ANTHRAX's SCOTT IAN: Why I Love Touring With SLAYER

November 8, 2018

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has told BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter" that he initially connected with the members of SLAYER nearly three and a half decades ago at a concert on the East Coast. "The first time we met, we were all hanging out at a MERCYFUL FATE show at L'Amour [in Brooklyn]; it would have been late '84, early '85-ish," he recalled. "They were in town, and I remember a bunch of beers, certainly with Jeff [Hanneman, guitar] and Tom [Araya, bass/vocals], I remember specifically having beers with them. And then the first time I saw them [perform] would have been right around that time too, I think at L'Amour in Brooklyn, and yeah, they were great. I'm pretty sure that's the show my brother broke his nose in the pit; he got slammed across the face [and was] bleeding and [he] left the pit. I went to check on him, and he's, like, 'My nose is broken,' and then five minutes later, he was back in the pit. I remember it being a great show and everyone in New York being very excited to see those guys."

Ian went on to say that SLAYER was "probably the last band" that he got in the moshpit for." I'm thinking even into the 2000s at some point, I think I still got in the pits for SLAYER; they were like the last band," he said. "I just couldn't control myself."

Scott said that he's had a fantastic time supporting SLAYER on the legendary thrash band's final world tour. "A lot of people have asked, 'Was there a weird vibe out there?' because it's part of the 'goodbye' tour and all this," he said. "And I'm, like, 'No.' There's no melancholy on a SLAYER tour; it just doesn't exist. It feels like any other tour we've ever done together; every band is just bringing their best every night. It sounds cliché to say that, but I think there's something about playing with a band like SLAYER, playing with a band like [IRON] MAIDEN — there's a short list of bands I could say that certainly give you that extra kick in the ass knowing that you're sharing the stage with these guys; like, you'd better be on fire. That's why I love touring with SLAYER, because it really keeps me focused. And I get to see SLAYER 30 more times."

This past January, SLAYER announced that it would do one last concert tour around the globe to thank its fans for all of their support over the years.

ANTHRAX is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "For All Kings", which came out in Februayr 2016. Its arrival followed a five-year period during which the band experienced a rebirth of sorts, beginning with ANTHRAX's inclusion on the 2010 "Big Four" tour with METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH, and continuing with the 2011 release of comeback LP "Worship Music".

Find more on Anthrax
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).