Former Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier will play his first live show since exiting the group next Thursday (January 17th), according to Loudwire. Gontier is slated to appear at Rock For Recovery, an acoustic benefit concert at New York City's Gramercy Theater that will raise money for victims of last October's Hurricane Sandy. Gontier will play solo on a bill that also includes Art Of Dying, Hurt, Smile Empty Soul, Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson and others. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Mercury One Foundation.

• Gontier confirmed his participation in the event via his Facebook page, offering fans the opportunity to win a pair of free tickets by sharing his Facebook post.
• We asked Gontier recently why he thinks his lyrics connect with fans on such a personal level: "I think it's just the raw, in-the-real-ness in the lyrics. I've always written from life experiences, just things that happen, and I think people just tend to relate to that. I mean, they -- depending on the song -- like, I think they'll listen to that and, you know, interpret it any way they want to, really, you know. And that's the cool thing about writing songs and making music, is that people take the lyrics and apply them to their own situations."
• Fans were shocked on Wednesday (January 9th) when Gontier's departure from the band he co-founded in Canada 20 years ago was announced, although it later came out that he resigned just before Christmas.
• Three Days Grace revealed that My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst, brother of Three Days Grace bassist Brad Walst, would fill in as lead vocalist on the band's upcoming tour with Shinedown, which starts February 1st.
• Although Three Days Grace cited a "health issue" as Gontier's reason for leaving, the singer himself said he had been "inspired by life, to move on and to continue to evolve on my own terms."

WHAT DO YOU THINK??

• Do you think that Gontier is just basically itching to start a solo career?
• Is it also possible that as a recovering drug user he just wants to stay away from the lifestyle of a touring rock band for a while?
• What do you think are Gontier's chances to make it as a solo artist?

Adam Gontier On Why People Relate To His Lyrics

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