Former Anthrax vocalist John Bush is preparing for a trio of special headline shows next month dedicated to his era with the thrash legends, but the setlist planning has taken an unexpected turn due to fan feedback.
In a new interview with Full Metal Jackie, Bush revealed that he and his wife have been tracking song requests on social media. To his surprise, the most requested track isn’t one of the era’s major singles, but a deep cut from 2003’s We’ve Come for You All that the band rarely touched live.
“It’s funny. I’ve gotten a lot of requests for the song ‘Strap It On,’ which is funny ’cause I don’t think we ever played that back in the day on the We’ve Come for You All Tour because that was the record it was on,” Bush admitted (via Loudwire).
The overwhelming demand for “Strap It On” is particularly ironic given the band’s internal history with the song. Bush recalled that during the recording sessions, the track was a point of contention, with only drummer Charlie Benante truly championing it.
“I actually even told Charlie [Benante] about it, because that was a song that we kind of struggled with when we were recording that album,” Bush said. “Not everybody was on board at the time, and he kept going, ‘This is great! This is great!’ And couple guys in the band, you know, Scott, Frankie, myself, we were like, ‘What?’ And he was like, ‘No, that’s great. It’s great.'”
Decades later, it appears Benante‘s instincts have been vindicated by the fanbase.
“So, it’s kind of a nice feather in Charlie‘s cap, because back in the day, we weren’t even sure about ‘Strap It On,’ but a lot of people wanna hear it, so I guess I’m gonna have to relearn that one,” Bush confirmed.
The upcoming mini-tour promises to be a comprehensive celebration of Bush‘s tenure, featuring material from all four of his studio albums with the group: Sound Of White Noise, Stomp 442, Volume 8: The Threat Is Real, and We’ve Come For You All.
For fans of the Bush-era of Anthrax, the concerts offer a rare opportunity to hear these songs performed by a powerhouse lineup. Bush will be backed by his Category 7 bandmates: guitarist Phil Demmel, guitarist Mike Orlando, and drummer Jason Bittner. Handling bass duties will be his longtime Armored Saint partner and best friend, Joey Vera, who is filling in for Category 7 bassist Jack Gibson due to a scheduling conflict.
John Bush Solo Shows:
- December 13 – Whisky A-Go-Go – Los Angeles, CA
- December 18 – Arcada Theatre – St. Charles, IL
- December 20 – Racket – New York, NY
