Jason Newsted, former Metallica bassist, is touring North America with his band The Chophouse Band following his recovery from throat cancer, while also reflecting on his past struggles with addiction and the band's controversial Load/ReLoad era. He has recently performed with Blackberry Smoke on covers of 'Fairies Wear Boots' and 'Jailbreak', and is working on a memoir with 130 chapters. Newsted remains open to creating new metal music despite his recent health challenges.