Grammy Award winning American rock band Tool has toured worldwide extensively.
Tool has performed songs by other artists occasionally in their live sets, including "Spasm" and "You Lied" by Peach, "Stranglehold" by Ted Nugent, "Demon Cleaner" by Kyuss, "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin, and "Commando" by The Ramones.
The song "Ticks & Leeches" is only rarely performed live due to the immense strain on Keenan's voice. However, they have performed it at least a few times during their 2001 (Irvine, California) and 2002 tours including appearances in Sacramento, California, Tacoma, Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Katowice (Poland), London (England), and Berlin (Germany), with Keenan using heavy vocal effects and distortion. Tool added 'Ticks & Leeches' back to the set list for the 2012 North American Winter Tour.
Tour history
In 1991, Tool played a number of small clubs in the Los Angeles area and were signed to a major label. The two live tracks of the Opiate EP were recorded during a December 31, 1991, performance. Tool embarked on a U.S. club tour in 1992, playing only one Canadian and one Mexican date. The band often played on a small stage, with minimal or no lighting, sometimes to only a handful of people. The set list would change from night to night, but would usually include most (if not all) of Opiate and a handful of then unreleased songs from Undertow. Some were performed with working lyrics such as "Undertow" and "Bottom".
Tool toured extensively in 1993. The band found themselves on many European festivals as well as the U.S. Lollapalooza festival. They were drawing such a crowd playing the second stage at Lollapalooza that they were moved up to the main stage midway through the tour. The band debuted the songs "Intolerance", "Prison Sex" and "Flood" on January 26, 1993. The set list would vary from night to night, depending on the time slot Tool was allotted, but "Sober" and "Prison Sex" were always played.
Tool toured Europe and the U.S. again in 1994. The band debuted their cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" as well as the songs "Disgustipated", "Pushit" and "Stinkfist". "No Quarter" often transitioned into "Disgustipated", and "Opiate" would be played back-to-back with "Flood", transitioning smoothly between songs and skipping the lengthy intro to "Flood". During this time, Tool's stage show began to grow and better reflect the band. During a show in London at Shepards Bush, the band had a man dressed as Jesus join them on stage. At the same show, future Tool member (then member of opening band Peach) Justin Chancellor joined the band for the song "Sober". Around the same time, tensions began between Keenan and D'Amour. As in previous years, the set list would change from night to night for most of 1994.
Tool only played a small number of shows during 1995, but it was a very important year for the band, debuting the songs "Eulogy", "H" and "Ænema" in early forms with working lyrics. Tensions were very high between Keenan and D'Amour during this time, and April 14, 1995, would be D'Amour's last live show with the band. Justin Chancellor's first shows with the band were in late 1995, with the first being on December 14th, 1995 at the Tejon Theater in Bakersfield, CA.
In 1996, Tool began their extensive touring for Ænima in Pomona, California, where they debuted "Forty-Six & 2", "Hooker with a Penis", "Jimmy" and "Third Eye". "Die Eier von Satan" was played once on December 19, 1996. They also played South Park's 'Spirit of Christmas' animated Christmas card during the show. During this year, Tool started extending "Prison Sex" by adding an extra verse—known by fans as "Prison Sex OTRM" ("on the road mix" or "over the rainbow mix")—and the intro to "Sober", which later appeared on Salival as the track "Merkaba". Tool's stage show grew with the addition of two giant projection screens. Keenan would paint himself blue and white for his performances, and Chancellor would also sometimes be painted with spots. Although the band was changing the set list up quite a bit at the beginning of the tour, they fell into a 'comfortable' set list during November which was played for the rest of the year with one or two wild card songs. A typical 1996 set list would look like this:
"Third Eye" "Stinkfist" "Forty-Six & 2" "Cold & Ugly" "Eulogy" "Prison Sex" "Pushit" "Merkaba" "Sober" "Opiate" "Ænema"
As an opening band
YearHeadliner1991Fishbone1991Green Jellÿ1991Rage Against the Machine1992Corrosion of Conformity1992Rollins Band1992White Zombie1995Primus
As the headlining band TourYearsOpening bandsOpiate1992Failure, The Flaming Lips, PeachUndertow1993Failure, The Flaming Lips, Paw, Headswim, Submarine, Peach, Love JonesÆnima1996–1999The Cows, Failure, The Melvins, PsychoticaLateralus2001–2002Cortizone, Fantômas, Cosmic Psychos, King Crimson, The Melvins, Meshuggah, Pablo, Tomahawk, Tricky10,000 Days2006–2007Isis, Mastodon, Kinski, Melt-Banana, TU, Big Business, Russian Circles, Trans Am2009 Tour2009Tweak Bird2010 Tour2010Wovenhand, Dälek, Rajas2011 Tour2011Jakob2012 Tour2012Intronaut, YOB2013 Tour2013Jakob2014 Tour2014Failure2016 Tour2016Primus, 3Teeth, Once and Future Band, The Crystal Method2017 Tour2017 Tool in Concert2019-2022Killing Joke, All Souls, Author & Punisher, Blonde Redhead, The Acid Helps Tool in Concert2023-2024Steel Beans, Emily Wolfe, Elder, Night Verses
Festivals
TourRoleYearsAftershock FestivalHeadline2016, 2019, 2023, 2026All Points WestHeadline2009Alternative Nation Festival1995Area4Headline2007Arvika FestivalHeadline1994Big Day OutHeadline2007, 2011Big MeleHeadline1993BonnarooHeadline2007, 2022Boston CallingHeadline2017CoachellaHeadline1999, 2006Chicago Open AirHeadline2019CopenhellHeadline2019, 2024Download FestivalHeadline2006, 2019Dour FestivalMain stage1994EdgefestHeadline2001, 2012EpicenterHeadline2009Firenze RocksHeadline2019, 2024Good ThingsHeadline2025Governors Ball Music FestivalHeadline2017Graspop Metal MeetingHeadline2024Hurricane Festival2001LollapoloozaMain stage1993 (Side stage and Main stage), 1997, 2009Louder Than LifeHeadline2023, 2026LowlandsHeadline1993, 2007MetaltownHeadline2006Mile High Music FestivalHeadline2009Monster Mash Music FestivalHeadline2015Northern InvasionHeadline2018Norwegian WoodHeadline2002 (didn't play since Ozzfest was canceled)Nova Rock Festival2006ØyafestivalenHeadline2007OzzfestMain stage1998, 2001, 2002, 2013PinkpopMain stage2001 (3FM Tent), 2006PopwerkMain stage1993PowertripMetallica Support2023Pukkelpop1993, 2007Quart FestivalMain stage2006Reading FestivalMain stage1993River's EdgeHeadline2012Rock am RingHeadline2002, 2019Rock on the RangeHeadline2018Rock WerchterMain stage1994 (Side stage), 2001, 2006, 2019Roskilde FestivalMain stage2001, 2006RuisrockHeadline2006Super Bock Super RockHeadline2006Sonic Temple FestivalHeadline2023, 2026Southside Festival2001Street SceneHeadline2006Summer Sonic FestivalHeadline2006Sziget FestivalHeadline2007Tons of RockHeadline2024Voodoo Music ExperienceHeadline2001, 2016Welcome to RockvilleHeadline2019, 2023LollapaloozaHeadline2025 (Argentina, Chile and Brazil)Festival Estéreo PicnicHeadline2025
Guest musicians
These musicians have joined Tool on stage.
Guest musician Instrument Touring with Song Notes Reference Heitham Al-Sayed Vocals Senser,Lodestar multiple Joined Tool several times at their concerts in London in 1994 and 1997 for "Bottom" and "Pushit" and in Paris in 2006 for "Opiate". Mike Bordin Drums Ozzy Osbourne,Faith No More "Triad" Ozzfest at Donington Park in 2002 and again during the U.S. tour of 2002 King Buzzo Guitar The Melvins multiple "Stinkfist", covers of Ted Nugent's "Stranglehold", and Peach's "You Lied" & "Spasm" Dale Crover Drums The Melvins "Opiate","Triad" Final show of the Ænema tour at San Jose, California on August 30, 1998 The Australian leg of Tool's 2002 tour John Dolmayan Drums System of a Down multiple Ozzfest 2002 at Antwerp and Dublin performing "Triad", both performances in Las Vegas in 2007 he joined Danny Carey in performing "Lateralus" Aloke Dutta Tabla N/A "Pushit" Tool's spring-1998 "mini-tour" Robert Fripp Guitar King Crimson "Soundscapes" Played during the intermission during the Tool/King Crimson mini-tour of 2001On a few occasions, he was joined by Adam and Justin; sometimes remained onstage playing "Soundscape" (segues) as Tool went into the first song of the second set. Tomas Haake Drums Meshuggah "Triad" When Meshuggah supported Tool during their U.S. tour in the fall of 2002 Tricky KeyboardsVocals N/A "Reflection","Opiate" U.S. tour of 2001 Kirk Hammett Guitar Metallica "Sober", "Lateralus" Blaisdell Concert Hall in Hawaii, August 18, 2006 and January 14, 2011SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT :: Australia :: News Hawkman Vocals Tricky "Reflection" U.S. tour of 2001 Dave Lombardo Drums Fantômas "Triad" When Fantômas supported Tool during the U.S. tour of October 2001 Herman Li Guitar DragonForce "Lateralus" Played during band's 2007 appearance at Brixton Academy Pat Mastelotto Drums King Crimson "Triad" Tool/King Crimson mini-tour of 2001.On a related note, Danny Carey joined King Crimson onstage on one occasion, playing the second half of "Red" during this tour.Pat Mastelotto Perry Melius Percussion Tricky "Triad" 5 Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (October 20, 2001) Tom Morello Guitar The Nightwatchman "Lateralus" Provided extra guitar during the band's 2007 Bonnaroo appearance. Mike Patton Synthesizer Tomahawk,Fantômas "Triad" U.S. tour of 2002HIGH BIAS – Tool, Tomahawk – live concert review Scott Reeder Bass guitar Kyuss "Demon Cleaner" Concerts in Los Angeles (March 27, 1998) and San Diego (March 29, 1998)Decibel Magazine Zack de la Rocha Vocals Rage Against the Machine "Bottom" Tool concerts in Irvindale, California on August 7, 1993, and Paris, France on September 9, 1993 Chris Pitman Vocals Guns N' Roses, ZAUM "Bottom" Concert in Ventura, California on December 15, 1995