sitting poolside with his wife when he got a text on his phone from legendary Motörhead bassist/singer Lemmy Kilmister. Lemmy was asking Sorum to fill in on drums for a run of Motörhead shows. In a self-conscious moment, Sorum texted Lemmy back, asking “why me.” “And Lemmy wrote back, ‘Because Dave Grohl’s not available,’” Sorum tells SPIN over Zoom while letting out a chuckle.

Sorum is known for his colossal grooves with Use Your Illusion era Guns N’ Roses and early 2000s Scott Weiland-fronted supergroup Velvet Revolver. But in 2009, Sorum filled in on drums for around 14 shows with “Ace of Spades” speed-rock trio Motörhead. The band’s regular drummer Mikkey Dee had signed up to be part of the Swedish version of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, and wasn’t available.

When a show or entire tour is in jeopardy because a band member is out of commission, “fill-in” musicians are called on to learn the set and do the gig. Bringing in a fill-in helps a band meet contractual obligations and keep money from live performances flowing in.

Faces guitarist Ron Wood was one of the early high-profile fill-ins, after touring zoomed to new levels of big business in the ’70s. The Rolling Stones initially brought in Wood as a temporary fill-in for the 1975 Stones tour after lead guitarist Mick Taylor quit. Following that tour, The Stones made Wood a permanent member. But it usually doesn’t work that way. Unlike “replacement” members, intended to be full-time additions to a band’s lineup (think Sammy Hagar with Van Halen or Jason Newsted with Metallica), fill-ins are inherently designed to be temporary. A short-term fix that allows the show to go on.

Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose famously filled in on AC/DC’s 2016 tour after singer Brian Johnson was sidelined by hearing problems and temporarily retired from the road. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello stepped in for Bruce Springsteen in 2014 while Steven Van Zant was filming Van Zant’s TV show Lillyhammer.
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