Music

Gojira Frontman Joe Duplantier Suffers Hand Injury That Will Keep Him From Playing Guitar for a While

Gojira has tapped Car Bomb guitarist Gregg Kubacki to handle Joe Duplantier’s guitar parts on their tour with Comeback Kid and Neckbreakker.

November 25, 2025, 4:05pm

Gojira are about to go out on a big European tour. Frontman Joe Duplantier won’t be playing guitar for at least part of it, though.

Duplantier shared an X-ray of his hand on Instagram, revealing that he recently had to have surgery after injuring himself. As a result, the French metal band is bringing in Greg Kubacki to fill in for Duplantier on guitar. Kubacki is well-known for playing with the New York-based technical metal band Car Bomb.

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It appears that Duplantier will still be handling vocal duties while his hand heals.

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“Hey! I hurt my hand a few weeks ago. After getting minor surgery, I’m on the mend but unfortunately I won’t be able to play all my guitar parts on the next tour in France,” Duplantyier wrote in a statement. “No worries though, we hired our good friend @carbombgreg of the incredible @carbombofficial to “Give us a hand”. The mood in our camp is up there, as we’re embarking for an interesting experience on our own turf. Show must go ooooon.”

Gojira’s tour across France kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 27, and features Comeback Kid and Neckbreakker. Check out a full list of dates below.

Gojira Fall/Winter 2025 Tour Dates:

11/27 Reims, FRA ReimsArena
11/28 Lille, FRA Zenith de Lille
11/3 Paris, FRA Bercy Accor Arena
12/1 Rouen, FRA Zenith de Rouen
12/2 Saint-Herblain, FRA Zenith Nantes Métropole
12/4 Toulouse, FRA Zenith de Toulouse
12/5 Clermont-Ferrand, FRA Zenith de Clermont-Ferrand
12/6 Marseille, FRA Dome Marseille
12/8 Nice, FRA Palais Nikaia
12/9 Bordeaux, FRA Areka Arena
12/10 Lyon, FRA LDLC Arena
12/12 Strasbourg, FRA Zenith of Strasbourg

In May, Gojira will join Metallica and Knocked Loose for a portion of the 80s thrash metal legends’ M72 European tour. Find those dates below.

Metallica M72 2026 European tour dates with Gojira and Knocked Loose

5/9 Athens, Greece – Olympic Stadium
5/13 Bucharest, Romania – Arena Națională
5/19 Chorzów, Poland – Stadion Śląski
5/22 Frankfurt, Germany – Deutsche Bank Park
5/27 Zürich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund
5/30 Berlin, Germany – Olympiastadion
6/3 Bologna, Italy – Stadio Renato Dall’Ara
6/13 Budapest, Hungary – Puskas Arena
6/21 Dublin, Ireland – Aviva Stadium
6/25 Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park
6/28 Cardiff, UK – Principality Stadium
7/3 London, UK – London Stadium