An Interview with
ANTHRAX
Joey Belladonna
by Thomas Huff and Joe Carrigan
On November 26, 1988, Joe and I had the opportunity
to meet Joey Belladonna, vocalist of Anthrax. The band is recently
on tour with Ozzy Osbourne supporting their latest album "State Of
Euphoria" available from Island/Megaforce Worldwide records. The
new album features the singles "Antisocial" and "Be All, End All."
Here is the transcript to our interview:
How did Anthrax meet and get started?
Well, as far as the earlier days, I wasn't involved at the very beginning
but I've been with the band four years now. Scott [Scott Ian - Rhythm
Guitar] was pretty much the starter of the band. I think Charlie [Charlie
Benante - Drums] was the next one to come along. Then Danny [Dan Spitz - Lead
Guitar]. Franky [Frank Bello - Bass] was roadieing at the time and became
the bass player.
Is Frank, Charlie's nephew?
Uh hu. [yes]
Have you every had any classical training?
No, just chorus in high school that's about it. I just sign the records
that's all I do.
Who were some of your favorite bands when you were younger?
Mostly old stuff like Kansas, Yes, Bad Company, Journey, Foreigner, all the
Deep Purple, Rush. I like the older stuff more than the new.
Where did you get the idea for "NOT" and the "NOT man?"
[This is sort of a trademark to the band]
I remember one day we were in a store in Boston, and we see the
little doll. You ever seen the thing before? And then Island records had
put a thing out on Spreading The Disease that said "By George, I think he's
got it" and it was his face and figured we'd have him along with us basically.
Nothing really big, he just happened to be around us. He'll be in the new
video. The head.
How did you get the idea for the "I am the Man" signal?
Well, Scott and them all, they're into rap and stuff, and they wanted to
do a rap song of some sort. The chorus came from "Easy Money." You ever
seen the movie "Easy Money?" When the guy says "I am the man." We got the
chorus from that. I just figured on doing something a little different.
It was kinda risky at first, and we thought about doing it. I myself was a
little skeptical about it 'cause, you know, ya don't know how the kids are
gonna react, we kinda did it humorous enough so that it was funny. We weren't
making fun of anything. Some people get the impression we were making fun of
black people, or rap.
Did you have to pay royalties on the remake of "Sabbath Bloody
Sabbath?"
[Originally done by Black Sabbath]
Not that I know of. We just asked permission. For any of those songs we do
we just ask permission. Actually, I really don't know how that works. Rick,
do you pay royalties on stuff like that? [He turns to check with Rick Downey,
the tour manager and lighting director.]
Rick: Well, you get performance royalties. Ozzy will get some writers
royalties since he is the one that copyright it.
How does Steven King feel about you writing songs about his
books, and stories?
Well, he's actually got some of our albums. Ya have to ask his permission
for his words, too. The thing in the books and stuff. We consult him a lot.
We are going to be playing up by Portland, Maine and we hope he comes to one of
our shows.
And, "I am the Law?"
Yea, we had to ask permission for that, too. We were asking other stuff
too, we wanted to do an animated video. We had to get the rights to that.
Any time you're using someones shit you got to get permission of some sort.
You're asking for trouble if you don't.
How has the popularity that you guys our receiving lately changed the
band, like when you walk down the street?
It doesn't seem, to us, that it has advanced into something huge at this time
yet, we are still growing. We don't have a changed attitude about anything
really. It's just nice that things worked. We don't feel that things have
taken off so widely that we gotta change.
Do you get people coming up to you on the streets and...
Yea, sure, all the time, but as long as it's contained it doesn't bug me.
As long as people aren't being annoying, I like it. I don't care. I like to
be in the crowd as much as possible.
Are you going to stay on the opening status though this tour, or will you
headline?
We will headline. As soon as we're done with this Ozzy thing we'll go hit
Canada and come back to headline in the States.
Are you guys thinking about doing a live album any time soon?
No, we just got that live video that gonna be coming out around the first of
the year [for the song "Antisocial"]. We did it at the Hammersmith Odium.
There's really no need for a live album right now. You kinda use those live
albums for like a product when you're not putting anything out at the time,
or if you've already put a bunch of stuff out and it just time for a live
album. Who knows.
Maybe sometime in the future?
Oh yea, I'd like to do one.
What kind of furniture do you have in your living room?
Who me??? Just some stuff my mother put in there, your basic furniture,
nothing fancy really. Actually, one of those skip couches, a couple lazy boy
chairs.
It is obvious what the song "Indians" is about but what inspired you to
point out this problem?
When I first got in the band. Charlie used to call me indian Joe. He was
just fucken around with me, ya know. And then, Scott figured we should write
a song about it, you know, it's something to bring attention too, and it'd be
cool to write about, plus it would give us something to wear on stage.
Did you see the Poison video? C.C. was wearing the Indians hat.
No, the singer, Brett. Yea, I don't no why they were wearing that, but it's
cool. He likes our band.
Do you have any videos in the making?
Yea, we just finished "Antisocial."
Trust did that originally, right?
Yea, that's one of those songs that's kinda like off the wall. People don't
know about it. It just as well. Charlie and them all like Trust. I did that
one in French too.
Do you speak French?
No.
How involved do you want to get with your stage show?
The staging we have involves the show. It's good for the look too, ya know.
There's the stairs we run up and down. We don't have anything but stairs on
the side, that's all we got. There's a backdrop of the album cover. We
don't like to have too much 'cause we can't do our thing.
So you want to play the music more then show off a stage show?
You got to have something when you're playing, something cool to look at.
There's no bombs. It's just our album cover, our playground to run around
on.
Do you guys ever get nervous on stage?
Maybe the first five minutes or so. Well, I don't really, myself, anymore.
I feel so much more comfortable then I use to.
Photography credit: Thomas Huff
This interview courtesy of Tom and Joe for MetalWorx Radio,
©1988 Thomas Huff and Joe Carrigan.
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