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Deftones<\/a><\/strong> guitarist Stephen Carpenter<\/strong> hasn’t toured internationally with the band since 2022. Deftones<\/a><\/strong> has since recruited guitarist Lance Jackman<\/strong> as their live fill-in overseas, as well as Far<\/a><\/strong>‘s Shaun Lopez<\/strong> for at least a show or two on their current run.<\/p>\n At the time, Carpenter<\/strong> issued a statement saying: “As much as I would love to be on the road with my brothers, playing for all of our incredible international fans, I have decided to remain playing domestically for now. With everything going on in the world, I’m just not ready to leave home and leave the country yet. I wish I can see each and every one of you, but for now, our good friend from Sacramento, Lance<\/strong>, will be fulfilling my duties. Although I’m watching from afar, I’ll be there in spirit with my Deftones<\/a><\/strong> family.”<\/p>\n Now in a new interview with Rock Feed<\/em>, Carpenter<\/strong> elaborated on his reasons for not touring abroad. Long story short, he struggles with anxiety about getting on planes as many of us do (myself included).<\/p>\n “I’m sure you’re aware that I haven’t traveled internationally now for awhile\u2026 It’s just simple,” said Carpenter<\/strong> as transcribed by The PRP<\/a><\/em>. “I think, like every single one of us wrangles with getting on a plane in some way\u2026 And so for me, that anxiety, when it came around, it was was right around the time of when the pandemic started and I had already just made that decision.<\/p>\n “And that was because we were getting ready to go on on a trip, we were going to travel to this far-off destination, and I was like, ‘Look, you know, if I got to go all that way and then get stuck out there and then they want to jab me with something. I was like, There’s no way I’m going to do that.’ I mean, that’s crazy. And so that didn’t happen.<\/p>\n “I was just like my decision was simple. Like all the anxiety that I deal with when it comes to that, I was like, look, I can just put a stop to this by just not doing it anymore. And it’s like, I’m going to lose out. You know, it’s a bummer. I mean, obviously I want to go out there and I want to perform those shows and be around all the people that support us and enjoy us.<\/p>\n “But I’m like, It’s a decision I made for myself, and there’s people that understand, and people that don’t understand. And for all those that don’t understand, maybe one day they will, I don’t know. Maybe they never will.”<\/p>\n