Queen guitarist Brian May has responded to the news that The Offspring guitarist Kevin ‘Noodles’ Wasserman must step away from live performances due to a health issue, posting his message on Instagram.
Wasserman recently announced that he needs to take time away from touring to deal with a sudden and serious health problem. May shared his support for the guitarist in a public post.
“Sad to hear our brilliant Noodles is unwell – this clip is from a previous STARMUS – the very first time he and I noodled together !!! All power to ya Buddy – get well soon !! Bri,” Brian May said.
May’s message accompanied a video clip from a past STARMUS event, which marked the first time the two guitarists performed together.
Wasserman’s announcement came as The Offspring made clear that the band would continue to perform without him while he recovers.
The guitarist’s decision to step back from touring reflects the seriousness of his health situation at this time.
Wasserman has been a core member of The Offspring since joining in 1985. He appeared on all of the band’s studio albums, including their eleventh album Supercharged, released on October 11, 2024. The Offspring had a popular and sold-out run of shows in Summer 2025 and extended their Supercharged tour with more dates in 2026, featuring special guests Bad Religion across North America.
This marks the first time since joining the band over four decades ago that Wasserman has stepped away from touring due to health reasons. In 2017, he had been absent from European summer dates that year after stating that a sudden family matter forced him to remain in the United States.
The collaboration between May and Wasserman took place on May 15 at Starmus VII in Bratislava, Slovakia. During the festival’s Sonic Universe concert, the two guitarists performed together for the first time, playing The Offspring’s “Gone Away” and a cover of Queen’s “Stone Cold Crazy” as part of the event that followed the Stephen Hawking Medal Ceremony.
