STARRY-EYED ANTHRAX FULFILL CHILDHOOD DREAMS IN YANKEES PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM
As Axl mentioned during last night’s Big 4 Live Snark, Rob and I headed down into the bowels of Yankee Stadium after Megadeth’s set to attend the Anthrax press conference. It was in the very same room we see on TV after every game, where Joe Girardi has to explain why he’s still sticking with A.J. Burnett, why Mo melted down in the 9th or why A-Rod failed in the clutch again, Yankees backdrop behind the band and everything. In the bubble that is MetalSucks World, “press conference” usually just consists of interviewing a band member one-on-one in some smokey, puke-infested backstage area, or on rare occasions on a tour bus, so this was a pretty unique experience for us.
But all things considered — Big 4 show, Anthrax Day in the Bronx, new album, etc etc — the dudes in Anthrax just wanted to talk about the Yankees. Frankie Bello, who is fucking hilarious and my new favorite dude on the planet (can we get some beers, hang out and talk baseball, bro?), expressed his A.J. Burnett playoff rotation preference (out!) and actually slipped up and said “After the game… I mean after the SHOW…” when fielding a question about fulfilling childhood Little League dreams of playing in Yankee Stadium. Someone get this guy a show on WFAN asap. Most of the questions thrown Anthrax’s way by non-metal journalists who wouldn’t know the difference between “thrash” and “trash” were border-line retarded (worst offender: a question about 9/11. 2nd worst offender: “Now that you guys are back, are you going to be playing any more New York shows?” Way to do your research, dude.), but I did manage to sneak this one in at the very end:
Q: As I’m sure you guys know, there are a lot of young thrash bands directly influenced by Anthrax, Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer that are getting really big right now. It’s a big movement. Are there any of those bands that you guys personally dig?
Rob Caggiano (no hesitation): Toxic Holocaust.
Charlie Benante: Ghost. I really dig Ghost.
Joey Belladonna:
Scott Ian: Slipknot? I’ve been around for such a long time that these bands still seem new me to me. But I dig Slipknot, Machine Head and Lamb of God.
Telling answers that really give you a good idea of which of these guys are still tapped into the modern metal scene. Nice job, Rob! Honorable mention to Charlie, too… Ghost aren’t part of the thrash revival, but nice try.
It’s worth noting that Joey Belladonna did not utter one word the entire press conference. Not one word. But his tan spoke loudly enough for the whole room.
-VN
