October 6, 2025 • 32 mins
John Bush, legendary vocalist of Armored Saint, is celebrating the Anthrax albums he fronted. John joins to talk upcoming performances, reminisce on his Anthrax tenure, a "6-degrees of GN'R Bacon," and much more!
More info:
https://www.instagram.com/officialjohnbush/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJohnBush/
https://www.armoredsaint.com/
Note: Audio not the usual quality as my equipment broke just before taping. Apologies.
WEBSITE: www.afdpod.com
More info:
https://www.instagram.com/officialjohnbush/
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJohnBush/
https://www.armoredsaint.com/
Note: Audio not the usual quality as my equipment broke just before taping. Apologies.
WEBSITE: www.afdpod.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You kind of measured bands or life that way. When
you know everything is easy when it's good. How about
when it's not.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, episode number five
hundred and thirty four. Wow is Brando? Yeah? Well wow,
welcome to the podcast, mister John Bush. How are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
What's up? Brando?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Congratulations on five hundred and thirty four podcasts. That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you. All things happen. You can't do that many
episodes without technical errors, right.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So, literally, as I'm waiting to talk to my board
just starts flopping out. I felt like it's Spaceball's the beeps,
the sweeps, and the creeps they all went away.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I don't know if we call that reference.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I remember Spaceballs, but I don't know if I remember
that part.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
But yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Good reves having the sequel coming up. Anyway. Wow, I
digress some Well maybe that's a good segue. It's all
about remembering the past and things from our childhood, and
even though you're still busy doing new things. I think
it's very cool that you're also looking back in the
past and celebrating in a way that we fans. I
(01:19):
guess Anthrax fans can enjoy. Of course, we'll talk about
Armored Saint Is as well. But you're performing three special
shows at the Whiskey Go Go in Los Angeles, all
in December, by the way, Saint Charles Illinois, which, by
the way, my wife is from Geneva, so I was like,
I asked her, I'm like, do you know where Saint
(01:39):
Charles is she and she's like, yeah, I'm like, where
is he playing? There? The Arcadia Theater.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's a great venue. It's an awesome venue. That Arcotta
Theater is really rare.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Actually Arcata shows what I know, I'm in New Yorker.
I don't want to pronounce things. And of course right
here in the city, speaking of which, at Racket, Yeah,
which is awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So the old Ballery Ballroom there, I.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Know, I was you beat me to it because these
names change, and uh, it's cool. Why these I mean,
I know those are three big markets. But and do
New York, Chicago and LA having a special I know La,
of course, but Chicago and New York? What special media
to that is that after you you know, they.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Actually probably do The Whiskey is the Whiskey it's a legendary.
We become friends with Mike and Amy who owned the
Whiskey and Maglearia family. It's been in their family for
for a long time from the beginning actually the Whiskey,
and it's it's just they also own the Rainbow, and
we've become buddies with them, and and you know, I
(02:41):
it's just a classic venue. I mean, come on the
doors played the Whiskey, you know Van Hale, and I
mean it's everybody and anybody who's played there and before us, so.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
So it's you know, and it's literally up the street
from my house.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Like I I wouldn't want to walk there because at
the hill on San Vicente it is pretty steep.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I tried to write my bike on them once, say
it was was brutal.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
But yeah, it's it's walking distance and almost it's you know,
it's a couple of miles away. So it's a it's
a great venue. It's legendary, so that's a no brainer.
And it's hometown for me, Los Angeles. And then dere
Cotta is a killer venue. Played there last couple of
times with WASP on our last couple of tours. It's
a great venue. It's outside Chicago maybe forty minutes or so,
(03:23):
that whole area, you know, Chicago, Milwaukee, you know, Wisconsin, Illinois,
even you can get into Mini Minnesota a little.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Bit if you want. In Iowa.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That whole Middle Glass area is just such a great area,
maybe in Indiana a little bit. So it's just you know,
it's just a great rock area. Fans are just awesome there,
so it made sense to go there. And the promoters
super cool at the Arcada, so it was it was
kind of a no brainer there. It's the biggest of
the three, so that'll be a little more challenging, although
(03:53):
we've sold the most tickets there, so hey, go finger
and then the racket be cool because it's New York
and you know, Anthrax started in New York and we
played there when I was in Andrax at the Ballery Ballroom,
so there's a little history there already, so it made sense.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I guess it's cool club now in the city again
and had to play New York. So those are the reasons,
right on.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, I appreciate that, I mean, and I guess to
keep on the nostalgia train, like how does that feel?
I mean, as we're getting to know each other I
know you're doing a million interviews, but that's why I
interject myself so you understand where I'm coming from. I
just turned forty two as we're recording this October first,
So last birthday today, not today, not today, September eighth,
(04:41):
So I was September a month ago, Okay, I was.
I'm a little I'm too worthy. I've been in radio
for it was, you know, four of a century, but
I'm too worthy still. So now I was September. I
turned forty two. I was saying, just last month, so
I wanted to say, putting this out next week, all
behind the scenes stuff nobody cares about. So just beaking
(05:02):
forty two in nostalgia and just seeing what that it
just means something different now with my two year old
two and a half year old who is tuning turning
two and a half this month, That's where I was
going with this. Is it? How does it feel when
it or where does it take you back when you
sing those songs? Does it almost does it feel like
it has new life or does it just take you
back to a certain time and period in your life.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Well, so far, I've just really been singing them in
my bedroom.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Practicing them, thinking about saying them.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I guess yeah, through the years.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I've done it a couple of times. In Metal Allegiance
we played some shows, you know, and and I played
only and I think Boom from one More. But yeah,
it's cool, you know, it's it is nostalgia. It's all nostalgia.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
It really is. So I don't mind using that word.
And obviously he used it as well. And it's just
a trip back. So I'm learning.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
It's funny because a lot of the lyrics came to me,
and it's weird because it's a good thing because I'm
sixty two, so I mean haven't got to the point
where memory is completely that bad yet, although my wife
would beg to differ, But you know, the reality is
it's that It's just it's I'm kind of relearning them too.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And and it's cool. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Anytime something you haven't done for a while and you
do it again, I think is exciting. So it feels
fresh and so I can that's the philosophy behind it,
and it's going to be killer.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I think it's going to be fun to play these
songs live.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I think people are going to be really jazzed because
they just haven't heard these songs in a long time.
And I'm going to try to go with some D
tracks too, and play some songs that we never played
maybe or haven't played maybe more than a handful of times.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
It's Anthrax.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And because I don't want to just be the obvious
here's that, you know, the ten obvious choices. I want
to go a little deeper because I just I like
that as a fan, you know, as a music fan,
going to see shows, and I think it's all going
to be cool. It's going to be a lot of work,
a lot of work on the voice and prepping and
the band, and but you know, three shows some time
(07:01):
off in between, we'll make it work.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I would not have guessed sixty two if I did
not do my research, and if you did not say
it now, I always forgotten. It was like, oh no,
you're like we're a beard away from looking alike, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah, I mean mine's I always loved the stubble and
and it's just all gray now and it's kind of
bumped me out a little bit. But I don't want
to die. I'm not going to die my stubble. That
would be ridiculous. So that's my hair a while ago.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So that's that's a non issue.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
But yeah, you know I I try to stay as
fit as possible, and you know I'm I work out
a lot and play hoops, pick up basketball once a
week when I'm in town, and you know, I love pilates. Now,
you got to do things to make you stay young, fight, fight,
you know, father time a little bit.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This all kind of ties together, and this is how
my brain just works in segues, you know, jumping off
the nostall to train, and I'm talking about age and
all the prep that you're doing and the celebration of
you know, these Anthrax records that you were on. Now
I want to bring up Roger Daltrey, Who's saying I'm
(08:12):
taking the music back. You know, this is the Who's final,
final farewell. But I'm seeing but I'm seeing the same
kind of comments, whether it's Roger Daltrey, whether it's Axel Rose.
You see appetite for distortion. What's what you're on. I
saw it this morning about the late I mean the
late God forbid Paul McCartney. I wanted to say that great,
(08:36):
the Great Paul McCartney came back wrong. I just what
we how we are treating our older artists, who we
are so lucky that are still out there doing it.
And again you're a young sixty two. I mean, what
do you do you see those comments online or what
do you think about, like the calls to retire. It's like, well,
why retire when you love doing it?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
It's funny you say that because the who just played
about a week ago Hollywood Bowl on the buddy of
mine invited me and I was just in the middle
of something and I couldn't go.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
I should have really blew out what I was doing
and gone because I heard they were great.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
And that was also the night that Tyler played with
Joe Perry, and so I really blew And sometimes I'm
a little clueless about what's really happening out there. And
I didn't even realize Chris Robinson was singing for Joe
Perry and my wife is a huge Black Ros fan,
So like, I really screwed up, and I'm really regretting it.
And I heard Daltrey sounded great. I heard, you know,
(09:34):
I heard he altered some things, but I heard he
sounded awesome. So I'm really really regretting that I didn't
go to that show? What are you gonna do? But
and then I just read review of the Paul McCarty
show at the Santa Barbara Bowl yes two days ago,
which was a killer venue, you know, a couple hours
north of LA.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
It's a great venue.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I've seen a bunch of Brad shows there, Radiohead, Jack White,
you name it, and it's always a lot of fun
to go there. And I heard he was amazing and
and played all these different tunes, you know, like this
McCartney is playing.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
You know, he's got a bad he's got a big cadillog.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Right, yeah, like you know, getting better and then you know,
help he hasn't played in years apparently, and he opened
with him and name he's gone going into some wing
songs and his new material. And so I'm looking at
this exact thing, going, well, these dudes are twenty years
older than me and they're still granted they're a lot
more famous than me, but they're still doing it and going.
(10:31):
And so I'm like, why would I not want to
do this? And so I literally cannot do it, and
that one day will come. But not to mention guys
at Halford and you know, Brian Johnson and all the
other people who are still doing it, and you know
what I mean, it's just a totally inspirational for them
to be out there and as a singer and to
(10:53):
go and you know whatever. So you may not sound
exactly like you did fifty forty, thirty years.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Ago, but you know, it's really.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Anything that hopefully draws people there and back and the
nostalgia and and the love of the tune. So I
think that's really the most important aspect of all of it.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think so too. I mean, a concert should be
a celebration, you know, not some sort of you're you're
up there like a bunch of you're you're watching it
like a bunch of Simon Cowell's like judging it. I
guess I just find it. It just bothered me because
I happened to see it this morning and I've done
podcasts on Axel's voice, and I happened to say this
was before Ben Sneil came out and that he had
(11:36):
four strokes. I'm like, what's going on the guys when
they get older? So I just wanted to you know,
you have your prep and you're so I just wanted
to get your opinion on that and also it was.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Funny the last the last year we just played was
in London.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We played Wilton for WASP for three shows in Britain
and the last show was in London and the Hammersmith
Odian's called it Bent to Apollo now but it was
still always going to be the Hammersmith Oldy and we
never played it back in the day. So that was
the primary reason to go do these shows, like let's
go play Hammersmith and and of course we played Newcastle
in Manchester before and they were great shows. But then
(12:14):
here's London and then what happens. What happens, Mike, Mike,
the cordless mic is getting massive interference. And I told
our soundman, I was like, look if this if this
happens during the show, and there was there was a
we didn't have time really to sound check because they
were they brought in gears and they were late, so
they were pushing it to the limit. So then we
just had to get a quick line check in and
(12:37):
I was like, if this is interference is happening, I
don't want to I can't sing like it. I'll just
go to the chord and because you know it's loud,
it's just terrible. I don't want to perform like that
so long and behold it did. And so I told
the sound man and who's out in the front of
the house.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I was like, I'm going to the cord.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
So I put my mic down and the chord is
not working, and so it's it's the crowd was going,
we can't hear, you know. I was like, So then
I go to Jeff Duncan the guitar players mike, and
I'm singing in that and I sing like ver a
song or two, and I can't really hear anything in
my in ears because I'm on his mic, and you know,
(13:15):
I'm doing the David Coverdale nineteen seventy pern era.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You know, he sings on like he's saying on the
you know, the boomstand. It's not my thing.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But and I kept hoping that there was a guy
out there and he was trying to fix something, but
he just was. He almost looked useless out there. And
so after two songs, I'm like, this isn't going to
be fixed. So I'm like, Jeff, you're not singing tonight.
I just took his and then I could never ever
hear it in my ear so I took it out
and then I was just like, but the monitors also
(13:47):
weren't working because the monitors were for WASP.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
And we don't use them because we all are on
in ears so and.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
There wasn't even a guy at the soundboard for them.
So I'm like, okay, so I'm just here like the
slap back of the front of house. Of course I'm
going I have a whole nother tour to do. My
biggest concern right at this moment is I'm not going
to blow my voice out. But the show is great,
and I told the crowd. I was like, look, this
(14:14):
is really how you measure a band in moments like this,
of like shit's going south, but like you just roll
with it.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And it was an awesome show and great crowd response.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And you know, it was annoying and I was getting
pissed and you could see that, but I was trying
to keep my composure at the same time because I
don't want to take it out on the audience and myself,
and you kind of have to bridge that, you know, delicately, so,
but you want to be honest, like we're I'm having problems,
as you could see, but we're going to carry on
(14:46):
and some of the guys are having technical issues as well,
And why does it happen in London, Not that you
want it to happen anywhere, but of course it's Murphy's
loss going to be in London, So it's just but
you know, in retrospect after it was over, it was like,
that was a great gig. And you know what you
kind of measure bands or life that way, when you
(15:06):
know everything is easy when it's good. How about when
it's not? Then then how are you going to adjust?
And how are you going to react? And and it
was kind of kind of cool that had happened like that,
not necessarily a couple of moments because I was I
was freaking out a little bit. But uh, anyways, it's
pretty funny. So you know this this stuff happens all
the time.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's well, it's appropriate to bring up in uh this
podcast that I guess have to. I always say, like
I don't want to just be because actually I work
in radio, like actual, you know, my job into this
podcast is a side project that kind of I molded
together a little bit, so but I wanted to look professional.
I'm not just talking to it, but I got to
go with it, and I'm like secretly getting mad. I'm like, oh,
(15:50):
I'm gonna have to send this back, this giant mixer
to the side of me, and I'm just I can't
take it out on John Bush. We can have a
great conversation, So no, I understand, yeah, in a very
small minute way, because there's a lot of things I
still want to talk to you about. And you know
you've even though there were points where you got frustrated,
(16:11):
this goes back to just what we're celebrating with those
three shows and just how life maturing, you know, it
ties in everything together. I guess the anxiety and the
nervousness of it all. Maybe you would have handled something
like a show like that in London different twenty years ago.
So I guess I'm curious where were you, like how
(16:31):
nervous with you? Can you? I'm sure you remember quite
well that first Anthrax record when you're like your name
is going to be on this, Well, where were you
at that at that point in time in your life.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The first show that we did was in Tijuana actually
at Iguanas, which was a place, a crazy rock club
in Tijuana, and that was you know, first album ninety three.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So you know, was I nervous there?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm sure it was, But I think that you know,
when I nanthra acent, of course, I was, you know,
coming in following Joey Belladonna, and you know, Joey's got
his own unique trip for sure, and you know the
legend of his own right and certainly established himself. So
it's you know, you're replacing singers. Sat In itself's hard.
I know, I'm a fan, you know, I love Ronnie,
(17:16):
but he.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Was replacing Ozzie and it's, you know, it's tough stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
So you know, it's and then Ronnie actually replaced technically
he replaced you know, he and Gill and David Coverdale
because he Rainbow is a new band. But still, I
mean Richie Blacklar played with those guys who were legends,
so you know, Brian Johnson, same thing, you know, Sammy whatever. Like,
you know, hard, it's hard to replace a vocalist. It's
(17:39):
really it's, you know, you're changing a sound, let's face it.
So I think that the guys gave me a lot
of support. They were like, you know, we we had
this new record, we believed in it, and we felt
like this is a whole new vibe going in. So
I think from that standpoint, I was I was rest
assured that we were all in it and we felt
really good about where we were going together. So yes, nervous,
(18:01):
without a doubt. But did I feel like this was
something really exciting? Absolutely, So the nerves are good. I
think that you know, athletes will talk about it all
the time. You know, they'll say, you know, you feel
some butterflies before a huge game in the playoffs. You know,
I got Tiger's hat Altho, I'm an LA fan. I
was just in Detroit and it's a great time, so
I wanted to buy a Tiger hat. But you know,
(18:23):
it's playoffs, so it's like, I know you're by a
Yankee fan.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But when they brutally lost last was a tough game.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Last night, I know, but you know it's you.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
You should feel these things a little bit because if
you don't, then you're kind of complacent and you feel
there's an indifference.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And you know, I would think the.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Who taking the stage of the Hollywood Bowl would be,
you know, pretty exciting for them, even though they're the Who.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
So yeah, I want to get this this question, and
this came from a listener, fan of the show and
also author of Van Hamlin Rising Greg Ranoff, It's actually
this is a different kind of nerves, and I'm glad
he asked. This is a good question, and this pertains
to the New York nests of where we are right now.
He wants to hear your memories of New York Steel,
(19:10):
which was a benefit concert that Any Trunk put together
in two thousand and one for the first responders, obviously
shortly after the nine to eleven attacks. So I can't
even imagine the mindset. I was a freshman in college
after university. It wasn't very far from where it had happened.
So if you can share your memories from that show.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Here was an awesome show, you know, there was. I mean,
that was obviously beyond just a normal rock show. It
was way more emotional. There was just so much more
on the line as far as what it meant to people.
You know, we came out, you know, because at that
time being an anthrax and you know, there was shortly
after the nine to eleven attacks, there was the anthrax scare.
(19:55):
People I think died, you know, and some maniac was
taking advance of a fragile public and sent out some
antracts that you know that did some damage. And so
we were being interviewed by everybody at that point, Wall
Street Journal, you name it.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
They're like, what are you going to do?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
And we were like, well, really, we didn't really think
about it until everybody started asking. But I guess, yeah,
I mean, I guess if thousands of people start dying
because of this.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Then it might be tough to get gigs, you know,
as an acts.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
That was the kind of joke and you know, not
that was you know, there was some parts of it
that were now funny, of course, but you know it's
I called yourself the Black Plague, you know, as a
minstrel group, you know, back in you know, the medieval days,
it might be tough to get a gig. But but
I think that, you know, we kind of felt like, hey,
(20:49):
let's just hopefully that we'll get through this. And we
did interviews, and I remember Scott doing an interview. It
was one of the times early on that I actually
had a feeling negative towards CNN early on then not
that I you know, I'm I'm just addressing that time
because because they had the ticker, you know, that was
running constantly after that, and it said on the ticker
(21:12):
it said Anthrax because got did an interview and he said,
or we did a press release and he said, it
sucks that we have to change our name to basketfull
of puppies, and then he goes, I'm kidding, but they
didn't put that. They just put in the ticker Anthrax
changes their name to basketball Puppies, and that was it.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And we're like, wait, what they're not are you kidding?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And like somebody was just you know, every at that point,
probably people were inunitated with so much press that you know,
people were doing research journalists and stuff and probably not
following through on everything, which leads to a crazy world
that we won't go there, but you know, it was
probably just a time where people weren't being as thorough
(21:53):
with research as they should have. And but we were like,
are you kidding? They actually put that on the ticker,
and so I mean, in retrospect, you know, against the
thing you kind of laugh at.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
But yeah, it was. It was a great show. It
was super memorable. We came out with the Elvets because
of that.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
It said we're not changing our names, and the five
of us wore it and we just kind of stood
there and just kind of soaked it in for like
a minute, and then we went into the set and
it was pretty explosive, and yeah, what can you say
it was.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
It was a memorable moment by all means.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
So that was the big Twisted Sister reunion who sort
of reuniting again this year. Yeah, no, I appreciate you
sharing that. No, And yeah, I mean that's a difficult time.
I mean, being a freshman in college, you sleep late.
So I my roommate was off at this first class
(22:48):
and minded second class in starting until the afternoon, so
of course you sleep at like one two in the
afternoon usually, And my roommate's mom called the dorm room
and she's like, are you okay? I was sleeping. I
had no idea, she said, put on the TV. And
it was just surrealness after that.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
So we were on tour, and we were on tour
with Judas Priest. We had just started a tour. Was
when The Ripper actually was in Priest and we were
like a couple of dates in and we were in Lincoln, Nebraska,
I remember specifically, and somebody woke us up and like, dude,
look at this and we're like you're kind of waking up,
rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and like, wait,
(23:29):
well what am I watching here?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Is this really happening?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
And you know, it was just and of course, you know,
the first tower got hit and then so all the
media was there, and then when that second one got hit,
and that was the one that everything's all live, and
it was just, I mean, it was terrifying, of course
for everybody, and you know, it was a terrible time,
let's face it. And you know, we we I think
(23:52):
we did one more show after that because Price said
we're done, We're going to take a break, and then
we played a show on our own. It was I
think for Collins, Colorado, and it was an awesome gig
because it was just like so emotional. But then at
that point where like we were on tour with Priests
and they had canceled, so we had to cancel and
we had to get home and a bunch of guys
(24:13):
went to New York and Scott and I lived in
southern California and we could not get a flight, and
so we we rented like a cargo van and we
drove home in the cargo van, and you know, guys
like there was like three of us or four of us,
like rolling around this cargo.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Van because there was no seats or anything.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
And specifically specifically remember that driving home from Colorado.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
And yeah, you know, just I think my wife at
the time we were together, but she was we.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Were kind of starting our relationship and she goes, I'll
meet you in Vegas and I was like, okay, and
which is weird because like, why do you want to go?
It was just not a good time to be feeling
any kind of time to hang out. But you know,
I was like, okay, let's go. I'm all Drew shild
They'll drop me off, you know, And we hung out.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
There for a couple of days. It was all weird,
and let's face it, but I remember all those times.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I'm sure never forget. Well, you can't. You can't to
use one of my weird segues because I know you're
we got limited time, you know. My my again, my son,
my two and a half year old. One day I'm
going to tell him, Daddy, what was living through that
time like? Or what was the pandemic like? But I'm
going to focus on what were guns and roses like?
(25:25):
That's what I'm going to focus on So if you
haven't noticed, see my terrible segues make sense, It makes sense.
Appetite for distortions is that's so I always look for
six degrees of GNR Bacon, which is what I call it.
So whether it's direct, like I had Scott Ian on
and he's we actually went to not together and went
to the same AC actual DC show. He was also
(25:48):
with Charlie. Him and Charlie went to go see Axel
fronts ac DC at the Garden. So we had a
great time talking about that. Frank Bellow came on started
talking about back in the day, great stuff. So I'm
just curious, you know, any interactions with the guys that've
crossed paths see them in concert, any six degrees bake
gen R Bacon, We don't know. Between you and between
(26:09):
Guns Roses and John Bush, I have.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
A couple there.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
We did a show back and I think it was
eighty eight. I can't for sure what they was. It
was Santa Monica Civic. It was a benefit. I don't
remember what the benefit.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Was for it was.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
You know, we were in like the middle of a
Raising Fear album and tour cycle and we played the
Santa Monica Civic and there was several bands that played,
and really I don't remember anybody else other than Gons
and Roses and so they played as well. I think
they were the headlining band and we played in It
was a great show because it was hometown and Santa
Monica Civic is a great venue. They don't play shows
(26:43):
there anymore, which is a drag because it was a
great venue. I saw RAD shows there and I played
Rat shows there and I drove by it not that
long ago and I was like, there it is, why
are they're not show because it's a great place. So
it was like about three thousand, thirty five hundred. But
we played there with Gene r and it was a
great gig. And then one other little connection was the agent.
My agent, Dan Devita, who works for TKO's Big Happening
(27:06):
Agency books Armored, Saint Anthrox among many other bands. For
a while, Dan was kind of starting up as a
manager and he managed Duff McKagan for a small period
of time. And my wife, she is where I'm at
actually right now is a casting studio. My wife has
been has a casting studio as a casting director and
it's been doing this for over twenty years.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
And that was our first place that she started. And
there was a little loft at the top where you
had to climb these stairs.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
It was a cool little area, but it was very small,
and so she told Dan, if you want to work here,
you can give me a small amount of money for rent,
and you can and you can, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Do your you have this at be your office, and
so he did for a short period of time.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
And that was during the time where he actually was loaded, right,
but Dove mccagin's loaded, and so he managed them and
Duff came a couple of times to have meetings with him,
and so he had climb these weird little stairs and
it used to be tall, so it was kind of
probably hard for him declimbing these stairs and they're rickety.
But but yeah, that he came to our original casting studio.
(28:10):
So there is that six degrees as well, which is pretty.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Fall right, all right cool. As a vocalist you ever
take on, whether it's in the shower or anything on
a GNR song or anything like that, you.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Know, assholes range is obviously higher than mine, so it
would be probably painful to try to attempt to do that.
I would have to do it in a much lower register.
But you know, I mean you can't argue with that
first album without a doubt. As we all know, You're
Crazy was always probably my favorite song from that record
because I was like, yeah, fucking you know crazy. I mean,
(28:44):
it just was such a killer tune. I mean, as
they all were, and you know they went on to
do so many things, of course, but but yeah, the
first album was awesome. I don't think I ever saw
them in the club circuit, which is which is a
drag because you know, I'm from LA and you would
think I would have. And I never saw them at
the Roxy or the Whiskey if they play there, which
(29:04):
is a.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Good nummer, But no, I never did.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
All right, Well, still having Gulf come, you know, doing casting,
you know, being involved with your casting is almost as cool,
I guess it's.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yeah. I mean, that's an unusual one that most people
can't say.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
They had so exactly, and that's what I do.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Tough remembers it. You know, it probably does, it's.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
It probably does hit well, yeah, I re why not?
But oh good John, I really appreciate your time. It's
so cool what you're doing. What else can we expect
from you other than these just these three shows celebrating
your records for the Anthrax. What do you have coming
down the pike for us?
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, well, Armored Saint actually in the middle of mixing
a record right now, so we're almost done with that.
Jay Rustin is doing it for us, who's mixed the
previous two albums for us, and sounding killer.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It's awesome tunes.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I'm really really proud of it, and you know, it
seems like a continuation of where we've been with Punching
the Sky, which came out in twenty twenty and so
six years, which you know it's a long time, but
there also was the pandemic and we actually, not in our.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
World, six years is not a long time in the
g NR world, is.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Well, yeah, not with that band for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
And plus we did tour a lot in the last
couple of years. We did a couple of tours of
the Loss that were great, and so you know, we've
been busy. But yeah, the record sounds killer, and it's
sounding great, and Metal Blade is behind us, it has
been for years and it's a family thing with us
in them, and so we're excited about putting that record out.
I'm sure we'll do a lot of dates in conjunction
(30:33):
with that, and then we started tour tomorrow with Michael Schenker.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
We're doing only two weeks because we did the dates
with WASP in England.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
They already had those plans, so that got in the
way of doing the first part of the Shanker tour,
so we missed the East Coast states with him.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
But it's going to be really cool.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I mean, he's one of my favorite guitar players of
all time and he's doing all UFO. And if there
was anybody I may maybe didn't emulate Axel back in
the days in my garage when I was learning how
to sing, but I certainly Spell of Time singing the
film log and one of my favorite singers.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Of all time. So UFO is one of my favorite bands.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
And so it's going to be cool to hear those
tunes live and and see Michael playing them, and he's
just a legend, and so we're doing that.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
It's doing that tomorrow. It's a couple of weeks and
a new record next year, so we're fired out. It's
gonna be fine right on.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And Michael Shanker was actually just on the podcast again
talking about also at the tour, and.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
As Axel played on his record of the UFO Tens,
he did.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Love to see It's all connected.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I love to Love Is.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's one of my favorite songs. And you know, Axel
did a great job, so good for kudos him.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Awesome, John, thank you so much. I hope to do
this again next time with my equipment working.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
That's all right. You sounded great and I think we
got it achieved. And thanks for having me Brandon, I
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Awesome, Thank you, John. So that does it for this
episode of Appetite for Distortion. In the words of Axel
Rose concerning Chinese democracy, when will we see the next episode,
I don't know as soon as the word, but you'll say,
thanks to the lame mass security, I'm going home.
You kind of measured bands or life that way. When
you know everything is easy when it's good. How about
when it's not.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, episode number five
hundred and thirty four. Wow is Brando? Yeah? Well wow,
welcome to the podcast, mister John Bush. How are you, sir?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
What's up? Brando?
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Congratulations on five hundred and thirty four podcasts. That's pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Thank you. All things happen. You can't do that many
episodes without technical errors, right.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
So, literally, as I'm waiting to talk to my board
just starts flopping out. I felt like it's Spaceball's the beeps,
the sweeps, and the creeps they all went away.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I don't know if we call that reference.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I remember Spaceballs, but I don't know if I remember
that part.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
But yeah, that's cool.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Good reves having the sequel coming up. Anyway. Wow, I
digress some Well maybe that's a good segue. It's all
about remembering the past and things from our childhood, and
even though you're still busy doing new things. I think
it's very cool that you're also looking back in the
past and celebrating in a way that we fans. I
(01:19):
guess Anthrax fans can enjoy. Of course, we'll talk about
Armored Saint Is as well. But you're performing three special
shows at the Whiskey Go Go in Los Angeles, all
in December, by the way, Saint Charles Illinois, which, by
the way, my wife is from Geneva, so I was like,
I asked her, I'm like, do you know where Saint
(01:39):
Charles is she and she's like, yeah, I'm like, where
is he playing? There? The Arcadia Theater.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's a great venue. It's an awesome venue. That Arcotta
Theater is really rare.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Actually Arcata shows what I know, I'm in New Yorker.
I don't want to pronounce things. And of course right
here in the city, speaking of which, at Racket, Yeah,
which is awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
So the old Ballery Ballroom there, I.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Know, I was you beat me to it because these
names change, and uh, it's cool. Why these I mean,
I know those are three big markets. But and do
New York, Chicago and LA having a special I know La,
of course, but Chicago and New York? What special media
to that is that after you you know, they.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Actually probably do The Whiskey is the Whiskey it's a legendary.
We become friends with Mike and Amy who owned the
Whiskey and Maglearia family. It's been in their family for
for a long time from the beginning actually the Whiskey,
and it's it's just they also own the Rainbow, and
we've become buddies with them, and and you know, I
(02:41):
it's just a classic venue. I mean, come on the
doors played the Whiskey, you know Van Hale, and I
mean it's everybody and anybody who's played there and before us, so.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
So it's you know, and it's literally up the street
from my house.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Like I I wouldn't want to walk there because at
the hill on San Vicente it is pretty steep.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
I tried to write my bike on them once, say
it was was brutal.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
But yeah, it's it's walking distance and almost it's you know,
it's a couple of miles away. So it's a it's
a great venue. It's legendary, so that's a no brainer.
And it's hometown for me, Los Angeles. And then dere
Cotta is a killer venue. Played there last couple of
times with WASP on our last couple of tours. It's
a great venue. It's outside Chicago maybe forty minutes or so,
(03:23):
that whole area, you know, Chicago, Milwaukee, you know, Wisconsin, Illinois,
even you can get into Mini Minnesota a little.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Bit if you want. In Iowa.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
That whole Middle Glass area is just such a great area,
maybe in Indiana a little bit. So it's just you know,
it's just a great rock area. Fans are just awesome there,
so it made sense to go there. And the promoters
super cool at the Arcada, so it was it was
kind of a no brainer there. It's the biggest of
the three, so that'll be a little more challenging, although
(03:53):
we've sold the most tickets there, so hey, go finger
and then the racket be cool because it's New York
and you know, Anthrax started in New York and we
played there when I was in Andrax at the Ballery Ballroom,
so there's a little history there already, so it made sense.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
I guess it's cool club now in the city again
and had to play New York. So those are the reasons,
right on.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, I appreciate that, I mean, and I guess to
keep on the nostalgia train, like how does that feel?
I mean, as we're getting to know each other I
know you're doing a million interviews, but that's why I
interject myself so you understand where I'm coming from. I
just turned forty two as we're recording this October first,
So last birthday today, not today, not today, September eighth,
(04:41):
So I was September a month ago, Okay, I was.
I'm a little I'm too worthy. I've been in radio
for it was, you know, four of a century, but
I'm too worthy still. So now I was September. I
turned forty two. I was saying, just last month, so
I wanted to say, putting this out next week, all
behind the scenes stuff nobody cares about. So just beaking
(05:02):
forty two in nostalgia and just seeing what that it
just means something different now with my two year old
two and a half year old who is tuning turning
two and a half this month, That's where I was
going with this. Is it? How does it feel when
it or where does it take you back when you
sing those songs? Does it almost does it feel like
it has new life or does it just take you
back to a certain time and period in your life.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Well, so far, I've just really been singing them in
my bedroom.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Practicing them, thinking about saying them.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I guess yeah, through the years.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
I've done it a couple of times. In Metal Allegiance
we played some shows, you know, and and I played
only and I think Boom from one More. But yeah,
it's cool, you know, it's it is nostalgia. It's all nostalgia.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
It really is. So I don't mind using that word.
And obviously he used it as well. And it's just
a trip back. So I'm learning.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
It's funny because a lot of the lyrics came to me,
and it's weird because it's a good thing because I'm
sixty two, so I mean haven't got to the point
where memory is completely that bad yet, although my wife
would beg to differ, But you know, the reality is
it's that It's just it's I'm kind of relearning them too.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
And and it's cool. It's fun.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Anytime something you haven't done for a while and you
do it again, I think is exciting. So it feels
fresh and so I can that's the philosophy behind it,
and it's going to be killer.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I think it's going to be fun to play these
songs live.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I think people are going to be really jazzed because
they just haven't heard these songs in a long time.
And I'm going to try to go with some D
tracks too, and play some songs that we never played
maybe or haven't played maybe more than a handful of times.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
It's Anthrax.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
And because I don't want to just be the obvious
here's that, you know, the ten obvious choices. I want
to go a little deeper because I just I like
that as a fan, you know, as a music fan,
going to see shows, and I think it's all going
to be cool. It's going to be a lot of work,
a lot of work on the voice and prepping and
the band, and but you know, three shows some time
(07:01):
off in between, we'll make it work.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I would not have guessed sixty two if I did
not do my research, and if you did not say
it now, I always forgotten. It was like, oh no,
you're like we're a beard away from looking alike, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
Yeah, I mean mine's I always loved the stubble and
and it's just all gray now and it's kind of
bumped me out a little bit. But I don't want
to die. I'm not going to die my stubble. That
would be ridiculous. So that's my hair a while ago.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
So that's that's a non issue.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
But yeah, you know I I try to stay as
fit as possible, and you know I'm I work out
a lot and play hoops, pick up basketball once a
week when I'm in town, and you know, I love pilates. Now,
you got to do things to make you stay young, fight, fight,
you know, father time a little bit.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
This all kind of ties together, and this is how
my brain just works in segues, you know, jumping off
the nostall to train, and I'm talking about age and
all the prep that you're doing and the celebration of
you know, these Anthrax records that you were on. Now
I want to bring up Roger Daltrey, Who's saying I'm
(08:12):
taking the music back. You know, this is the Who's final,
final farewell. But I'm seeing but I'm seeing the same
kind of comments, whether it's Roger Daltrey, whether it's Axel Rose.
You see appetite for distortion. What's what you're on. I
saw it this morning about the late I mean the
late God forbid Paul McCartney. I wanted to say that great,
(08:36):
the Great Paul McCartney came back wrong. I just what
we how we are treating our older artists, who we
are so lucky that are still out there doing it.
And again you're a young sixty two. I mean, what
do you do you see those comments online or what
do you think about, like the calls to retire. It's like, well,
why retire when you love doing it?
Speaker 1 (08:58):
It's funny you say that because the who just played
about a week ago Hollywood Bowl on the buddy of
mine invited me and I was just in the middle
of something and I couldn't go.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
I should have really blew out what I was doing
and gone because I heard they were great.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
And that was also the night that Tyler played with
Joe Perry, and so I really blew And sometimes I'm
a little clueless about what's really happening out there. And
I didn't even realize Chris Robinson was singing for Joe
Perry and my wife is a huge Black Ros fan,
So like, I really screwed up, and I'm really regretting it.
And I heard Daltrey sounded great. I heard, you know,
(09:34):
I heard he altered some things, but I heard he
sounded awesome. So I'm really really regretting that I didn't
go to that show? What are you gonna do? But
and then I just read review of the Paul McCarty
show at the Santa Barbara Bowl yes two days ago,
which was a killer venue, you know, a couple hours
north of LA.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
It's a great venue.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
I've seen a bunch of Brad shows there, Radiohead, Jack White,
you name it, and it's always a lot of fun
to go there. And I heard he was amazing and
and played all these different tunes, you know, like this
McCartney is playing.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
You know, he's got a bad he's got a big cadillog.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Right, yeah, like you know, getting better and then you know,
help he hasn't played in years apparently, and he opened
with him and name he's gone going into some wing
songs and his new material. And so I'm looking at
this exact thing, going, well, these dudes are twenty years
older than me and they're still granted they're a lot
more famous than me, but they're still doing it and going.
(10:31):
And so I'm like, why would I not want to
do this? And so I literally cannot do it, and
that one day will come. But not to mention guys
at Halford and you know, Brian Johnson and all the
other people who are still doing it, and you know
what I mean, it's just a totally inspirational for them
to be out there and as a singer and to
(10:53):
go and you know whatever. So you may not sound
exactly like you did fifty forty, thirty years.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Ago, but you know, it's really.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Anything that hopefully draws people there and back and the
nostalgia and and the love of the tune. So I
think that's really the most important aspect of all of it.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think so too. I mean, a concert should be
a celebration, you know, not some sort of you're you're
up there like a bunch of you're you're watching it
like a bunch of Simon Cowell's like judging it. I
guess I just find it. It just bothered me because
I happened to see it this morning and I've done
podcasts on Axel's voice, and I happened to say this
was before Ben Sneil came out and that he had
(11:36):
four strokes. I'm like, what's going on the guys when
they get older? So I just wanted to you know,
you have your prep and you're so I just wanted
to get your opinion on that and also it was.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Funny the last the last year we just played was
in London.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
We played Wilton for WASP for three shows in Britain
and the last show was in London and the Hammersmith
Odian's called it Bent to Apollo now but it was
still always going to be the Hammersmith Oldy and we
never played it back in the day. So that was
the primary reason to go do these shows, like let's
go play Hammersmith and and of course we played Newcastle
in Manchester before and they were great shows. But then
(12:14):
here's London and then what happens. What happens, Mike, Mike,
the cordless mic is getting massive interference. And I told
our soundman, I was like, look if this if this
happens during the show, and there was there was a
we didn't have time really to sound check because they
were they brought in gears and they were late, so
they were pushing it to the limit. So then we
just had to get a quick line check in and
(12:37):
I was like, if this is interference is happening, I
don't want to I can't sing like it. I'll just
go to the chord and because you know it's loud,
it's just terrible. I don't want to perform like that
so long and behold it did. And so I told
the sound man and who's out in the front of
the house.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I was like, I'm going to the cord.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
So I put my mic down and the chord is
not working, and so it's it's the crowd was going,
we can't hear, you know. I was like, So then
I go to Jeff Duncan the guitar players mike, and
I'm singing in that and I sing like ver a
song or two, and I can't really hear anything in
my in ears because I'm on his mic, and you know,
(13:15):
I'm doing the David Coverdale nineteen seventy pern era.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You know, he sings on like he's saying on the
you know, the boomstand. It's not my thing.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
But and I kept hoping that there was a guy
out there and he was trying to fix something, but
he just was. He almost looked useless out there. And
so after two songs, I'm like, this isn't going to
be fixed. So I'm like, Jeff, you're not singing tonight.
I just took his and then I could never ever
hear it in my ear so I took it out
and then I was just like, but the monitors also
(13:47):
weren't working because the monitors were for WASP.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
And we don't use them because we all are on
in ears so and.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
There wasn't even a guy at the soundboard for them.
So I'm like, okay, so I'm just here like the
slap back of the front of house. Of course I'm
going I have a whole nother tour to do. My
biggest concern right at this moment is I'm not going
to blow my voice out. But the show is great,
and I told the crowd. I was like, look, this
(14:14):
is really how you measure a band in moments like this,
of like shit's going south, but like you just roll
with it.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And it was an awesome show and great crowd response.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
And you know, it was annoying and I was getting
pissed and you could see that, but I was trying
to keep my composure at the same time because I
don't want to take it out on the audience and myself,
and you kind of have to bridge that, you know, delicately, so,
but you want to be honest, like we're I'm having problems,
as you could see, but we're going to carry on
(14:46):
and some of the guys are having technical issues as well,
And why does it happen in London, Not that you
want it to happen anywhere, but of course it's Murphy's
loss going to be in London, So it's just but
you know, in retrospect after it was over, it was like,
that was a great gig. And you know what you
kind of measure bands or life that way, when you
(15:06):
know everything is easy when it's good. How about when
it's not? Then then how are you going to adjust?
And how are you going to react? And and it
was kind of kind of cool that had happened like that,
not necessarily a couple of moments because I was I
was freaking out a little bit. But uh, anyways, it's
pretty funny. So you know this this stuff happens all
the time.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
It's well, it's appropriate to bring up in uh this
podcast that I guess have to. I always say, like
I don't want to just be because actually I work
in radio, like actual, you know, my job into this
podcast is a side project that kind of I molded
together a little bit, so but I wanted to look professional.
I'm not just talking to it, but I got to
go with it, and I'm like secretly getting mad. I'm like, oh,
(15:50):
I'm gonna have to send this back, this giant mixer
to the side of me, and I'm just I can't
take it out on John Bush. We can have a
great conversation, So no, I understand, yeah, in a very
small minute way, because there's a lot of things I
still want to talk to you about. And you know
you've even though there were points where you got frustrated,
(16:11):
this goes back to just what we're celebrating with those
three shows and just how life maturing, you know, it
ties in everything together. I guess the anxiety and the
nervousness of it all. Maybe you would have handled something
like a show like that in London different twenty years ago.
So I guess I'm curious where were you, like how
(16:31):
nervous with you? Can you? I'm sure you remember quite
well that first Anthrax record when you're like your name
is going to be on this, Well, where were you
at that at that point in time in your life.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The first show that we did was in Tijuana actually
at Iguanas, which was a place, a crazy rock club
in Tijuana, and that was you know, first album ninety three.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
So you know, was I nervous there?
Speaker 1 (16:55):
I'm sure it was, But I think that you know,
when I nanthra acent, of course, I was, you know,
coming in following Joey Belladonna, and you know, Joey's got
his own unique trip for sure, and you know the
legend of his own right and certainly established himself. So
it's you know, you're replacing singers. Sat In itself's hard.
I know, I'm a fan, you know, I love Ronnie,
(17:16):
but he.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Was replacing Ozzie and it's, you know, it's tough stuff.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
So you know, it's and then Ronnie actually replaced technically
he replaced you know, he and Gill and David Coverdale
because he Rainbow is a new band. But still, I
mean Richie Blacklar played with those guys who were legends,
so you know, Brian Johnson, same thing, you know, Sammy whatever. Like,
you know, hard, it's hard to replace a vocalist. It's
(17:39):
really it's, you know, you're changing a sound, let's face it.
So I think that the guys gave me a lot
of support. They were like, you know, we we had
this new record, we believed in it, and we felt
like this is a whole new vibe going in. So
I think from that standpoint, I was I was rest
assured that we were all in it and we felt
really good about where we were going together. So yes, nervous,
(18:01):
without a doubt. But did I feel like this was
something really exciting? Absolutely, So the nerves are good. I
think that you know, athletes will talk about it all
the time. You know, they'll say, you know, you feel
some butterflies before a huge game in the playoffs. You know,
I got Tiger's hat Altho, I'm an LA fan. I
was just in Detroit and it's a great time, so
I wanted to buy a Tiger hat. But you know,
(18:23):
it's playoffs, so it's like, I know you're by a
Yankee fan.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
But when they brutally lost last was a tough game.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Last night, I know, but you know it's you.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
You should feel these things a little bit because if
you don't, then you're kind of complacent and you feel
there's an indifference.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
And you know, I would think the.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Who taking the stage of the Hollywood Bowl would be,
you know, pretty exciting for them, even though they're the Who.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
So yeah, I want to get this this question, and
this came from a listener, fan of the show and
also author of Van Hamlin Rising Greg Ranoff, It's actually
this is a different kind of nerves, and I'm glad
he asked. This is a good question, and this pertains
to the New York nests of where we are right now.
He wants to hear your memories of New York Steel,
(19:10):
which was a benefit concert that Any Trunk put together
in two thousand and one for the first responders, obviously
shortly after the nine to eleven attacks. So I can't
even imagine the mindset. I was a freshman in college
after university. It wasn't very far from where it had happened.
So if you can share your memories from that show.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Here was an awesome show, you know, there was. I mean,
that was obviously beyond just a normal rock show. It
was way more emotional. There was just so much more
on the line as far as what it meant to people.
You know, we came out, you know, because at that
time being an anthrax and you know, there was shortly
after the nine to eleven attacks, there was the anthrax scare.
(19:55):
People I think died, you know, and some maniac was
taking advance of a fragile public and sent out some
antracts that you know that did some damage. And so
we were being interviewed by everybody at that point, Wall
Street Journal, you name it.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
They're like, what are you going to do?
Speaker 1 (20:12):
And we were like, well, really, we didn't really think
about it until everybody started asking. But I guess, yeah,
I mean, I guess if thousands of people start dying
because of this.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Then it might be tough to get gigs, you know,
as an acts.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
That was the kind of joke and you know, not
that was you know, there was some parts of it
that were now funny, of course, but you know it's
I called yourself the Black Plague, you know, as a
minstrel group, you know, back in you know, the medieval days,
it might be tough to get a gig. But but
I think that, you know, we kind of felt like, hey,
(20:49):
let's just hopefully that we'll get through this. And we
did interviews, and I remember Scott doing an interview. It
was one of the times early on that I actually
had a feeling negative towards CNN early on then not
that I you know, I'm I'm just addressing that time
because because they had the ticker, you know, that was
running constantly after that, and it said on the ticker
(21:12):
it said Anthrax because got did an interview and he said,
or we did a press release and he said, it
sucks that we have to change our name to basketfull
of puppies, and then he goes, I'm kidding, but they
didn't put that. They just put in the ticker Anthrax
changes their name to basketball Puppies, and that was it.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
And we're like, wait, what they're not are you kidding?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And like somebody was just you know, every at that point,
probably people were inunitated with so much press that you know,
people were doing research journalists and stuff and probably not
following through on everything, which leads to a crazy world
that we won't go there, but you know, it was
probably just a time where people weren't being as thorough
(21:53):
with research as they should have. And but we were like,
are you kidding? They actually put that on the ticker,
and so I mean, in retrospect, you know, against the
thing you kind of laugh at.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
But yeah, it was. It was a great show. It
was super memorable. We came out with the Elvets because
of that.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
It said we're not changing our names, and the five
of us wore it and we just kind of stood
there and just kind of soaked it in for like
a minute, and then we went into the set and
it was pretty explosive, and yeah, what can you say
it was.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
It was a memorable moment by all means.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
So that was the big Twisted Sister reunion who sort
of reuniting again this year. Yeah, no, I appreciate you
sharing that. No, And yeah, I mean that's a difficult time.
I mean, being a freshman in college, you sleep late.
So I my roommate was off at this first class
(22:48):
and minded second class in starting until the afternoon, so
of course you sleep at like one two in the
afternoon usually, And my roommate's mom called the dorm room
and she's like, are you okay? I was sleeping. I
had no idea, she said, put on the TV. And
it was just surrealness after that.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
So we were on tour, and we were on tour
with Judas Priest. We had just started a tour. Was
when The Ripper actually was in Priest and we were
like a couple of dates in and we were in Lincoln, Nebraska,
I remember specifically, and somebody woke us up and like, dude,
look at this and we're like you're kind of waking up,
rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and like, wait,
(23:29):
well what am I watching here?
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Is this really happening?
Speaker 1 (23:31):
And you know, it was just and of course, you know,
the first tower got hit and then so all the
media was there, and then when that second one got hit,
and that was the one that everything's all live, and
it was just, I mean, it was terrifying, of course
for everybody, and you know, it was a terrible time,
let's face it. And you know, we we I think
(23:52):
we did one more show after that because Price said
we're done, We're going to take a break, and then
we played a show on our own. It was I
think for Collins, Colorado, and it was an awesome gig
because it was just like so emotional. But then at
that point where like we were on tour with Priests
and they had canceled, so we had to cancel and
we had to get home and a bunch of guys
(24:13):
went to New York and Scott and I lived in
southern California and we could not get a flight, and
so we we rented like a cargo van and we
drove home in the cargo van, and you know, guys
like there was like three of us or four of us,
like rolling around this cargo.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Van because there was no seats or anything.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
And specifically specifically remember that driving home from Colorado.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
And yeah, you know, just I think my wife at
the time we were together, but she was we.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Were kind of starting our relationship and she goes, I'll
meet you in Vegas and I was like, okay, and
which is weird because like, why do you want to go?
It was just not a good time to be feeling
any kind of time to hang out. But you know,
I was like, okay, let's go. I'm all Drew shild
They'll drop me off, you know, And we hung out.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
There for a couple of days. It was all weird,
and let's face it, but I remember all those times.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
I'm sure never forget. Well, you can't. You can't to
use one of my weird segues because I know you're
we got limited time, you know. My my again, my son,
my two and a half year old. One day I'm
going to tell him, Daddy, what was living through that
time like? Or what was the pandemic like? But I'm
going to focus on what were guns and roses like?
(25:25):
That's what I'm going to focus on So if you
haven't noticed, see my terrible segues make sense, It makes sense.
Appetite for distortions is that's so I always look for
six degrees of GNR Bacon, which is what I call it.
So whether it's direct, like I had Scott Ian on
and he's we actually went to not together and went
to the same AC actual DC show. He was also
(25:48):
with Charlie. Him and Charlie went to go see Axel
fronts ac DC at the Garden. So we had a
great time talking about that. Frank Bellow came on started
talking about back in the day, great stuff. So I'm
just curious, you know, any interactions with the guys that've
crossed paths see them in concert, any six degrees bake
gen R Bacon, We don't know. Between you and between
(26:09):
Guns Roses and John Bush, I have.
Speaker 3 (26:11):
A couple there.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
We did a show back and I think it was
eighty eight. I can't for sure what they was. It
was Santa Monica Civic. It was a benefit. I don't
remember what the benefit.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Was for it was.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
You know, we were in like the middle of a
Raising Fear album and tour cycle and we played the
Santa Monica Civic and there was several bands that played,
and really I don't remember anybody else other than Gons
and Roses and so they played as well. I think
they were the headlining band and we played in It
was a great show because it was hometown and Santa
Monica Civic is a great venue. They don't play shows
(26:43):
there anymore, which is a drag because it was a
great venue. I saw RAD shows there and I played
Rat shows there and I drove by it not that
long ago and I was like, there it is, why
are they're not show because it's a great place. So
it was like about three thousand, thirty five hundred. But
we played there with Gene r and it was a
great gig. And then one other little connection was the agent.
My agent, Dan Devita, who works for TKO's Big Happening
(27:06):
Agency books Armored, Saint Anthrox among many other bands. For
a while, Dan was kind of starting up as a
manager and he managed Duff McKagan for a small period
of time. And my wife, she is where I'm at
actually right now is a casting studio. My wife has
been has a casting studio as a casting director and
it's been doing this for over twenty years.
Speaker 3 (27:27):
And that was our first place that she started. And
there was a little loft at the top where you
had to climb these stairs.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
It was a cool little area, but it was very small,
and so she told Dan, if you want to work here,
you can give me a small amount of money for rent,
and you can and you can, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Do your you have this at be your office, and
so he did for a short period of time.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
And that was during the time where he actually was loaded, right,
but Dove mccagin's loaded, and so he managed them and
Duff came a couple of times to have meetings with him,
and so he had climb these weird little stairs and
it used to be tall, so it was kind of
probably hard for him declimbing these stairs and they're rickety.
But but yeah, that he came to our original casting studio.
(28:10):
So there is that six degrees as well, which is pretty.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Fall right, all right cool. As a vocalist you ever
take on, whether it's in the shower or anything on
a GNR song or anything like that, you.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Know, assholes range is obviously higher than mine, so it
would be probably painful to try to attempt to do that.
I would have to do it in a much lower register.
But you know, I mean you can't argue with that
first album without a doubt. As we all know, You're
Crazy was always probably my favorite song from that record
because I was like, yeah, fucking you know crazy. I mean,
(28:44):
it just was such a killer tune. I mean, as
they all were, and you know they went on to
do so many things, of course, but but yeah, the
first album was awesome. I don't think I ever saw
them in the club circuit, which is which is a
drag because you know, I'm from LA and you would
think I would have. And I never saw them at
the Roxy or the Whiskey if they play there, which
(29:04):
is a.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Good nummer, But no, I never did.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
All right, Well, still having Gulf come, you know, doing casting,
you know, being involved with your casting is almost as cool,
I guess it's.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
Yeah. I mean, that's an unusual one that most people
can't say.
Speaker 2 (29:18):
They had so exactly, and that's what I do.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Tough remembers it. You know, it probably does, it's.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
It probably does hit well, yeah, I re why not?
But oh good John, I really appreciate your time. It's
so cool what you're doing. What else can we expect
from you other than these just these three shows celebrating
your records for the Anthrax. What do you have coming
down the pike for us?
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, well, Armored Saint actually in the middle of mixing
a record right now, so we're almost done with that.
Jay Rustin is doing it for us, who's mixed the
previous two albums for us, and sounding killer.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
It's awesome tunes.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I'm really really proud of it, and you know, it
seems like a continuation of where we've been with Punching
the Sky, which came out in twenty twenty and so
six years, which you know it's a long time, but
there also was the pandemic and we actually, not in our.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
World, six years is not a long time in the
g NR world, is.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Well, yeah, not with that band for sure.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
And plus we did tour a lot in the last
couple of years. We did a couple of tours of
the Loss that were great, and so you know, we've
been busy. But yeah, the record sounds killer, and it's
sounding great, and Metal Blade is behind us, it has
been for years and it's a family thing with us
in them, and so we're excited about putting that record out.
I'm sure we'll do a lot of dates in conjunction
(30:33):
with that, and then we started tour tomorrow with Michael Schenker.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
We're doing only two weeks because we did the dates
with WASP in England.
Speaker 1 (30:40):
They already had those plans, so that got in the
way of doing the first part of the Shanker tour,
so we missed the East Coast states with him.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
But it's going to be really cool.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
I mean, he's one of my favorite guitar players of
all time and he's doing all UFO. And if there
was anybody I may maybe didn't emulate Axel back in
the days in my garage when I was learning how
to sing, but I certainly Spell of Time singing the
film log and one of my favorite singers.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Of all time. So UFO is one of my favorite bands.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
And so it's going to be cool to hear those
tunes live and and see Michael playing them, and he's
just a legend, and so we're doing that.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
It's doing that tomorrow. It's a couple of weeks and
a new record next year, so we're fired out. It's
gonna be fine right on.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And Michael Shanker was actually just on the podcast again
talking about also at the tour, and.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
As Axel played on his record of the UFO Tens,
he did.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Love to see It's all connected.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
I love to Love Is.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
That's one of my favorite songs. And you know, Axel
did a great job, so good for kudos him.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
Awesome, John, thank you so much. I hope to do
this again next time with my equipment working.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
That's all right. You sounded great and I think we
got it achieved. And thanks for having me Brandon, I
appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
Awesome, Thank you, John. So that does it for this
episode of Appetite for Distortion. In the words of Axel
Rose concerning Chinese democracy, when will we see the next episode,
I don't know as soon as the word, but you'll say,
thanks to the lame mass security, I'm going home.
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