Music News Headline Answers With Aftermath's
Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis
January/February 2020 • 4th Edition #83
Metal Pulp And Paper: Hello Charlie. Thank you for taking the time to be a part of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Music News Headline Questions. We appreciate it. How are you, and are you ready for this new decade?
Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis: I’m doing as well as one can in this fucked up world. I guess I’m ready for another decade. Hopefully there will be a planet at this end of this one.
MPAP: Before we get started though, tell us a little about your band and what we might need to know. And, of course, if you’ve got new music, or new music coming out soon, please tell us about it so we can pummel our eardrums!
Charlie: Thanks for asking me to comment on these topics. We are releasing a new single on February 14th. This track is a cover of a song from a legendary artist. The lyrics fit in perfectly with the concept of our latest album, There is Something Wrong. This track isn’t on the album, but we wanted to record and release it because we felt the message is really important in the world we live in today. We will also be putting out a video for the song. We think the concept for the video is really original. If it comes out the way we think it can, then it will capture the message of the song perfectly. The director is under a lot of pressure to get it right. We are heading into the studio in the next few days to record an original track as well. We plan on releasing the cover and the new song as 7” vinyl in the future.
MPAP: That's great to hear. So, just in case you or the reader are new to this, this is how it all works, it won’t sting a bit. We here at the Metal Pulp And Paper headquarters pulled some recent music news headlines from the Metal Injection website and turned them into questions. Pretty simple, just like putting on your pants one leg at a time. So, once again, please place seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, hang on, here we go. Putting on your seat belt is totally up to you…
1. Hardcore Show In A Denny's Restaurant Results In Hundreds of Dollars In Damages
MPAP: So, this 17-year-old kid, Bryson Del Valle, booked his first DIY show at a Denny’s restaurant for the punk band Wacko. Obviously, Denny’s is not the ideal spot to play a hardcore music show, or is it? Still, somehow Bryson pulled it off at the Santa Anna restaurant other than the damages done to the establishment. First off, I guess the show sold out, so maybe Bryson is onto something here. Can’t imagine why Denny’s agreed to it, what were they thinking? So, I guess the question is, where would you like your band to perform that is not the ordinary place to play, and maybe get a bit wild and wreak havoc on some table and chairs? And since the story has gone viral, Green Day donated $2,000 to help pay for the damages.
Charlie: I hear that restaurants like Denny’s are hurting financially, a ton have closed and even more are scheduled to close; so I guess someone working there is willing to try anything to bring people in there. At least it was only property damage. If it was a rap gig, it may have been a shootout. I think playing a show at the U.N. would be something that makes sense for us. Seeing the looks on their faces when they listen to the lyrics would be priceless.
2. Meth Recounts Hilariously Crazy Story Of Missing Their Gathering Of The Juggalos Set
MPAP: Every year Insane Clown Posse puts on a music festival called Gathering Of The Juggalos, and let’s just say it’s not a music fest you’d want to take your parents to or go there on your first date. Shit, what do I know, maybe you would want to take them there? Either way, you’re going to see some fucked up shit happening there. Anyways, one of the members of Meth told a crazy story about trying to get there to play but was unable to find the right stage they were to play on that day. Now, what about you, any crazy band stories about missing a show, or about almost missing a show that is memorable?
Charlie: I think I may have similarly answered this for you before. We were driving up to Minneapolis years ago during Thanksgiving week. We live in Chicago, so cold and snow isn’t anything new for us and we aren’t scared of driving in these conditions. Another band from Chicago called The Plague was coming up with us. We had a caravan heading up there. I think the normal drive is like 8 hours. We got on the road and as we head north the weather got worse and worse. We couldn’t drive more than 10 mph without jackknifing. The one van slid into a ditch. Cars and trucks were all over the place. We finally got there almost 15 hours later. It was the coldest day I have ever lived through. I remember wanting to get something to eat and walking from our vans to the Denny’s, I think it was Denny’s, felt unbearable. We almost missed that show because we nearly died on that drive.
3. Destruction Vocalist on Metallica: "Once You're A Billionaire, What Should You Be Pissed Off About?"
MPAP: I don’t think Lars or James are billionaires just yet, but maybe in another year or two, who knows? Schmier, Destruction’s vocalist, said in an interview that Metallica's lack of heaviness and anger over the years has to do with the fact that Metallica got rich. Do you think that’s a fair assumption that if you’re no longer pissed off about anything in the world, or whatever it will reflect in your music?
Charlie: For sure your surroundings impact your music. Age seems to do the same for a lot of bands also. However, some bands seem to never change despite age or money. Lemmy stayed true to the spirit of Motorhead. He wasn’t as rich as Lars or James, but I would think he was much richer towards the end than the beginning of his career. Slayer stayed heavy, and I’m sure they have way more cash today. So, it isn’t just about money for everyone. I think it’s about 'fuck you money'. Metallica has 'fuck you money'. I guess when you become that rich it changes most people. For Metallica getting less heavy is what made them that type of money, so they had no reason to stay heavy. Lately, they have written some heavier music, but that was a return or an attempt to return to their roots. I remember David Lee Roth said he lost the energy and aggressiveness after they became really rich. He rented an apartment in a shitty part of town to get that feeling again before recording one of his early solo albums, he clearly thought that money made you lose that edge or vibe. For me the older I get and the more I find out about the scum that run the world the angrier I get. I guess Lars would rather be the elite than fight them.
4. Airline Forces Woman Wearing "Hail Satan" Shirt To Either Change or Get Off The Plane
MPAP: Satanism is officially recognized as a religion in the United States now. Still, it was far too much for one American Airlines crew to handle, who forced a passenger to change her shirt if she wanted to remain on board the plane. She was escorted up to the front of the aircraft and told to remover her shirt or get kicked off the plane. She eventually covered up the 'so-called offensive' shirt with one of her husbands. What are your thoughts on this? If her shirt had said 'Hail Jesus', no one would probably have even have batted an eye. So, should you be allowed to wear anything you want out in public? What if your favorite shirt could be offensive to one person, but not to others, what do you do? Ever had someone report you to someone or just glare at you for what you were wearing at an airport, or anywhere in public before?
Charlie: The Constitution protects speech against government censorship. People don’t realize that it doesn’t extend to corporations. Even with the First Amendment the protection against government censorship isn’t complete. I believe in freedom of speech and that political correctness is fucking this country generally. That being said, I totally see how an offensive shirt can cause real harm in some situations. American Airlines is a private company they have the right to tell you the message is offensive and not allowed on their plane. If a dude was wearing a KKK shirt, I would think they would tell him to cover his shirt. I had a Disco Sucks shirt that I got in trouble for wearing in grammar school. My brother had a Metallica Metal up your Ass shirt with a knife coming out of a toilet bowl – that didn’t go over well in school either.
5. Lars Ulrich Can See Metallica Going For Another 20 Years
MPAP: Metallica formed as a band in 1981, so, in the year 2020, that would put them at touring the World for 38 years. So, add another 20 more years, that would then put them at touring just under six decades. Is that even fathomable to think about? But check this out, Dame Vera is the UK's best-selling female artist. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and is still performing to this day. Her first radio broadcast was with the Joe Loss Orchestra in 1935. That’s 85 years so far. So, try and beat that Metallica! Now how far ahead do you see yourself going? Do you still want to be performing five, ten, or even 20 years from now?
Charlie: I never thought we would be playing now. We formed in 1985 and got back together 5 years ago. I guess that makes us a new old band. I don’t know how long we will be doing this. I guess as long as we make music we love and we have something important to say. That may go on for years, or end tomorrow. There is a time when it’s time to end it. I hope we know when that time comes.
6. New Study Says Listening To 78 Minutes Of Music Daily Is Important To Your Health
MPAP: Well, first off, are you listening to the recommended amount? And then, what do you do at home vs. out on the road to stay healthy or keep in shape? Do you worry about your health while out on the road? After a while, the same truck stop corn dog and burrito has to get old eating all the time, right? What are some of the main obstacles you have to deal with?
Charlie: Music is so important in life. A great song can make a bad situation better and a good situation great. People remember things in their lives because of a song or record. I know I do. I remember cranking Van Halen’s Women And Children First for a year straight. A song can totally change your mood. We haven’t toured in a while, so I haven’t been in that situation of eating shit all day long. The same thing happens in the studio. It’s all cigarettes, weed, junk food, and Big Gulps when you are tracking new material. But, then again, besides the junk food, I consume the rest of that daily anyway.
7. Jason Newsted Told By Doctors To Stop Headbanging
MPAP: Recently Newsted, formerly of Flotsam & Jetsam and Metallica, said that 25 years of headbanging has finally caught up with him, and it’s time to, as doctors have told him over the years, it’s time to 'stop spinning the head.' Luckily, he doesn’t have to get surgery yet, but Slayer’s bassist Tom Araya was not as fortunate and had to have anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery done in 2010. So, what’s something if the doctor told you to do stop doing, you would stop doing. And then on the other side of the coin, what’s something if he told you to stop doing, you wouldn’t do because you like it so much?
Charlie: I guess I can only answer this question this way, my doctor told me to stop smoking and I haven’t. I know I should, but I don’t want to. So, I don’t think anything the doctor says will make me stop doing something I like doing. I think the only way for me to stop is when I feel I need to do it. It won’t be because a doctor tells me to.
8. KNOTFEST Mexico Canceled After Fans Rush The Stage, Breaking Barricades.
MPAP: A security safety issue prevented fans from seeing the rest of Knotfest after the stage barricade broke during Behemoth's set, and it was impossible to fix it in time for the final two acts of the night, Evanescence and Slipknot, so, in the end, the rest of the show was canceled, and this did not sit well many. In pictures and video footage that surfaced, it shows many fans getting onto the stage and destroying some of Evanescence’s equipment, and set fire to Will Hunts drum set. Obviously, you don’t want this kind of shit to happen. The fans took it too far, music was more important than the safety of others. What’re your thoughts on this?
Charlie: I think destroying their gear is crazy. They couldn’t continue the gig and it wasn’t their fault. If the dude walked off the stage for no reason I would get the anger leading to this, but to destroy their equipment under these circumstance is bullshit.
9. Alice Cooper Says Lemmy's Idea Of Not Drinking Was "Maybe Just Five Or Six Drinks"
MPAP: Alice explained that one time that Lemmy from Motorhead told him he had quit drinking. Lemmy’s idea of not drinking was not drinking a bottle of whiskey each night. Maybe just five or six drinks. Are the days of excessive drinking and partying over with? What is life out on the road for you? Are you quiet when you’re not on tour, but look out, when the tour begins you can’t wait to hang out with the other bands and have a few drinks?
Charlie: I am not into drinking at all. I did my share years ago, but that has been over for a decade. I always preferred smoking weed to drinking even in the old days.
10. Kiss Played A Show For Great White Sharks But No Sharks Actually Showed Up
MPAP: I think this is the first music headline that I can’t think of anything to come up with for a question, but it just seemed so good not to talk about it. Let’s see what I can come up with in the end; either way, let’s continue. So, anyways, some Air-B-N-B company paid Kiss probably a butt load of money to perform live on a boat, like they needed it anyway, but it was for a good cause, and some fans got once in a lifetime performance. Hmmm, now that I’m thinking about it, is this Bryson’s second booking to have a band perform in a not so-usual-place? Knowing this outcome, I think he needs to stick with restaurants and book his next show at a Red Lobster. Don’t worry; it wasn’t him that booked it. But anyways, to get to the moral of the story, if anyone cares, Kiss set up and actually performed live on a boat off the coast of Port Lincoln in support of the Australian Marine Conservation Society in front of like eight special die-hard fans. The whole idea of the debacle was that Kiss would play some songs, and then sharks swimming in the area would show up because they 'love the low-frequency sounds of rock and roll.' Bassist Gene Simmons was very impressed with the whole ordeal and even said, "Guys, this is probably the most interesting gig I’ve ever done. I’d want my own autograph after this." Bam! I’ve got it! Let’s go with this, (fireworks and sirens wailing), let’s have the first-ever Metal Pulp And Paper Headline Questions three-part question. This is exciting. Mary, drum roll please…
MPAP: What has been your most interesting gig so far?
Charlie: Our first show may still be the most interesting because it was so early in the mosh pit days. We started playing and the crowd went nuts. It was violent. Seeing a pit back then wasn’t normal especially at metal gigs. That made it special.
MPAP: Is there a person out there walking this earth that you’d like to get an autograph from?
Charlie: I am not really into autographs, and the only one I would ever want would be Eddie Van Halen’s.
MPAP: And then, give a shout out to a local band from your home town out there that you think the sharks would have shown up to listen to instead of Kiss.
Charlie: Hopefully the sharks would show up and eat Kanye.
11. Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Talks Backstage Perks: Their Own Dressing Rooms, Masseuses & Personal Assistants
MPAP: Must be nice, I guess, right? I don’t know how true this one is, but alongside Haribo gummy bears in his dressing room, Marilyn Manson reportedly has asked for a 'bald-headed, toothless hooker' in his rider at one point in his music career. What have been some of your backstage perks that you’ve gotten or asked for before? Can you top Manson’s?
Charlie: I think not having a bald-headed toothless hooker beats having one. We never demand anything crazy or stupid. Beer, food, and water. Van Halen wanted no brown M&Ms for a specific reason: it proved the promoter read the contract. That is actually brilliant. The other vanity bullshit is sad.
12. Pete Townshend Says The Who "Sort Of Invented Heavy Metal" In 1970
MPAP: Ya right! And this is coming from a guy that recently said in an interview he’s glad drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle are dead and gone and no longer in The Who. What a dick. Anyways, who do you think invented Heavy Metal music in your eyes. Some say Black Sabbath’s self-titled album in 1970 was the birth of Heavy Metal music. Others argue that Blue Cheer's 1968 record Vincebus Eruptum is the first heavy metal album, while others say Coven's 1969 album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is where it all started. Maybe you have a total different take on it?
Charlie: Pete Townsend is a pedo piece of shit. Someone needs to beat him for all the stupid shit he has said over the years. Now to answer your question. Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. A song here or a song there doesn’t mean you invented the genre. MC5 is often given credit for creating metal for their track "Kick Out The Jams" also. Some think "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles was the first metal track. No one would claim the Beatles were the first metal band now would they? The others wrote a heavy track, but Sabbath wrote a metal album and the lyrics spawned a large part of the themes surrounding metal. It's Sabbath that created the genre.
13. Metallica's 1991 Self-Titled Album Breaks New Billboard Record
MPAP: Yes, I know, I know. Not another Metallica question. What can I say they make a lot of news headlines. So, the Black album is approaching 17 million sales in the United States while cresting over 31 million worldwide and has sold so well that it's now become one of the only four albums in history, of any genre, to be on the Billboard 220 for 550 non-consecutive weeks. That’s over ten years? At one point I think I heard it sells like 5,000 copies a week. I wonder how many warehouses Lars has rented over the years to store them all? Anyways, blah, blah blah, either way, it’s quite the accomplishment, but more importantly, what about your band? What is something that you’re proud of that has happened, and why?
Charlie: We were a crossover band in the beginning when the term didn’t even exist. We transformed into a technical/progressive thrash band by 1987 and have been called one of the pioneers of that subgenre. Those two things are important things. Our new album blends both styles and landed on a few top ten lists of 2019, so that is also cool.
MPAP: Well, that wraps up another edition of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Headline Questions, and those were some great answers. Now Mary, tell them what they’ve won. Mary? Hey Mary! Shit, we can’t find Mary, haha! Anyways, so, on behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, we’d like to thank you, Charlie, for taking the time to answer these recent music news headline questions again. We look forward to what you or your band, Aftermath, does in 2020 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans and all the Metal Pulp And Paper readers out there?
Charlie: February 14th, mark your calendars. We are planning to take over Valentine’s day with this cover we are going to release. Thanks again for wanting to hear my thoughts on these most pressing issues of the day. May 2020 be the best year so far for Metal Pulp And Paper.
Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis
January/February 2020 • 4th Edition #83
Metal Pulp And Paper: Hello Charlie. Thank you for taking the time to be a part of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Music News Headline Questions. We appreciate it. How are you, and are you ready for this new decade?
Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis: I’m doing as well as one can in this fucked up world. I guess I’m ready for another decade. Hopefully there will be a planet at this end of this one.
MPAP: Before we get started though, tell us a little about your band and what we might need to know. And, of course, if you’ve got new music, or new music coming out soon, please tell us about it so we can pummel our eardrums!
Charlie: Thanks for asking me to comment on these topics. We are releasing a new single on February 14th. This track is a cover of a song from a legendary artist. The lyrics fit in perfectly with the concept of our latest album, There is Something Wrong. This track isn’t on the album, but we wanted to record and release it because we felt the message is really important in the world we live in today. We will also be putting out a video for the song. We think the concept for the video is really original. If it comes out the way we think it can, then it will capture the message of the song perfectly. The director is under a lot of pressure to get it right. We are heading into the studio in the next few days to record an original track as well. We plan on releasing the cover and the new song as 7” vinyl in the future.
MPAP: That's great to hear. So, just in case you or the reader are new to this, this is how it all works, it won’t sting a bit. We here at the Metal Pulp And Paper headquarters pulled some recent music news headlines from the Metal Injection website and turned them into questions. Pretty simple, just like putting on your pants one leg at a time. So, once again, please place seat backs and tray tables in the upright position, hang on, here we go. Putting on your seat belt is totally up to you…
1. Hardcore Show In A Denny's Restaurant Results In Hundreds of Dollars In Damages
MPAP: So, this 17-year-old kid, Bryson Del Valle, booked his first DIY show at a Denny’s restaurant for the punk band Wacko. Obviously, Denny’s is not the ideal spot to play a hardcore music show, or is it? Still, somehow Bryson pulled it off at the Santa Anna restaurant other than the damages done to the establishment. First off, I guess the show sold out, so maybe Bryson is onto something here. Can’t imagine why Denny’s agreed to it, what were they thinking? So, I guess the question is, where would you like your band to perform that is not the ordinary place to play, and maybe get a bit wild and wreak havoc on some table and chairs? And since the story has gone viral, Green Day donated $2,000 to help pay for the damages.
Charlie: I hear that restaurants like Denny’s are hurting financially, a ton have closed and even more are scheduled to close; so I guess someone working there is willing to try anything to bring people in there. At least it was only property damage. If it was a rap gig, it may have been a shootout. I think playing a show at the U.N. would be something that makes sense for us. Seeing the looks on their faces when they listen to the lyrics would be priceless.
2. Meth Recounts Hilariously Crazy Story Of Missing Their Gathering Of The Juggalos Set
MPAP: Every year Insane Clown Posse puts on a music festival called Gathering Of The Juggalos, and let’s just say it’s not a music fest you’d want to take your parents to or go there on your first date. Shit, what do I know, maybe you would want to take them there? Either way, you’re going to see some fucked up shit happening there. Anyways, one of the members of Meth told a crazy story about trying to get there to play but was unable to find the right stage they were to play on that day. Now, what about you, any crazy band stories about missing a show, or about almost missing a show that is memorable?
Charlie: I think I may have similarly answered this for you before. We were driving up to Minneapolis years ago during Thanksgiving week. We live in Chicago, so cold and snow isn’t anything new for us and we aren’t scared of driving in these conditions. Another band from Chicago called The Plague was coming up with us. We had a caravan heading up there. I think the normal drive is like 8 hours. We got on the road and as we head north the weather got worse and worse. We couldn’t drive more than 10 mph without jackknifing. The one van slid into a ditch. Cars and trucks were all over the place. We finally got there almost 15 hours later. It was the coldest day I have ever lived through. I remember wanting to get something to eat and walking from our vans to the Denny’s, I think it was Denny’s, felt unbearable. We almost missed that show because we nearly died on that drive.
3. Destruction Vocalist on Metallica: "Once You're A Billionaire, What Should You Be Pissed Off About?"
MPAP: I don’t think Lars or James are billionaires just yet, but maybe in another year or two, who knows? Schmier, Destruction’s vocalist, said in an interview that Metallica's lack of heaviness and anger over the years has to do with the fact that Metallica got rich. Do you think that’s a fair assumption that if you’re no longer pissed off about anything in the world, or whatever it will reflect in your music?
Charlie: For sure your surroundings impact your music. Age seems to do the same for a lot of bands also. However, some bands seem to never change despite age or money. Lemmy stayed true to the spirit of Motorhead. He wasn’t as rich as Lars or James, but I would think he was much richer towards the end than the beginning of his career. Slayer stayed heavy, and I’m sure they have way more cash today. So, it isn’t just about money for everyone. I think it’s about 'fuck you money'. Metallica has 'fuck you money'. I guess when you become that rich it changes most people. For Metallica getting less heavy is what made them that type of money, so they had no reason to stay heavy. Lately, they have written some heavier music, but that was a return or an attempt to return to their roots. I remember David Lee Roth said he lost the energy and aggressiveness after they became really rich. He rented an apartment in a shitty part of town to get that feeling again before recording one of his early solo albums, he clearly thought that money made you lose that edge or vibe. For me the older I get and the more I find out about the scum that run the world the angrier I get. I guess Lars would rather be the elite than fight them.
4. Airline Forces Woman Wearing "Hail Satan" Shirt To Either Change or Get Off The Plane
MPAP: Satanism is officially recognized as a religion in the United States now. Still, it was far too much for one American Airlines crew to handle, who forced a passenger to change her shirt if she wanted to remain on board the plane. She was escorted up to the front of the aircraft and told to remover her shirt or get kicked off the plane. She eventually covered up the 'so-called offensive' shirt with one of her husbands. What are your thoughts on this? If her shirt had said 'Hail Jesus', no one would probably have even have batted an eye. So, should you be allowed to wear anything you want out in public? What if your favorite shirt could be offensive to one person, but not to others, what do you do? Ever had someone report you to someone or just glare at you for what you were wearing at an airport, or anywhere in public before?
Charlie: The Constitution protects speech against government censorship. People don’t realize that it doesn’t extend to corporations. Even with the First Amendment the protection against government censorship isn’t complete. I believe in freedom of speech and that political correctness is fucking this country generally. That being said, I totally see how an offensive shirt can cause real harm in some situations. American Airlines is a private company they have the right to tell you the message is offensive and not allowed on their plane. If a dude was wearing a KKK shirt, I would think they would tell him to cover his shirt. I had a Disco Sucks shirt that I got in trouble for wearing in grammar school. My brother had a Metallica Metal up your Ass shirt with a knife coming out of a toilet bowl – that didn’t go over well in school either.
5. Lars Ulrich Can See Metallica Going For Another 20 Years
MPAP: Metallica formed as a band in 1981, so, in the year 2020, that would put them at touring the World for 38 years. So, add another 20 more years, that would then put them at touring just under six decades. Is that even fathomable to think about? But check this out, Dame Vera is the UK's best-selling female artist. She began performing publicly at the age of seven and is still performing to this day. Her first radio broadcast was with the Joe Loss Orchestra in 1935. That’s 85 years so far. So, try and beat that Metallica! Now how far ahead do you see yourself going? Do you still want to be performing five, ten, or even 20 years from now?
Charlie: I never thought we would be playing now. We formed in 1985 and got back together 5 years ago. I guess that makes us a new old band. I don’t know how long we will be doing this. I guess as long as we make music we love and we have something important to say. That may go on for years, or end tomorrow. There is a time when it’s time to end it. I hope we know when that time comes.
6. New Study Says Listening To 78 Minutes Of Music Daily Is Important To Your Health
MPAP: Well, first off, are you listening to the recommended amount? And then, what do you do at home vs. out on the road to stay healthy or keep in shape? Do you worry about your health while out on the road? After a while, the same truck stop corn dog and burrito has to get old eating all the time, right? What are some of the main obstacles you have to deal with?
Charlie: Music is so important in life. A great song can make a bad situation better and a good situation great. People remember things in their lives because of a song or record. I know I do. I remember cranking Van Halen’s Women And Children First for a year straight. A song can totally change your mood. We haven’t toured in a while, so I haven’t been in that situation of eating shit all day long. The same thing happens in the studio. It’s all cigarettes, weed, junk food, and Big Gulps when you are tracking new material. But, then again, besides the junk food, I consume the rest of that daily anyway.
7. Jason Newsted Told By Doctors To Stop Headbanging
MPAP: Recently Newsted, formerly of Flotsam & Jetsam and Metallica, said that 25 years of headbanging has finally caught up with him, and it’s time to, as doctors have told him over the years, it’s time to 'stop spinning the head.' Luckily, he doesn’t have to get surgery yet, but Slayer’s bassist Tom Araya was not as fortunate and had to have anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery done in 2010. So, what’s something if the doctor told you to do stop doing, you would stop doing. And then on the other side of the coin, what’s something if he told you to stop doing, you wouldn’t do because you like it so much?
Charlie: I guess I can only answer this question this way, my doctor told me to stop smoking and I haven’t. I know I should, but I don’t want to. So, I don’t think anything the doctor says will make me stop doing something I like doing. I think the only way for me to stop is when I feel I need to do it. It won’t be because a doctor tells me to.
8. KNOTFEST Mexico Canceled After Fans Rush The Stage, Breaking Barricades.
MPAP: A security safety issue prevented fans from seeing the rest of Knotfest after the stage barricade broke during Behemoth's set, and it was impossible to fix it in time for the final two acts of the night, Evanescence and Slipknot, so, in the end, the rest of the show was canceled, and this did not sit well many. In pictures and video footage that surfaced, it shows many fans getting onto the stage and destroying some of Evanescence’s equipment, and set fire to Will Hunts drum set. Obviously, you don’t want this kind of shit to happen. The fans took it too far, music was more important than the safety of others. What’re your thoughts on this?
Charlie: I think destroying their gear is crazy. They couldn’t continue the gig and it wasn’t their fault. If the dude walked off the stage for no reason I would get the anger leading to this, but to destroy their equipment under these circumstance is bullshit.
9. Alice Cooper Says Lemmy's Idea Of Not Drinking Was "Maybe Just Five Or Six Drinks"
MPAP: Alice explained that one time that Lemmy from Motorhead told him he had quit drinking. Lemmy’s idea of not drinking was not drinking a bottle of whiskey each night. Maybe just five or six drinks. Are the days of excessive drinking and partying over with? What is life out on the road for you? Are you quiet when you’re not on tour, but look out, when the tour begins you can’t wait to hang out with the other bands and have a few drinks?
Charlie: I am not into drinking at all. I did my share years ago, but that has been over for a decade. I always preferred smoking weed to drinking even in the old days.
10. Kiss Played A Show For Great White Sharks But No Sharks Actually Showed Up
MPAP: I think this is the first music headline that I can’t think of anything to come up with for a question, but it just seemed so good not to talk about it. Let’s see what I can come up with in the end; either way, let’s continue. So, anyways, some Air-B-N-B company paid Kiss probably a butt load of money to perform live on a boat, like they needed it anyway, but it was for a good cause, and some fans got once in a lifetime performance. Hmmm, now that I’m thinking about it, is this Bryson’s second booking to have a band perform in a not so-usual-place? Knowing this outcome, I think he needs to stick with restaurants and book his next show at a Red Lobster. Don’t worry; it wasn’t him that booked it. But anyways, to get to the moral of the story, if anyone cares, Kiss set up and actually performed live on a boat off the coast of Port Lincoln in support of the Australian Marine Conservation Society in front of like eight special die-hard fans. The whole idea of the debacle was that Kiss would play some songs, and then sharks swimming in the area would show up because they 'love the low-frequency sounds of rock and roll.' Bassist Gene Simmons was very impressed with the whole ordeal and even said, "Guys, this is probably the most interesting gig I’ve ever done. I’d want my own autograph after this." Bam! I’ve got it! Let’s go with this, (fireworks and sirens wailing), let’s have the first-ever Metal Pulp And Paper Headline Questions three-part question. This is exciting. Mary, drum roll please…
MPAP: What has been your most interesting gig so far?
Charlie: Our first show may still be the most interesting because it was so early in the mosh pit days. We started playing and the crowd went nuts. It was violent. Seeing a pit back then wasn’t normal especially at metal gigs. That made it special.
MPAP: Is there a person out there walking this earth that you’d like to get an autograph from?
Charlie: I am not really into autographs, and the only one I would ever want would be Eddie Van Halen’s.
MPAP: And then, give a shout out to a local band from your home town out there that you think the sharks would have shown up to listen to instead of Kiss.
Charlie: Hopefully the sharks would show up and eat Kanye.
11. Five Finger Death Punch Guitarist Talks Backstage Perks: Their Own Dressing Rooms, Masseuses & Personal Assistants
MPAP: Must be nice, I guess, right? I don’t know how true this one is, but alongside Haribo gummy bears in his dressing room, Marilyn Manson reportedly has asked for a 'bald-headed, toothless hooker' in his rider at one point in his music career. What have been some of your backstage perks that you’ve gotten or asked for before? Can you top Manson’s?
Charlie: I think not having a bald-headed toothless hooker beats having one. We never demand anything crazy or stupid. Beer, food, and water. Van Halen wanted no brown M&Ms for a specific reason: it proved the promoter read the contract. That is actually brilliant. The other vanity bullshit is sad.
12. Pete Townshend Says The Who "Sort Of Invented Heavy Metal" In 1970
MPAP: Ya right! And this is coming from a guy that recently said in an interview he’s glad drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle are dead and gone and no longer in The Who. What a dick. Anyways, who do you think invented Heavy Metal music in your eyes. Some say Black Sabbath’s self-titled album in 1970 was the birth of Heavy Metal music. Others argue that Blue Cheer's 1968 record Vincebus Eruptum is the first heavy metal album, while others say Coven's 1969 album Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls is where it all started. Maybe you have a total different take on it?
Charlie: Pete Townsend is a pedo piece of shit. Someone needs to beat him for all the stupid shit he has said over the years. Now to answer your question. Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. A song here or a song there doesn’t mean you invented the genre. MC5 is often given credit for creating metal for their track "Kick Out The Jams" also. Some think "Helter Skelter" by the Beatles was the first metal track. No one would claim the Beatles were the first metal band now would they? The others wrote a heavy track, but Sabbath wrote a metal album and the lyrics spawned a large part of the themes surrounding metal. It's Sabbath that created the genre.
13. Metallica's 1991 Self-Titled Album Breaks New Billboard Record
MPAP: Yes, I know, I know. Not another Metallica question. What can I say they make a lot of news headlines. So, the Black album is approaching 17 million sales in the United States while cresting over 31 million worldwide and has sold so well that it's now become one of the only four albums in history, of any genre, to be on the Billboard 220 for 550 non-consecutive weeks. That’s over ten years? At one point I think I heard it sells like 5,000 copies a week. I wonder how many warehouses Lars has rented over the years to store them all? Anyways, blah, blah blah, either way, it’s quite the accomplishment, but more importantly, what about your band? What is something that you’re proud of that has happened, and why?
Charlie: We were a crossover band in the beginning when the term didn’t even exist. We transformed into a technical/progressive thrash band by 1987 and have been called one of the pioneers of that subgenre. Those two things are important things. Our new album blends both styles and landed on a few top ten lists of 2019, so that is also cool.
MPAP: Well, that wraps up another edition of Metal Pulp And Paper’s Headline Questions, and those were some great answers. Now Mary, tell them what they’ve won. Mary? Hey Mary! Shit, we can’t find Mary, haha! Anyways, so, on behalf of Metal Pulp And Paper, we’d like to thank you, Charlie, for taking the time to answer these recent music news headline questions again. We look forward to what you or your band, Aftermath, does in 2020 and beyond. Any last words for all your fans and all the Metal Pulp And Paper readers out there?
Charlie: February 14th, mark your calendars. We are planning to take over Valentine’s day with this cover we are going to release. Thanks again for wanting to hear my thoughts on these most pressing issues of the day. May 2020 be the best year so far for Metal Pulp And Paper.
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