Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has opened up about performing through agonizing physical pain during the band’s recent Canadian tour alongside Megadeth and Exodus.
In a new interview with Australia’s Heavy, the 62-year-old musician was asked how his body was holding up as the band prepares to embark on a four-date Australian run later this month. He revealed that he sustained a debilitating back injury while performing under extreme weather conditions on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise in late January.
Detailing the harrowing experience, Ian explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“This is the first time I’ve ever had to answer that question this way. I injured my back. We were on the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise at the end of January. And there was freak weather down off of the coast of south Florida and out in the Bahamas where that boat goes usually. So it couldn’t cruise down to the Bahamas ’cause there was a bad storm. So we just kind of stayed off the coast of Florida — like 20, 30 miles off shore — and there was a freak cold weather s**t that happened. ‘Cause Miami, Florida that time of year should be 70, 75 degrees Fahrenheit. And it was in the 30s — it was snowing weather. And we’re out on the ocean, and the winds are blowing 40 miles per hour. And the second show we do on the boat on the Saturday night, you do it on the big pool deck. So there’s 3,000 people outside on the boat and you’re playing outdoors. And it was literally freezing f**king cold. And we tried to get them to change the schedule so we could play in the theater again, but they couldn’t move all the schedule around. And we didn’t wanna play in the freezing cold, ’cause it obviously makes it very difficult, and for the fans. But all the fans were out there, so we’re, like, ‘Well, they’re out there. We’re not gonna cancel.’ So we played. And we are very physical performers. I move around quite a bit on stage, jumping, stomping; I’m all over the place. And there was no way for my muscles — even though I warmed up, my muscles never warmed up. And by the end of the next day, after playing that show in the cold, my back went out, and I could barely walk for a week probably. I couldn’t tie my shoes. I couldn’t f**king put pants on. I never had pain like that, back spasms like this. It was insane.”
Despite the severe injury, the guitarist proceeded to fulfill his demanding touring schedule. After a stint in South America with Mr. Bungle, he powered through the Anthrax dates in Canada by relying heavily on daily physical therapy.
“I finally got home, ’cause I had to go down to South America after that and finish these Mr. Bungle shows. And I was flying these 10-hour flights and I couldn’t even move, dude. I couldn’t move. It was agony. And it’s been five weeks now. [Anthrax] just did this whole run through Canada [with Megadeth and Exodus], every night on the tour seeing massage therapists, seeing f**king osteopaths, anything to get me through the show every night. And at my best on this Canadian run, I was maybe 40%. I couldn’t jump. I couldn’t stomp my feet. If anything, maybe my playing was better, ’cause what else [can I do]? I headbanged harder, because it didn’t hurt for me to headbang,” he said.
Looking ahead to the upcoming Australian tour kicking off in Brisbane, Ian expressed optimism regarding his recovery, while also empathizing with former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who recently announced his retirement from live performances due to physical limitations.
“Right now — I got home and I’ve been seeing a physical therapist and I leave in a week to fly to Australia, and I’m definitely better than I was a week ago. And I’m hoping another week will go by, and so by the time I get on stage in Brisbane [for the first show of the Australian tour], I’m hoping I will be somewhere in the 70, 75% of what I should feel like range, ’cause I don’t wanna re-injure myself, obviously. And, dude, I take care of myself. I work out regularly, and have for the years, all because I want to be able to perform at the level I want to be able to perform at. I know what I can do and I know the show I wanna give to a crowd.”
He continued: “You probably saw it, Dee Snider from Twisted Sister announced a few weeks ago he was retiring because he feels like physically he can’t put on the show he wants to put on for an audience, and I totally understand that. It was so hard some nights in Canada. The audience doesn’t know I’m up there with f**king spasms running down my leg in the middle of the show. They don’t know, ’cause I’m just up there headbanging and if I’m making a face, they just think it’s ’cause I’m metal, not ’cause I’m in pain. They don’t know. And I’m up there doing my best. But I know. And I would try and do something, and I would get a spasm and it’d be, like, ‘Nope, can’t do that.’ And it’s really frustrating.”
Concluding his thoughts, the guitarist emphasized the absolute necessity of physical maintenance for aging musicians, praising Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna for his exceptional dedication to vocal preservation.
“I’m hyper aware of having to take care of myself. We all are. We all are. Joey [Belladonna, Anthrax singer] takes such good care of his throat, and that’s why you’ve got a guy who was in his early sixties who still hits every note. We don’t have to drop our tunings. The guy is in that rare air of dudes that age who could still sing like that. And it’s not just because of f**king magic; it’s because he takes care of himself. And that’s what you have to do.”
In related news, the long-awaited new Anthrax studio album is tentatively scheduled for a May release in North America via Megaforce Records, and in Europe through Nuclear Blast. The record saw the band reuniting with producer Jay Ruston—who previously helmed 2011’s Worship Music and 2016’s For All Kings—with mixing and recording sessions taking place at Dave Grohl‘s Studio 606 in Northridge, California.
