KORN guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer was recently asked about the status of the band’s bassist, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu and his potential return to the group.
Fieldy made the announcement last year that he would be sitting out of KORN‘s touring plans in order to “heal” after “falling back” on some of his “bad habits.”
During a June 19 KORN press conference at this year’s Hellfest, Munky said about Fieldy: “He needed a little time at home with his family to kind of regroup. We decided we were gonna make a record during the pandemic and use that time constructively. And once the pandemic was over and we were ready to go back on the road, he wasn’t quite ready to do that yet. So the rest of us were anxious to get back in front of our fans and play for everybody.”
Earlier this month, KORN guitarist Brian “Head” Welch told Kerrang! Radio: “I just e-mailed him the other day. So we’re gonna get together and talk to him, see how he’s doing, see where his head is at, after this tour. Me and Munk were just talking about it. We love him, we’ve been in communication with him, and we’ll see.”
One year ago, Fieldy revealed his absence from KORN’s upcoming summer tour, writing on his social media: “To all KORN fans worldwide. The past 6 years I’ve been dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me. It’s been suggested to me to take some time off to heal. I’m going to respect what was asked of me and take that time. Unfortunately you will not see me on stage with my band. I will be working towards getting the bad habits out of my system. In the meantime I will be staying creative to keep my mind & soul in a good place.
“I’m thankful for all of your support, patience & understanding as we all have something that we deal with.
“Jonathan, Munky, Ray and Head, I love you and I don’t want to bring any tension or bad vibes to the circle.”
You can check out video of the Hellfest KORN press conference below.