Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer has excited fans by actively discussing the possibility of bringing back the legendary Family Values Tour. He revealed that he is personally pushing for the revival and hopes to include original acts like Ice Cube and Rammstein if the right organizational team gets involved.
“That would be amazing, and have the originals like Ice Cube and Rammstein. I mean, it’s possible,” Shaffer stated. “I’ve talked about it. I have talked about it. I’m the one that’s like, ‘let’s do this!’. So I think if we have the right people involved, it could happen.”
The guitarist’s enthusiasm signals genuine momentum behind the revival effort. Shaffer is positioning himself as a driving force in making the tour a reality once more.
To understand the significance of Munky’s revival efforts, it’s important to look back at the tour’s historic origins. The original Family Values Tour debuted in fall 1998 as a groundbreaking event that combined nu metal, alternative metal, and rap acts. The inaugural tour ran from September 22 to late October 1998 across the United States. It served as a promotional vehicle for Korn’s album Follow the Leader. This pioneering event helped establish nu metal as a dominant force in mainstream music during the late 1990s.
The 1998 lineup featured an impressive roster that defined an era. Louder Sound documented how Korn frontman Jonathan Davis reflected on the tour’s impact, noting that it “took set the nu metal revolution ablaze” more than 20 years later. The original event brought together diverse musical styles and audiences, creating a cultural moment that resonated far beyond typical rock and metal circles.
The artists Munky specifically mentioned remain central to the tour’s legendary status. RammWiki documented the 1998 Family Values Tour lineup, which featured Korn as headliners alongside Rammstein, Ice Cube, Limp Bizkit, Orgy, and Incubus (who joined from October 25, 1998 onward). Ice Cube brought gangsta rap credibility to the bill, incorporating N.W.A. material that resonated with both hip-hop and nu metal audiences. Rammstein contributed their full original lineup with their distinctive industrial metal sound and theatrical presentation.
This combination of acts created a unique festival atmosphere that appealed to multiple fan bases simultaneously. The diversity of the lineup—spanning from rap to industrial metal to alternative rock—demonstrated Korn’s vision for a tour that transcended traditional genre boundaries. It helped define the sound of late-1990s alternative music.
