Offspring Guitarist Noodles Steps Back From Live Shows for Health Issue
Offspring guitarist and co-founder Noodles is stepping away from live performance to deal with a health issue, the band announced on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Billboard first reported the news.
Noodles, born Kevin John Wasserman and now 63, said in a statement posted by the band that he needs to stop playing live "for a while." He called it a "sudden and fairly serious health issue." Co-founders of rock bands rarely pause for this kind of reason, and the statement made clear that this is a personal matter first.
He also said the rest of the group has his back. The Offspring will keep performing without him, and he hopes to return to the stage "sooner rather than later."
The band has not yet shared details about the illness, how long Noodles will be away, or who will take his place on upcoming dates. A spokesperson for The Offspring had not responded to Billboard's requests for those answers at the time of the report.
Other musicians quickly posted their good wishes. Pierre Bouvier, the singer of Simple Plan, was among those who sent messages, along with the bands Slightly Stoopid, The Early November and Sublime.
The Offspring have spent much of 2026 on the road supporting Supercharged, their eleventh studio album, which came out in 2024. The band's official tour page lists the next dates:
- October 24, 2026: The Wiltern, Los Angeles
- November 6, 2026: SEMA Fest, Las Vegas
- November 21, 2026: Corona Capital 2026, a music festival in Mexico City
After that, the calendar goes quiet until January 16, 2027. That night the band is booked at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles for the iHeartRadio ALTer Ego 2027 festival.
For anyone with tickets to those shows, the next updates will come from the band and the venues or promoters running each event.
