Watch Metal’s Favorite Grumpy Grampa, Chris Holmes, Interview Skindred

Did the folks at Duke TV think that having former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes interview Skindred’s Benji Webbe (vocals) and Daniel Pugsley (bass) at Hellfest would produce something “good” in the traditional sense, or were they counting on the fact that everything Holmes touches turns into inadvertent comedy gold? Regardless of their reasoning, I’m delighted that they did it, because the resulting video is highly entertaining. I mean, Holmes is in top form here. Highlights include:

• Randomly screaming “John Wayne, the Duke!” after Webbe’s channel-identifying intro. (“Duke,” of course, was John Wayne’s nickname, although he has nothing to do with Duke TV as far as I can tell.)
• To Pugsley: “You’re the bass player, right?”
• Referring to guitarist Michael Fry as “Billy Gibbons” and “the left handed guy.”
• When Webbe and Pugsley tell Holmes that this is their third time at Hellfest, his response is, “Playing?”
• Upon finding out Skindred have seven albums: “Do you have a label?”
• Regarding the band’s touring schedule: “Look on their website and see! I don’t know which camera to look at. On their, on their website!”
• He gives a thumbs up to the camera at the end, presumably meant as a sign off. But he also asks “Is that it?” literally the second his thumb extends. So he didn’t leave them any time at all to edit out his question.

Enjoy the “interview” below. FYI, I’m told that Skindred’s performance featured in the B-roll was at 11:40 a.m. Look at that crowd reaction! Amazing.