“Our Brother Forever”
“We’re going to honor the life you lived and the love you spread with every show we play. You’ll always be with us,” drummer John Otto writes to late bassist ahead of Mexico City show
Limp Bizkit paid tribute to their late bassist Sam Rivers on Saturday during the band’s first concert since Rivers’ death in October.
The group, who previously pledged to continue their tour as planned following Rivers’ death, returned to the stage Saturday in Mexico City to kick off their Latin American tour. During the show, Limp Bizkit screened a tribute video featuring clips of Rivers onstage and backstage with his band mates, who watched along with the audience.
“Sam Rivers, our brother forever,” the video noted at the end. “Sam Rivers, we love you forever.”
Rivers died October 18 at the age of 48; no cause of death was provided. For the band’s Mexico City gig, bassist Richie “Kid Not” Buxton — who also plays in the tour’s opening act Ecca Vandal — filled in on bass, Blabbermouth reports. “Now we’re gonna do this shit Limp Bizkit style. Tonight, this one’s for Sam Rivers,” Fred Durst said as the band launched into “Break Stuff.”
Prior to the Mexico City show, Limp Bizkit drummer John Otto remembered Rivers on social media, “Today is going to be tough. A first I never wanted to experience. Especially not now. You’ve been there for so many major firsts in my life. Some of my earliest memories were made with you. We grew up together. Laughed together. Realized our dreams together. And traveled the world together. You’ve always been there. The godfather to my girls, my best friend — my brother. There will never be another you.”
Otto continued, “We’re going to honor the life you lived and the love you spread with every show we play. You’ll always be with us.”