October 28, 2024 • 36 mins
First: Pär Sundström talks the new Sabaton "Tour To End All Tours," a concert film hitting North America for two nights only — October 30th and 31st. Plus, being on the road with Judas Priest and why he enjoyed "November Rain" during his school dance days.
Second: Tom Hunting talks the new Exodus "The Battle of '24" North American Tour. Plus, we rewind to the origin of this legendary thrash band and his experiences seeing Guns N' Roses live, both then and now.
More info:
https://www.sabaton.net/
https://exodusattack.com/site/
Our website: www.afdpod.com
Second: Tom Hunting talks the new Exodus "The Battle of '24" North American Tour. Plus, we rewind to the origin of this legendary thrash band and his experiences seeing Guns N' Roses live, both then and now.
More info:
https://www.sabaton.net/
https://exodusattack.com/site/
Our website: www.afdpod.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know what.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yes is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Episode number four
hundred and eighty. My name is Brando. Welcome back to
the podcast. Mister Parr Sunstrom of Sabatine.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Thank you, I'm great, I'm good. We're back again for another.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Show, hopefully today. The last show that was supposed to
be was canceled, unfortunately. But it looks like everybody back
to health and happy to play tonight. So I'm excited
and uh yeah, and I'm hiding away a little bit
from the sun, not to be roasted Swedish person. I
(01:13):
do like the sun, so it's not about that, but
it's actually pretty damn hot, and I do get roasted
very quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Where in the world is.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
To go?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Allstin, Texas?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Okay, Austin. You know, it's it's so funny. I was there.
I've only been there once.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I went for Austin City Limits back in twenty nineteen,
right before the pandemic, and we just happened to go,
my wife and I on the cold this weekend. I
came down with all like tank tops in just basketball jerseys.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So I'm glad you're enjoying the heat.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
It's kind of cold up here in Queens, New York today,
so I got my hoodie on, so.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I appreciate you. It's beautiful there.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I look at that if you're watching it on YouTube,
just like Clear Skies.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's like Simpson Clouds. That's how I described it exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
It's pretty damn good.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And Austin is kind of cool because it's where some
of them played the first show in the US. We
actually played south By Southwest Festival on something called Swedish
Metal or Scandinavian Metal Lite, and there was a couple
of Scandinavian metal bands, very tiny bands at that time
in two thousand and seven or eight, and we played
(02:26):
a gig there and we had to help out.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It was pretty interesting, so.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
We kind of shared back line with some of the
other bands, and several of the backline stuff didn't arrive,
so when we started to play our gig, we had
no symbols for the.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Drums, so they arrived during the show and the.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
One guy in another band came onto the stage screwing
on the symbols as our gig were ongoing, so our
drummer got like the first.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Song he had only the high hat. Second song he
got like.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh maybe a ride and stuff, and by the end
of the show we had a full brumptive.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I love that. I mean that's a metal metal guts.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I mean, plan you don't plan it that way, but
I mean that's that's kind of cool, and it goes
goes to show you and kind of where we are today,
what a battle tested band Sabotan is.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
And we've done a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Which includes I mean, I don't know if I would
go on a beautiful day that like today, but we
could plan ahead for October thirtieth and thirty first to
go see the tour to end all tours. I mean,
this is going to be in theaters across the globe,
but here specifically in North America, like around five hundred theaters.
I looked in my neck of the woods. There's Queens
and there's New York City, there's Long Island. I mean,
(03:45):
when you talk about as you were just talking about
that early show till now to getting a produced movie
that could be seen around the world, I mean, is
that like do you take a step back and be like,
WHOA where we came from? And it's like does it
get overwhelming or do you are you constantly always thinking ahead?
Because you're not just a member, you're the manager. It's
(04:06):
like almost like the hair club for men. You know,
I'm not just a client. I'm also a member. You
know what I mean? You know, how do you I guess?
How do you move forward? Do you have do you
look back or do you just keep going going ahead?
Speaker 4 (04:19):
So well, most of the time, I look ahead, and
it's more what I do. I mean.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I've been hands on with everything Sabatana's been doing for
the last twenty five years, so I'm quite aware of
all the steps we've been taking, speaking and the results
and whatever reactions we got out of everything we've been doing.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
So I do feel very involved in everything and the last.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Year because we have this is our twenty fifth anniversary year,
and we spend it quite a lot.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Of time this year dedicating to looking backwards in time.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Including I've been sitting and working the story for the
Sabaton magazine, which is called Camouflage, our physical printed magazine
that we like, and there's a second story. So I've
been sitting together with our with my colleague who's writing everything,
(05:17):
and for.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
A it's not a small little thing.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But we actually sat for twelve hours, divided into a
couple of sessions, doing an interview that is split up
into two to talk about the history of Sabaton, and
we touched small part of it. But it was pretty
interesting to look back and be reminded about some of
the stuff that we've been doing, because there are some
(05:43):
things in the past that blurs every now and then.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
But yeah, it's a it's an interesting event.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
But now when we are like and this cinema was
another story that that we were not.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Like, we didn't know we're gonna do.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
It was not so one thing that I was thinking
about for too long, but going back and seeing the really,
you know, the vibe of having our own poster hanging
in the local cinema in Fallen, in our hometown, that's
pretty pretty emotional. I mean, having having family members and
(06:19):
friends and stuff, going to the cinema where you know,
where we used to grow up and watching one of
the cartoons when we were kids. And then and then
now we're hanging on the walls. That's that's damn cool.
So and yeah, it's a it's a great thing. The
movie already had premiere in Europe, it was on the
(06:41):
on the eleventh from October. So now we're looking forward
to the North American premiere which is October thirty and
thirty one, and we're actually going to see the movie
with our touring crew here on a like a premiere together,
So we're gonna we're gonna see it.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Together with the crew. Is going to be good.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
But the story of this movie is pretty pretty interesting because.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
We started out as a.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
We're sitting in England and we are rehearsing for the
tour to end all tours, and while we're doing that,
we built everything the full stage. We do the rehearsals
with the pirs and with the full show, and then
we do one night when we basically have recorded all
(07:29):
our instruments and we just go and sit on the
audience side and watch the show and listen to it
like okay, play the show, like do it like playback,
but yeah, with all the crew members, actors, fireworks, special effects,
we did the whole thing and then we were watching
(07:50):
like is this cool? And we're like, yeah, this is
them cool. But it's a shame that this will only
be shown like twenty four cities in Europe and that's it,
and we felt like this can't We need to show
this to more people. So we decided to record it
and we went to record three nights because we didn't
know the purpose of it, but we recorded three nights Amsterdam, Frankfurt,
(08:10):
and Stockholm. And when we looked at the result, Amsterdam
was the coolest because it was pretty much one of
the few venues that was large enough to fit the
entire production. And so we recorded it and at the
end of the tour, I speak with one of my
colleagues and it's like, what are you going to do
with it? I'm like, I'm thinking I have some ideas
(08:32):
and it's like, what about taking it to cinemas? And
I was like, no idea, I don't know, and he's like,
I can help. I mean, we can try. I never
done it, but let's see where we can go. And
then we sted like with this, and we turned to
a distributor called Folksuspark Yeah, which is a it's a
(08:55):
very strange place to go. It's a Swedish collection of
independent cinemas, sort of an independent like old school venues
from the fifties and stuff. And we turned to them
and they were like.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Yeah, we were excited to try.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I mean, we do distribute some like concept movies and stuff,
but it's just in Scandinavia.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
But we would love to try to do this in
the we are.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
We have technical capabilities to do it globally, but we
don't have any connections.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But we were like, okay, let's stop.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
And then we did it the typical Sabato style that
means that we do this do it yourself style.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Country by country, we added.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Until we decided we couldn't add anymore because of the
premiere was coming too close. But we manage twenty eight
countries as a first roup, twenty eight countries and fifteen
hundred something cinemas and we made unique like promotion plans
in every territory, in every country, unique deals.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
It was super exciting and we did this with a
little team.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I know that there are some some most who do
these concert films, they do it differently. They turn to
a big distribution who already have an established network and
then you have the movie in all the theaters like guarantee.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
But we went, as I said.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
The typical Sabatant way, and we didn't go the way
that others do. So yeah, but I'm super excited about
the result.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
And the fact that you keep adding shows that there's
demand for it, and that's that's most satisfying. And you know,
in addition to your your hometown and it's interesting. So
you already have your Halloweens Halloween plans set? Are you
going to dress up on the thirty first?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Maybe?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Baby?
Speaker 4 (10:49):
The fun thing is also you know, like, okay, so
as you.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
As you said, there's so many and then you have
several around the corner where you live, and so it's
the same for everybody, Like no matter where we are
on this tour, and I check and then you know,
it always locates the closest ones and it's like, no
matter where we are, there's always some cinema very close.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It's exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
And that's what Also, because there are so many showing it, there's.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Going to be a lot of them that is not
full packed or and there's a lot of them that
is only a few people showing up to them and
stuff like that. But I'm happy and it's not about
I need to see full full venues.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I'm so happy that it makes it available for so
many people. And that's the phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I mean, as somebody here on the crew of the
Urospreez that we are on tour. It was like, that's
so cool. Actually, just walk from home and watch it.
That's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
If it was an.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Hour drive, I probably wouldn't go because I'm not that
huge fan of you guys. But when it's ten minutes
walk from my house, I'm gonna go. So I'm like, okay,
cool enough.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
You know, it's interesting because you just did an interview
with Blabermouth that came out right before I started recording this,
so it was kind of like a good prep for me,
and you know, you're talking about, you know, because our
metal is different where you are than here in North
America and the States, and you were talking about because
it's important that it's available, But how important is it
(12:28):
to you? Because when you look at specifically Blabbermouth in
the comments are a I don't know, it's a really
it shows a window into I guess society as a whole,
where a lot of people are negative, where people are
talking about because in the interview it's it's said, Okay,
who's going to be the next wave of metal bands
(12:48):
once Metallica is done?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Our Maiden's done.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
You know, Sabotan is here and you guys have been
doing it for twenty five years. As you said, then
you see a bunch of arguments in the comments, whether
or not you know their fans or whatever. Do you
focus on that at all, because you obviously you have. Yeah,
that's probably the best way to answer that.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But I do get excited.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I mean if people say it cannot be done, or
you're not good enough and you can't do that and stuff,
that always inspires.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Me to do it.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
So if people think that, they are like, aha, we
are hurting them by saying bad stuff about this band.
That just these people they have no idea how.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
This let's say.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Reverse psychology works on a band like Subaton because it
was always the strength of Sabaton to work against the wind.
And so yeah, I didn't watch them, but I can
imagine what people say, like you're not good enough and
you blah blahlah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
And okay, fair enough, let's see.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
See it's not worth the quote any of them. But
you answered kind of what I was going towards. If
you use that as motivation, and you know, and you do,
because sometimes you could get taken down by that there
are so many artists, especially young artists that can be
that are coming out today that can be taken down
by social media. Do you do you find yourself maybe
taking some of the younger bands under your wing, you
(14:15):
know when you are on these tours, uh, just to
see because it's a different it's a different world out there,
and you know, oh.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, I think it was always Sabaton did so much.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I mean running the Sabaton Open Air for for all
these years, we use that as a as a breeding ground.
I mean we brought always a lot of young bands
there to give them an opportunity to play and treating
them very very fair.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I know.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Well here in the US it's kind of different from
from the mentality that we we do.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I mean, if you're coming, you are a new and
upcoming band and you get to play on one festival,
get treated like.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Shit and it's kind of normal the same in some
some other European countries. UK phenomenally bad in treating bands
that are not the headliners. But we always like no
matter for the Sabaton Open Air, it didn't matter if
you were.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
The headliner or not.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
We took care of the bands playing and we treated
them well, and we always took a lot of young
bands that were young and upcoming.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
And at the moment.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
The festival is kind of pause, but we do the
Sabaton Cruise and we do the same like bringing bands.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
That like, oh have you ever been in Sweden or this?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We never, Okay, well come play and so we do.
We do a lot of that and we've always done
and I think it's sort of sort of it. It
should be something.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I mean, I like to be I like that the
heavy metal goes on and the whatever we have passes on.
Some of the bands that we've been touring with, including
the band that we're currently on tour with here you
freest they have knowledge is that they pass on to
it bands like us, and we've also are twenty five
years is nothing compared to you thus priests.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
But at some point we're.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Gonna maybe be the fifty years anniversary in the pass
on something. Even now, we do have some experience that
we pass on to younger and I happily do it.
I've been doing shitloads of coaching with young bands. I've
been helping out and whenever I have a little bit
of time and some band asked me, I try to
(16:28):
jump onto a call and see if I can give
them some advice and stuff. So I see that it's
part of you know, I don't know my job or
whatever as or my responsibility to keep a metal alive
for the future as well.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
We metal fans appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
And it also goes to show that you're just a
good dude who just wants to pay it forward and
you know, you know how you would like to be
treated and you have been treated, and just with that
because I don't want to keep a year too long.
How has been How has the tour with the Jew's
Priest I've been going for you?
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Oh no, this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I mean it's our third tour with priests, and it's
in the Priest and the and it's like it works
super smooth. Everybody is in good mood and we were
really fit, like production wise, and it's like so easy.
We have we share actually several crew members. Some of
(17:26):
them are like with us when they are not with priests,
and some are with Priests when they are not with us,
so and and here they are all so some of
them work for the both fans on this tour. So
it's it's super smooth, and we we really enjoy it.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
It works. I mean we're two.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
As I said, there are over fifty years and we
are twenty five years, so we do bring a little
bit of of variation to in terms of the audience
and in terms of of what's happening on the stage.
But we are all heavy metal and it's really good night.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think that the people who go home there they
look down happy.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I would say, I can't imagine.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So do you even though you've you've toured with priest
a few times and you've known Rob Halford, do you
consider him a friend now or do you think back
to Little par and be like you still think I
can't believe that I'm talking to Rob Halford right now,
we're toring together.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Where you know colleagues or do you or your friends? Again?
How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Uh? Well, I.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Don't know how to respond to that, but I'm projecting
a little bit because sometimes I get.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
There's always there is always, like you know, there is
something like you can be like, hey, dude, how are
you cool?
Speaker 4 (18:51):
And then there's always this moment when it's like ah,
that's wrong.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
When he goes up to the stage and you're like ah, yeah,
it's cool, dude, and that he is also that metal,
so so there there's both of it.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I would say, I love that very cool.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And if you you may remember, and if you can't
tell by my background, I don't have beautiful sunny skies.
I have guns and Roses. I also have pictures of
cats and things. But if you remember, I won't I
won't ask you to take you off your shirt this time,
if you remember, because last time you showed us your
Guns and Roses cats, you on your your back. You
haven't touched it up, right, it's still the same.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
It's still the same. Horrible.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, I think it was horrible, just a little, you know,
faded because it's a it's an old one, uh, you know,
because it's when I talk to someone like you who's
coming out with a concert film and I think of
Guns and Roses, who taped a lot of that use
your illusion stuff that that has never that hasn't seen
the light of day yet. And I guess this also
(19:54):
goes back to are you are you a colleague or
are you still a fan? When you look at a
band like like Guns Roses, now, do you look at
them as a fan or are you so busy in
your own stuff you can't look at it like that.
Are you like, oh, what will now are doing? Or
are you so focused on your own little no?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
No, you know I am. I'm a super fan of
a lot of bands.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So I mean, I wear as you see band shirts
every day because it's like what I'm like. And I'm
listening to a lot of newer bands and a lot
of the old bands, and I do enjoy the what
is going on? And I and I go to gigs,
(20:37):
and when we are at festivals, I sneak out in
the audience, and I do enjoy seeing some bands from
the audience perspective.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
I like to be like feel the like.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Not to stand on the side of the stage and
watch the band and just hear the drums and a
little bit from the horrible sound from the from the
frontal house or whatever. But but I actually enjoy it
to be in the audience and feel that why then
the power of the sound, and to see the band
and see the band how they would like to be seen.
(21:10):
So I do go and like sneak out and watch
some bands, and I love it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I don't know if last time I asked you what
your favorite Guns and Roses song was, because I know
you said you again, if people can go back and
watch that episode because you you got that tattoo at
a rebellion because they wouldn't let you go to see
the usual illusion tour.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
So if we there's that story.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
But if you can, what's your favorite or is there
ones that you like or maybe a favorite to play
if you do play in your spare time, if you
have played in the past, I know there's nothing in
the set like that, but just.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
There's nothing in the set, of course I know that.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I mean what I would say because of the because
of growing up in that time and just the memories.
Speaker 7 (21:56):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
And we we actually were discussing it on the tour bus.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Earlier when we were listening to Forever by kiss Me
and top our guitar Play. Were discussing that when we
were like fourteen fifteen years old and we were in
the ninth grade in school and there was the discos
and stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
And we hide away and when.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
They were dancing discos and then we would sneak out
when there was this I have no idea if you
have the same in America, but we had this hugging
dancing for the slow songs and you're like and there
was this we said, we had so much emotions to
some of the songs and like when and then it's
like when November Rain came out and.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
You like looked at the.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Some like girl like in your class or whatever, and
like now it's my chance to go out on the
dance floor and like hug around for a long period
of time because November Rain was the best song because
it's a long song. So whenever they played that, which
you know was very rarely, but if they played it,
you had a very long, nice, intimate hugging thing on
(23:05):
the dance floor. It was allowed where it was allowed
for metal headstalls dance, So it's back.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
And uh so I would say that though because.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Of that's just a great story.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Emotions of being fourteen year old metal head and.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
On a disco and hugging a girl.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Perfect.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
See, this is why I guess asked those random connections.
That's such a sweet and funny story and I'm for
a lot of people can identify with that. This the
slow dancing to you know, a song that we like,
you know instead of right right on. So pr thank
you so much for your time. I hope we get
to do this again. Uh and break around, stick around
(23:48):
cause we're I'm pairing this interview up with Tom Hunting
of Exodus.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Do you know him? Do you know any of those guys?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
No?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
I actually don't.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
We have label mates, but but I don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
All right, well, this is going to be a label episode,
so stick around for Tom Hunting. He also is It's
funny you're outside and your your signal was clear his
he's inside and we had to fight through some troubles.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
But still, oh sorry to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Welcome from the legendary the rash metal band Exodus drummer
extraordinary mister Tom Hunting.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
How are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
I'm doing good, Brando. So I'm your four hundred and
eighty first show.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You're my four hundred and eightieth.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
That's a lot, man. You've been busy.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I have.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I've been trying to keep busy, and this is kind
of probably like like you just juggling multiple, multiple things.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You're very busy.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Actually a good segue would be as I'm approaching I
was talking about this with my my friend Graham today,
as I approach five hundred, is this the forty fifth
year for Exodus. Is that the as we're counting like
it's nothing.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
See, I mean I started high school in nineteen seventy
nine and we pretty much, you know, formed a band
that year, So I mean, you know the nucleus, the
makings of band as teenagers.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
So it's been a while.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
It's because you're you're a founding member. You were the
guy again like high school. Yes, that's the story, which is.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
I'm the old og og left in the band.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
But I mean you could call Gary and og too,
because he's been on every record and I have not.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
So yeah, well, all respect to Gary Alt of course.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
He's he's he's a he's og. We're both og og.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
So let's we'll get to talk about some of the
I guess maybe let's go begin with the og, which is,
how vividly do you remember? As we talked, I guess
threw out a number forty five. Actually, no, I did
the math before. I'm not gonna I'm not going to
pretend I know it s forty five and you're approaching
fifty years as a band. We're not going to talk
about that. Maybe we will, but can you imagine high school? Like,
(25:56):
do you how vividly do you remember that like forming,
Like where were you when.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You were making this band?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Were you, you know, in uh someone's basement? Were you
in music class? Were you, you know you smoking out
someone's car? I go, like when did do you? How
vivid was you remember those first few moments of creating
this foundation that would last almost fifty years.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
As much as my brain was soaked by THC back
in those days, I remember it all pretty good. Uh,
you know it started in high school jam rooms. We
actually at Richmond High School, we actually had a we
had a jazz band. I was part of that band,
and we had rock band, which was something he created.
(26:40):
You know, it was nineteen seventy nine, so they were
like it was very liberal where you know, the arts
was concerned and you know what was in the schools
and you could, you know, virtually create these classes and
like you know, you get credit for them. So I
remember my teacher mister Davis in Richmond High School and
(27:01):
he let us jam upstairs and that was like that
was like the first time, you know, we're playing like
Hold the Line by Toto and you know, Barracuda by
Heart and those kind of that kind of stuff, you know,
honing our chops and then I went to Els BROWNI
and then I met Kirk and that's when we started
playing music at his house and my mom's living room
(27:21):
and Kirk Roge and it.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Just kind of evolved from there. And then you know,
Kirk exposed us all to some like.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
Super obscure music, Like I had never heard Tokyo tapes
until I met him. I never heard of UFO, Like
I knew of all, you know, the American rockber like
you know Ted NuGen and Molly Hatchett, and you know.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
All those bad led Zupelin of course and Aerosmith and
all that.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
But yeah, and that we just kind of like started.
You know, our friend brought the first Iron Maiden album
because of the picture, and three weeks later we were
playing that stuff at backyard parties. You know.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
That's so I guess before I was gonna ask, how
do you when you're kind of the foundation of this sound,
and how do you There's really not a lot to take.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
From because you're the ones creating it.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
But at least now you're showing that Kurt is bringing in,
you know, show you're playing the heavier things than even
though whole the line is a great song. Don't get
me wrong, but that's not the you know, how do
you go from that to the foundation of Thrash is
quite a leap.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
You know, I think you know, Gary's brother, Gary's older
brother introduced us to punk rock because he was a
punk rocker guy, and he introduced us to the crow
bags and exploited it and you know, sex pistols and
all that stuff, and it we kind of took those
influences along with the Iron Iron Maiden influences and you
(28:48):
know a little sprinkle of the earlier classic rock stuff.
We would be cranking all the time, and you know,
it just kind of evolved organically, you know, and we
were kids like arning our instruments, and we just wanted
more and we wanted to learn and we wanted to
play it as soon as possible, and you know, it
(29:09):
was just the the hunger of our formative years.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
You know, learning and then hunger, you know. I know,
of course, there have been many lineup changes, and including yourself,
it's still Exodus as a I don't know, as a
passion as a force has always existed and it's you know,
you obviously have been in it since the beginning. Were
set to embark on the Battle of twenty four North
(29:37):
American tour. So you're kicking out the rest of the
year with the bank. So what do you looking forward
to most is touring the I'm sure there's a lot
that's changed, or maybe it's not.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
How do you view touring all these years later?
Speaker 5 (29:50):
I think, you know, touring was going strong, and then
you know, twenty twenty COVID happened, and then for me personally,
some other health stuff happened. And you know, once once
all the guidelines were lifted and we were able to
like you know, gather and because everything we do is
(30:11):
involved like putting as many people into a building as possible.
So once once those restrictions we're up, people were back
to support live music again, you know. So we were
a part of that, you know, reopening and it was fantastic,
you know, and it kind of like it's kind of
leveled off a little bit.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
But you know, we've been to Europe now a couple
of times since then, probably three times. We've been done
the States three times since then. So I'm excited to
get get out there because we're going to be doing
a headlining stet. We haven't done that for a long time,
so we're just gonna kind of you know, we won't
be regulated to an hour. We could play as long
(30:54):
as we want, so who knows what's going to happen
right on. But I'm looking forward to that part of
the joy because like, we don't have any we don't
have any constraints, not that those were bad, because I
love those tours we were on. But now's the time
where you know, we get to we get to open
up and play more to the catalog maybe and maybe
be more experimental, like I mean, Metallic, I could play
(31:15):
a different set every night because they practice all those songs.
So that's kind of the mission we're on now, is
to maybe, you know, play some different things.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Any chance of something new being played.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Nothing super new, I mean, all that stuff still in
the works and like you know, nothing's officially completed.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Like we've got the makings for like six or.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
Seven amazing songs, but yeah, we're not ready to let
that out yet. Maybe some covers, maybe some covers and
maybe some deep cuts if you will, like that haven't
been played for a while or if ever.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Very cool do you remember, Because I've been becoming I've
been asking now because I've just became a I don't
want to say, we just uh. He's one and a
half my son, and I can't wait start to bringing
him to concerts. So he's been to Dave Matthews with
my wife whatever that's I'm talking about rock concerts and stuff.
How old are you and what was your first concert?
Speaker 6 (32:14):
Well, when I was a young, young kid and my
mom took me to see Tammy One Neette like country
superstars like from back in the day. Okay, I saw
the Stadler Brothers and Ronnie Millsap and like all these
old country greats. Prior to that, she had been to
see Joe Cocker on the Mad Dogs and Englishman tour
in nineteen seventy. I just found that out recently, and
(32:36):
I'm like, mom, you are so cool to have been
at that show. My first concert by myself was Rush
Permanent Weight, very cool.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Like I think I was fourteen or fifteen or something,
and we were all there, Kurt Gary, you know whoever
was in the band at that time.
Speaker 6 (32:55):
We all went to see Rush, and you know, I
was a little bit too young to see some of
the other shows.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
I never got to the c DC with Bond, Like
I never yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
I never I was like just past that generation to
go to concerts by myself.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
Or to be released to you know.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
But let me get you once, once that was lifted,
I was, you know, spending all on the green tickets.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Never looked back. So uh chan my life.
Speaker 6 (33:30):
You know when when Brian Johnson came out and rang
that bell for Hill's Bells on the back and Black Tour.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Something happened.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
I wow, yeah, I can't even imagine that. I you know,
I'm lucky to have seen what I've seen, but that
that's not The bell is something that you see and
to me that it's like folklore, like I haven't like, wow, okay,
that's something so that I'll have stories for my son
and then.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
He'll be impressed. But I can't impress.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
But what you when I get you out of here
on if you can tell me, I don't know if
you've seen or at least you can see right now
my guns and Roses posters back here.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yes, it's my theme.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Because everybody has a podcast, I got to be a
little bit different.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Have you ever seen guns and Roses in concert?
Speaker 3 (34:12):
And I always ask if there's a six degrees of
what I call GNR Bacon. Do give any connection to
any of the guys you met them, those paths to
any any Guns of Roses stuff you can tell us.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
I saw Guns N' Roses with Aerosmith. They were on
tour and it was in the eighties, maybe the late eighties.
Speaker 6 (34:33):
They were great. They still had Stephen Adler on drums, and.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
They were kind of a mess and they were kind
of great too. They played great. This is like raw,
raunchy rock and roll. Aerosmith was kind of more clean
and polished at that time.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
I got the feeling in the moment that that Guns
and Roses was kind of like living the life that
Aerosmith was only ten years prior, you know, and like
they had moved on to this, you know, cleaner, you know,
more polished, less.
Speaker 6 (35:07):
Drugs, and I could I could see that on stage.
Not not that both bands weren't great. As far as
the connection to Guns and Roses, I have none.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I seen him then, and I seen him.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
They played uh Hellfest one time, or at least it
was Axel played, but I haven't seen Guns of Roses
play since then. I have no connection to them other
than I know that Slash knows about thrash and he
he likes he likes thrash music, and he likes you know,
hard header bands.
Speaker 5 (35:40):
And stuff like that. So and he's he's just a
phenomenal forces. He's one of those guitar players.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
You know when you're hearing and you know, like Joe Wallace,
like they could just step out, hit a couple of
notes and you know it's them.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Michael Shanker another you know.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So all right, No, I appreciate you sharing that.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Yeah, the only one I found isn't a direct connection
to you, but just exodus overall that uh former uh
there was a former vocalist.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Where is it? I have it?
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, Rob Dukes of course he that she was produced
by Bumblefoot for some songs for DMC from Run DMC
on a on an album a few years ago. So
I mean that's some reals again. Six degrees of stuff
again all an excuse for me to get my theme going,
but also an excuse to talk to you, Tom. I
really appreciate your time today. Keep doing what you do,
(36:30):
and I can't wait to talk to you on each
anniversary of this amazing band. And so that does it
put this episode of appetite for distortion?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
When will you see the next one.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
In the words of Axl Rose, concerning Chinese democracy, I
don't know as soon as the word, but you'll see it.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Thanks to the lame ass security. I'm going home.
You know what.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yes is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion, Episode number four
hundred and eighty. My name is Brando. Welcome back to
the podcast. Mister Parr Sunstrom of Sabatine.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
How are you, sir?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Thank you, I'm great, I'm good. We're back again for another.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Show, hopefully today. The last show that was supposed to
be was canceled, unfortunately. But it looks like everybody back
to health and happy to play tonight. So I'm excited
and uh yeah, and I'm hiding away a little bit
from the sun, not to be roasted Swedish person. I
(01:13):
do like the sun, so it's not about that, but
it's actually pretty damn hot, and I do get roasted
very quickly.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Where in the world is.
Speaker 5 (01:22):
To go?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
Allstin, Texas?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Okay, Austin. You know, it's it's so funny. I was there.
I've only been there once.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I went for Austin City Limits back in twenty nineteen,
right before the pandemic, and we just happened to go,
my wife and I on the cold this weekend. I
came down with all like tank tops in just basketball jerseys.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
So I'm glad you're enjoying the heat.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
It's kind of cold up here in Queens, New York today,
so I got my hoodie on, so.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I appreciate you. It's beautiful there.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I look at that if you're watching it on YouTube,
just like Clear Skies.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's like Simpson Clouds. That's how I described it exactly.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
It's pretty damn good.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
And Austin is kind of cool because it's where some
of them played the first show in the US. We
actually played south By Southwest Festival on something called Swedish
Metal or Scandinavian Metal Lite, and there was a couple
of Scandinavian metal bands, very tiny bands at that time
in two thousand and seven or eight, and we played
(02:26):
a gig there and we had to help out.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
It was pretty interesting, so.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
We kind of shared back line with some of the
other bands, and several of the backline stuff didn't arrive,
so when we started to play our gig, we had
no symbols for the.
Speaker 4 (02:41):
Drums, so they arrived during the show and the.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
One guy in another band came onto the stage screwing
on the symbols as our gig were ongoing, so our
drummer got like the first.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Song he had only the high hat. Second song he
got like.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Oh maybe a ride and stuff, and by the end
of the show we had a full brumptive.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
I love that. I mean that's a metal metal guts.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
I mean, plan you don't plan it that way, but
I mean that's that's kind of cool, and it goes
goes to show you and kind of where we are today,
what a battle tested band Sabotan is.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
And we've done a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Which includes I mean, I don't know if I would
go on a beautiful day that like today, but we
could plan ahead for October thirtieth and thirty first to
go see the tour to end all tours. I mean,
this is going to be in theaters across the globe,
but here specifically in North America, like around five hundred theaters.
I looked in my neck of the woods. There's Queens
and there's New York City, there's Long Island. I mean,
(03:45):
when you talk about as you were just talking about
that early show till now to getting a produced movie
that could be seen around the world, I mean, is
that like do you take a step back and be like,
WHOA where we came from? And it's like does it
get overwhelming or do you are you constantly always thinking ahead?
Because you're not just a member, you're the manager. It's
(04:06):
like almost like the hair club for men. You know,
I'm not just a client. I'm also a member. You
know what I mean? You know, how do you I guess?
How do you move forward? Do you have do you
look back or do you just keep going going ahead?
Speaker 4 (04:19):
So well, most of the time, I look ahead, and
it's more what I do. I mean.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
I've been hands on with everything Sabatana's been doing for
the last twenty five years, so I'm quite aware of
all the steps we've been taking, speaking and the results
and whatever reactions we got out of everything we've been doing.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
So I do feel very involved in everything and the last.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Year because we have this is our twenty fifth anniversary year,
and we spend it quite a lot.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Of time this year dedicating to looking backwards in time.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Including I've been sitting and working the story for the
Sabaton magazine, which is called Camouflage, our physical printed magazine
that we like, and there's a second story. So I've
been sitting together with our with my colleague who's writing everything,
(05:17):
and for.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
A it's not a small little thing.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
But we actually sat for twelve hours, divided into a
couple of sessions, doing an interview that is split up
into two to talk about the history of Sabaton, and
we touched small part of it. But it was pretty
interesting to look back and be reminded about some of
the stuff that we've been doing, because there are some
(05:43):
things in the past that blurs every now and then.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
But yeah, it's a it's an interesting event.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
But now when we are like and this cinema was
another story that that we were not.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Like, we didn't know we're gonna do.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
It was not so one thing that I was thinking
about for too long, but going back and seeing the really,
you know, the vibe of having our own poster hanging
in the local cinema in Fallen, in our hometown, that's
pretty pretty emotional. I mean, having having family members and
(06:19):
friends and stuff, going to the cinema where you know,
where we used to grow up and watching one of
the cartoons when we were kids. And then and then
now we're hanging on the walls. That's that's damn cool.
So and yeah, it's a it's a great thing. The
movie already had premiere in Europe, it was on the
(06:41):
on the eleventh from October. So now we're looking forward
to the North American premiere which is October thirty and
thirty one, and we're actually going to see the movie
with our touring crew here on a like a premiere together,
So we're gonna we're gonna see it.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Together with the crew. Is going to be good.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
But the story of this movie is pretty pretty interesting because.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
We started out as a.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
We're sitting in England and we are rehearsing for the
tour to end all tours, and while we're doing that,
we built everything the full stage. We do the rehearsals
with the pirs and with the full show, and then
we do one night when we basically have recorded all
(07:29):
our instruments and we just go and sit on the
audience side and watch the show and listen to it
like okay, play the show, like do it like playback,
but yeah, with all the crew members, actors, fireworks, special effects,
we did the whole thing and then we were watching
(07:50):
like is this cool? And we're like, yeah, this is
them cool. But it's a shame that this will only
be shown like twenty four cities in Europe and that's it,
and we felt like this can't We need to show
this to more people. So we decided to record it
and we went to record three nights because we didn't
know the purpose of it, but we recorded three nights Amsterdam, Frankfurt,
(08:10):
and Stockholm. And when we looked at the result, Amsterdam
was the coolest because it was pretty much one of
the few venues that was large enough to fit the
entire production. And so we recorded it and at the
end of the tour, I speak with one of my
colleagues and it's like, what are you going to do
with it? I'm like, I'm thinking I have some ideas
(08:32):
and it's like, what about taking it to cinemas? And
I was like, no idea, I don't know, and he's like,
I can help. I mean, we can try. I never
done it, but let's see where we can go. And
then we sted like with this, and we turned to
a distributor called Folksuspark Yeah, which is a it's a
(08:55):
very strange place to go. It's a Swedish collection of
independent cinemas, sort of an independent like old school venues
from the fifties and stuff. And we turned to them
and they were like.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Yeah, we were excited to try.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
I mean, we do distribute some like concept movies and stuff,
but it's just in Scandinavia.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
But we would love to try to do this in
the we are.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
We have technical capabilities to do it globally, but we
don't have any connections.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
But we were like, okay, let's stop.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
And then we did it the typical Sabato style that
means that we do this do it yourself style.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Country by country, we added.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Until we decided we couldn't add anymore because of the
premiere was coming too close. But we manage twenty eight
countries as a first roup, twenty eight countries and fifteen
hundred something cinemas and we made unique like promotion plans
in every territory, in every country, unique deals.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
It was super exciting and we did this with a
little team.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I know that there are some some most who do
these concert films, they do it differently. They turn to
a big distribution who already have an established network and
then you have the movie in all the theaters like guarantee.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
But we went, as I said.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
The typical Sabatant way, and we didn't go the way
that others do. So yeah, but I'm super excited about
the result.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
And the fact that you keep adding shows that there's
demand for it, and that's that's most satisfying. And you know,
in addition to your your hometown and it's interesting. So
you already have your Halloweens Halloween plans set? Are you
going to dress up on the thirty first?
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Maybe?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Baby?
Speaker 4 (10:49):
The fun thing is also you know, like, okay, so
as you.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
As you said, there's so many and then you have
several around the corner where you live, and so it's
the same for everybody, Like no matter where we are
on this tour, and I check and then you know,
it always locates the closest ones and it's like, no
matter where we are, there's always some cinema very close.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
It's exactly.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
And that's what Also, because there are so many showing it, there's.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Going to be a lot of them that is not
full packed or and there's a lot of them that
is only a few people showing up to them and
stuff like that. But I'm happy and it's not about
I need to see full full venues.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I'm so happy that it makes it available for so
many people. And that's the phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
I mean, as somebody here on the crew of the
Urospreez that we are on tour. It was like, that's
so cool. Actually, just walk from home and watch it.
That's unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
If it was an.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Hour drive, I probably wouldn't go because I'm not that
huge fan of you guys. But when it's ten minutes
walk from my house, I'm gonna go. So I'm like, okay,
cool enough.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
You know, it's interesting because you just did an interview
with Blabermouth that came out right before I started recording this,
so it was kind of like a good prep for me,
and you know, you're talking about, you know, because our
metal is different where you are than here in North
America and the States, and you were talking about because
it's important that it's available, But how important is it
(12:28):
to you? Because when you look at specifically Blabbermouth in
the comments are a I don't know, it's a really
it shows a window into I guess society as a whole,
where a lot of people are negative, where people are
talking about because in the interview it's it's said, Okay,
who's going to be the next wave of metal bands
(12:48):
once Metallica is done?
Speaker 2 (12:50):
Our Maiden's done.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
You know, Sabotan is here and you guys have been
doing it for twenty five years. As you said, then
you see a bunch of arguments in the comments, whether
or not you know their fans or whatever. Do you
focus on that at all, because you obviously you have. Yeah,
that's probably the best way to answer that.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But I do get excited.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I mean if people say it cannot be done, or
you're not good enough and you can't do that and stuff,
that always inspires.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Me to do it.
Speaker 1 (13:17):
So if people think that, they are like, aha, we
are hurting them by saying bad stuff about this band.
That just these people they have no idea how.
Speaker 4 (13:29):
This let's say.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Reverse psychology works on a band like Subaton because it
was always the strength of Sabaton to work against the wind.
And so yeah, I didn't watch them, but I can
imagine what people say, like you're not good enough and
you blah blahlah blah blah.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
And okay, fair enough, let's see.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
See it's not worth the quote any of them. But
you answered kind of what I was going towards. If
you use that as motivation, and you know, and you do,
because sometimes you could get taken down by that there
are so many artists, especially young artists that can be
that are coming out today that can be taken down
by social media. Do you do you find yourself maybe
taking some of the younger bands under your wing, you
(14:15):
know when you are on these tours, uh, just to
see because it's a different it's a different world out there,
and you know, oh.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Yeah, I think it was always Sabaton did so much.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I mean running the Sabaton Open Air for for all
these years, we use that as a as a breeding ground.
I mean we brought always a lot of young bands
there to give them an opportunity to play and treating
them very very fair.
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I know.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Well here in the US it's kind of different from
from the mentality that we we do.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
I mean, if you're coming, you are a new and
upcoming band and you get to play on one festival,
get treated like.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Shit and it's kind of normal the same in some
some other European countries. UK phenomenally bad in treating bands
that are not the headliners. But we always like no
matter for the Sabaton Open Air, it didn't matter if
you were.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
The headliner or not.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
We took care of the bands playing and we treated
them well, and we always took a lot of young
bands that were young and upcoming.
Speaker 4 (15:22):
And at the moment.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
The festival is kind of pause, but we do the
Sabaton Cruise and we do the same like bringing bands.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
That like, oh have you ever been in Sweden or this?
Speaker 6 (15:31):
No?
Speaker 4 (15:31):
We never, Okay, well come play and so we do.
We do a lot of that and we've always done
and I think it's sort of sort of it. It
should be something.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I mean, I like to be I like that the
heavy metal goes on and the whatever we have passes on.
Some of the bands that we've been touring with, including
the band that we're currently on tour with here you
freest they have knowledge is that they pass on to
it bands like us, and we've also are twenty five
years is nothing compared to you thus priests.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
But at some point we're.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Gonna maybe be the fifty years anniversary in the pass
on something. Even now, we do have some experience that
we pass on to younger and I happily do it.
I've been doing shitloads of coaching with young bands. I've
been helping out and whenever I have a little bit
of time and some band asked me, I try to
(16:28):
jump onto a call and see if I can give
them some advice and stuff. So I see that it's
part of you know, I don't know my job or
whatever as or my responsibility to keep a metal alive
for the future as well.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
We metal fans appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
And it also goes to show that you're just a
good dude who just wants to pay it forward and
you know, you know how you would like to be
treated and you have been treated, and just with that
because I don't want to keep a year too long.
How has been How has the tour with the Jew's
Priest I've been going for you?
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Oh no, this is awesome.
Speaker 1 (17:04):
I mean it's our third tour with priests, and it's
in the Priest and the and it's like it works
super smooth. Everybody is in good mood and we were
really fit, like production wise, and it's like so easy.
We have we share actually several crew members. Some of
(17:26):
them are like with us when they are not with priests,
and some are with Priests when they are not with us,
so and and here they are all so some of
them work for the both fans on this tour. So
it's it's super smooth, and we we really enjoy it.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
It works. I mean we're two.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
As I said, there are over fifty years and we
are twenty five years, so we do bring a little
bit of of variation to in terms of the audience
and in terms of of what's happening on the stage.
But we are all heavy metal and it's really good night.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
I think that the people who go home there they
look down happy.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
I would say, I can't imagine.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So do you even though you've you've toured with priest
a few times and you've known Rob Halford, do you
consider him a friend now or do you think back
to Little par and be like you still think I
can't believe that I'm talking to Rob Halford right now,
we're toring together.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
Where you know colleagues or do you or your friends? Again?
How do you view it?
Speaker 4 (18:31):
Uh? Well, I.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Don't know how to respond to that, but I'm projecting
a little bit because sometimes I get.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
There's always there is always, like you know, there is
something like you can be like, hey, dude, how are
you cool?
Speaker 4 (18:51):
And then there's always this moment when it's like ah,
that's wrong.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
When he goes up to the stage and you're like ah, yeah,
it's cool, dude, and that he is also that metal,
so so there there's both of it.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I would say, I love that very cool.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And if you you may remember, and if you can't
tell by my background, I don't have beautiful sunny skies.
I have guns and Roses. I also have pictures of
cats and things. But if you remember, I won't I
won't ask you to take you off your shirt this time,
if you remember, because last time you showed us your
Guns and Roses cats, you on your your back. You
haven't touched it up, right, it's still the same.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
It's still the same. Horrible.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Yeah, I think it was horrible, just a little, you know,
faded because it's a it's an old one, uh, you know,
because it's when I talk to someone like you who's
coming out with a concert film and I think of
Guns and Roses, who taped a lot of that use
your illusion stuff that that has never that hasn't seen
the light of day yet. And I guess this also
(19:54):
goes back to are you are you a colleague or
are you still a fan? When you look at a
band like like Guns Roses, now, do you look at
them as a fan or are you so busy in
your own stuff you can't look at it like that.
Are you like, oh, what will now are doing? Or
are you so focused on your own little no?
Speaker 4 (20:11):
No, you know I am. I'm a super fan of
a lot of bands.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
So I mean, I wear as you see band shirts
every day because it's like what I'm like. And I'm
listening to a lot of newer bands and a lot
of the old bands, and I do enjoy the what
is going on? And I and I go to gigs,
(20:37):
and when we are at festivals, I sneak out in
the audience, and I do enjoy seeing some bands from
the audience perspective.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
I like to be like feel the like.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Not to stand on the side of the stage and
watch the band and just hear the drums and a
little bit from the horrible sound from the from the
frontal house or whatever. But but I actually enjoy it
to be in the audience and feel that why then
the power of the sound, and to see the band
and see the band how they would like to be seen.
(21:10):
So I do go and like sneak out and watch
some bands, and I love it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
I don't know if last time I asked you what
your favorite Guns and Roses song was, because I know
you said you again, if people can go back and
watch that episode because you you got that tattoo at
a rebellion because they wouldn't let you go to see
the usual illusion tour.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
So if we there's that story.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
But if you can, what's your favorite or is there
ones that you like or maybe a favorite to play
if you do play in your spare time, if you
have played in the past, I know there's nothing in
the set like that, but just.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
There's nothing in the set, of course I know that.
Speaker 1 (21:47):
I mean what I would say because of the because
of growing up in that time and just the memories.
Speaker 7 (21:56):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
And we we actually were discussing it on the tour bus.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
Earlier when we were listening to Forever by kiss Me
and top our guitar Play. Were discussing that when we
were like fourteen fifteen years old and we were in
the ninth grade in school and there was the discos
and stuff.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
And we hide away and when.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
They were dancing discos and then we would sneak out
when there was this I have no idea if you
have the same in America, but we had this hugging
dancing for the slow songs and you're like and there
was this we said, we had so much emotions to
some of the songs and like when and then it's
like when November Rain came out and.
Speaker 4 (22:37):
You like looked at the.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Some like girl like in your class or whatever, and
like now it's my chance to go out on the
dance floor and like hug around for a long period
of time because November Rain was the best song because
it's a long song. So whenever they played that, which
you know was very rarely, but if they played it,
you had a very long, nice, intimate hugging thing on
(23:05):
the dance floor. It was allowed where it was allowed
for metal headstalls dance, So it's back.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
And uh so I would say that though because.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Of that's just a great story.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Emotions of being fourteen year old metal head and.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
On a disco and hugging a girl.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Perfect.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
See, this is why I guess asked those random connections.
That's such a sweet and funny story and I'm for
a lot of people can identify with that. This the
slow dancing to you know, a song that we like,
you know instead of right right on. So pr thank
you so much for your time. I hope we get
to do this again. Uh and break around, stick around
(23:48):
cause we're I'm pairing this interview up with Tom Hunting
of Exodus.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Do you know him? Do you know any of those guys?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
No?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
I actually don't.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
We have label mates, but but I don't know.
Speaker 3 (23:58):
All right, well, this is going to be a label episode,
so stick around for Tom Hunting. He also is It's
funny you're outside and your your signal was clear his
he's inside and we had to fight through some troubles.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
But still, oh sorry to hear that.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Welcome from the legendary the rash metal band Exodus drummer
extraordinary mister Tom Hunting.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
How are you, sir?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
I'm doing good, Brando. So I'm your four hundred and
eighty first show.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
You're my four hundred and eightieth.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
That's a lot, man. You've been busy.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I have.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
I've been trying to keep busy, and this is kind
of probably like like you just juggling multiple, multiple things.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
You're very busy.
Speaker 3 (24:38):
Actually a good segue would be as I'm approaching I
was talking about this with my my friend Graham today,
as I approach five hundred, is this the forty fifth
year for Exodus. Is that the as we're counting like
it's nothing.
Speaker 6 (24:54):
See, I mean I started high school in nineteen seventy
nine and we pretty much, you know, formed a band
that year, So I mean, you know the nucleus, the
makings of band as teenagers.
Speaker 5 (25:05):
So it's been a while.
Speaker 3 (25:08):
It's because you're you're a founding member. You were the
guy again like high school. Yes, that's the story, which is.
Speaker 5 (25:14):
I'm the old og og left in the band.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
But I mean you could call Gary and og too,
because he's been on every record and I have not.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
So yeah, well, all respect to Gary Alt of course.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
He's he's he's a he's og. We're both og og.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
So let's we'll get to talk about some of the
I guess maybe let's go begin with the og, which is,
how vividly do you remember? As we talked, I guess
threw out a number forty five. Actually, no, I did
the math before. I'm not gonna I'm not going to
pretend I know it s forty five and you're approaching
fifty years as a band. We're not going to talk
about that. Maybe we will, but can you imagine high school? Like,
(25:56):
do you how vividly do you remember that like forming,
Like where were you when.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
You were making this band?
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Were you, you know, in uh someone's basement? Were you
in music class? Were you, you know you smoking out
someone's car? I go, like when did do you? How
vivid was you remember those first few moments of creating
this foundation that would last almost fifty years.
Speaker 6 (26:19):
As much as my brain was soaked by THC back
in those days, I remember it all pretty good. Uh,
you know it started in high school jam rooms. We
actually at Richmond High School, we actually had a we
had a jazz band. I was part of that band,
and we had rock band, which was something he created.
(26:40):
You know, it was nineteen seventy nine, so they were
like it was very liberal where you know, the arts
was concerned and you know what was in the schools
and you could, you know, virtually create these classes and
like you know, you get credit for them. So I
remember my teacher mister Davis in Richmond High School and
(27:01):
he let us jam upstairs and that was like that
was like the first time, you know, we're playing like
Hold the Line by Toto and you know, Barracuda by
Heart and those kind of that kind of stuff, you know,
honing our chops and then I went to Els BROWNI
and then I met Kirk and that's when we started
playing music at his house and my mom's living room
(27:21):
and Kirk Roge and it.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Just kind of evolved from there. And then you know,
Kirk exposed us all to some like.
Speaker 6 (27:31):
Super obscure music, Like I had never heard Tokyo tapes
until I met him. I never heard of UFO, Like
I knew of all, you know, the American rockber like
you know Ted NuGen and Molly Hatchett, and you know.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
All those bad led Zupelin of course and Aerosmith and
all that.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
But yeah, and that we just kind of like started.
You know, our friend brought the first Iron Maiden album
because of the picture, and three weeks later we were
playing that stuff at backyard parties. You know.
Speaker 3 (28:00):
That's so I guess before I was gonna ask, how
do you when you're kind of the foundation of this sound,
and how do you There's really not a lot to take.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
From because you're the ones creating it.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
But at least now you're showing that Kurt is bringing in,
you know, show you're playing the heavier things than even
though whole the line is a great song. Don't get
me wrong, but that's not the you know, how do
you go from that to the foundation of Thrash is
quite a leap.
Speaker 6 (28:28):
You know, I think you know, Gary's brother, Gary's older
brother introduced us to punk rock because he was a
punk rocker guy, and he introduced us to the crow
bags and exploited it and you know, sex pistols and
all that stuff, and it we kind of took those
influences along with the Iron Iron Maiden influences and you
(28:48):
know a little sprinkle of the earlier classic rock stuff.
We would be cranking all the time, and you know,
it just kind of evolved organically, you know, and we
were kids like arning our instruments, and we just wanted
more and we wanted to learn and we wanted to
play it as soon as possible, and you know, it
(29:09):
was just the the hunger of our formative years.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
You know, learning and then hunger, you know. I know,
of course, there have been many lineup changes, and including yourself,
it's still Exodus as a I don't know, as a
passion as a force has always existed and it's you know,
you obviously have been in it since the beginning. Were
set to embark on the Battle of twenty four North
(29:37):
American tour. So you're kicking out the rest of the
year with the bank. So what do you looking forward
to most is touring the I'm sure there's a lot
that's changed, or maybe it's not.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
How do you view touring all these years later?
Speaker 5 (29:50):
I think, you know, touring was going strong, and then
you know, twenty twenty COVID happened, and then for me personally,
some other health stuff happened. And you know, once once
all the guidelines were lifted and we were able to
like you know, gather and because everything we do is
(30:11):
involved like putting as many people into a building as possible.
So once once those restrictions we're up, people were back
to support live music again, you know. So we were
a part of that, you know, reopening and it was fantastic,
you know, and it kind of like it's kind of
leveled off a little bit.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
But you know, we've been to Europe now a couple
of times since then, probably three times. We've been done
the States three times since then. So I'm excited to
get get out there because we're going to be doing
a headlining stet. We haven't done that for a long time,
so we're just gonna kind of you know, we won't
be regulated to an hour. We could play as long
(30:54):
as we want, so who knows what's going to happen
right on. But I'm looking forward to that part of
the joy because like, we don't have any we don't
have any constraints, not that those were bad, because I
love those tours we were on. But now's the time
where you know, we get to we get to open
up and play more to the catalog maybe and maybe
be more experimental, like I mean, Metallic, I could play
(31:15):
a different set every night because they practice all those songs.
So that's kind of the mission we're on now, is
to maybe, you know, play some different things.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Any chance of something new being played.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Nothing super new, I mean, all that stuff still in
the works and like you know, nothing's officially completed.
Speaker 5 (31:34):
Like we've got the makings for like six or.
Speaker 6 (31:37):
Seven amazing songs, but yeah, we're not ready to let
that out yet. Maybe some covers, maybe some covers and
maybe some deep cuts if you will, like that haven't
been played for a while or if ever.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Very cool do you remember, Because I've been becoming I've
been asking now because I've just became a I don't
want to say, we just uh. He's one and a
half my son, and I can't wait start to bringing
him to concerts. So he's been to Dave Matthews with
my wife whatever that's I'm talking about rock concerts and stuff.
How old are you and what was your first concert?
Speaker 6 (32:14):
Well, when I was a young, young kid and my
mom took me to see Tammy One Neette like country
superstars like from back in the day. Okay, I saw
the Stadler Brothers and Ronnie Millsap and like all these
old country greats. Prior to that, she had been to
see Joe Cocker on the Mad Dogs and Englishman tour
in nineteen seventy. I just found that out recently, and
(32:36):
I'm like, mom, you are so cool to have been
at that show. My first concert by myself was Rush
Permanent Weight, very cool.
Speaker 5 (32:46):
Like I think I was fourteen or fifteen or something,
and we were all there, Kurt Gary, you know whoever
was in the band at that time.
Speaker 6 (32:55):
We all went to see Rush, and you know, I
was a little bit too young to see some of
the other shows.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
I never got to the c DC with Bond, Like
I never yeah.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
I never I was like just past that generation to
go to concerts by myself.
Speaker 5 (33:12):
Or to be released to you know.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
But let me get you once, once that was lifted,
I was, you know, spending all on the green tickets.
Speaker 3 (33:25):
Never looked back. So uh chan my life.
Speaker 6 (33:30):
You know when when Brian Johnson came out and rang
that bell for Hill's Bells on the back and Black Tour.
Speaker 5 (33:36):
Something happened.
Speaker 3 (33:39):
I wow, yeah, I can't even imagine that. I you know,
I'm lucky to have seen what I've seen, but that
that's not The bell is something that you see and
to me that it's like folklore, like I haven't like, wow, okay,
that's something so that I'll have stories for my son
and then.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
He'll be impressed. But I can't impress.
Speaker 3 (33:55):
But what you when I get you out of here
on if you can tell me, I don't know if
you've seen or at least you can see right now
my guns and Roses posters back here.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
Yes, it's my theme.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
Because everybody has a podcast, I got to be a
little bit different.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Have you ever seen guns and Roses in concert?
Speaker 3 (34:12):
And I always ask if there's a six degrees of
what I call GNR Bacon. Do give any connection to
any of the guys you met them, those paths to
any any Guns of Roses stuff you can tell us.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
I saw Guns N' Roses with Aerosmith. They were on
tour and it was in the eighties, maybe the late eighties.
Speaker 6 (34:33):
They were great. They still had Stephen Adler on drums, and.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
They were kind of a mess and they were kind
of great too. They played great. This is like raw,
raunchy rock and roll. Aerosmith was kind of more clean
and polished at that time.
Speaker 7 (34:51):
I got the feeling in the moment that that Guns
and Roses was kind of like living the life that
Aerosmith was only ten years prior, you know, and like
they had moved on to this, you know, cleaner, you know,
more polished, less.
Speaker 6 (35:07):
Drugs, and I could I could see that on stage.
Not not that both bands weren't great. As far as
the connection to Guns and Roses, I have none.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I seen him then, and I seen him.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
They played uh Hellfest one time, or at least it
was Axel played, but I haven't seen Guns of Roses
play since then. I have no connection to them other
than I know that Slash knows about thrash and he
he likes he likes thrash music, and he likes you know,
hard header bands.
Speaker 5 (35:40):
And stuff like that. So and he's he's just a
phenomenal forces. He's one of those guitar players.
Speaker 6 (35:47):
You know when you're hearing and you know, like Joe Wallace,
like they could just step out, hit a couple of
notes and you know it's them.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Michael Shanker another you know.
Speaker 2 (35:56):
So all right, No, I appreciate you sharing that.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
Yeah, the only one I found isn't a direct connection
to you, but just exodus overall that uh former uh
there was a former vocalist.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Where is it? I have it?
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Yeah, Rob Dukes of course he that she was produced
by Bumblefoot for some songs for DMC from Run DMC
on a on an album a few years ago. So
I mean that's some reals again. Six degrees of stuff
again all an excuse for me to get my theme going,
but also an excuse to talk to you, Tom. I
really appreciate your time today. Keep doing what you do,
(36:30):
and I can't wait to talk to you on each
anniversary of this amazing band. And so that does it
put this episode of appetite for distortion?
Speaker 2 (36:38):
When will you see the next one.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
In the words of Axl Rose, concerning Chinese democracy, I
don't know as soon as the word, but you'll see it.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Thanks to the lame ass security. I'm going home.
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