CHAD GRAY, BUTCHER BABIES In Clearwater, FL With Photos!

Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 12:36 PM

By Travis Failey, Planet Earth Contributor

It Was 30 Years Of Madness At The OCC Road House & Museum On October 16th

Live Photos By Travis Failey Photography

Three decades in heavy music is a long time to survive changing trends, shifting lineups and an industry that is always searching for its next big thing. For Chad Gray, however, the music has never been about chasing a moment. It has been about creating songs that connect with listeners through aggression, vulnerability and an unmistakable vocal identity.

That legacy took center stage at OCC Road House & Museum in Clearwater on October 16, as Gray brought his 30 Years of Madness tour to Florida's Gulf Coast. With BUTCHER BABIES & DEVIL’S CUT rounding out the bill, the evening offered a celebration of heavy music's past and present, anchored by the unmistakable voice behind MUDVAYNE and HELLYEAH.

For longtime fans, Gray's career represents two distinct but complementary sides of modern metal. MUDVAYNE built its reputation on unconventional rhythms, unpredictable arrangements and a sound that could shift from restrained tension to outright sonic chaos in seconds. HELLYEAH, meanwhile, delivered a more direct, hard-hitting approach, combining groove-heavy riffs with choruses built for audiences to shout back from the crowd.

The 30 Years of Madness concept brings those musical identities together, allowing Gray to revisit the songs that established his reputation while reminding audiences that his career extends well beyond any single band.

Before Gray took the stage, The BUTCHER BABIES had the responsibility of preparing the audience for an evening built around intensity. The band has spent years establishing itself as a formidable live act, balancing aggressive metal arrangements with memorable hooks and a confrontational stage presence.

Frontwoman Heidi Shepherd remains central to that identity. Her vocal delivery can shift from sharp-edged aggression to melodic passages without losing the urgency that drives the band's music. The combination gives BUTCHER BABIES a sound that works both as a standalone attraction and as a natural fit alongside the heavier material associated with Gray's catalog.

The band's recent material also reflects its willingness to explore more than one shade of heavy music. Their set included "Red Thunder," "Sincerity" and "Lost In Your Touch" which demonstrated a broader melodic range, while tracks including "Beaver Cage" and "Spittin' Teeth" maintain the group's harder edge.

That balance is important. BUTCHER BABIES are not simply relying on volume or attitude; their appeal comes from combining those elements with songs that have their own personality. On a bill celebrating a veteran vocalist's extensive catalog, that distinction helps make the opening performance an essential part of the evening rather than merely an introduction to the headliner.

Shepherd and the band represent a newer chapter in heavy music's continuing evolution, proving that aggressive music can retain its bite while making room for melody, atmosphere and different approaches to songwriting.

During “Monsters Ball,” Heidi stood on the stage and the barrier and reached into the crowd for some audience assistance with the crowd screaming into her microphone.

Shepard and the band were simply unstoppable on Friday night at OCC. Her stage presence and the way she played to the crowd physically and vocally will be remembered as one of the moments of this year’s concert season.

Having seen BUTCHER BABIES perform at both Louder Than Life and OCC Road House, it’s clear that the band have not only moved forward following the departure of former co-frontwoman Carla Harvey, but have emerged as an even stronger, more unified force. With their chemistry, energy and continued evolution on full display, BUTCHER BABIES appear poised to write many more chapters in their story.

With a short break between sets, It was time for the birthday boy and his bandmates that included Marcus Rafferty and Joe Bonasorte on guitar, Nick Villarreal on bass, and Devin Attard on drums to take the stage.

The started with a perfect opener and one of HELLYEAH’s biggest songs in “Moth” and went directly into MUDVAYNE’s “Happy.”

Gray’s voice seemed strong even though he has been experiencing some vocal issues and his makeup was reminiscent of Two Face from Batman mythology, which made complete sense as both bands are a contract of vocal styles.

The set increased in aggressiveness with “Hellyeah!” “Nothing to Gein” and “Sangre por Sangre” with the crowd joining in and chanting “Blood for Blood.” After the latter, the band took a short break when guitarist Marcus Rafferty came up to the microphone to thank OCC for putting on a wonderful Autism event and the team for building a beautiful custom chopper with the autism logos and insignias on it. This was extra special for Marcus as both his children have been diagnosed with it and were brought in special for the show.

Rafferty then told the crowd that it was Gray’s birthday and his wife and Sirius XM’s own Shannon Gunz came out on stage with the crew and a huge cake to celebrate her husband’s 55th birthday.

Gray thanked everyone there especially Leo and Billy who created a custom bike for Chad for his birthday and Gunz thanked the fans for always making Chad happy even when he sometimes has a tough time being that way. Both Gunz & Gray were very poignant and upfront which made us feel like we were in their close circle of friends.

Gray also spoke to the crowd throughout their set mentioning many times how important the fans are and that they are the most important part of the industry as without the fans, there isn’t one. Chad also talked about his brothers in Dimebag and his former bandmate Vinnie Paul and how Vinnie created a song that was introduced by Vinnie yelling “Fuck Your Mother.” Gray then had the crowd chanting the same which brought infectious grins throughout OCC and then told them all they had to do was slam their necks the rest of the night.

The band finished off the night with “Love Falls” and then one of MUDVAYNE’s biggest tracks in “Dig” which got everyone thrashing a bit still as they left the venue. It’s stop-start rhythms, abrasive delivery and explosive refrain made it one of the band's signature tracks. As a closing number on the tour, it serves as a reminder of the music that first brought Gray to the attention of a much wider audience.

The strength of the 30 Years of Madness concept lies in bringing those worlds together. Rather than treating Gray's career as a collection of disconnected chapters, the show celebrates the common thread running through them: a vocalist whose delivery remains recognizable regardless of the musical setting.

The Clearwater stop brought those elements together for an evening centered on the enduring appeal of heavy music. It was a reminder that the songs people carry with them are not frozen in the years when they first heard them. They evolve alongside the listeners who return to them as do the performers who created them.

Thirty years is a significant milestone for any musician. For Chad Gray, it is an opportunity to celebrate the music that brought him here while continuing to bring it to audiences who want to experience it at full volume.
The madness, it seems, still has plenty of life left in it which to say makes us very………”Happy.”

BUTCHER BABIES