“This is where my happiness lies,” Chad Gray tells Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show about being back on the road playing music from both of his famous bands. Gray devised the idea after Mudvayne made the group decision to take the year off in 2026 and the singer was not content to sit at home.

Independently, he started calling up a few friends that led to jam sessions, an idea for an acoustic show and eventually the booking of several venues that has now turned into a full-fledged tour. It all brings the music of Mudvayne and Hellyeah together under one umbrella and Gray discussed the massive undertaking with Full Metal Jackie.

Of particular interest for Gray was bringing back the music of Hellyeah that had remained dormant since the band went on hiatus at the conclusion of touring in support of their final album that was completed after drummer Vinnie Paul’s death.

“It’s emotional for me. He was such a warm and generous man to everyone. And just to let his music die because he did is ridiculous,” said Gray, later adding, “Vinnie is smiling ear to ear. I can feel him at every show, standing over me, him and Dime. I can just feel them over me, looking down proud. Proud of me for doing it and keeping his name alive. Vinnie’s not dead if I’m still doing this.”

In this first part of this two-part discussion, much of the questioning relates to Hellyeah and Vinnie Paul. Gray discusses putting together the setlist and finding the players for this tour, what Vinnie Paul meant to him and the traits they shared in common and he offers a great reflection on the type of bandmate and person that Vinnie was.

Check out more of the chat below.

It’s Full Metal Jackie this week. Very excited to welcome back to the show the one and only Chad Gray. It’s been a minute. And this time we’re here to talk about “30 Years of Madness” as Chad is revisiting his entire career playing both Mudvayne and Hellyeah as part of the same show. And I have to imagine that’s fun putting together a setlist. You’ve typically been in one band or the other. Now you get to blend it all in one show and see what works well together. So what’s been the most fun and most challenging of putting these sets together?

I think the most challenging thing was putting the set together. I’ve got 12 albums of material. I didn’t realize what kind of an undertaking I was getting myself into. And outside of putting together the players that can play Matt McDonough stuff, Vinnie Paul’s stuff, Ryan Martinie’s stuff, Kyle Sanders’ stuff, Tom Maxwell’s stuff, Christian Brady’s stuff, Greg Tribbett’s stuff, I thought that was gonna be the big thing, which it was.

But the players are all great and putting together the setlist was just insane. I have so much material. Obviously I have deep tracks that nobody cares about unless they’re hardcore Mudvayne fans or Hellyeah fans or whatever, but I have a lot of big songs just in my entire catalog and stuff.

The first show we played in Vegas was an hour and 50 minutes, which is an absolute marathon set. You can ask any headliner. Outside of Metallica, they play two hours and stuff. But the first of the four shows that we did, the first night of the Machine Shop, we did the hour and 50 and I had the band coming to me going, “Dude, we can’t. We gotta cut some. There’s no way.” And I’m feeling it, obviously. And I’m like, “Okay.” So we cut five songs, but we still ended up doing like an hour 35. Most headline sets are hour 15, hour 20, but yeah, we’re still playing like an hour and 40. And it just feels like I was just scratching the surface of like the songs that I could really play.

I think I left a lot of stuff on the table when we did that cut. ‘Cause in the hour 50 minutes that we were playing 19 songs, it’s “Moth” and “Happy?” and “Dig” and “Not Falling” and “Nothing to Gain” and “Demons in the Dirt” and “Love Falls,” the list just goes on and on and on with whether they were big top five, top 10 singles or something like that. If I didn’t play “Dull Boy,” people would be pissed. If I didn’t play “Nothing to Gain,” people would be pissed. People love those tracks, so you gotta figure out a way to work everything in.

It was a huge undertaking and it hasn’t ended yet. I keep thinking, “Oh, I want this to be fun.” I think that’s the whole mantra of what I’m doing is, “Let’s just get onstage and let’s have fun.”

After three decades of music, there’s no shortage of songs to choose from. You were talking about how part of the fun has been sort of deciding which cuts deserve another chance to be played live, right?

I kinda wanna play “Drink, Drank, Drunk” because it is a fun song. We haven’t played it yet, but maybe. We’ll see. But we’re playing “Alcohaulin Ass” and stuff again. It’s a fun song and people love that song. And it just goes over huge.

Obviously since Vinnie passed is eight years or whatever, so these [Hellyeah] songs haven’t really been played for that long. We did the Celebration of Life tours for him after he passed, but it’s been a long time since we played any of these songs. And that one even more so because probably in the last four years of Hellyeah we didn’t play “Alcohaulin’ Ass” anymore ’cause we were more focused on our new stuff from Blood For Blood, Welcome Home, and all that stuff from Undeniable.

So again, just from a setlist standpoint, we just didn’t play it ’cause we wanted to play other stuff so it’s been a blast. It’s been exactly what it is.

Hellyeah, “Alcohaulin’ Ass”

I’m sure for many after that final album for Hellyeah after Vinnie’s death many likely wondered if we’d ever hear this music again. Can you speak to what it means to you to share these Hellyeah songs again?

This is such a huge part of what I’m doing, man. It is such a huge part of what I’m doing. Vinnie was my best friend and my brother and I was so grateful for him and what he gave me on so many levels: friendship, brotherhood, knowledge that I got from him. He was just a consummate professional. He was such a pro and I learned so much from him.

And I know some people are gonna be like, “whatever,” but Hellyeah to Vinnie Paul was as important as Pantera ever was. It was everything to him. Pantera had been Pantera and he was in Pantera; he loved Pantera. But Vinnie was the guy that said: “If this is what I’m doing now; this is what’s most important in my world; what’s most important in my life.” And he just gave so much.

He ponied up money for us to be able to go do our European tours with Korn; to be able to go over there and open for Korn; we were over there for two months; our guarantees … we definitely went huge in the hole; but he was like: “We’re going.” And he did that kind of stuff because it was so important to him to build this thing; he knew that that’s what it was gonna take; he had it; he had it to give; he did; it’s just so important to me to keep his legacy alive.

It’s emotional for me; he was such a warm and generous man to everyone; just letting his music die because he did is ridiculous; I just saw an opening; this idea was supposed to be me and Marcus [Rafferty] getting together playing some casinos doing it acoustic.

But playing the full catalog; playing everything; he’s like: “Man why don’t we just get together just play all these songs but do them acoustic? We can just play a casino or whatever; who cares?”

But just playing because Mudvayne opted to take 2026 off; I wasn’t a big fan of it; I was like: “I already only tour once a year; now you’re telling me I’m not gonna tour this year?” And I’m just like: “Man this is where my happiness lies.”

After all these years Chad where’s your happy place?

My happiness is onstage; being onstage in front of metal kids; that’s where I shine; that’s where I live; that’s where I love; that’s where I have an opportunity to give back to people who have given me so much; being able to get on that stage playing these songs again is so powerful.

It’s so powerful; I can see it on people’s faces when we play because there is this look of: “Holy [shit] we’re seeing it.” I think they thought they were never gonna hear those songs onstage again; I thought that too; it made me so sour; heartbroken because Vinnie Hellyeah was everything for me; everything for me; Tom Brady Kyle man it was everything in our world; this is what we did.

I wasn’t in Mudvayne anymore; I was in Hellyeah; we worked our asses off for 12 years making that band successful; we did make it successful you know? So walking away from that leaving your fans who you know love it with nothing man sitting looking at empty hands like: “What the [fuck]” It’s always been very tough for me dealing with.

I think Vinnie would be happy knowing you are keeping his music alive.

Vinnie is smiling ear to ear; I can feel him at every show standing over me him Dime; I can feel them over me looking down proud proud of me for doing it keeping his name alive; Vinnie’s not dead if I’m still doing this.

Right you’re keeping music spirit alive.

Yeah.

I can tell you firsthand we worked together when Hellyeah was around and know exactly how important Hellyeah was to Vinnie Paul and he’d call me frustrated I’d be like: “Oh my God Vinnie Paul’s yelling right now I’m getting yelled at by Vinnie Paul right now because what’s going on at radio oh my God.” Like it’s very stressful.

It wasn’t really with you as much as how things were doing at radio things always did well at radio you always made them do very well at radio you’ve got great relationships we’re all very grateful for prowess you brought keeping those songs moving up charts stuff.

I think when Vinnie got really frustrated more toward label like: “What’s next single? What’s next single?” You always had input remember always like: “Jackie what do you think?”

I was proud having even small hand getting work with band knew seeing you guys speaking people fans band how important Vinnie keeping spirit music heart alive getting chance do another band again meant everything him I’m echoing sentiment say know full well incredibly important him.

Chad Gray on show with us talking about Hellyeah earlier wanted talk more about Vinnie Paul obvious Hellyeah much more than another project talking earlier how really meant everything him.

It did! It brought him back from despair Dime passed devastated least lost wingman so what do you do? He’s looking like: “What do now?” I’ve only played with guy now he’s gone what do? He did years here come along.

A phone call made he’s like: “You know what? Kinda sounds something maybe I’d wanna do,” next thing you know we’re all airplanes flying Texas whole flight I’m like: “Are kidding?” Vinnie hero come dude huge Pantera fan man absolute heavy metal hero then doing something with unbelievable unprecedented but had lot fun man.

We had lot fun creating making music kept getting more more fun until day came changed every single one forever idea give back real big motivator doing I’m loving obviously Mudvayne big band people love Mudvayne but Mudvayne’s been back there same look people’s faces first time walked back stage Mudvayne after coming back however many years seeing same face wearing different shirt face wearing Hellyeah shirt now not Mudvayne shirt.

But it’s been lot fun really cool too because like there wasn’t necessarily lot co-mingling Mudvayne Hellyeah fans think getting see too there’s lot both fans showing up actually getting stir pot little bit mix two groups fans.

READ MORE:

Chad Gray Is Finding His Independence as an Artist

I didn’t know what gonna be now here gonna do tour started idea hey let’s get together go play some casinos do acoustic then put together band Shannon [Gunz] booked shows booked Vegas show friends ours here booked Machine Shop Kevin [Zink] ’cause know Kevin booked Epic Events Center know Ryan [Vander Sanden] Mark [Skogen] everybody runs place Ryan happened book place called Rust Belt Moline show came together Shannon booked shows own didn’t agent anything kind let’s see happens suddenly bam bam bam bam bam sold out.

We play East Moline Illinois Christ sake Quad Cities should stop every tour put 1 200 people place then went Epic Events Center put 1 500 there Mudvayne sold 1 700 only short 200 Mudvayne feeling pretty good about myself telling me.

Doing five shows maybe something here still don’t know maybe go tour play 200 people every night have clue don’t think hope works want everybody get together forget life enjoy ourselves have fun that’s metal emissaries metal world messengers messenger bringing metal hopefully people show up have real good time man.

Mudvayne, “Happy?”

Chad give us better idea fans can expect setlist.

The cool thing setlist probably about 27 songs learned want do tour cycle five six different songs switch out every night really make sure changing up.

If see first night setlist see people post time setlist whole tour second night different setlist third night’s gonna different setlist fourth night’s gonna different setlist let’s see much mix have fun got 27 28 learned right now working three more hopefully about 30.

If doing 15 16 songs gives lot room maneuver.

Chad everyone deals processing death own personal way last album completed out love respect Vinnie guys still grieving has playing shows brought response input interest other living members Hellyeah?

Oh yeah absolutely Tom [Maxwell]’s got nothing respect gonna have [Christian] Brady do with But Brady’s Vegas player literally dude plays six different nights he’s busy Tom’s homebody now know mean Tom’s got boy turned incredible Kyle [Sanders] doing Kerry King living life.

Everybody’s kinda doing thing haven’t got negativity anybody seems awesome cool regard yeah how long Full Metal Jackie-ing how many years madness?

This about 20 years yeah about 20 years.

I figured you’d longer than that.

No it’s about 20 since doing radio Jackie station Los Angeles Steve Jones Sex Pistols doing middays had own show day called Full Metal became name like better name than Steve Jones Sex Pistols?

Exactly.

No I’ve been doing radio longer than that how long Full Metal Jackie around? About 20 years.

This awesome twenty years madness you.

Dude Vinnie king barbecue were old Eagle spent more time shop road might do one-off festival something any number random bands BLS Five Finger whoever would do roll into Sam’s Club good morning wake entire front lounge full food.

When say full food can’t express enough literally pans chicken steaks sausages carne asada da da da da literally entire front lounge tables couches everything stacked full roll venue man get out bus big folding tables long ones part gear three four big long tables grills rode there all sorts appliances margarita makers would roll unload early we’d get there AM whatever start setting up.

Everybody bus prepping cutting peppers cutting this cutting that getting everything prepped man obviously start getting ready show always played earlier two three afternoon whatever get offstage go right at cook whole goddamn place bands local crews staff festival whatever mattered wasn’t Wimmer fests whatever rock radio fest’d be at.

Nobody took dollar anybody probably rolled Sam’s Club spent fortune food doled out everybody welcome that’s who taught lot rock star lot people too cool school mean dude arguably biggest bands planet arguably number drummers ever played game most sweet down earth genteel genuine person ever met.

I already type person gelled well sense believed brotherhood believed brotherhood fandom fans one same do do still metal kid standing second row Slayer Metallica whatever band went see Korn whatever same way fan music not too much difference star band front row fan pretty much one same that’s always reminded grateful every day.