Behind the Setlist

John 5 has the honor of being the guest for the final episode of Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast. The insanely talented guitarist has a decades-long solo career and has also played with the likes of Rob Zombie, Paul Stanley, Marilyn Manson and k.d. lang. But John 5 is best known these days as Mick Mars' replacement in Motley Crue, which hits the road this summer with The Return of the Carnival of Sins tour. John 5's 11th solo album, Ghost, was released in October 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guitar legend Kenny Wayne Shepherd's debut album Ledbetter Heights turned 30 years old, and Shepherd's “Ledbetter Heights 30th Anniversary Tour” will launch February 19th, 2026 in Dallas, TX. Shepherd and his band will play the album in its entirety and perform other highlights from his three decades-long career. In a conversation with Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast, Shepherd talks about his early days of touring while in high school, what he's learned as a guitarist in the last 30 years, his relationships with greats like Eddie Van Halen and BB King, and his love of American muscle cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Country stars Lady A joined Billboard's Behind the Setlist podcast to talk about their new Christmas album, On This Winter's Night: Volume 2. The album features some original songs and new, refreshing renditions of well-worn holiday classics as "Winter Wonderland" and "Wonderful Christmastime." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behind the Setlist was thrilled to get a brief interview with Su-metal, Moametal and Momometal from the band Babymetal after their triumphant show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Nov. 1. For the uninitiated, Babymetal is a Japanese heavy metal band fronted by Su-metal, Moametal, Momometal and and backed by a four stellar musicians. Babymetal's music is genre called kawaii metal, which means cute metal -- it makes sense when you consider the band is fronted by three females who sing and dance like a Japanese idol group. Heavy metal is typically a male-dominated genre, so the kawaii metal approach is something different for Western audiences. But Babymetal has won over fans, playing countless rock and metal festivals as well as their own headline shows across the U.S. and Europe. The group’s latest album, Metal Fourth, debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 album chart and features guests Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Courtney LaPlante (Spiritbox), Electric Callboy and Bloodywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rejoince, fans of Bob Dylan. Here's a lengthy, fascinating conversation about Dylan's formative time in New York City in the early '60s. Billboard's Behind the Setlist is joined by Sean Wilentz, a Bob Dylan historian who wrote the 125-page liner notes in the 8-CD box set, Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series Volume 18: Through the Open Window, 1956-1963, out Oct. 31 through Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings. Wilentz is a professor of history at Princeton University who penned the 2010 book Dylan in America. His detailed liner notes give the historical background and content to the collection, which spans 139 tracks, including 48 never-before-released performances. The Bootleg Series Volume 18 captures Dylan as he transitioned from an imitator of other artists’ works to an interpreter who added his own character and imprint to others’ songs.  Check out more Behind the Setlist episodes at your favorite podcast platform, or go to Billboard.com: https://www.billboard.com/t/behind-the-setlist/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices