ANTHRAX's FRANK BELLO: 'I Feel Bad For The Bands That Are Starting Out Now'

May 6, 2016

Evie Star of Evie Star Music conducted an interview with ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello at this year's Welcome To Rockville festival, which was held Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 at Jacksonville, Florida's Metropolitan Park. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked what advice he would give to new rock bands on how to get ahead in the music business, Bello said: "It's harder now than ever, from what I can see. 'Cause I know; I'm in a band that's been around for thirty years, and I see how hard it is for us. So I feel bad for the bands that are starting out now because there's no outlets, and the only way you can do this is get on any show you can get. Just play your ass off, as we did. You have to get in a van, travel for one show, get on the road, and whatever you can do to promote your band and get that vibe going and that buzz. [There's] gotta be fire in your gut. We all have this fire in our gut, like, 'This has gotta come out. I've gotta get this out.' And it comes out in our music. That's gotta feed you to stay on the road, to really do what you've gotta do, 'cause, look, you're gonna smell, you're gonna stay in the back of that van, and you're gonna be hungry."

He continued: "I remember in the early days [of ANTHRAX], [we were getting] five dollars a day, even when we had a record deal. Five dollars a day to eat, and that was breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that had to really last you, and at the end of the day, it did last you, so you picked a meal. So it was McDonald's, Burger King, blah blah blah. But that's the way it works. It's all about the fire in your belly and believing in what you do. It's tough, but if you really want it…"

Bello said that he is very supportive of the newer bands and is always willing to offer words of encouragement to the up-and-coming acts. "I want the next generation to please do it," he said. "I want the next generation [to succeed], 'cause I wanna be inspired. I love helping bands. If I can give any kind of knowledge that I've gottan [and] push it forward."

ANTHRAX's latest album, "For All Kings", came out on February 26 via Megaforce in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe.

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