«
»
F-F-F-Feudin'

JAMES HETFIELD, ALCOHOLIC, MAKES FUN OF LAYNE STALEY, JUNKIE

 Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 4:11pm by

This video is from ’94, but still… I’d never seen it before and found it, well, not funny, but, uh, interesting? Let’s say interesting.

I guess Cantrell and company weren’t too offended, though, ’cause in 2006, they performed with Hetfield:

So, yeah. That happened.

-AR

Thanks to Brandon Marvin for the tip.

Tags: , , , , ,
  • http://lavidastrangiato.blogspot.com/ Jake

    Didn’t the bassist of AIC write something like “Friends Don’t Let Friends Get ‘Friends’ Haircuts” on his bass right after “Load” came out?

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Guzmn/570745539 Daniel Guzmán

      Yeah they did it on the mtv unplugged, but in that same show they did a quick cover of enter sandman.

      • Slaughterhouse

        Funny shit! I love that video!!!!!!

  • Hammer_Smashed_Hurtt

    Hmm lets see, AIC is about to drop album of the year (i dont give a fuck ill say it over and over) after losing their original vocalist, persevered through that hell without the help of a fucking A-list celebrity shrink. They continue to write great music without the help of a fucking sham producer. Oh yes friends, ol’ Papa Het has strong legs to stand on.

    Ya i know its old, i just cant stand Metallica’s sense of Entitlement.

    They may have birthed it, but better bands have raised it.

    • http://buttor.blogspot.com Buttor

      Yeah, but Metallica will still sell way more records than AIC, so I gues they basically don’t give a shit…

      • off camber

        But so does Nelly so Nelly can talk shit and it’s fine?

  • http://uponwingsofblack.blogspot.com/ \m/Eluveitie\m/

    You’d seriously never seen this before til now?

  • http://www.solidsterecords.com NoCowNoFood

    Yeah but that joke was no beef they just did it for fun.. they still close friends. anyways Alcohol/ drugs same shit, same death walkaway/ thats Y James enTered Rehab if not it was going to be the same shit Metallica with a new Vocals.. I dont think so they prob change the name

    • http://www.kingdomofnoise.blogspot.com MetalMatt

      learn to use a keyboard.
      Yes, I’m a dick.

      • Double D

        I agree. It’s like there’s some hidden message in there somewhere…

    • hi my name is mark

      I have provided a translation:

      “Indeed, but this act was merely for the purposes of entertainment and would harbor no ill will towards the band Alice in Chains. However, the consumption of alcohol and drugs will inevitably lead to demise so it is better to turn away from these horrific vices. Sir Hetfield realized this and had decided to seek out (seek and destroy, I am chuckling at this quote) rehabilitation lest he would leave his bandmates Metallica to find a new vocalist. THat would be quite preposterous unless they were to go under a new pseudonym.”

      • http://www.last.fm/user/markandrew78 alexwank

        haha. nice
        You’re a credit to the name ‘Mark’

  • bucketochicken

    1994? C’mon, it’s not like they made shit out of him in June of 2002 or anything. And AIC (Jerry & Sean, anyway) and Metallica have always been pretty tight.
    I mean, yeah, I get it, sort of – in 15 year hindsight it’s not very funny and comes off as pretty hypocritical, I agree, given Het’s alcoholism and Kirk & Lars’ coke binges. But I mean, come on – Layne was still healthy-ish at the time and it was still neary a *decade* before he’d be found dead. And, let’s see… 1994… without looking it up, I’m guessing that’s right around the time AIC had to cancel the remainder of their headlining tour because Layne had collapsed on stage due to *ahem* “exhaustion.” I remember this pretty well, because I had tickets for that show and it was all cancelled only a week or two before. I never got to see them again after that.
    Anyway, I’m guessing that that is what they were poking fun at – his “exhaustion.”

    But you’re right – 15 years later it’s not so cute or funny.

  • Kyle

    I still remember seeing them do this at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta on the Summer Shit tour after Alice cancelled. Dunno if its the same show or not because I don’t recall the shoe incident. Could be though. I was like 15 and stoned out of my mind.

    • bucketochicken

      That’s def. the Sumemr Shit Tour – I remember Kirk’s faux-dreads/braids/things. Also, James intoduced “Seek & Destroy” the same way in Des Moines because they/he never fucking ever changed the stage banter ever. Probably because he was drunk. Or too preoccupied with trying to remember the exact techniques for pantomiming heroin useage.

    • braincake

      i was at that how as well i think…maybe it was binge and purge.

      was it candlebox and suicidal tendencies supporting?

      • bucketochicken

        It was Danzig & Suicidal. It was for our leg of the tour, anyway.

  • bucketochicken

    I must say that was a pretty good catch by Hetfield though.

    • You Suck

      Completely accidental though. It landed in his drunk ass ratclaw out of shear providence.

      • http://uponwingsofblack.blogspot.com/ \m/Eluveitie\m/

        “Shear Providence” is the name of a dog grooming place around here

        • bucketochicken

          They put Mutt Cutts out of business. It’s too bad too – the owners were gonna open a bitchin worm farm store. Instead they moved away.

          • http://uponwingsofblack.blogspot.com/ \m/Eluveitie\m/

            Ain’t that the same old story, fuck these are hard times

          • Hammer_Smashed_Hurtt

            Win sir! +1

        • You Suck

          On “Sunrise Island”?

          • Slaughterhouse

            hahaha

  • http://www.bayareametalscene.com DS

    Metallica bag on other people all the time. Lame.

  • You Suck

    Why oh why couldn’t that ol’ bus roll have “KIlled ‘em All”?

    • Mike2

      you’d be listening to rap music, because the influence of Metallica wouldn’t have been the same…

      • SourDeez

        Rap > Metallica

      • You Suck

        No, I already do that. My musical tastes aren’t nearly as one-sided as most of the folks on this site. I just happen to love metal above all other genres of music.

  • http://www.kingdomofnoise.blogspot.com MetalMatt

    Metallica make it easy to dislike them as people. Not funny now, and I wouldn’t have found it funny then either.
    RIP Layne.

    • Noreen62

      Yeah, I completely agree. Not funny. Not funny at all. In fact, the more I think about it, the more it just amazes me how ignorant some people are.

      RIP Layne….We love you.

  • http://myspace.com/inbetweenjobs SKlives

    Im buying the new Alice In Chains on the 29th. And I still havent bought death magnetic. Metallica’s best album was Garage days RE-visited, cause they didnt write any songs on it.

    • You Suck

      +!

  • No Name No Slogan

    It was 1994 get the fuck over it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paLlsEnOJyg

    Oh and “Black Gives Way to Blue” is a pretty good album but not as good as this site is making it out to be.

    • zhitnik

      +1. Love AiC to death but like most new stuff on this site, definitely much over-hyped. Definitely a few gems on it though…but just as many pedestrian tracks.

    • Double D

      AGREED! Holy Shit! I’ve listened to that whole record a few times and I like it. But, it is NOT (!) the album of the year by any means. It’s the best album put out by a classic metal band, Heaven and Hell and Metallica (plus others) couldn’t hold a candle to it. However, this site makes it seem like it’s this ridiculous comeback by a band that lost it’s heart and soul when a member died and blahblahblah. It’s a good record, especially good considering they haven’t put out a record in a long time. But that’s it.

  • uLy

    All that matters to me now is that Metallica has great bands openning for them, and in this way they still push the genre forward. As far as their music goes though…. they need to stop releasing new albums.

  • SourDeez

    I fucking hate Metallica.

  • Ryan

    I really love both bands here, but I am sure that Layne did something to deserve that. They had to drop off of that tour. I have no patience personally for dealing with Junkies.

  • DecrystallizingReason

    God he sucks live…I mean yeah, it’s been that way for most of my lifetime but shit, I can never get over how horrendous Hetfield’s live vocals are. You’d think that at some time in the last 15 years (at the very, very least) he’d have the wisdom to admit he can’t sing worth a shit and maybe he should work on improving that. Real musicians get better over time and never stop learning!

    • Double D

      He tried that. Which is why we now get “Country James Hetfield” whenever we hear him live.

      • Slaughterhouse

        Its sad!!!!!!!!!!!

      • dot

        i cringed every time his voice changed keys. you could tell william duvall was like “uh… ok. that was… something.” at the end.

    • http://www.last.fm/user/markandrew78 alexwank

      you’re deluding yourself if you think that most metal vocalists can replicate live what they do on record. hetfield is no more egregious than anyone else. sure, there are definite exceptions to this generalisation, but that’s why it’s called generalisation.
      tis a sad indictment indeed that they usually fail to reaching the dizzying heights of monotonic and unintelligible grunting that usually pass for ‘metal vocals’

  • Joe

    I hate Metallica because they have done way too much for this genre of music for anyone to like them. I mean look at Slayer. Constantly writing new and awesome material that doesn’t sound like anything they have ever played before. Kerry King is the best guitarist and the world and I would be happy to fellate him on any given day.

    /end sarcasm

    • Slaughterhouse

      Lol….until I read the last line my jaw was dropped

  • http://www.weakmusicforthomas.com Brandon Marvin

    Kill ‘Em All
    Ride The Lightning
    Master of Puppets
    Garage Days Re-revisted
    And Justice For All (although it needs bass)
    Death Magnetic (yeah, I fucking said it)

    Those albums are all fan-fucking-tastic, if I decided to like bands based upon their personalities, I probably wouldn’t have very many CD’s, I’d probably just own Death: Symbolic…because how do you not make an exception for that….? I love AIC, but I still hold a slight grudge against them for inspiring terrible bands like Godsmack. In fact, I hold a grudge against all of those Seattle bands for inspiring Nickleback and Creed. I will definitely be picking up the new AIC, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed thus far.

  • AM I INSIDE?

    “So I made a big mistake, I tried to be as good as Layne Staley and FAILED!” One, James is NOTHING when compared to Layne, and two, in MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION, nobody in Metallica matches the talent that is in Alice in Chains. Lars ain’t nothing when compared to Sean Kinney, and James and Kirk are nothing when compared to Jerry Cantrell. The only Metallica guys that have that kind of talent are Cliff and Jason. But then again, this is my own opinion.

    • Trux

      ….. but then again, thats how the world is…..

      Jerry Cantrell is the living genius that came from that grunge era and that blonde loser that only played three power chords over and over again is the one who gets the title of ” artist of the decade “, ” inspiration of a generation ” and all that mindless titles………..

  • Brandon

    What’s really funny is the fact that 4 years after this video was made, James and Jerry Cantrell played in studio together for the Garage, Inc. cover of “Tuesday’s Gone”.

    • Andy

      …and yet everyone is getting their panties in a twist about this!

      • huh?

        Cantrell also opened Metallica’s ’98 tour. Bogey Depot had just come out and Cantrell had Kinney on the drums. Good ass show, all around, except this weird dude on the keys.

        Metallica was sitting front row at AIC’s Unplugged (’96) with the new haircuts, which inspired Inez to write that shit on his bass. Can’t imagine this video did much of anything at the time so why give a shit about it now?

  • DJB

    Well they did this August 5th in Dallas at the Starplex as well and I was GD pissed that AIC wasn’t there. I cold give a rats ass if James mocked them, at least they were there. Such a freaking letdown, think you’re going to see AIC and Metallica and AIC bails, never got another chance to see them after that. I’m still pissed about it. Candlebox was GD lame. I do like me some ST though, was always great seeing those guys live, SUICIDAL!!!!

    Quit playing the victim card for Layne already, he was a damn junkie with an incredible voice, but still a junkie.

  • shawn

    man, they are just playing around. they have always talked highly of alice and chains and as a matter of fact I saw cantrell and co. as you put it with metallica in 97 or 98 so… not even as late as 2006. get over the butthurtness.

  • Benjamin

    If it had been after Layne died, it would be fucked up. But honestly, it’s not uncool to point out to someone
    HEY BRO YOUR KILLING YOURSELF WITH HEROIN ASSHOLE.

    Poor Layne. RIP.

    That aside, I never liked Metallica except for the Black Album. I thought that was some inspired writing.

    Testament anyday over Metallica.

    TESTAMENT!! \m/. SKOLNICK 4EVER .\m/

  • Noreen62

    Hetfield….what a DICK. Metallica….what a bunch of LOSERS.

    • NoOneUKnow

      Dude, you’re an idiot, Layne Staley was a junkie who didn’t fulfill his end of his touring obligation because he was in rehab, so F him. At least Hetfield showed up.

      • Noreen62

        f u

        • NoOneUKnow

          F me? What a well thought out response, but actually he did f me cause I bought tickets to this show when it was in Dallas hoping to see AIC and Metallica but old junkhead had to go back into rehab. So yeah f me, cause I got Candlebox instead, that is indeed a loss. But at least they were sober enough to show up to the gigs, I’ll give ‘em that.

          So how about you f off Mr, junkie apologist, all I hear is poor Layne this, poor Layne that, what happened to any accountability. Yeah, he had some demons and addictions, but who the hell doesn’t, fucking handle up on that shit.

          And if you’re going to fall off the wagon don’t schedule a summer tour and start your downward spiral right before it kicks off.

          ” After the release of Jar of Flies, Layne Staley entered rehab for heroin addiction. The band was scheduled to tour during the summer of 1994 with Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies, but while in rehearsal for the tour, Staley began using heroin again. Staley’s condition prompted the other band members to cancel all scheduled dates one day before the start of the tour, putting the band on hiatus.”
          http://past-is-now.blogspot.com/2009/10/alice-in-chains-jar-of-flies-1994.html

  • hetfield

    seriously my ears hurt

  • Linz

    Metallica, although do have some really good older stuff … are, and always will be 100% SELL OUTS ! ALL about the money… James of ALL people know ALL about addiction ( ummmmm documentary ). People are SO quick to call people “junkies” … but what you don’t understand is the true form of addiction, coupled with personal pain. Layne had even said himself he was not doing heroin to “get high” .. the man was dope sick …very big difference…. his own father ( who Layne wanted a relationship with all his life ) crawled out of the woodwork after Layne became famous, and then used him ( and turned him onto MORE heroin ).
    After seeing this video, I have lost what little respect I ever had for Metallica …. look at history, and how many famous and talented musicians have lost their lives to drugs…do you really think they wanted to?
    FFS. Just because you can make good music, are talented, and famous does not make you invincible.
    I just wish people could really understand what “addiction” is, and eve more so, the use of drugs for personal pain.
    Great for pretty boy James for getting sober after ???? years ? Pin a rose on his Fricken nose .. and do us all a favor, and stop being a freakin hypocrite !
    Ever notice that EVERYONE else is always wrong, and James is always right? pffffffff !
    GET OVER YOURSELF JAMES ! And have some freakin RESPECT to fellow musicians.
    You can only hope when you pass away one day that no one makes a freakin mockery of YOU like you have done to SOO many..
    ( has anyone seen the video with Meatilla where someone throws something on stage and James has a hissy pissy fit like a BABY … God the man makes me SICK !
    R.I.P Layne

    • NoOneUKnow

      I guess if you were depending on a person to be there to for the sumer tour and this person falls off the wagon right before the tour. You’d be ok with that if it was Layne and he’s such a great guy and all.

      James is a dick no doubt, but all you apologist for Layne probably haven’t been around any junkies, they aren’t the poor, poor victims you’re making them out to be.

      Be accountable for actions.

      • Linz

        I am by NO means defending “Junkies” … all I am trying to state is that addiction is a VERY big DEEP routed issue … IF… IF… heroin was not so powerful and addicting … there would not be all these overdoes and massive addictions…
        I disagree with you saying “Junkies are not the poor victims you make them out to be” … unless you yourself struggle with an addiction you could never truly understand what it mean or entails …
        People also use drugs for different reasons .. a lot of different reasons…

        Oneway or another…James IS an a**hole … so Layne fell off the wagon and had to cancel the tour … at least he did the RIGHT thing and went to rehab rather than attempt to do the tour and become worse..
        I work with sounds engineers .. of which did Meatilla’s sound … at that point, they had NO ONE opening for them, and in their minds, they don’t need an opening act….Cause you know, they are the best !
        Layne never ever ever denied his struggles with drug use .. A “junkie” is someone who will do anything and everything to get a fix … not lock themselves away for 2 years, and knowingly kill themselves
        Layne had everything a person could want … but what he lacked was love and compassion.
        And again, unless you have an addiction, you would never understand this …
        Towards Laynes last years, he knew he was dying … and wanted to. If he really wanted to quit an get clean…. he could have.

        When it comes to Heroin, there is NO way to be accountable for your actions, it takes over every inch of your being, and takes your sole. It gets to a point where you dont even “get high” but rather you boy “needs it” again, that is the difference between a Junkie and an addict.

        So AIL canceled the tour, they surly were not the first band to do that, and will NOT be the last … !

        All I can say is I have been out on tour with a LOT of bands < NOT a groupie !!! dated sound engineer … and it is NOTHING like you think…. again, you would never know unless you have lived it.
        The amount of drugs done/aviable on the road/tour are more than you could EVER EVER imagine, so again, Layne did the right thing ny canceling the tour … and trying to stay away from the temptatios on the road.
        Layne was ASHAMED of his drug addiction, and made that very clear, a lot more than I can say for a lot of other musicians/people.
        He was quoted as saying " I need heroin like a diabetic needs insulin"

        I could go on and on about this … all I am saying is you really need tp understand what addiction/dependency is, and you may be able to decipher the difference of a Junkie and an addict.

        Let me ask you all this: how would you all handle what happened to Layne with his father?
        His OWN father wouldnt talk to him for years…until he became famous… then USED the sh*t out of him to buy him drugs…at that point Layne had been off the drugs until his father came back into the picture….needless to say, his dad did end up kicking the habit , but Layne was to far gone.

        Layne also talked, and sang a lot about death, and dying. There are so many interviews out there with him saying it all …

        Layne was SO ashamed of his addiction, he cut himself off from Everyone for years … what does that tel you?

        Same story with Mike Starr… his own father was the one who kept him going with the drugs..
        Yes, either way James is a total cocky a$$, and had NO right to Mock Layne like that (or anyone … and then to add insult to injury… go and sing and AIC song just pisses me off like NO other…

        Depression and drugs do not mix, it will numb the mental pain for awhile.. but eventually does not work anymore.

        He knew he was killing himself/ and dying… and he choose to die. Very very sad.

        A lot of these famous people who have died of drug overdose could have quit sure if they really wanted to … but your missing the point … they all wanted to die. Whether it be by drugs, guns, or however…
        James is also a TERRIBLE live singer…. no one mentions that…. !

        NO matter what you wanna call it, junkie, addict,,,,etc, James had NO NO NO right doing that, s I have said, there is an unwritten rule umung musicians…jyou just DON”T do something like that ….
        Should we all lauph at James for being a raging alcoholic, a poser. and a hypocrite…. all Im sayin it..it was UNCOOL…!

  • Linz

    NOT EVEN TO MENTION THAT JAMES canceled a lot of scheduled recording time etc .. was supposed to be in Rehab for 6-9 weeks, and turned into over 9 Months … and even says ” Duhhh I only thought people who used drugs and heroin were “addicts” James was/IS a full blown addict himself ….

    I am not defending addicts or Junkies.. or Layne … I’,m just saying Layne did the right thing at the time for him to cancel the tour ..you have NO NO NO NO idea what it is like on the road … the drugs are non stop, not to mention you don’t even know what your getting from state to state …

    I’m just saying that James is a complete and total A$$ …and it makes me sick to not only sing with AIC, but also hug everyone ….

    What do you think would happen if anyone ever made fun of him like that on stage about his struggles with drinkin ….

  • NoOneUKnow

    If I had known you had such a wet spot for that junkie I wouldn’t have said anything, chill out, no need to right a fucking book about it.

  • TracyStone

    dude you’re obviously too dense. Linz is right, and I agree with her whole heartedly. As a heroin addict myself (I’m in recovery.) I have quite some clean time but I still am humble to the power of the disease of addiction. you become not yourself. And by the way, FUCK METALLICA….MEGADETH!