Punk rock icons The Offspring will be without guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman at live shows after a health issue forced him to “step away” from the band.
Wasserman, 63, made the announcement to the band’s social media accounts on Thursday, two days before they are set to play in Los Angeles.
“It is with deep sadness that I have to announce that I need to step away from live performances for a while to deal with a sudden and fairly serious health issue,” he said.
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Wasserman did not reveal what the health issue ways, but did say the band “ has my back, is super supportive, and will keep rocking you all in my absence”.
“I hope to be back on stage sooner rather than later,” he said.
“Until then, I will miss all of you with all of my heart.
“Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. I really appreciate it.”
The Offering guitarist Kevin ‘Noodles’ Wasserman will step back from live performances due to a ‘sudden and fairly serious health issue’. Credit: Paul Bergen/Redferns
The Offspring was founded under the name Maniac Subsidal by guitarist and vocalist Bryan “Dexter” Holland and bassist Greg “K.” Kriesel in 1984 out of Garden Grove, California.
Drummer James Lilja and Wasserman would join soon after and would release their first single under the name The Offspring in 1986.
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They began gaining momentum over the following decade before bursting into the mainstream in 1994 with their third album Smash.
The album’s lead single Come Out And Play (Keep ‘Em Separated) soared to the top of Billboard rock charts for two weeks and led to Smash reaching as high as No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
The band’s sudden success throughout the 90s helped keep punk rock in the mainstream — following the rise and disbandment of Nirvana — and influence artists such as Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan.
The punk rock icons soared to fame in the 1990s and have continued to perform in the decades since. Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images
While members of the band have come and gone since the turn of the millennium, The Offspring have continued to release albums and tour in the decades since their first success.
They most recently played 23 shows in 40 days on the Supercharged Tour of North America earlier this year and are tipped to play in Los Angeles on Saturday, SEMA Fest in Las Vegas on November 6 and Corona Capital 2026 in Mexico City on November 21 before returning to Los Angeles for iHeartRadio ALTer Ego 2027 on January 16.
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