SLAYER Guitarist Says 'Everyone Is Completely Into The Idea' Of More 'Big Four' Shows

Peter Atkinson of KNAC.COM recently conducted an interview with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

KNAC.COM: Given his neck surgery, how has Tom [Araya, SLAYER bassist/vocalist] been holding up with the busy tour schedule you've had and will have?

King: He's done fine, so far. He's not headbanging. He can't. I've been telling him once he gets comfortable in his new skin he's gonna outlast all of us, because we're beating ourselves up every day.

KNAC.COM: Because Tom can't be as much of the focal point as he used to be, do you and Jeff [Hanneman, guitarist] feel the need to compensate, do a little bit extra onstage to make up the difference?

King: I think we've always done the same show, more or less. We're not the kind of band that runs around on ramps or has a lot of fancy stage moves or does any of that stuff. We focus on playing as hard as we can and being as tight as we can. I don't think there's any more that we can do, but I am conscious that he [Tom] can't, so maybe I do try to make a little bit more of a spectacle of myself, without being retarded. When it comes for us having to up the ante, I don't think there's any more ante to up (laughs). You know what I mean?

KNAC.COM: Maybe it's time to bust out lasers or something?

King: Probably not (laughs),because METALLICA just did that and we don't want any comparisons, "Oh, there just doing that because they saw METALLICA doing it."

KNAC.COM: I guess that would lead to the obvious next question, what did you think of the shows you did with them and the "Big Four" [METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX]?

King: They were exceptional, it was awesome. The funny thing about it is we go over there thinking it's going to be all of us together on one stage and there were some shows where MEGADETH and ANTHRAX were on different stages than us and METALLICA, which kind of defeats the purpose of calling them "Big Four" shows. But the ones where it was ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, us and METALLICA, they were great.

KNAC.COM: I asked Joey Belladonna from ANTHRAX about the possibility of American shows and he said all the bands were into the idea. Is that your take?

King: It's hard to say because there are so many logistical things that have to happen. It's hard enough just getting two bands together, never mind four bands that are used to headlining individually. So just making all the shit happen will be hard. But when the "American Carnage" tour came through San Fran a week or so ago, we saw Lars [Ulrich] and James [Hetfield, from METALLICA]. The bands are definitely getting along and as far as I'm aware everyone is completely into the idea.

KNAC.COM: All the reports I saw from the "Big Four" shows made them seem like a big old love fest.

King: I don't know if I'd quite call it that (laughs). But despite all the shit that's gone back and forth between people, between the different bands over the years, especially in the press, it's funny what happens when you get everyone together in one place. I think everyone wanted to get along, so it was cool.

KNAC.COM: Since next year is the band's 30th anniversary, do you have anything special in the works?

King: We have no plans yet, but that doesn't mean something won't happen. It seems like everything we've done over the past few years has been special for one reason or another: the "Reign [in Blood]" shows with the blood showers were pretty cool, touring with Manson a couple times was fun, the "Big Four" shows, the tour we've got coming up. So it's getting harder and harder to top what we've already done. Maybe we'll think of something.

KNAC.COM: Since you mentioned some of the high points, what would you say have been some of the lowest points of your long career?

King: Changing drummers five-six times wasn't much fun. Probably the worst was waiting for Tom to get healed from surgery. We've got the new album set, we're already to go and everyone's fired up to have SLAYER tour the globe and then we're sitting there with our thumbs up our asses for six-seven months. But you gotta do what you gotta do, and Tom had to get himself fixed up so he could keep doing this. So now we're making up for that.

Read the entire interview from KNAC.COM.