BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's MATT TUCK On Late LIMP BIZKIT Bassist SAM RIVERS: 'He Was The Backbone Of The Foundation Of That Band'

In a new interview with Argentina's Rock & Pop, vocalist/guitarist Matt Tuck of Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, who are supporting LIMP BIZKIT on the Latin American "Loserville Gringo Papi Tour 2025", spoke about the recent passing of LIMP BIZKIT bassist Sam Rivers. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The first that we heard about it was when it was on social media. That's kind of how it is these days. And, yeah, [we were] just shocked. I'd been a fan of LIMP BIZKIT for nearly 30 years. I first saw those guys before 'Three Dollar Bill[, Y'all]' came out in 1997, at home in Wales supporting KORN on the 'Life Is Peachy' tour. And that moment for me was huge as a teenager. That band and that lineup, it's ingrained in my brain and in my musical DNA. And Sam was a huge part of that for LIMP BIZKIT. He was the backbone of the foundation of that band."

Tuck continued: "So, yeah, we feel their loss. We feel their pain. And to be here celebrating him on this tour with them and [BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE being added to the tour] at such late notice [after Yungblud pulled out of the trek], it's kind of a… I don't know. It's hard to explain it. It feels like it's a real moment that means a lot to LIMP BIZKIT. It means a lot to their fanbase. And we're just so honored and proud that they invited us here to be on this tour with them, especially because of what this tour represents for them. And it's just sad — it's just a really sad moment. But they are here, and they're doing it for Sam. And we're just here with them every step of the way and hopefully we add a bit of value to the tour. We met the guys for the very first time in Mexico City a few days ago, and I couldn't describe how humble and normal and how just lovely, beautiful human beings they all are. It's nice. When they say, 'Don't meet your heroes,' on this occasion that's incorrect. They've been nothing but kind and welcoming and accommodating to us, and we're just so fucking honored that we can be here to celebrate this moment for Sam with them. It feels good."

LIMP BIZKIT played its first concert following Rivers's death on November 29 at Explanada Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico. Handling the bass duties for the band at the opening show of LIMP BIZKIT's Latin American "Loserville Gringo Papi Tour 2025" was Kid Not (a.k.a. Richie Buxton),a songwriting partner/producer of tour opener Ecca Vandal, who is a singer-songwriter and rapper currently living in Melbourne, Australia.

During the concert, LIMP BIZKIT paid tribute to Rivers with a short video compilation of some of Sam's onstage moments with his bandmates. The surviving LIMP BIZKIT members turned their backs to the large audience to watch the clip before the words "Sam Rivers, our brother forever" appeared on the screen, then changing to "Sam Rivers, we love you forever." The musicians embraced each other at the end of the touching display of respect for their fallen bandmate.

Before taking the stage in Mexico City, LIMP BIZKIT drummer John Otto shared a moving statement online in which he addressed Sam's absence. He wrote: "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.

"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.

"Thank you to our fans for all the messages of support and tributes to Sam. It means the world to us.

"This one's for you Sammy."

LIMP BIZKIT has a few more shows to play in December as part of the aforementioned "Loserville Gringo Papi Tour 2025". They will perform in Colombia on December 5, Peru on December 9, Chile on December 13, Argentina on December 16, and Brazil on December 20. Support on the trek is coming from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, 311, Ecca Vandal, RIFF RAFF and SLAY SQUAD.

Rivers passed away on October 18 at the age of 48, He reportedly died in the bathroom of his Florida home, according to an incident report obtained by TMZ. The report revealed that a deputy from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Department in St. Augustine said a caller informed police that she found the musician face down in his bathroom just before she dialed 911.

LIMP BIZKIT, which was founded by Rivers and frontman Fred Durst in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1994, announced the bassist's passing in an Instagram post on October 18.

"Today we lost our brother. Our bandmate. Our heartbeat," the statement began. "Sam Rivers wasn't just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound.

"From the first note we ever played together, Sam brought a light and a rhythm that could never be replaced," the statement — which was signed by his bandmates Durst, Wes Borland, Otto and DJ Lethal — continued. "His talent was effortless, his presence unforgettable, his heart enormous."

The group went on to remember Rivers as a "once-in-a-lifetime kind of human" and a "true legend of legends."

"His spirit will live forever in every groove, every stage, every memory," Rivers's bandmates added. "We love you, Sam. We'll carry you with us, always."

Rivers left LIMP BIZKIT in 2015 for health reasons that he later revealed were liver ailments due to alcohol abuse.

"I got liver disease from excessive drinking … I had to leave LIMP BIZKIT in 2015 because I felt so horrible, and a few months after that I realized I had to change everything because I had really bad liver disease," Rivers revealed in Jon Wiederhorn's book "Raising Hell (Backstage Tales From The Lives Of Metal Legends)". "I quit drinking and did everything the doctors told me. I got treatment for the alcohol and got a liver transplant, which was a perfect match."

Rivers recalled doctors warning him that he would die without quitting alcohol. "It got so bad I had to go to UCLA Hospital, and the doctor said, 'If you don't stop, you're going to die. And right now, you're looking like you need a new liver.'"

Sam rejoined LIMP BIZKIT in 2018 and remained in the group until his death.

He performed his last concert with LIMP BIZKIT in August at the Leeds festival in the U.K.