Interview with Anthrax vocalist
Joey Belladonna
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FIBM: What's new, what have you been up to lately and what's in the future?
Joey: I've been touring with the Anthrax 20th Reunion Tour. During the
last week, I've been resting from the tour and preparing for the next. Also, we just finished working on our live DVD.
FIBM: How did the tour go?
Joey: Just fine. There were great crowds with great reponses
and everyone is getting along well.
FIBM: The band features all the original members, correct? If so, how
has it been playing with those guys again?
Joey:
Well, the very first Anthrax vocalist was Neil Turbin, for about a year and a half and Dan Lilker
was the bass player during that time. I think there was another drummer, too. So, we're actually more or less the
second group. It's nice to be in a tight organization with great musicians. It's really good to be playing with those guys again.
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FIBM: How did the tour come about? Who contacted who? How was everyone
able to come together?
Joey: Charlie and Scott discussed it with management. Management
then gave me a call and arranged for everyone to get on the phone in a conference call to work out the
details. It took off from there.
FIBM: Why are there only 3 Anthrax shows booked in the States? Why would you tour Europe first?
Joey: Actually, we began the tour with three dates in the States as warm-up
shows before we went to Australia. We then followed with the European tour. We are now working
on shows for this Fall in the States and have five shows in September with Megadeth's Gigantour.
FIBM: Where did you tour in Europe?
Joey: Forgive me if I leave anyone out here, but we played Spain, France, Belgium,
Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Greece, England and Finland.
FIBM: Any chance of a new Anthrax record? If so, when can we expect to hear it?
Joey: There's nothing definitive right now, but the longer we move along, the
bigger the possibility.
FIBM: What are your 3 most fond memories of being in Anthrax?
Joey: First of all, joining Anthrax was awesome. Then, playing with a such
a great band and getting to see the world would be the other two.
FIBM: Describe the year 1985, as best as you can recollect. That year you released
Armed & Dangerous and
Spreading the Disease. What were some of the highlights from that year?
Joey: Just walking in the room and not knowing who Anthrax was or ever
hearing their music was a moment I'll never forget. Two days later, I'm doing the
Spreading the Disease album
with them as well as
Armed & Dangerous. Just the beginning of a great band was awesome in itself. Those are
very fond memories.
FIBM: I once worked with a guy named, Kerry Crafton, who produced
& engineered a lot of Metal Blade acts, including engineering the first
Rigor Mortis record. What was your connection with
Kerry? Any memorable stories? Any memories of recording at Goodnight Dallas Studio?
Joey: Kerry was doing lots of demos and did a couple for me back in
1994/5. He was assigned to the project at the time and that is how I knew him. The first set of demos after
Anthrax was done at the Goodnight Dallas Studio, but never released.
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FIBM: Any memories stand out from the Spreading the Disease sessions?
Joey: Yeah. It was my first studio record and came together really nicely. It was a wonderful
experience. We also signed with Island Records after recording that album.
FIBM: What is your favorite Anthrax release? Why?
Joey: I'd have to say
Spreading the Disease because it was so overwhelming. Everyone was so open-minded
and let everyone do what they had to do to finish it. The song "A.I.R." was put together at the end of the
session while we were in the studio and added to the album.
FIBM: Who were some of your favorite bands that you
toured with throughout your carreer?
Joey: Well, there were several, but Iron Maiden, Ozzy, and
Black Sabbath were some of my favorites.
Anthrax @ Donnington
FIBM: Any memories stand out from the "Among the Living" recording sessions?
Joey: We did the mixing it in the Bahamas and that was a lot of fun. We were
there for a couple weeks and really enjoyed it. Also, working with Eddie Kramer was great. There are a great
bunch of songs on that record.
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FIBM: What was your highest selling record? Approximately, how
many copies?
Joey: The "I'm the Man" EP was our highest seller. It was certified
at a million copies sold back then, but I have no idea where it stands at this time.
FIBM: Who are some of the people that have inspired you most? Why?
Joey: The Beatles, with their great songs. Ian Gillian because of his
great range. Steve Walsh........super musician. Those are a few of several.
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FIBM: Have you had any Spinal Tap moments in your carreer, if so, what was
the Latest, or one of your top 5 spinal tap moments?
Joey: We were going to Slovenia during our latest tour and they had held the flight half an hour for us. While
boarding the aircraft, one of our guys said, "Hey, they're not loading all our gear on the plane! They're
driving away with it!" We had to make a call and have them return and load our equipment on the plane. They then
actually loaded some of the gear into seats in the passenger cabin. Some of our crew guys didn't
make it on the flight due to customs.
FIBM: How has your view of the music industry changed since the eighties?
Joey: You know what? My view hasn't changed, but the industry has. I just try to go with the flow.
FIBM: Any advice you could give to people just starting out in the industry?
Joey: You have to really love playing and be ready to work very hard, if it's something you seriously
want to do. It takes a world of practice, focus and effort.
FIBM: "I am the Man" catapulted you into the mainstream; did your life
change much after that release. If so, how?
Joey: No, my life stayed pretty much the same.
FIBM: How do feel about being a pioneer of rap / rock.
Joey: It's just something that happened. I never thought of
myself as a pioneer, but I hope it made people more interested in what we did.
FIBM: What was it like working with Public Enemy? Any moments stand out more than others?
Joey: It was a lot of evenings full of fun. Flav made me laugh every night. It was so much fun, and
having them close the show with us every night made it really awesome.
FIBM: What was the state of the band like, while recording and
touring for the State of Euphoria release?
Joey: It was great! We were doing the Ozzy tour and
really rolling along. "Antisocial" was doing really well then.
FIBM: In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently?
Joey: H-mmmmmmmm. I can't really think of anything.
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THE FAST 5
FIBM: What is your most disgusting habit?
Joey: I hope I don't have one.
FIBM: What is the most feminine thing you do?
Joey:
FIBM: If there is a God, what is the first question you would ask God when you arrive?
Joey:
FIBM: Greatest Rock band of all time?
Joey:
FIBM: What were you doing 40 minutes before you sat down to do this interview?
Joey: Getting ready to eat a salad
Joey Belladonna
Visit Joey at, JOEYBELLADONNA.COM and the
ANTHRAX OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
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