Alice in Chains’ 1996 performance on MTV Unplugged was a monumental moment in the band’s history, yet during the performance Jerry Cantrell was ready to puke.
“I was sick as a dog,” the guitarist recalled during a recent appearance on the Broken Record podcast. “I was not feeling well. And if you look very closely, there’s a trash can at my feet for me to vomit in.”
Thankfully, Cantrell was able to hold down his food during the gig.
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“When the light went green and the cameras went on and we started playing, I got a little adrenaline rush,” the rocker explained. “So that turned out to be one of the greatest shows we’ve ever played. I was feeling like fucking shit until it started, and then soon as the show was over, I went back to feeling like shit and back on the IV.”
Alice In Chains’ ‘MTV Unplugged’ Remains Iconic
Alice in Chains’ appearance on MTV Unplugged is remembered for a multitude of reasons. For starters, it was the group’s first performance in three years following a period of inactivity, due largely to the ongoing drug addiction of singer Layne Staley. During the show, Staley appeared visibly weak, and it would end up being one of his final public performances prior to his death in 2002.
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Still, the larger legacy of Alice In Chains’ MTV Unplugged set remains rooted in how incredible the group sounded. The performance is held in rarified air and is often the only MTV Unplugged set said to have matched – or even surpassed – Nirvana’s famous 1993 appearance on the show.
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Gallery Credit: Corey Irwin