“I have spent every day practicing guitar using the other three fingers”: John Mayer reveals hand injury and how it will impact his playing at the final Dead & Company Las Vegas residency shows

John Mayer has revealed that he has injured one of his fingers, forcing him to shift his guitar-playing approach. This announcement came amid his shows with Dead & Company for their Las Vegas residency.

“Last Thursday, I injured my left index finger (truck door), and the first thing that went through my mind was ‘I really need that finger in a week,’” he confessed on social media.

“I need all my fingers, but the left index is the team captain of my fretting hand. It will heal just fine but will be out of commission for a while. In the meantime, I have spent every day practicing guitar using the other three fingers and I think I have it sounding pretty good!

“I’ve always felt like every part of me belongs to these shows, and it’s my responsibility to return to the stage each night without screwing up the equipment, and I’m sorry for the misadventure here. The power of the music and the love for these shows will prevail! See ya tonight.”

Mayer has been involved with Grateful Dead tribute Dead & Company since 2015. The band's current lineup includes Grateful Dead members Bob Weir (on vocals and guitar) and Mickey Hart (drums), alongside Otel Burbridge (bass, vocals and percussion), Jay Lane (drums) and Jeff Chimenti (keyboards).

The Dead Forever Live at Sphere Las Vegas is a months-long residency and immersive experience that celebrates the legacy of the Grateful Dead's music, enhanced by the Sphere's next-level technical capabilities.

Speaking about the Vegas shows to GQ, Mayer said, “To me, I wanted a message of metaphysical hope and optimism. And the show is called Dead Forever, and the end of the show [depicts] the beginning of the Grateful Dead. And there's a very interdimensional optimism that somewhere, somehow, this is all just getting started, and we got to visit for just one second at the very end.”

In other John Mayer news, the PRS guitar star recently divulged that all the amps he's using for the residency are being housed off-stage.