David Johansen has revealed a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis that was discovered five years ago. The New York Dolls singer has kept his condition private but is now going public with his battle.
A statement notes that at the start of the pandemic in 2020, Johansen “discovered his aggressive cancer had progressed and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, leading to complications ever since.”
The day after Thanksgiving, Johansen fell and broke his back in two places. While the surgery was successful, Johansen has been “completely bedridden and incapacitated, relying on around-the-clock care.” The statement says, “To continue his treatment and give him the best chance of recovery, [Johansen] will need full-time assistance.”
Sweet Relief, an organization that “provides services and financial assistance for career musicians and music industry professionals,” has set up the David Johansen Fund to help offset some of the financial burdens the recent medical issues have placed on the singer and his family.
The fund will assist Johansen with full-time nursing, physical therapy and “funding for day-to-day vital living expenses.” With “professional specialized care,” the statement notes, “the Johansen family remains hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence.”
“We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation,” Johansen said. “This is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help but this is an emergency. Thank you.”
“Sweet Relief is honored to help David and his family during this difficult time in their lives,” said Aric Steinberg, executive director at Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. “Our Directed Artist Funds can provide a meaningful solution when the community rallies around the recipient, and we anticipate that David’s community will be eager to help here.
“His influence on the musical landscape with the New York Dolls is indelible, and his career as an actor and an artist has touched many people around the world. He’s been knocked down but we’re here to help him back up with the help of his family, friends and wider community of supporters.”
What is New York Dolls’ History?
Johansen’s musical history started in 1971 when he cofounded the glammy, makeup-sporting New York Dolls in 1971. Two years later they made their self-titled debut album, produced by Todd Rundgren, which influenced the burgeoning punk rock scene.
After one more album – 1974’s Too Much, Too Soon – the Dolls split; Johansen then launched a solo career that yielded four albums through 1984. In 1987, he began performing as Buster Poindexter, a slick singer who played swing, jump blues and novelty songs from an earlier era.
The transformation led to Johansen’s greatest commercial success and a movie career that included appearances in Scrooged and Car 54, Where Are You?
In 2006, Johansen resurrected the New York Dolls’ name with original guitarist Sylvain Sylvain and released three more band albums: 2006’s One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This (2006), Cause I Sez So in 2009 and 2011’s Dancing Backward in High Heels. Following a tour supporting the latter album, the group broke up.
Diena Brengola, WireImage / Michel Linssen, Redferns / Jeff Kravitz, FilmMagic / Koh Hasebe, Getty Images
The conventional wisdom of the grunge revolution goes like this: Spandex-clad hair bands lived high on the hog until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 23, 1991. When the clock struck midnight and Nirvana‘s Nevermind hit shelves, they all turned to dust and ceased to exist.
That’s not exactly how it went, as demonstrated by our list of 10 Rock and Metal Artists Who Survived the Grunge Explosion — although it probably felt that way for many bands.
Indeed, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and several other bands under the “grunge” umbrella hastened a quick and drastic overhaul of the musical landscape. Most of the glam metal bands that had ruled the roost throughout the previous decade were considered passe; in reality, that scene had already become stale and oversaturated by late 1991. If Nirvana killed hair metal, then hair metal inflicted several of its stab wounds.
The other truth is that several rock and metal bands from the ’80s and earlier did survive the grunge explosion. Some of them, like Aerosmith and AC/DC, stuck to their guns and kept playing the same sleazy, hedonistic hard rock for which they had become known. Others, like U2 and Bon Jovi, observed the changing musical tides and tweaked their sound accordingly, allowing them to flourish in a new decade. Some of rock’s elder statesmen were so firmly entrenched in the public consciousness that they couldn’t be vanquished; they enjoyed additional visibility as grunge’s principals cited them as influences.
See these examples and others in UCR’s list of 10 Rock and Metal Artists Who Survived the Grunge Explosion.
10 Rock and Metal Artists Who Survived the Grunge Explosion
Some evolved to survive, while others stuck to their guns.
ABBA once sang about having wealth in their 1976 song “Money, Money, Money:” “All the things I could do if I had a little money / It’s a rich man’s world.”
In 2000, ABBA was offered a lot of money — $1 billion to be exact — in exchange for reuniting. It would have equated to roughly $250 million per member, but the group firmly turned it down.
ABBA had last performed live in 1982. At that point, it felt clear to the band’s members that it was the end of the road.
“We had a little company, the four of us together,” Benny Andersson recalled to The Guardian in 2021. “Everything ABBA earned went into that company and we split it four ways, no matter who did what. And then, when we said, ‘Well, this is it, guys, let’s do something else for a bit and then we can go back perhaps in a couple of years and see if we’re still alive,’ that was that: we sold the company. We did not expect ABBA to continue, I can promise you that.”
But that didn’t mean ABBA’s name was entirely removed from the public consciousness. Cover bands earned their success, movies incorporated their music and a compilation album called ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits became one of the best-selling albums of all time with some 30 million copies sold. People wanted ABBA.
It’s been widely reported that a $1 billion offer was made to the band in 2000 to reunite, but nothing ever came of it. For one thing, as Bjorn Ulvaeus pointed out to The Guardian, it wasn’t a real offer.
“Someone told us something about a sponsored tour, going on the road, doing a hundred gigs, but it was never put on paper,” he explained. “But then, everyone knew we wouldn’t do it.”
Watch ABBA’s Music Video for ‘Money, Money, Money’
That was likely because performing live had never been ABBA’s favorite part of the job. “No one who has experienced facing a hysterical audience can avoid feeling the shivers in their spine,” Agnetha Faltskog would tell her biographer. “It’s a thin line between celebration and menace.”
As far as ABBA was concerned, they had already checked relentlessly touring the world off their list of things to do.
“We said no because they wanted 250 shows or something, it was incredible,” Faltskog told Radio Timesin 2013. “No chance. No chance. We had done it.”
In many cases, Ulvaeus emphasized to The Sunday Telegraph in 2008, it’s simply best for a band to quit while they’re ahead, regardless of how much money is on the table.
“We will never appear on stage again,” he said. “There is simply no motivation to re-group. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were. Young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition. I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head.”
ABBA’s Eventual Reunification
ABBA did eventually reunite for a tour. Kind of. After many months of development, they debuted Voyage in 2022, a virtual recreation of themselves using avatars. The digital concert experience has been putting on shows ever since, grossing over $100 million in 2023 alone.
Not a billion, but worth all of the hard work.
“I dreamed of this for years,” Anni-Frid Lyngstad, aka Frida, said to the BBC at the premiere of the show. “We love our music, we love to sing.”
Watch a Promotional Clip for ABBA’s ‘Voyage’ Concert
If you plan to attend a Jethro Tull concert, Ian Anderson kindly requests you stay quiet during the performance.
“I wanna be free of feeling that I am in any way having to comply with other people’s wishes and other people’s demands,” the frontman explained during a recent conversation with Classic Album Review. “And the more demanding an audience [is], by the way, the less I enjoy it.”
Anderson went on to note that cultural differences can lend to concert behavior which he doesn’t enjoy.
“I could name Brazil, for example, where audiences think it’s okay to whistle and shout and boo and shout out the names of songs they wanna hear,” he noted. “I actually find it incredibly rude, and I really don’t enjoy that. It’s not every concert I’ve played in Brazil, but I encountered it a couple of times last year when I was on tour in Brazil, and that’s the way they are. There are other national stereotypes where people do behave that way. You will encounter it sometimes in the U.S.A., where people think it’s OK to shout and whistle. It’s not OK.
“I’m trying to concentrate on playing sometimes quite difficult music, and I don’t like to be interfered with. I like to have the flexibility to be able to do that. And so if the audience set out to somehow manipulate you or influence your way of playing, that’s not good. For me, it is absolutely sufficient, at the end of a song, to see smiles on faces and somebody applauding at the appropriate time. That means everything to me. I don’t wanna be interrupted while I’m performing.”
Though Anderson insisted he was “not complaining,” the rocker also suggested that his concerts should be approached similarly to ballet, opera or a “Shakespearean dramatic play.”
“I like a respectful, relative silence until we get to the end of a song,” he explained. “Then it’s time to applaud. And some people might find that difficult to understand or something they don’t particularly like, that I would feel that way, but it’s the way I’ve always been. And the way I am, on the rare occasions I go to a concert, I’m not gonna start whistling and shouting and calling out for songs that I wanna hear. Or booing. What’s the point in doing that? You might as well just leave the venue and get to the pub early.”
Ian Anderson Compares Cell Phones at Concerts to Nazi Rallies
Shouting isn’t the only action Anderson dismays during concerts. The singer also shared his hatred of fans who record the show on their cell phone.
“The first time I encountered that, I suddenly flashed back to playing in a concrete amphitheater in the middle of the woods somewhere in the former East Germany that was actually built for Nazi rallies, and I just thought that it must be like that,” Anderson remarked, comparing the way audiences thrust their cell phones upward to the Nazi salute. “There’s suddenly this sea of arms shooting into the air, and you suddenly notice they’ve got phones on the end of them.”
Anderson noted that he always makes “polite announcements” telling fans to put away their cell phones during his concerts and that audiences generally understand his reasoning.
“It usually gets a round of applause when they hear my voice saying that, because a lot of people feel the same way,” he noted. “They haven’t come to a concert and paid good money for a ticket, only to have to stare at the screen of the person in front who’s holding it up.”
Tommy Shaw has shared details on the complex relationship between Styx and one of their most famous songs.
The 1983 single “Mr. Roboto” will always mark a major turning point in Styx’s history. Despite its commercial success, the song’s theatrical nature reflected where original singer Dennis DeYoung wanted to take the band’s sound. Shaw and the rest of the group preferred a traditional rock style, and the creative differences eventually resulted in a schism within the band that led to DeYoung’s departure.
Styx abandoned “Mr. Roboto” for decades, but the song returned to their set list in 2018. In a recent conversation with Sirius XM’s Eddie Trunk, Shaw insisted the narrative surrounding “Mr. Roboto” was all wrong.
“We didn’t hate ‘Mr. Roboto,’” the guitarist declared, “we just didn’t like the (recorded) version.”
As Shaw recalled, he found renewed interest in performing “Mr. Roboto” after hearing a band’s cover of the tune on Spotify.
“They did it the way we do it now. They played it as a rock song,” Shaw explained. “It was awesome! So I went back to the band and I said, ‘Here’s how we play Mr. Roboto. It’s a rock song.’ And man does it live up to its reputation.”
Adding ‘Mr. Roboto’ Back Into the Set List Was an ‘Absolute Necessity’
Lawrence Gowan, who joined Styx in 1999, wasn’t around for the initial discourse surrounding “Mr. Roboto.” Still, as he admitted to Trunk, he was happy the band decided to un-retire the song.
“When I came into the band, I never heard J.Y. (Young), Tommy, Chuck (Panozzo) say anything disparaging about ‘Mr. Roboto’ or that album,” Gowan noted. “But they, apparently, had a very bad time on that (Kilroy Was Here) tour.”
“But as that song kept gaining cultural reference,” Gowan continued, “and the prescient nature of that song – predicting that technology is going to do to us what it’s done – to my mind it made it an absolute necessity that we play the song.”
Feature Photo: Moses, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Paramore, the trailblazing pop-punk band from Franklin, Tennessee, emerged in the mid-2000s with a youthful energy and a distinctive sound that would go on to shape a generation. Founded in 2004, the original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Josh Farro, drummer Zac Farro, bassist Jeremy Davis, and rhythm guitarist Jason Bynum. The band formed when Williams, a gifted teenager with a commanding voice, was introduced to the Farro brothers through mutual friends. Williams’ early experiences singing in church and writing songs provided the backbone for Paramore’s initial efforts, and their chemistry quickly garnered attention.
The band’s first album, All We Know Is Falling, released in 2005, was an impressive debut that hinted at their potential, featuring tracks like “Pressure” and “Emergency.” While the album did not initially achieve massive commercial success, it built a loyal fan base and established Paramore as a rising force in the pop-punk scene. The album’s lyrics reflected themes of alienation and emotional struggle, resonating deeply with their audience. Produced by James Paul Wisner, the record showcased Williams’ powerful vocals and the band’s cohesive yet energetic instrumentation, laying the groundwork for their meteoric rise.
Paramore truly broke through with their sophomore album, Riot! (2007), which featured iconic singles like “Misery Business,” “That’s What You Get,” and “Crushcrushcrush.” Produced by David Bendeth, the album elevated the band to international stardom, earning Platinum certifications in multiple countries and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. With its infectious hooks and introspective lyrics, Riot! captured the zeitgeist of the late 2000s emo and alternative rock scene. By this time, the lineup had shifted slightly, with Taylor York replacing Bynum as rhythm guitarist.
The 2009 release of Brand New Eyes, a more mature and introspective album, solidified Paramore’s position as genre-defining artists. Singles like “Ignorance,” “The Only Exception,” and “Brick by Boring Brick” showcased their evolving sound and lyrical depth, exploring themes of relationships, faith, and self-discovery. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was a critical and commercial success. However, internal tensions led to the departure of Josh and Zac Farro in 2010, marking a turbulent period for the band.
Despite these challenges, Paramore forged ahead, releasing their self-titled album in 2013. The record was a turning point, reflecting the band’s resilience and willingness to experiment with new sounds. Featuring hit singles like “Ain’t It Fun,” which won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, and “Still Into You,” the album blended elements of pop, funk, and new wave. The success of Paramore cemented their status as mainstream rock icons and demonstrated their ability to adapt and innovate.
In 2017, Paramore released After Laughter, a bold departure from their earlier work. The album incorporated a vibrant, 1980s-inspired synth-pop sound while maintaining the introspective lyrics that had always been their hallmark. Singles like “Hard Times” and “Fake Happy” addressed themes of mental health and personal resilience, resonating deeply with fans. Produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen and Taylor York, the album marked Zac Farro’s return to the band after a seven-year absence.
Paramore’s influence extends beyond their discography, with their music often lauded for its relatability and emotional honesty. Over the years, the band has won numerous awards, including MTV Video Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, and Kerrang! Awards. Williams, in particular, has been recognized as a trailblazer for women in rock, inspiring countless young artists with her unapologetic presence and vocal prowess.
Outside of music, Paramore has contributed to various philanthropic efforts, supporting causes like LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness, and disaster relief. Williams launched her hair dye company, Good Dye Young, promoting self-expression and creativity, while the band’s activism continues to reflect their commitment to fostering a sense of community among their fans.
Complete List Of Paramore Songs From A to Z
(A-G)
“26” – After Laughter (2017) “Ain’t It Fun” – Paramore (2013) “All I Wanted” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “All We Know” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “Anklebiters” – Paramore (2013) “Be Alone” – Paramore (2013) “Big Man, Little Dignity” – This Is Why (2023) “Born For This” – Riot! (2007) “Brick by Boring Brick” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Brighter” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “Burning Down the House” – Stop Making Sense: A Tribute Album (2024) “Careful” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Caught in the Middle” – After Laughter (2017) “C’est Comme Ça” – This Is Why (2023) “Conspiracy” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “(One of Those) Crazy Girls” – Paramore (2013) “Crave” – This Is Why (2023) “crushcrushcrush” – Riot! (2007) “Daydreaming” – Paramore (2013) “Decode” – Twilight (soundtrack) (2008) “Decoy” – Riot! (2007) “Emergency” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “Escape Route” – Paramore (2013) “Fake Happy” – After Laughter (2017) “Fast in My Car” – Paramore (2013) “Feeling Sorry” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Fences” – Riot! (2007) “Figure 8” – This Is Why (2023) “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” – Riot! (2007) “Forgiveness” – After Laughter (2017) “Franklin” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “Future” – Paramore (2013) “Grow Up” – Paramore (2013) “Grudges” – After Laughter (2017)
(H-N)
“Hallelujah” – Riot! (2007) “Hard Times” – After Laughter (2017) “Hate to See Your Heart Break” – Paramore (2013) “Hello Cold World” – Singles Club (2011) “Here We Go Again” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “I Caught Myself” – Twilight (soundtrack) (2008) “Idle Worship” – After Laughter (2017) “Ignorance” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Interlude: Holiday” – Paramore (2013) “Interlude: I’m Not Angry Anymore” – Paramore (2013) “Interlude: Moving On” – Paramore (2013) “In the Mourning” – Singles Club (2011) “Last Hope” – Paramore (2013) “Let the Flames Begin” – Riot! (2007) “Liar” – This Is Why (2023) “Looking Up” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Miracle” – Riot! (2007) “Misery Business” – Riot! (2007) “Misguided Ghosts” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Monster” – Transformers: Dark of the Moon (soundtrack) (2011) “My Heart” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “My Hero” – Sound of Superman (2006) “Native Tongue” – Paramore (2013) “Never Let This Go” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “The News” – This Is Why (2023) “No Friend” – After Laughter (2017) “Now” – Paramore (2013)
(O-Z)
“Oh Star” – The Summer Tic EP (2005) “The Only Exception” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Part II” – Paramore (2013) “Playing God” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Pool” – After Laughter (2017) “Pressure” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “Proof” – Paramore (2013) “Renegade” – Singles Club (2011) “Rewind” – Riot! (2007) “Rose-Colored Boy” – After Laughter (2017) “Running Out of Time” – This Is Why (2023) “Still into You” – Paramore (2013) “Stop This Song (Lovesick Melody)” – Riot! (2007) “Stuck on You” – The Summer Tic EP (2005) “Tell Me How” – After Laughter (2017) “Tell Me It’s Okay” – Paramore (Deluxe) (2013) “Temporary” – Riot! (2007) “That’s What You Get” – Riot! (2007) “Thick Skull” – This Is Why (2023) “This Circle” – The Summer Tic EP (2005) “This Is Why” – This Is Why (2023) “Told You So” – After Laughter (2017) “Turn It Off” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “We Are Broken” – Riot! (2007) “When It Rains” – Riot! (2007) “Where the Lines Overlap” – Brand New Eyes (2009) “Whoa” – All We Know Is Falling (2005) “You First” – This Is Why (2023)
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Paramore articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
As guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Alice In Chains, Jerry Cantrell is one of the most iconic musicians to emerge from Seattle. His band have overcome the death of their frontman, Layne Staley, to continue making grunge greatness, while Jerry also sustains a solo career, and has just released fourth album I Want Blood.
So what better time to make him face down your questions on film scores, childhood idols and his decades-long friendship with Metallica?
Is it true you once locked yourself in a garage and wrote songs in there?Sabrina Salerno, Instagram
“Ha ha ha! That’s a little bit of an exaggeration. When I write, I tend to stay in the same location, usually my house – it’s not a garage! Ha ha ha!”
Hammer:Do you write the same way for Alice and your solo albums?
“Pretty much, because Alice In Chains can do any kind of record or any kind of song we want. We did Faceliftand Sap. We did Dirt and Jar Of Flies. We can put out any kind of music. If I’m working with Alice, making a record, and the guys like the music, it can become an Alice song. I’ve made four uniquely different solo records. Boggy Depot doesn’t sound like Degradation Trip.”
How many guitars do you own? Edward Glory, Facebook
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“Maybe 100. I think the last guitar I got was from Gibson. They gave me a pink champagne sparkle Flying V. I still buy guitars but I’m not like Joe Bonamassa or Kirk [Hammett]. Kirk will spend a quarter-million, half-million dollars on a guitar. He’s got [legendary blues singer-songwriter and Fleetwood Mac founder] Peter Green’s guitar; Slash has a few of them too: some pretty spendy ’59 Les Pauls. I think 12 or 15 grand may be the most I’ve ever spent on a guitar.”
How is Nona Weisbaum [a character Jerry played in 1995 Alice mockumentary The Nona Tapes]? Kirstenrhianti, Instagram
“She’s doing well, and living in Scottsdale, Arizona.”
As one of the most metal 90s alt acts, did you ever get into anything more extreme like death metal, black, etc.? Sam Nicholson, Facebook
“I wasn’t into that so much, but Layne was. Layne was a Slayer, King Diamond and Venom fan. Layne liked the harder stuff, I was more into the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, like Judas Priest. Layne’s favourite vocalists of all time were King Diamond and Ian Gillan.”
Which bands did you listen to as a kid? Richard Wilson, Facebook
“The first music I connected to was probably country music and AM pop radio stuff, which I’d listen to in my aunt or uncle’s cars. When I started to find music for myself, it was Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, the Bee Gees. Saturday Night Fever was one of my favourite records. When I started picking up the guitar, I discovered Kiss, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Van Halen, plus all those English metal bands. There’s a lot of funk and soul in there too: Marvin Gaye is badass! A diverse mix.”
What riff do you think will define Alice In Chains? Reigning_Ting, Instagram
“That’s a tough one. The first big one was Man In The Box and that seems to be one of our immediate, universal riffs. Rooster’s another but I don’t know if it’s necessarily a ‘riff’. So Man In The Box.”
Hammer: After playing that song for nearly 35 years, have you ever got bored of it?
“Once you hit that first note and get into the groove, and you hear the roar from the crowd, any feelings of tiredness or whatever, I don’t really get. You’re lucky if you have a song that people want to hear, so you’ve got to play it for them. We’ve been lucky enough to have a good handful of songs throughout the years, so the challenge becomes, what do you cut out? Somebody’s always going to be bummed out. Ha ha!”
What’s your favourite Seattle album of all time? Thegazzolo, Instagram
“Are You Experienced. It’s Hendrix, come on, man! He was our first big rock dude.”
Jerry Cantrell – Afterglow (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Did the film Singles [which featured Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and members of Pearl Jam] feel important to the Seattle scene at the time? Eddie Marshall, Facebook
“It did. Cameron [Crowe, director] was a creative guy and a big supporter of music. Music and film, for him, were intermingled. He was really on an arc and taking off, and so were we all, and we were doing something cool together. I think I read a quote where he called that movie ‘my love letter to Seattle’, and that’s what it is.”
Would you rather be remembered as a great songwriter or a great guitarist?Duncan Kerr, Facebook
“I think I’m probably in the conversation for both. I think I’ve done pretty well with both. I’ve got a unique approach and an identifiable sound that I’ve developed, along with my friends and my band. That’s what you want as an artist: to be somebody that most people can hear and within a couple of notes go, ‘That’s them!’ I think we’ve earned that, and I’m thankful.”
What was the band’s reaction when Mike Inez wrote, ‘Friends don’t let friends get Friends haircuts,’ on his bass before you all did on MTV Unplugged? Yk.Wav, Instagram
“That was about the time Metallica cut their hair. They were going for a new look, and maybe some hair was starting to go, so they made the wise decision to not hold onto it too long. Ha ha! They are close friends of ours, there was no disrespect, and I think Mike was just taking the piss. They laughed about it.”
Will you ever do a collaboration album with James Hetfield? Leandro Ignacio, Facebook
“James and I have talked about it, kind of. We never had a formal conversation but I’ve jammed with him at Kirk’s place. I’ve even spent a night or two at his house, and we’ve ended up with guitars in the kitchen and on the porch. It’s something I’d be really curious about, even to just write a song with him. As for whether it’d turn into something more than that, he’s got a pretty demanding day job. Ha ha! So I’d understand if it never comes to be.”
You’ve been co-singer of Alice In Chains since the band started. Do you think you’re underrated as a vocalist? Sharon Jane Davies, Facebook
“I don’t know. I’ve been doing it for so long but maybe there’s a portion of people that aren’t as aware because I’m not centre stage in the band. That’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s more about if you’re relating to the tune, so I try to be interchangeable. I’ve always been a fan of bands that have multiple lead singers, starting with The Beatles. Layne was always into harmony as well. Sometimes, one plus one equals three: two voices can come together to make something even bigger.”
Ever been approached to score a film? Alan Buettel, Facebook
“I have done little bits of scoring. I worked with Michael Kamen on Last Action Hero, that not-so-stellar Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.”
Hammer:We’ll defend that film to the death!
“It had a really cool soundtrack. Alice contributed the songs A Little Bitter and What The Hell Have I, and it was great working with Michael, who’s done so many great films, on some car chase scenes and stuff like that. That was cool, watching the scenes and playing along to them while he’s directing me.”
Will you ever record with Mike Patton? Emil Gut, Facebook
“Oh yeah! Patton’s a supreme weirdo. That is the highest compliment.”
How did you meet Duff Mckagan? Astilla Dominguez, Facebook
“I think Duff remembers better than I do. While I survived the 90s, not all of me did.” Hammer: What did you leave behind?
“A few brain cells, for sure. I think it was in LA and we ended up at his house one night. We were playing pool, listening to music, getting various stages of fucked up and having a good time.”
Did Alice try out any famous vocalists before reforming? Adam Oakes, Facebook
“I don’t think we really ‘tried’ anybody. We were just trying to figure out if we wanted to jam. We were jamming as friends, and we invited a few friends down to come play these songs. The idea was to maybe just do a handful of shows and celebrate the music. I think we did that with Phil Anselmo and Pat Lachman from Damageplan at a gig. But I knew William [DuVall] and he was part of my touring band for Degradation Trip. We were already good friends and had performed a lot of the Alice stuff.”
If I would, could you? Omar Garcia, Facebook
“Obviously, I did.”
I Want Blood is out now via Double J. Jerry Cantrell plays Download Festival in June and London’s Kentish Town Forum on June 17.
Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.
Likewise, Matt Sorum, who replaced the drug-addicted Adler for 1991’s monumental twin double albums Use Your Illusion I and II, and Stradlin’s successor Gilby Clarke, who served during the marathon two-and-half-year Illusion tour.
There is, however, one respect in which Axl Rose is unique among them. He is the sole constant in the entire history of Guns N’ Roses, and this band has been his one creative outlet, save for occasional guest appearances on records by friends such as the Eagles’ Don Henley and former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.
By contrast, every other star of Guns N’ Roses’ imperial phase – 1987 to 1993 – has made music outside of the band, during and after.
For Axl Rose there is only Guns N’ Roses: for Slash and the rest, there is so much more.
…and one to avoid
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Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath – of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”
It’s not their most famous gig, but it easily ranks as one of their coolest. On June 12, 2008, Metallica played one of the smallest shows of their career: a secret event in a basement beneath Grimey’s New And Preloved Music in Nashville.
No pyro, no giant stage, no thousands-strong crowd – just metal’s biggest band crammed into a low-ceilinged sweatbox. Plus, they ripped through a setlist that was just as big a throwback to their early club days as the barrelling thrash of their then-impending album, Death Magnetic.
Two years later, that performance surfaced as Live At Grimey’s, which Metallica released exclusively for Record Store Day, bypassing streaming services entirely. Those who have heard it will attest: the album strips Metallica down to their rawest essence, a band operating on instinct, volume and the sheer thrill of the moment.
The idea was born at the South By Southwest festival, three months earlier. As Mike Grimes, co-owner of his namesake shop, explained to songwriter and podcaster Otis Gibbs, it was part of Metallica’s effort to reconnect with their fanbase. Eight years had passed since they sued Napster for copyright infringement, resulting in, among other things, the ban of over 300,000 Metallica fans from the platform. It quickly turned into a PR nightmare – and the divisive album that came out afterwards, St Anger, didn’t help at all.
Metallica: Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (Nashville, TN – June 12, 2008) – YouTube
“[Metallica] wanted to kind of mend some fences with the fanbase and writers and the media,” Grimes revealed. “The whole Napster thing had kind of put a sour taste in some people’s mouths about Metallica.”
Logistics were tricky. The band couldn’t fit into Grimey’s New And Preloved Music store itself – it was far too snug. But beneath Grimey’s was The Basement, a cozy little indie club with a capacity of 150. Grimes assumed the band would pass once they saw the venue’s modest size.
But, when a representative from Metallica’s management popped in to scout the scene, Grimes recalled, “They kind of chuckled and they were like, ‘This’ll be fucking great!’”
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The secrecy surrounding the event was critical, given Nashville was and remains a musical hub where insider info spreads fast. Remarkably, Metallica and the organisers kept the show under wraps for three months, with the tightly-guarded guestlist limited to local fan club members, select media,and a few Nashville luminaries.
On the day of the show, a radio station teased that a Metallica tribute band, Phantom Lord, would be playing. However, anybody who walked past the tiny club, now surrounded by an armada of trucks and tour buses, knew the planned performers were no locals. A handful of uninvited fans gathered outside, and eight jammy police officers – self-proclaimed Metallica diehards – talked their way in, while others listened from the smoking lounge.
Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett at Bonnaroo festival 2008, the day after Live At Grimey’s was recorded (Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
After a quick sound check, 175 capacity-breaking loyalists were ushered into The Basement. And, just like that, the band walked in and proceeded to tear through a ferocious nine-song set, opening with No Remorse and raging through classics like Master Of Puppets, Fuel and Harvester Of Sorrow. In the cramped space, the band’s performance was transformed into something primal and electric. Perceptive listeners could also pick out stitches of tracks like Slither, 2 X 4 and Mercyful Fate cover Satan’s Fall.
Ending with Seek and Destroy, it was a night of pure, adrenalised magic. “Appreciate you coming in here and helping us sweat,” James Hetfield told the crowd. “It’s great to see you, and it’s a great vibe in here, man. It feels good.”
Two years later – on November 26, 2010 – Live At Grimey’s was released as part of Record Store Day Black Friday, a limited-edition gift to fans and a love letter to independent record shops.
“Pretty much all of my musical inspirations and roots can be traced back to independent record stores,” Lars Ulrich said. “So when they asked us if we would release the Grimey’s performance, it was what we call a no-brainer.”
The recording itself is gloriously unpolished, capturing the sweat-drenched ferocity of the performance. It’s less a pristine live album and more a snapshot of a moment in time. As Grimes said, “You couldn’t put a bigger band in a smaller room.”
Live At Grimey’s remains a treasure for the faithful: a rare gem, capturing the band at their most visceral and immediate. It’s unavailable on streaming services, so if you ever stumble across a copy of Live At Grimey’s, don’t hesitate. Pick it up, run home and turn the volume up to 11.
This isn’t just a live album. It’s proof that, in the right circumstances, legends can be born again – even in a basement.
Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.
Last September, Uriah Heep announced a final series of world tour dates billed as The Magician’s Farewell. As the trek begins with seven UK dates, ever-present guitarist Mick Box and Bernie Shaw, the band’s singer since 1986, explain that even after 55 years we haven’t seen the last of the Heep just yet.
Mick, as Heep’s elder statesman can we assume that saying farewell was your decision? And how did you break it to the rest of the band?
Mick Box: Having been there from day one you can kind of say that it came from me, but actually it was a joint decision. None of us are getting any younger, and since Brexit and covid the touring side of the business is becoming tougher and tougher, making it almost impossible to do the really long tours that we like to do. Tour bus prices have tripled. The Government only allows us ninety days outside of the country. It’s more and more difficult, on every front.
It’s the end of the road, but it’s a long road.
Box: This is only the end of long, arduous touring, and that process will take two to three years.
Bernie Shaw: A normal year of touring for us was two hundred days away from home, but Brexit has really kicked all of that in the pants. The only countries that used to require a carnet [a full list of a group’s equipment and merchandise] were Russia and Switzerland. Now it’s everywhere.
Does the door remain open for playing live?
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Shaw: Yeah. We’ll stick to the local stuff – things like festivals and weekend gigs. Those are still fair game.
If the Download Festival was to offer Heep a slot, you’d be there?
Box: [Enthusiastically] Oh, a hundred per cent.
What about the possibility of Heep releasing new music?
Box: We’re not ruling anything out.
Shaw: With Davey [Rimmer, bassist] and Russ [Gilbrook, drums] contributing a lot to the last album [2023’s Chaos & Colour] as well as Mick and Phil [Lanzon, keyboards], recording won’t be affected. But touring, no. That’s a young man’s game. I mean, look… we’ve been doing this for fifty-five years.
How does the finality of it all affect you on an emotional level?
Box: In a way it makes me sad. But we don’t travel the world in private jets. For bands like ours it’s become a really hard slog. Now we can get the best of both worlds.
Shaw: It’s like before, just with a smaller suitcase.
Box: I take two suitcases: one for stage clothes, the other for my sense of humour.
What should we expect of the set-list for The Magician’s Farewell Tour?
Box: We haven’t really sat down and discussed it yet. I’ll suggest some songs and we’ll talk, see how they work out in the rehearsal room.
Presumably it won’t be a massively long show, in the style of the fiftieth-anniversary tour.
Shaw: No! Definitely not!
Box: We’ve got Tyketto and April Wine out with us, so that’s impossible. Most venues have a restriction on how long you can play.
Those are two rather fine special-guest bands. Tyketto have a great current line-up, and April Wine haven’t played the UK since, I think, 1981.
Box: We’ve played with April Wine before, so in some ways it’ll feel like a bit of a reunion.
Shaw: As a proud Canadian I grew up listening to that band. I’m looking forward to seeing them again.
Uriah Heep – Save Me Tonight (Official Video) – YouTube
It could still be a long way off, but in an ideal world where would you like the very last scheduled Uriah Heep gig to take place?
Box: We don’t try to put those goals in front of us, they become a burden. As long as we’re healthy and happy, I don’t really mind where it happens.
How do you expect to feel once the final notes have faded away?
Box: [grinning] I won’t feel anything. They’ll be nailing the lid down on me. I’ve already requested that my coffin be a big wah-wah pedal… so it’ll be the final ‘wah’.
Heep are gradually closing the door on performing live. What is your view on the longterm future of rock music?
Box: The [perilous] state of the business is dictating things, unfortunately. Everything’s being done through Pro Tools [recording software] and bands no longer seem to make it into the studio to record as a band.
Shaw: It’s all become way too sterile. In my own experience, there are a lot of ‘okay’ bands around, but nothing too special.
Box: We can play in sixty-four countries, so [rock music] is still alive and well. But, for me, the business has changed so much, and not for the better. A lot of the individuality has gone. Too many bands look and sound the same. Guitarists go to college and spend two years learning how to play, but you can’t tell them apart. Back in the seventies, Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore and myself all had strong individual sounds. It was the sum of each musician that gave the bands their different flavours. Unfortunately, I don’t really see and hear that any more.
Uriah Heep’s final tour begins at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham on February 19. Tickets are on sale now.
