SAVATAGE's CHRIS CAFFERY Says There Are Plans To Film Pompeii Concert With Orchestra For Future Release

In a new interview with Ed Hackimer of This Day In Metal, guitarist Chris Caffery of acclaimed progressive metal pioneers SAVATAGE reflected on the band's comeback performances in 2025 and June 2026 and looked ahead to SAVATAGE's upcoming European shows later this summer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "We did four shows in South America [in April 2025]. Three were festivals and one was a headline, and then we did 10 shows in Europe [in June 2025], which was split 50/50 between five headline and five festival shows. And it just felt great to be back. And we just made the decision to keep playing."

He continued: "We're gonna get everywhere we can. It's a process that's being done in a way where we feel we could do justice to all the shows. We don't wanna go and jump and take one offer for one show somewhere and just fly in there and show up and not have it be at the same level as all the other ones. So we're rehearsing and spending a lot of time getting ourselves ready for everything we do."

Caffery added: "We have four weeks of dates in Europe. And we just did a couple of festivals three weeks ago, and we spent a lot of time rehearsing for them. And we're gonna go into Athens, Greece for a week and rehearse there before we head to Istanbul, Turkey for the very first time to start doing the shows we have in Europe. And it's gonna be a lot of fun. We have a bunch of festivals, but there's a lot of headline shows too, and one of them in particular is [at the Amphitheater of Pompeii, one of the oldest surviving Roman amphitheaters] in Pompei [Italy]. We have a 40-person orchestra [playing with us], and Al [Pitrelli, SAVATAGE guitarist] and Jon [Oliva, SAVATAGE mastermind] and even with our studio and musical directors from TSO [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHSTRA] are putting together really cool orchestrations for it. I was listening to it in my headphone in my ear mix when we were rehearsing. I was, like, 'Turn the orchestra parts up.' And it's gonna be really special. It's an over-two-hour show. And I believe, from what a little bird had told me, that there are plans to absorb that for other people to see that haven't been there. So I'm pretty sure we're gonna be filming."

Elaborating on SAVATAGE's plans to professionally film and record the Pompei concert, Caffery said: "I never like to give official news until we get official news as a band. But I'm pretty sure that that's gonna be one of those ones that we're not gonna go, 'Let's just fly away' without there being cameras running. So I'm sure it'll be recorded and filmed. And it's gonna be pretty awesome. It's gonna go by so quick, though, 'cause we arrive the day before, but we're only in that venue the day we're playing. So we gotta show up, set up, play and do this completely different setlist than we're doing in any other show. And, like I said, I'm gonna be staring at where we are, and staring at the orchestra and staring at the audience. And I'm gonna blink my eyes and it's gonna be over, but I'm really looking forward to that one."

Regarding how SAVATAGE' setlist for the Pompei concert will be different from that for the other shows on the summer 2026 tour, Caffery said: "Well, when Paul [O'Neill, late SAVATAGE producer and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA mastermind] had us do the 'Prelude To Madness' before 'Hall Of The Mountain King', the song, his whole thing with that song was to have the orchestra battling the rock band. And he always felt that the classical musicians were the rock stars and heavy metal musicians of their time, which I agree with. And through our music, songs like 'Gutter Ballet', even in that video was when he first had strings sitting there with us, and 'When The Crowds Are Gone'. He was always getting to the point of marrying those two worlds, to have the old classical and rock and roll music meet together, and this is the perfect opportunity for that. And there's some really great arrangements and some really cool parts. And, like I said, it's, I believe, a little bit over a two-hour set right now, so it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Earlier this month, SAVATAGE played two festival shows — in Sweden and in France — with drummer Blas Elias. Elias, who has previously played with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, SLAUGHTER and RATT's Stephen Pearcy, was filling in for SAVATAGE's longtime drummer Jeff Plate, who sat out the first two gigs of SAVATAGE's "Prelude To Madness" spring/summer 2026 European tour due to medical reasons.

The 2026 "Prelude To Madness" tour once again features SAVATAGE's current lineup: vocalist Zak Stevens, guitarists Al Pitrelli and Chris Caffery, bassist Johnny Lee Middleton and drummer Jeff Plate (except for the first two shows, where he was replaced by Blas Elias).

SAVATAGE's journey began in Tampa, Florida, founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva. Their story is one of both triumph and tragedy, marked by groundbreaking albums including the seminal 1987 release "Hall Of The Mountain King" and the critically acclaimed 1991 rock opera "Streets", both of which continue to resonate with fans worldwide. Following the untimely death of guitarist Criss Oliva after the success of 1993's "Edge Of Thorns", the band persevered with renewed purpose, culminating in their transformative 1995 album "Dead Winter Dead".

Throughout their four-decade career, SAVATAGE have cultivated one of metal's most passionate cult followings. During their nearly 20-year hiatus from touring, devoted fans continuously campaigned for the band's return. Their electrifying reunion performance at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2015 captivated 80,000 fans and reaffirmed both SAVATAGE's legendary status and their audience's unwavering devotion.

Building on the momentum from their 2015 Wacken triumph, SAVATAGE made international headlines in 2025 with their first headline shows since 2002. The European dates successfully reunited multiple generations of "The Legion" — longtime devotees experiencing long-awaited performances alongside newcomers discovering the band's power for the first time.

SAVATAGE played four shows in South America in April 2025 and 10 dates in Europe in June 2025, including at France's Hellfest and Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting festivals.

SAVATAGE played its first non-festival headlining concert in more than 20 years on April 21, 2025 at the Espaço Unimed in São Paulo, Brazil. The show took place two days after SAVATAGE performed at the Monsters Of Rock festival at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.

Appearing with Middleton, Caffery, Pitrelli, Plate and Stevens were SAVATAGE's two new touring keyboardists, Paulo Cuevas and Shawn McNair.

Zak joined SAVATAGE in 1992 as the replacement for Jon Oliva. Zak sang on four albums with the band — "Edge Of Thorns" (1993),"Handful Of Rain" (1994),"Dead Winter Dead" (1995) and "The Wake Of Magellan" (1997) — before departing in 2000, allowing Jon to return. Both Jon and Zak took part in SAVATAGE's 2015 performance at Wacken Open Air.

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of guitarist Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

In addition to his work with SAVATAGE, Jon Oliva is well known for co-creating the classical music-meets-prog rock and pyro act TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA alongside the project's founder Paul O'Neill. Oliva has reportedly remained involved in TSO's activities even after O'Neill's April 2017 death of an accidental drug overdose.