HardLore - ANDY WILLIAMS: Every Time I Die, AEW, & The Parallels Between Music & Wrestling (4K Re-Upload)

Episode Date: September 7, 2026

Rest in peace to the universally beloved Andy "The Butcher" Williams of Every Time I Die, Atomic Rule and All Elite Wrestling. When it comes to leading by example, Andy was THE ultimate example to follow from the moment you met him. A beacon of kindness, the benchmark of cool, and an unbreakable pillar of love and support to everyone in his life. To know Andy was to love Andy, but more importantly, to know Andy was to feel loved by Andy.Andy was our second ever guest on HardLore, and technically our 3rd ever recorded episode. In his honor, we've upscaled this original episode to 4K to preserve this important conversation in the highest possible quality. We will love and miss Andy forever and I can't wait to hear the band that he and Bo will surely be working on. Goodbye my friend.Originally aired May 11th, 2022:"Colin and Bo welcome Andy Williams to the show to recount some of his favorite tour stories, from his early days touring with Buried Alive, his long tenure with Every Time I Die, and how he went on to be able to balance his music career with wrestling full time for AEW as half of The Butcher and The Blade."__________00:00:00 - Remembering Andy Williams00:05:29 - 10 Bell Salute00:05:58 - HardLore Episode 4: Andy Williams00:07:01 - The Parallels Between Music & Wrestling00:11:53 - What Set Andy on a New Path00:17:13 - Andy & Buried Alive00:22:54 - Andy's Music Taste Refining00:30:08 - Andy Asks the Worst Places We've Stayed On Tour00:35:22 - ETID's 1 Star Hotel Gimmick00:39:19 - Andy Tour Stories00:48:04 - Balancing AEW & ETID00:52:32 - Andy Loves Little Gear Now, Tour Stories Cont.00:58:29 - Wrestlers and Their Musical Interests01:03:27 - Wrestling Is Songwriting01:11:16 - ETID Setting the Example For Touring Bands01:16:45 - Andy on the End of ETID

Hello, welcome. It's Hardlore Time. How you doing, Bo? And how you doing, Andy? Yesterday, we learned of the sudden and tragic passing of the great Andy Williams, aka the butcher. The word legend gets thrown around a lot, but with Andy, it is the first and foremost adjective I would use to describe him. A pioneer in extreme underground music with every time I die, and the ultimate example, of it never being too late to follow your dreams with his work in AEW as the butcher. In the words of every time I die's former manager Biggie, Andy was universally loved. And he made me and so many others feel like nothing was impossible in their creative pursuits. He was often the first text you'd get when you made something new.

And even when surrounded by historic music figures and wrestlers, he was somehow the coolest person in the room. Andy was our second guest ever on the show. It was technically the third episode ever recorded. And we had 200 viewers a week at that point. And it was like, no-brainer, yes, of course I'll do it, guys. Every time I die had just broken up, it was a very sore sensitive subject. It was one that we did not even think about treading, but he talked about himself in this episode. This is hard.

I don't think I've even begun to process this person no longer being here. I went to my first PWG shows with him. He was Disharmony's first and only fan. He made me feel like it was going to be the biggest record in the world, so thank you for that, Andy. More than anything, I just hope people see. I mean, I don't need to hope because you can see how cool he is. You can see how kind he is. He, for the table was his philosophy.

You go share a meal with your friends. You order every appetizer. You get every dessert for the table. And it's such a simple window into the kind of person he is. Why would you not make the most of every moment spent with your friends? I think Andy, and maybe it didn't hit me till now, was the first person in like a huge band to treat me and Bo like peers.

And I know it's the same for Brody and wrestling. You hear all these stories about like Batista and Diamond Dallas Page starting wrestling late. Like Andy is one of those names. He got signed to AEW when he was what? 43? 44?

He had his two recent pitches to me. This is unbelievable. First one was he wanted to do a band with me, Brody, and him all singing. And his vision was it to sound like loyal to the grave by 25 to Life. And it was like, yeah, as soon as I finish this record, we'll start on that. His other pitch was writing an Allison Chain style EP for Jeff Hardy's to sing on.

And I said, yes. Never happened. So I hope that he and Bo are working on that together now And whenever I see them again, we'll finish that He was so kind, man And he didn't need to be, you know You can ask a lot of the bands that are big right now Ask to knock loose about Andy Williams You know, they'll probably tell you he

Where would they be without him? He made every room he was in a better place This is such a choppy edit because I just keep stopping to cry. I'm going to have a lot more to say about Andy later. I'm just so blown away. I'm in shock. But I hope you enjoy spending this time with myself and Andy and Boe in our third episode ever. And I think he was the number one return guest request from both us and from the fans.

Sadly, that could not happen. So Stephen and I have worked on upscaling and restoring this episode to the highest possible quality to preserve him and the highest possible quality, which he was forever. Andy Williams, we love you, we miss you, and we celebrate you forever. And welcome to Hard Lour Stories from Tour. It's Not Fest, Baby. Episode four.

Yeah. I think we're taking the numbers out of the titles. Well, because it's going to get confusing. Who do we got today, Colin? Oh, my God. We've got the universally beloved music and television star Andy Williams. Andy, thank you. You're looking good then.

Yeah, real cool. Where are you at? Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Delicious. You going to Jimmy's famous seafood tonight or what? I was hoping so, but I got in late and then I had to do this five. But I don't know. I'm sure tomorrow I will eat some sort of Jimmy seafood.

I'm pretty sure. Okay. I've never had it. It's like the American Ribeira. It is. American Ribeira is a great comparison. They need a Jimmy Seafood jacket. I would love to wear one.

I know for a fact that you would. I know. You know, the parallel, I feel like music and wrestling are kind of the two worlds where touring is like, an absolute certainty. I have one more. Stand up comedy. Stand up comedy.

All three are like the exact same. But stand up comedy, I mean like save for like Dane Cook physically. Because he's putting his body on the line every time he's up there. People want to count. But like wrestlers and musicians, we are, I mean, wrestlers more so obviously, but we're beating the shit out of ourselves every time we're up there.

So just like like a regular person. If they felt what it felt like to just be in your body for a day, I feel like they'd feel. When I was like touring and wrestling at the same time, that would be, if I could transfer that pain to someone, they would be like, dude, you're insane. You're an insane human being. So, yeah. Now I'm like glad that like touring is kind of off for a bit. Well, because you're, you're touring. I am.

Yeah. I just do it one day a week, though. awesome. How cool is that? That's the best part. It was when I saw, the first time I went to like an, like an indie thing, Brody was wrestling in Chicago for, this is progress, progress. Yeah, yeah. Progress, yeah. I remember that. And yeah. And, and, um, I realized like, oh, he's selling T-shirts. He's watching the everybody else work. Like, it's, it's literally just like, oh, this, this is like touring. Like, yeah. It's the same shit. It's fun.

Like Colin, I don't know if you've made it to a show yet, but like the old PWG was like exactly a hardcore show or a punk show or a metal show. Like it was just like, and I remember like the first time I had went to a PWG, like I didn't, I didn't really have any ambition to like wrestle in a ring in front of a crowd. I just wanted to kind of like bump around for like Pepper and the boys in Buffalo and that's it. And then I remember I went to a PWG show in like, like, it was like 2014 or something like that. And it was just like, oh my God, here are my people. Like I, this is what I want to do.

This is this is what I want. And it was exactly the same thing. When I went to my first like punk show, like what I knew what I was going to see, you know what I mean? It wasn't just like, oh, here's like some friends playing in like a garage or something like that at a party. It was like, you know, sick of it all. I went, you know what I mean? I remember like that show there was just like just mayhem I'd never seen before. And then it was like, oh, wow, I know these.

This is like, I don't know these people, but like I kind of know these people. But I already am them in a way. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I, you know, aside from going to like WWI show when I was a kid and then going to like a couple of AEW things, I went to a, um, a GCW thing in like a, in like a, it's out in the burbs here in like a, like an indoor soccer place. And it was like, people are sitting on whatever. People are, I saw friends who I hadn't seen in years.

Yeah. And we all kind of shared this thing. And they were like, what are you doing here? And I was like, what are you? You know, it's a very, it's such a weird band diagram of like crossover. And you're finding yourself like directly in the middle. Yeah. Well, the good thing is that, like, anyone who's written a song can wrestle a wrestling match.

It's very similar to, like, putting a song together is just like putting a wrestling match together. There's ups and downs and peaks and valleys. And you can't really, yeah, it really is. It's exactly like, I'm on this, that thing I was telling you about off camera, a podcast I'm going to do is essentially that is where it's like, like crossing the world of like music with. wrestling and like other art forms that literally are exactly the same it's just we all speak a language and like like bow like you and i know guitar like that's a language that we speak Colin knows like a hundred different fucking languages because he knows every fucking instrument and like wrestling is a different language and like it's dude it's crazy how like the

similarities and it's like without a guitar i can go in there and play a song with a dude's body and he can do the same thing with mine and it's it's it's it's the same like kind of thing like when you when you put a match together that structure like every great match has an amazing mash part basically a hundred percent a hundred percent always when i first met you andy yeah i think it was like 2010 2011 you know so this is pre like the like inner the like social media new japan boom of like kentine the bucks and stuff so me just mentioning to you like hey i like wrestling you were like you what do you mean like yeah like you like you like you like you gave it a shot but hurt your knee at some point so like yeah you had already

ruled it out yeah and now here you are yeah it's about to eat jimmy seafood with the fresh new jacket on baby yeah that's what i'm trying to just fill my face with seafood and uh never think about that like that is like uh i don't know man it was there there was like something that happened in england with a fight and it was like the first time i'd gotten like beat up in a long time like i'd gotten beat up in a at that time i didn't give a shit about my body i was literally just stoked about being like a fat guitar player in a band and i just kind of let myself go and i remember like a fight happening where like i got hit with a bottle i got kicked in the face and i remember like after the fight i was just like, well, that's never going to happen again. And I, like, got home. Uh, I think, like,

Grappler's Anonymous opened, like, not that far after that, but I had been, like, working out and then going to California and training with Josh Barnett and, like, just doing stuff like that where, like, I was just going out and rolling with them. And then we would kind of, like, break into, like, little pro wrestling things. You know what I mean? And then he was kind of showing me the ropes. And like I said, I was going out to California. And then when I went to that PWG show, it was just like, all right. That's it. This is it.

Oh, that's so cool. Yeah. Well, I have a excellent story that ties all together. You got a story, Bo? Yeah, I got a story, but it's directly tied. There we go. All right. All right.

So the year is 2003, I believe, maybe 2002. I'm a freshman. Can't drive. Chris Mills is a sophomore. It doesn't have his license yet. My dad picks us up and drives us into the city. to the fireside to see American nightmare

every time I die suicide file hope conspiracy yeah first hardcore show ever yeah but I was like a huge

for whatever reason I was a huge American nightmare guy at the time I was like fucking obsessed and I liked all the other bands it was the first time I had like heard or seen every time I die

and like yeah I was so obsessed with getting a good spot for A.N. that I was like I have to be up front. I was like 14, you know. Yeah. And Jordan was almost hitting me with his guitar, like, scary.

And that was the first time where I was like, oh, the bands can be scary, too. Yeah. That's something. Haven't thought about that one. And then the whole A& set, I just knelt on the stage and tried to grab West's hand the entire time to grab the mic. I was fucking, I was a punisher. And then, Colin, you'll love this.

then outside Chris and I were talking to Jared Alexander who like I didn't realize but Chris being a drummer was like oh my God right and he was like yeah I just got done recording the new throwdown LP which was Haymaker

it's crazy blah blah blah and we were like oh wow and I went Jason Alexander isn't that the Seinfeld guy and he went no no it's Jared and I said oh man sorry about that hey can I use your cell phone and I used his cell phone to call my dad. Awesome. Awesome.

You, dude. I was just like a terrible punisher the whole fucking night. Have you ever told him that's? So I've only met Wes or no, I've never met Jared Alexander. Yeah. I met Wes like way later on and I just didn't want to bring it up. Of course. So long ago. I was actually before we started, I was, there's a picture of me, a little edge hoodie trying to grab Wes. It was. I love that. But like, you know that he, but like, I remember

seeing you and I remember thinking like that's a big man. I'm a, that's a large man on that stage. Yeah. 2003 too. I was, I was pretty skinny of that time. But you're tall.

You've always like, yeah, right? That I remember Chicago used to be terrifying to me because that was the only other place where there were big people. Yeah. Yeah. Like everyone.

You had like Luke from the killer and I mean, Remus was a maniac at that time. There was like a bunch of, yeah, there was a bunch of Shane Cynacrosis. I could. I mean, Shane still books like 90% of all the hardcore shows here. Good. You know, and there are, what's funny about shows like that too is like, that was a sold-out show at the fireside, which they would like, they would, it was a bowling alley, Colin. So like, they would let people like basically be on the lanes fill over.

So there really wasn't like a cap. That sounds so slippery. It was awesome. It's our like CBs. Like you can find AFI playing there, Utah today, or maybe shelter like later, you know,

but blah, but like every band has to be a story. Please. You have a story? I have a buried alive. I have a buried alive story from Fireside. So at the time, Charlie Mark couldn't tour.

So I always toured. I always toured with buried alive. And then he kind of took my spot when like Eton, kind of started like doing things but like I remember at that show I remember walking in I was terrified because it was a fireside bowl and like you said it was kind of like Chicago's like CBGB so it's kind of intimidating and like I can't remember the show I think like maybe margher played the show or so I can't remember the show but it was definitely buried alive

um all out war someone else possibly turmoil that's a gig man anyways yeah yeah yeah Put that at MSG this year. Dude, before package touring, like before package touring, shows were so cool. And it was kind of like gambling like a casino because like you won, there was no internet. So like you literally were just riding up to a show and then you'd be like, holy shit, like turmoil's on the show. Like you know what I mean? Like it just would happen and you'd be like, oh wow, I get to see all these cool bands. But this day isn't about any of that.

it's about Vogel like yelling at me like a child that one like the first time I'd ever been yelled at and mind you there's like times where me and Vogel have almost fought like I would I'd probably say about 20 different times where like we were literally red in the face and it's just because we like love each other so much and like I want to kill him a lot of times but um this time I remember like I was 17 years old and I started touring with them like 17. You were his young boy. What was that? You were his young lion.

Straight up. Literally, I was a young boy. So, like, I remember, like, getting the merch in there, putting it on the ground. The other bands had their spot. And obviously, that's fucking intimidating. You're a 17-year-old kid, and you're, like, seeing bands that you love. Yeah. And you have to go up to him and be like, hey, man, can you, like, make room for me?

Right. Well, I didn't know any of that etiquette. This is, like, five shows in or something like that. But I'm, like, finally touring for the first time. And I look over, I grab Vogel and I go, dude, I don't know where I put this merch. And he just grabs me. He goes, hey, I brought you on tour to do fucking merch. You do the fucking merch.

Go fucking take care of it. And I was like, like, I immediately, like, got mad and I was like, and I remember, like, going to, like, Joe Orlando and that. Like, the other dudes in Fair Live being, like, I'm mad right now and I don't know what to do. Like, I don't know where to put this fucking merch. There's no room for it. blah blah, like not understanding that you could just go up to a human being and say like, hey man, can I just get like a little bit of room here? I had no idea.

I didn't know the etiquette. But that was like the first time Vogel ever yelled at me. And I remember being like, it was in the fireside bowl. Like you know when you like walk in and then right to the right where there's like little benches? Yeah. And I'm stinging there like that. And I just dude red face tears in my eyes like.

Oh. Like I wanted to kill him. But at the same time, like looking at Scott Vogel. You know what I mean? Like at that time, he was like, I don't know, he was our Hogan. You know what I mean? He was Buffalo's Hogan. Absolutely.

He still is. He's Buffalo's Hogan. And he moved away. And now he's back. And now he's back. You ever seen? But unfortunately, no, every single time we like try to hang out, something happens. Later on, being in a band with War Chief after he was done touring with Buryde Alive was very

reminiscent of that experience every single day. Yeah. I can only imagine. I met Scott way later in his life, you know. Yeah, I do too. He's just like... He never yelled at you guys? He's never yelled at me.

I've only toured with him once, and it was, I've never worked for, I'm like one of like eight people in L.A. who's never worked for terror. Yeah. That are 30 and up. Dude, I've worked for terror. See? Yeah.

And everyone's worked for terror. One of me, buried alive. Everyone's worked for four. Sure. Yeah, the Vogel enterprises, you know. I met Scott, like, we were both on the same diet at the same time. So, and I met him way earlier, but this, we got to a point where there was like three months where I hung out with Scott every day. Yeah. Like it's just like you're going to eat. Like, I'm like the same guy as then.

Right. So it's pretty funny. Yeah. Did you guys do anything cool when you hung out? We hiked every day. That's the story? We hiked every. Like me, he would be like, what do we like? You know, or like, what do we hate?

Like at the beginning of every hike. Everything. And then you get like the random like words that he makes up. And he's just asking you a question. You're like, oh, am I choice today or am I moist? I don't know. Or 10 seconds of silence and then just him being like, I'm moist. Yeah.

When we first toured with them and we were talking about like, he found out that I was like, me and James were like youth crew kids on this first tour we did with them, but like huge. He had two iPods with him on this 2011. Two normal ass iPods

and he made us take them for the drive. Yeah, he has everything on there. They're shit in here. You're never going to hear. It was just like, listen to that. And James and I were like, okay. That was, he was always choked. I do have to say this.

Like, Colin, you and I had this conversation before where I was like, I don't know if I was asking you or you are, I was asking you or you about your brother about listening to bands who are like heavy but not heavy. And I remember like throwing you some bands and I remember you being like, I mean, I think I would take a chance my brother would never listen to that. Like I remember that. So this story is like that buried alive was like kind of what you were saying, Bo like when I, When I first started touring with Buried Alive, I was like, if it wasn't from New York City, I just didn't want anything to do it. So it was just every New York band. And then obviously I liked some like weirder stuff, but like not like it was majority like,

you know, New York hardcore and like that was a majority of or anything from the East Coast. And I remember touring with them and I remember like them listening to like the turn or like turning point stuff when the guys like sold out. And then being like, holy shit. behind these walls might be the greatest hardcore song of all time. Of all time. So it got to a point where we would listen to that song every single day. So as soon as we got in the van, we would turn that song on and we were doing it.

And then I was listening to like melodic like vocals for the first time. And then like the other dudes were listening to like Chamberlain and like stuff like that. And I was forced to listen to like music with melody. And I remember being like in the van just being like, oh, not that. again and that was the time where you had to have like a CD walkman with like a huge booklet of like CDs right and then you had to have money for batteries and like there'd be times where the batteries would be dead you know what I mean just shit like that like and I'd just be sitting in the van and then like listening to music that I never would listen to and then going home and being like well

I have to go to the store and buy that record now and like buying like a dude radiohead records and like weird just shit I never would listen to. Was the illusion shattered a bit? Like Scott Vogel listening to nothing but hot water music for 30 days, I'm sure. Was that like, wow? I mean, a little bit, but it wasn't like, I think I was always kind of a little almost famous about touring. Like when I was a kid, I was always so like in one.

I'm still like that to this day. Like, I'm 44 years old. And like, every single time I head to an arena, like, I'm like, I like walk around like a child like looking at it. everything I possibly can. I'm like, you know what I mean? So like I was a little more like, I was just a little more like in wonder of like the whole situation and like

documenting it in my head as much as I possibly could. You know what I mean? So there was just weird things that I like would take about touring with Baird Alive where like like I remember knocking a dude out somewhere. I'm moshing. Like I had blah blah, blah. You know what I mean? But I remember he, this guy.

was the Hogan of whatever scene this was. And I was like, just standing in the middle of the pit. I remember like, Scott saying over the mic, like, hey, the song goes out to our merch guy, Andy. I just please go behind the merch right now. And then like going behind the merch and then the entire show wanting to beat me up. And then like getting thrown in a van and then like being scared like, oh my God, I have to go back to that city in like two months or whatever.

And I remember like going back with every time I die. and this one dude was on the side of the stage just staring at me the whole time and I'm just like, oh my God, like these dudes are going to beat me up. And then it was this dude's band played next. And then he grabs the mic and he's like, he points me out. And then apparently the dude who I knocked out had done something really sketchy in the time period that I had been there. And the entire crowd like cheered for me knocking this guy out like five years. years before this or whatever, three years or two years or whatever it was. Like, and I just have me like with buried alive, I have these like weird little like childhood memories because I was a kid

like when I did it. Dude, Chicago, Kerryhausen, I fish hooked Carriehausen in a crowd. Oh no. I used to like high cross body people. And like I remember like high cross body like a part of the crowd. And then I heard a guy. I didn't know. I never knew about the stuff. And then as I was standing up, like, Carrie was right there. And I grabbed her face and, like, fish hooked her. And, like, as I stood up, wearing, like, a full fuboo, like, basketball outfit. That was your gimmick at the time? I was going to ask.

I did have a gimmick. Carrie is like the Miss Elizabeth of Chicago. She is the best. Yeah. Just like. Harry is like a legend. A beloved Chicago lady. Yeah.

Her and I, another, another very lifestyle. We were in, like, St. Louis. Like Kerry, every once in a while in like the Midwest, Carrie would like drive to a few shows with us. Like she would drive separate or over and like dudes would like get in the car with her and then we would drive the van. And I remember this one time we were somewhere. We had to get to this house and the only place they had for us to sleep was like right in this area where like kitty litter had been spilled. Come on, brother. We all live that one.

But here's the thing is and like you can agree with me with this bowl. Carrie was like older than us. Yeah. And I like way older than us. Not like way older than us, but like at that time when you're 17 and someone's like 21. Yeah. That's like way older. Like Vogel was 21 when I was 17 or something like that.

And him and Carrie were the same age. But I remember like being like, I can believe I'm sleeping in cat shit right now, but I can't believe Carrie Howes is sitting in cat shit right now. Like it was the weirdest thing. And, like, you know, we were all sleeping in this room and, like, no one could sleep. So you'd hear people at, like, five in the morning just, like, grumble over and then hear, like, the rocks, like, sliding. Like, the kitty litter and shit like that. Like, oh, man. Tour lore, guys.

Or whatever. Yeah, hard lore, man. This is what it's about is. Dude, we went to the UK in, like, 2016 or something. And we were sleeping. on someone's floor outside of Leeds. And we walked in and the first, the only smell was cat urine.

That was it. There's no mistaking that smell. It's like one of the most like skunk, you know, fresh cut grass. Like there's no mistaking it. It's there for life too. As soon as it's brutal.

And our, the guy who was playing bass with us at a time, at the time is like deathly alert, like sleep in the van allergic to cats. Yeah. So we were like, oh, you guys have a cat, Aaron, you should probably, and they're like, no. Just no sold the cat.

And there was absolutely a cat somewhere. There was a letterbox that we found. Maybe it was a sore subject. Maybe it was the worst. Yeah, maybe. What's the worst place you ever stayed? Like, what's the worst place you ever stayed? Oh, I got.

Colin, you go and then I'll go and I'm sure Andy's. Let's rebuttal this too. If anyone's listening and we stayed with you at some point in time, It doesn't mean we're not like appreciative. Of course. You just got to clean up a little bit. It means a lot to offer your home to strangers and or the band that you're seeing that day. But like, holy fuck.

Sometimes like a whole family is sharing a towel and they're like, yeah, we have a towel. Go ahead and you can use our towel. The worst place. I mean, I'm not going to name names here, but in Ohio, after a show we played that this person booked, very similar to your cat situation,

except the living room was like the dog, like the dog peed. Like that was his place that he peed. So I had no idea about this. So I had this really nice, like, REI sleeping pad that I was like so psyched about. You know how you could just open them up and it would just self-inflate in like 10 minutes? Yeah.

Put it right in a nice pile and it was just gone, dude. But I'm sure, oh, you know, I've said it like some like rebel squats and you're like you're, it's in. It's all. It's in Europe. Wherever the actual worst place I've been in is. No. Yeah. I got one.

Okay. I got one. Was that yours? Sorry. How to cut you off. There's too many. You're going to think of 10. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. We had a 36-hour travel day to Bangkok. Oh, brutal. We get to Bangkok. It's the middle of the night, but it's like 95 degrees. We eventually, a thing about people from Thailand, which I found out, you know, Andrew Morrissey lived there forever and blah, blah, blah.

It's like, Thai people, not to be like generalize or anything, but Thai people are like very, like nine o'clock can be $9.45. there's no like rush that we got picked up later than expected the only thing open to eat and the only thing that we were like willing to stomach because James it just

or no this was later but anything we ate chips from fucking 7-11 you know and we get to the we get to the hotel again hovered in cats and just like smelling

and just like well this is what hey we're in Thailand like who are we to fucking wine right we get it We get up to the room and we have them actually order another room because nobody wants to sleep on the floor. I saw a cockroach. You know, like, please, like, we got to get another room.

And we asked when we were getting another room, like, how much is this other room? And it was like, $18 American. And so we were like, huh? And while we're there and it's, we don't have cell phone service to communicate. They're like, okay, we'll see you tomorrow 10 a.m. We'll come pick you up. We don't have a way to tell them, hey, we looked up rooms at the Hyatt. and it's $35 a night.

Pick us up from there, and we just had, like, I got one of those sleeping bag, like, sheets. It was just in it. Because I fucking can't stand cockroaches, and I was just like this all night, just sweating, jet lagged, no AC. Oh, classic. Insane.

This is just insane. Have either of you guys taken that weird wooden bust that goes from St. Petersburg, Russia, to the other Moscow? Never been to, Russia, but please tell us about the bus. Dude, it's, okay, no air conditioning, sweaty as hell. It's made out of wood, dude, like wood. The bus is the frame of the vehicle is wood? It's like there's metal, but then there's like wood. So it just creaks the whole time. And dude, it's like,

you're in it for like 15 hours. Like you have a bunk. You're like, you're going. It dude, it's awful. There's like one bathroom per like every, like, you know, thing, like whatever those things are, but train thing. I don't know, like, what is it called? I don't car. Car, there you go, train car. So, like, everyone shares this one bathroom. It's sweltering hot, like, sweltering hot.

And it's me, Holland, and someone else in this room. So Chris Holland, like big sweaty Chris Holland. Dude, I get in this room. I get in my underwear and, dude, I'm, not a sleeper. I don't sleep like I sleep six hours like I that's like a long night for me. Like I just I've never been a sleeper. Did I slept for 15 hours? I'm sweltering hot. I don't know how. Holland didn't sleep and I don't like not one. He didn't sleep a second to the night and the other person that was in there didn't sleep the entire night.

And I literally like woke up. It was like as we were pulling in like, hey guys like the worst, the worst environment for me is this train situation. And I was out the entire time. I don't know how it happened. It was just your body's like fight or flight response. Yeah, you fought and your flight. You flight. Well, I did do a tour we only did one star hotels.

The entire tour we did one star hotels. That was my choice. That was the gimmick for that one. That was literally the gimmick that we were going to try to get one star hotels. And there was, we had a, um, I can't remember the fucking tour it was. But we had one of those sprinter vans that were like decked out. So like four people could sleep in there.

And you could like, you know how it is when you go on tour. Like you just kind of fit wherever you fit. You know what I mean? So six would sleep in there every night. So then whoever was driving and sit in shotgun would just go in the room and like sleep. But it was a one star fucking hotel. So like there's nothing worse than we walk into a hotel and there's a folding chair. So like there's a folding chair in the corner, which I found, I recently found out that that is a

Pimp chair, they call it. So like, inside the room? Inside the room, there's. So the normal shit. And then he sits and watches. So nothing weird happens. And I had no idea about, you know, I like had no idea about that. So me and our tour manager, Mike at the time, we usually drove.

So like, we would sleep in the room. And like, sometimes it wasn't that bad. Like, it was just like, oh. okay, here's a bed, you check it, cool, blah, blah, blah. There was a day, dude, where I was sitting there. I remember it was like really early, dude, we slept. We probably drove until like three in the morning, got in there, and it was like 7 a.m. at this time.

And I wake up to like something like calling on my hand. And I wake up, dude, and there's just a trail of bugs just heading towards my face, dude. And I was like, how long has this been going on for like? Yeah, all night. Like, dude. Did you ever have a run in with a pimp outside of a hotel? Never. No,

never like that. But it was just like, like, I remember like mentioning that to someone and they were like, oh, that was a pimp chair. And I was like, okay, that makes, I've never stayed in a hotel ever that had one of those ever again. In, in Louisville one time, God's hate was going to Waffle House when we were approached by an employer of sorts. And his, this quote in. in order to get us to buy his services was I got three bitches and one of them bad

That's it That's it I got three bitches and one of them bad But you know what You reminded me of something with that I didn't even think of like a hotel Being the worst place I've ever stayed But the motel six down the street from Graceland

In Memphis Yeah. There's like one vacant room because everybody else lives in one. Oh, it's one of those. We were like parked in a spot where a guy came out and was like, hey, that's my spot. Like in a Motel 6 parking a lot. And Sean Martin is driving going like, what the fuck do you mean?

And like Sean is like, you know. Yeah, yeah. He goes from like the nicest man in the world to like, I'm fucking insane. As we saw in the last episode. So we just had to leave It was like That was bad One time early days of touring

So we would definitely only get like one Whatever the cheapest on price lighting Room was And I was laying on the On the ground next to the only bed I kind of did one of these And stretched and reached my hand under the bed And my fingers rolled over a

Syringe Nice Yeah super sick And I was like that was cold and glass and I checked and sure enough there was like a needle and everything on it somebody was looking for that

somebody was like oh I left it there yeah fuck I got two more weird places one I worked on like a coheed in Cambria DVD for Doug Spangenberg

and Doug like purposely it was the crew was me Doug Anderson Bradshaw from another victim and I can't remember the other person, but there was four of us that stayed in the, it was in New York City, the Roosevelt or something like that. It's, dude, it's terrible. And the first night, I, Doug took like a sleeping pill or something like that and he was like that. And I was like, hey, I'm going to go to the store real quick. Do you want anything? And I walk in and I do these shitty things where I'll spend money just to like make someone laugh. So I bought this dumb

fucking mask. I came back, woke it. He was like half asleep. I'm fucking staying there with a fucking mask. Blah, blah, blah. Two seconds later, it's off and in the garbage. And like, never wore it again. You know what I mean? Like that type of thing. We're in this, we're in the, it's the worst thing ever. And we're standing there. Anderson Braschow, Knox says, there he comes. He goes, dude, there were porn bags like under the sheets. And then like under the sheets. There were porn mags. Like, you know, comfort or over he, he did porn shognegs. Then he opened up one of the, one of the things and like four cockroaches run by, like opened up a drawer, four cockroaches run by. So later that night, for some reason, he's now awake,

even though he's got sleeping pills in him. We start wrestling. And it's, my, it's like two 30, like five-year-old dudes, like wrestling in a fucking, he was like 38 at the time. Anyways, we're doing like next thing i know he takes he takes like the lamp i don't know if i can like move this right now but he takes like a lamp it just throws it at my head and it just boom like wax my head and i'm like like it literally like blasted me like the fuck i grab him i start you know we start throwing each other around or whatever like that all we start noticing that like the room is it looks smoky now but it was just all the like dander dirt and shit.

And now the room smells like dried shit. Like you know dried shit? Like it's not shit anymore. It's just kind of dried shit. It's just. It's stale. Dude.

So then we we decide to see if who can do a nip up first on the bed. So he's on his bed. I'm on my bed. And we're doing like, we're trying to do nipups. And like he nips up in two. I never got to a nip up. I was next to like the old iron radiator.

As I'm trying to. to nip up on like the second one. My calf tightens up, like does like the old calf tighten up thing. I freak out in the air, fall in between the bed and the wall and the radiator. And the radiator is just burning me, dude.

Like it's as high as it can and I'm stuck. But I'm like laughing super hard. And Doug had to actually like pull me up and pull me back on the bed. It was like, it was rough, man. Was this only you two in this room? Or is there more?

That's it. So you guys, you guys were like wrestling for only your two enjoy. Yeah. It was like like were you guys just like hey do you want to like you want to know it just started happening dude just started happening. You guys just start to stop the first the first bone I ever broke was because my friend in sixth grade we were both full on attitude era like Monday night raw every Monday kind of guys. I had this futon mattress and we kind of made it shaped vaguely like a table right and we would throw each other through it and blah blah blah. and he threw me off the top of a bunk bed and I tried to land like Mick Foley I broke my collarbone that's what these are

dude I went up to my dad oh I see oh I see gig marks yeah both from uh Hogan went over on a the pillow buddy Hogan went over of course

yeah and a you know it was like a ladder match or something I did in my mom's room and then Taylor did this one hit me with the Dilo Brown sky high baby Oh yeah. Dude, but I went to my dad and I was and I was like sobbing, my shoulder was dropped.

Like it was a bad break, you know. It fucking sucked. I went up to my dad and I was like, dad, in gym class like four hours ago. My friend Al, who my dad knew, who was also like my best friend

just throwing him under the bus. Al, like, he like tripped me. And I think it hurt my shoulder. My dad was just like, it wasn't that noise I heard like 10 minutes ago. Just knew automatically. Immediately. Yeah. So the other, the other story is this.

And it's just you turn into just, every time I die had made me a little soft in the tour world. It got too, it got too soft. You know what I mean? Like, I got, the job got a little cushy. Yeah. You know what I mean? So when we went out on tour, we were in between. between breaks. I think it might have been like damn, like, some damn things thing was going on. So we couldn't tour. And I, I just hit up trap them. And I was like, hey, if you guys ever need another guitar player, like, let me know I'm off. So like I had went on tour with with trap them. I did like a few of those cyan rock shows with them. Yeah, the best. They're the best. What an era. Yeah. Sion, not around anymore. I wonder why.

Just, hey, let's spend a ridiculous amount of money on bands that aren't worth it. And hopefully something will come out. Have you ever heard of people who can't buy a car? Yeah. Have you ever heard them reason that? No. That putting on that show was like any of those shows was like less than a single commercial. And if one person at them bought a sion, the show was paid for.

No one, no one was buying them. Dude, especially, you know what they especially lost money in? I did a Sion tour playing drums for new lows that ringworm bitter end one was. And I got paid. I specifically requested. I was like, New Lows, you don't have to pay me.

But I want Sion socks. I got about 40 pairs of them Sion socks. Do you remember them socks? I do. I do. They're good socks. And I got about 35 pairs left. I'll tell you what.

Yeah. They were great. That tour came here and I missed it. jokes on you man yeah yeah i missed you could have seen sounds like a great one but they like they would pay like ridiculous money like for the for bands i mean dude like my flight paid for and i remember telling trap them was like i'm not going to do this show if if zach can't come with me so like jack can and got paid to like come do sound for trap them and like i hadn't toured with him in

a while it was fucking awesome right and like anyways so we that was those were those of the Sion shows because there was money. This was just me going on tour with trap them. And, uh, man, it was like trap them and maybe, anyways, I don't know who the fucking man's, but it doesn't matter. God and Gaza was on it and someone else. And, uh, dude, we lasted three shows. So remember, cushy life. I was living the cushy tour life. These dudes go on tour and they're asking people to stay. I think we stayed at like two or three people's houses. And then I was like, Guys, I'm going to get a hotel room for everybody every single night.

Can't do this anymore. Can't do it anymore. Going to get a hotel room for you guys. And we just, we got hotel rooms the rest of the time because I literally couldn't handle staying in people's house. No. There's a certain time where like I can't be an adult and then someone's parent is like, oh, you guys, you play in covers or?

No. Like I can't. It's tough, man. I'm like, what? Like, we're all past 30, you know. Yeah. I don't need to, I'm not sleeping on the floor again. I own a really nice bed.

And if I'm not in it, I'm going to be in one comparable. It sounds, I mean, it makes me, it makes us sound, you know, but like. Sure. Dude. We did our time, though. Yeah. 44 years old, man, I ain't sleeping on it. I can't, I can't do it.

You like, like, especially with what you're doing tomorrow, you know, with your body. the floor is not adequate to your needs that last like the last eathead tour i mean i had to wrestle ishi and orange like in the middle of the tour or whatever and i remember we were obviously like don't want to get into it the band was having problems uh and i just remember like i remember sound checking and like tony con kept calling me and he was like kept calling me and i was like guys I have to stop sound checking. My boss is calling me. Went outside and he was like,

hey, can you be in like Norfolk, Virginia next week, Wednesday? And I was like, well, we're supposed to play Roswell, New Mexico.

I think that, that can, uh, might be a guy. Is it cool if I go do this one? Is it cool if I skip Roswell? What was that? Is it cool if I skip Roswell?

I didn't want to. I mean, I really didn't want to. And the guys looked like they had a lot of fun. So, um, but I missed Roswell. And then went and wrestled Ishi and like,

just from being in a van and like not sleeping well and stuff like that like I tore my bice up in that match and it was it was just like oh cool touring is great I remember being like all right like and like things were starting to kind of like work out the way it worked out and I was I kind of knew I was out at that time like anyways like I knew like three shows into the tour I was not going to keep up with the band like it just wasn't what I wanted to do anymore and uh Yeah, I remember like going back to it. I remember like being like, dude, tour is so hard, man. Like this cushy wrestling job that like, yeah, it destroyed my body and stuff.

But dude, I'm like sitting in a Marriott right now. Yeah, totally. You know what I mean? Like it's pretty good. I was like, what am I doing? Like what the fuck am I doing? And like it was it was a really weird situation, which I'm sure like both of you guys probably have been through numerous times where you're like, is it worth it anymore? And then, you know, whatever happens, you know, you've got to get revitalized.

And then, you know, you keep up on tour and stuff. I remember being very surprised that on the first tour that we did together in 2017, that you guys rolled like 12 deep in just a normal 15 passenger or whatever the green van was. Everyone was super surprised by that. Like when we would, when we would like roll up, we would roll up on tours that we were headlining the fans that had buses. And then like at the end of the tour, you would literally, like, I remember like talking to dudes like in certain bands like that we would, we would do like co-headliners. So we would be getting paid exactly the same. And I remember like at the end of the tour, I'd be like, holy shit, man.

I'm going to like go somewhere cool. Yeah, right, right. You know, take on out to a really nice restaurant. You know what I mean? Like to shit like that. And then you talk to the other dudes, the guys in the bus. And they're like, I don't know, man. I got to pay bills and blah, blah.

And it was like, dude, you have. have a guy on tour doing nothing and you're paying. Yeah. You know what I mean? Dude, it would hurt my brain, dude. And you see like young bands just taking dudes out that they're just taking their friends money, dude. Like listen to me right now. Whoever's listening to this.

Don't fucking hire your friends, hire professionals. Like just hire fucking professionals to do their fucking job. When you hire friends, it's going to fucking end bad every single fucking time. They're not going to do their job right. And they're taking your fucking money, dude. Like, think about that. I remember, sorry, go ahead. The risk of touring also is just kind of what, what, uh, obviously I'm just insane to begin with.

So like a really long tour is taxing no matter what, but like I don't want to end up like Bo here getting, getting my van stolen every six months. Jesus Christ. Like, I got to admit, dude, I honestly, I don't know if there's a band that has worse luck. We, we, every three, dude, no joke. 2012, we got our van stolen in Chicago. 2015, we got it broken into, had all our passport stolen and shit in Dallas. 2018, we had the trailer stolen. And then in 2021, the world shut down and we missed out on three tours.

Literally every three years, something happens. Granted, the last one, that happened to everybody. Harm's way. More like Murphy's Law, am I right? That's true. Dude, you got to stop having equipment. Yeah, I know, I know. That's the kind of the way to do it is just rent everything, I guess.

It's not actually own stuff and you have no risk. I'll tell you what, man. Now that like, and before, whoa, you know me in gear. I'm a fucking monster. So obviously, like now I can kind of go through my shit and not like worry about that stuff anymore. So it's like been really nice to help my like addiction of gear. Yeah. And, but I did buy.

this thing called a blue gap, which is like this big. You sent that to me. Dude, we practiced like the four of us practiced. And I like used that. And it was so fucking ripping, dude. And I couldn't believe it, dude. It was, it's this big. Like it's just like a little.

Yeah, it's like it's almost like a, it's a preamp at all. Yeah. He said, Anthony, Anthony just got one of those. He said, get one of these immediately. But like, dude, you can, especially that like weird amp that you had, the weird like, uh, like,

Like periphery amp or whatever. Oh, yeah, I still have that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Periphery amp. The invention. Yeah. And like it was it like this one was louder than that one. If that makes sense.

It was like this big. It was just the weirdest thing. I would tour with all little stuff now. And then when people like go into the, when they, you know, open up the trailer, they're going to go like, what is this stuff? It's not big. It's not big stuff. Get little stuff and then they won't want it.

I would love for drum technology to get to a place where little stuff can be a thing. Just a tiny little thing, dude, but it sounds awesome. You know what the, now I'm heated. You know what the most insane thing about that trailer getting stolen was? It was next, we were at the Luxor in the only extended lot on the strip. That's why we always stay there. Rooms are fucking cheap. You could park a van with a trailer.

And it's on the strip. Everybody can do whatever. Next door was. was Mandalay Bay where the worst shooting in American history happened. And we get told there's no camera on that lot.

This is after the Mandalay Bay shit. It was an inside job. Of course. You know how in casino? It's like, yeah, he's coming out of the front desk right now. Like, when we checked into that,

the dude checking us, it was like, so what brings you guys the time making? And then he was like, are you guys in a band? Oh, did you have a, you know, kind of thing? Okay, just want to make sure.

inside job dude it has to do we stayed at this like I mean this is this hotel was terrible but like it was right on the you know those like hotels right on in Jersey like right when you get in from New York yes yeah like Sycoccus like that that whole area like there's you can get a hotel for nothing

it was a Howard Johnson right on like the oh I love a hojo the nine or whatever that comes out of there and dude it was there was there was a like one of those it was a gated fence all the way around it van and trailer right there with a guard walking around the premises so i remember like walking out and seeing that the uh the like lock in our door was like hanging out and i was like oh and then you could see the door open just like a little bit yeah yeah oh man dude ipods had just come out all of us had them and they were all

sitting in the middle council oh right so like immediately i'm like fuck man i'm out fucking 600 bucks or whatever they were so expensive back then so expensive and we opened the fucking door all of the ipods are there the guy had to reach over the iPods to grab jordan's like shitty um Howard stern uh blade whatever Howard stern whatever thing he was on what was what was how it's He had like a serious thing called a blade. It was a serious. Like, you know, if you're driving, it would sit right here. And he had to like run a wire that went out outside.

You know that gimmick with like the satellite dish or whatever? Dude, that was the only thing they took. Wow. And it had to have been the guard. Like there was a guard outside. Like, you know what I mean? Yeah. Dude, I don't know how nothing else got stolen.

But that guy must have been the biggest Howard Stern fan. He was a big deal with. God, man. He needed that. Because he just, or he looked at our iPods was like, not into this.

Yeah. Like, just kept looking at them. Andy, do you remember on that tour we did in Toronto? Mm-hmm. You cut a promo and the whole, the whole tour package was down there.

Like someone was coming downstairs. And they were like talking shit about. Oh, yeah, yeah. And then he walks into the room full of us. What, what, like, do you remember what that was for? Yeah, it was, um, it was a promotion in Toronto called Smash. Um, and at the time, we were working like regular for them. So like Buffalo is only 70 miles away or 90 miles away or something like that.

So we were regularly working with that. And it actually is like one of my like better friends in wrestling, Kevin Bennett. And he was like, he had this like rap gimmick with like a, he had a heavy with them. And we were like leading up to this match, but he had showed up to the match. but he had showed up to the match and like, yeah, I had to like, or showed up to our show or whatever like that and then had to like cut a promo.

It's real weird. Yeah, but smash, if you look up like smash, Kevin Bennett, Andy Williams, you know, it'll probably come up somewhere. At least that promo will come up.

It's like all of Knocked Loose, eternal sleep in arms way. Yeah. It was awesome. I remember like for some reason, like, it was like you or someone was like standing there like super hard. And I remember like wrestling friends being like, yo, where did you find those guys?

There was a guy standing there. Probably Jesus. Honestly. Just had to show tattoos, man. Like wrestling dudes just like, oh man, had tattoo guys. And that, we were talking about this before. But the disconnect with wrestling and music is sometimes when a guy's growing up and he like knows he wants to be a wrestler, it's like, all right, I'm going to get super jacked so I can be a wrestler. And when you're like getting super jacked and your life is getting super jacked,

you get into music when you're like 25. Yeah. Like you didn't have time in your life to like get into music. So you're like an adult who's like, all right, I'm finally jacked. I know I'm going to do wrestling. What kind of music is out there? Dude, I love all my wrestling friends. Like they're all great.

But like, and I told them this, this is probably like two months ago. I was like, guys, I'm over being mad at people for liking music. Like it's just stupid. Like if you like your shit, you like your shit, good, man. That's fine. And if you're listening to it and you're happy listening to it and you put it on, I'm going to respect it. I'm going to be happy watching you listen to music that you like listening to.

And that's fine. Everyone listens to fucking corn and limp. in this world in wrestling and a dude it got to the point where I was just like I can't try to make you guys understand that those bands are bad so now I'm just going to start liking it when it's on and I had to like fix my brain I don't dude I still don't like I'm not putting it on in my personal time but like when I'm hanging with wrestler dudes and they put limp biscuit on and they put corn on I just kind of roll with it now like it's not like you know it's it's not worth it and like it's sick that they want to know about other music and stuff like that and it's

kind of sick that they want to show me music yeah yeah you know what i mean and like yeah yeah yeah that's where the idea came from for this this podcast i want to do and it it was it literally is just like one day me hana and in orange cassi were sitting at this there was like a day where there was some sort of holiday but we happened to all be at the same place so we all went to this like barbecue place There was like cornhole outside. And me, Hannah and Jim, or Orange are like sitting there. And he was just like in him, he was just like, like, you know when someone's just like lost in something? Like me and Hannah were like talking and like Orange was just sitting there going like this.

And there was like a pop song on with like some like a female singer or whatever. Yeah. And I mean, dude, he was like somewhere else. He was just sitting there listening a song. And I just asked him. I was like, dude, what is it about this song that like, like, you like. And he was like, oh man, like her voice is so beautiful.

Like listen to this hook right here. And he was like started pointing out like hooks. And he started pointing out like he gets it stuff. Dude, you could see how much like music kind of like moved them. And I was like, dude, how sick would it be to like have people who aren't in music talk about music and why it makes them like move? In some way, shape or form. And dude, then you start thinking, if you think of it that way and you see one of your friends,

who isn't into music like you. Yeah. Listening to something that you normally would never listen to. Yeah. And then explain it to you. You start seeing it with a different, like, different perspective. Well, yeah, because there's no, there's no like gatekeeping of like, ah, but the, yeah, but the production is like. Yeah.

They don't know. They don't know who played on it. They don't know. They just know that they like the way it hits their ears. That's like the most. objective way to look like it really is i have a phrase called co-worker co-worker approved is my music phrase if i write a song and i show it to somebody who like like if i show it to brodie yeah i know he's going into it like it's fucking suck like i know where his brain is coming from you know uh but like but like

does johnny johnson my favorite co-worker ever from a tv show i used to work on if i like if i if i show him like eyes adjust and he's like that's what i'm like all right this song is good like yeah yeah yeah my co-worker likes it that means it's good are there um sorry go ahead no no go ahead go ahead bow are there are there other like besides brodie are there any corpsman that you've met who you didn't know we're into even anything close to kind of where we come from new york dudes kind of know about some shit. Like I remember like I brought up like candiria to like Ortiz and Ortiz knew about candiria.

And I'll like I I kind of like wrote this paper. This is so weird at like 40. I was 43 at the time and it was like last year and FTR and LAX were going to do they were going to finally work for the first time. And I had to do that like as a tag team wrestler like that is seriously like fucking. And like that is like I'm trying to think it's like Beethoven playing with Bach for the first. No, no, no, not even like don't even like think of it like that. If you like look at their styles, it's like John Cougar Mellencamp versus like candiria.

Like it's like L.AX is like every single posse or proud and powerful as every single possible like genre in wrestling. We're like they're going to take some lucha thing. And now mind you. listen to me like listen to the words i'm saying and equate it to music right you can so like they take elements of like lucia japanese american memphis old florida and they they will take it and then turn it and like make it their way so they'll take like the first half of a lucia move and finish it with like this like american strong style and then you have this like weird hybrid where like ftr is mainly just fucking go go go they're just working

courses and like it's it's like that and I wrote this like paper about like the juxtaposition between like styles and how you can equate it to music where it's like you have this like American like standard just hard rock you know what I mean like oh here we are you know these guys drive pickup trucks and fucking you know there's there's dirt under their nails and like you know what I mean like then you have like proud and powerful who are like street kids who like took all this like all these different like things and made it into this like crazy thing so like you have this weird hybrid like candirian i remember like making them like playlist i was like here listen to this and like this is you in music yeah yeah and i literally

i was too late on it like i i i got it to tony con and i was like hey man like can i like do something with this and it was just too late like he already already already had stuff planned for all this or whatever but like I think of like wrestling when I think of like music like almost like putting a playlist on interesting a lot of things just clicked in my brain with that that's very weird as fuck man when you see

like you watch a certain match like go back there's a match there's a really great match if anyone wants to watch it it's low key in Japan wrestling for pro wrestling Noah against Kanamoto. And that match, the way they structure that match, it's like the sickest,

it's like a death metal match, dude. Like it's just fucking, it's so brutal. And like the way they like stack the end, it's just like a breakdown at the end of a song. Like it's like thinking of a song that like goes to a breakdown. Like 43% burnt by like Dillinger Escape Plan where you just have all this stuff. And then they hit you with like the big.

fucking hammer at the end. You know what I mean? Yes. And like it if you can like equate that shit and watch wrestling and music, it's just it's literally the same exact thing, but you're just watching, you're using your eyes instead of using your ears, but you're also using your ears because like certain bumps are bigger than other bumps. You know what I mean? Like in the beginning of a match, you're going to have like pitter patter. In the middle of the match, you're going to have like you're going to have a few big ones.

but like everything's just going to be like medium. And then at the end it's going to be boom, boom, boom. Man, I wish more bands knew this analogy. Because I don't think a lot of people that write music understand that like, you need to make me stay till the end. Yes. Like there's other music is not your competition. Like, you know how many movies and TV shows I have access to right now that I want to watch that I'm going to watch?

but if I put on a new song and like like you said the middle of the song give me the the extra pitter pattern where I'm like where's this going and then the finish give me something that like by the end the finish is the only basically the only thing you're going to remember and wrestling and in music a lot of the time

yeah a lot of people remember the beginning in the end that's it this is blowing my mind dude it's so interesting Also, something I've noticed about, you know, very few wrestlers who are like really doing it, who I've met. And it's similar with musicians and touring musicians specifically. They do not mind talking shop all the time. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like when, when me and me and my friend picked up Brody after the New Japan thing and we went and got food, I'm always like, I don't want to ask them. Yeah. And loves it. Yeah. But the thing is, is like, that's like, it's, like, I'm trying to, like, being in a band is very narcissistic. There's a lot of things like that we don't, like normal people don't have fucking 400 people screaming at them. Like, it's just not a normal thing. Like, it's a, it's a very weird thing that we do.

And like, it fills your head with weird things. And like, understanding, like, for 24 years, dude, I got adulation every single night. and then now I don't. I have it once a week, obviously. Like, I'm still in entertainment. But, like, that, like, going into a show and, like, walking on stage with the guitar and then, like, everyone feels that presence. Yeah.

It's a really fucked up thing to a normal person because they don't get that. You know what I mean? They never get that. So, like, you know, a crowd of, like, four people and them telling, like, a really crack and joke, like, that's their audience. You know what I mean? And they never really get to feel. what we do.

Where was I going with this? What do we start talking about? You're talking about the last thing I said was talking show. Oh yeah, yeah. So like, dude, it's a prideful thing. Like what we do is prideful. And like in wrestling, you're not, it's not in a band. So everything we do on in wrestling, you build yourself.

So like we have to build the character and we have to like make sure that that character is like protected and like there's like a weird like it's a, a narcissist thing because like it's mine. You know what I mean? So like when you want to talk shop, of course I want to talk shop. I'm proud of this. You know what I mean? And I think that with wrestling, dude, it's so wizard of Oz. You know what I mean? Everything is behind the veil. So of course you should have questions. Right. You know what I mean? Like that's what got me back into wrestling like four or five years ago whenever I started watching again was because when I was a kid, I didn't know about the behind the scene stuff.

And then I was touring and you learned about music behind the scene stuff and industry stuff and all that shit. And then once you start, once you put on like a couple top 10 moments of this or whatever on YouTube. Oh, I love the top 10, dude. Oh, forget.

I mean, that's what it is like the top 20 WWE returns of all time when fucking, when Diesel walks into whatever Royal Rumble that is and everyone goes insane. Like, and then you start to kind of watch shoot interviews and blah, blah, blah. realized like, oh, this is, oh, this band got a push. Oh, this wrestler is getting, like, it's the same fucking shit.

And that is, that is specifically what was the catalyst that got me back into wrestling years ago. And that's why this show, that's what this show kind of is. Yeah, straight up, yeah. And a music sense. Yeah. Andy, one of my favorite. But that's a good thing.

Please. No, go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, no. I'm segue. So if you have anything else. No, no, go.

One of my favorite memories, period. was 4th of July in the middle of fucking nowhere, Missouri. And you grilling and us lighten off fireworks in a parking lot and getting yelled at and playing bags, cornhole, and just being like on warp tour with like, we say this often. And I am going to, I'm going to embarrass you a little bit. But we do say that like every time I die from having not met you to touring with you, to then touring again on Warp Tour, which is like simultaneously the easiest

and most difficult tour at the same time? I wish every one of my friends got a chance to do Warp Tour that didn't have the opportunity to see it. Yeah. Because everyone would have like some sort of connotation. And it was like, dude, like you're living on a city. You live on this like weird moving city. And it's not the city you're in.

It's this weird bubble. It's a weird strange thing. but it's great. I'll never know. And yeah, I mean, dude, honestly God,

I hope it comes back. I would love to do another one. It was, it was straight up, best tour we've ever done. I love it. Yeah. But what I was going to say is,

you guys are often the example of, like, if, if Harms Way or whatever we're involved with ever, like, got bigger, got to a point where it's like, like,

where every time I die was, it's like, that's how we need to operate. From, like, striking drums. at small shows just to give the other band's room to like you guys would finish

and immediately start tearing down together as a group to being easy about monetary stuff and all the like high-end bullshit. That was it. Like you guys were straight up and again, I'm going to embarrass you. Like the closest thing to rock stars in our music

without being fucking assholes, you know what I mean, without being a rock star. Yeah. And it was always like you have to, like, I think that like the five of us always had the, our only agenda for a show was that it was a show. You know what I mean? Like from the first band to the last band, like you're there enjoying the show. And like a lot of bands take that away from the opening bands. And like that would happen to us all the time. We would tour with bands we were friends with you and we would open for them and then they would push the drums dude they have nothing on stage but the drums would be pushed up as far as he could do and you're like

and like I've never like I guess maybe now I would probably do it because like it's kind of fucked up like looking back like dude we're friends and you know that like the band that we are we have to move around stage yeah so you're literally taking that away from us totally to make us and you could push your shit back fucking like eight feet but like bands will do that and they're like I never wanted to get to a point where like we were doing that dumb bullshit

where it was like our name needs to be this much bigger on the flyer because you know what I mean like it's so petty and bullshit and you're missing the point and if that's the shit you care about on tour you honestly don't get it that's exactly my point

that you guys were like the perfect example of a band that had momentum and was killing it but was fucking super punk and DIY. Yeah. Perfect. We learned it all from Converge.

I know that. I know that. I know that. And we've toured with them too. And I can say the same thing. Straight up. Yeah. And that was like,

dude, that like converges like the model band. I mean like whether, regardless of music like they're the model band. They've been together for 30 years. Yeah. Like doing what they want to do. They never fucking ever,

ever compromised. And they still aren't compromised. And they did a record that you could consider a compromise with fucking Chelsea Wolf. And it ended up being like one of the best records. Oh, that's awesome. That's awesome. It's unreal, dude. Like I think that's me,

neurosis is their converge, right? Yes. That's, yes, yes. Yeah. And that's true. That like, again, dude, like you want to talk about a band that's done any, everything they've ever wanted to do. And that was, that should be the goal, dude, right?

Be neurosis. Being in a band. Doing everything you want to do. Well, also be neurosis. You know what? I'll never get to do? What? Tour with every time I die.

Well, you don't know, but maybe you'll tour with me, though. Now you're cooking, baby. There you go. Dude. Yeah. Yeah. This was a wonderful pleasure. We barely talked about touring.

I mean, we talked about some bugs on my arm and then stuff like that. Well, just do a part two. I'll do this anytime. You guys ever ask me, I always do. Yeah, there are a certain, there are certain people who I know we will have on. Yeah. Yeah.

Because I just know we just scratch the surface. Give them categories every time. Next time I'm on, like have a bullet point that we can talk about it. I have a couple. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the next time you pick another one and that, yeah. Anyways, this is a great, this is an, that's an awesome background.

But this is a great podcast. like if you guys like honestly like do this right and have people like talking about tour and like it's kind of hard and like like I said I didn't really want to talk about this stuff but I'll just say it right now I just haven't talked publicly about the band breaking up so like um it's one of those things like man you guys don't realize like when it's gone you like you don't realize how much you respected it like you know what I mean like that type of thing the little bullshit that like dude showing up at a venue and seeing a fucking monitor guy wearing a fucking kilt like i'll never fucking you know what i mean like it's gone man like you know what i mean and then like i want that

you know and it when you don't have it you've done something for 24 years like you start realizing like when the band first broke up i was like oh fuck what am i going to do what am i going to do blah blah like i'm 44 this has been the thing that made me money for so long and like how long you know wrestling is only my it's only gonna last i'm 44 dude you know what i mean so you have these freakouts like that and then then there's like grieving and i'm still grieving and stuff like that but like you just have this like these weird memories that you kind of remember and it's not the memories you'd remember when the when something's gone and it's the dumb shit it's just the dumb shit it's it's it's like going to eating steak in Vegas you know what i mean like with you guys that was

of the best meals in my whole life. You know what I mean? Like that type of shit. Shout out Delmonicles. Shout out to Emerald. But like it's, you know, like it's things like that that like you don't realize you're not going to have one day. You know what I mean?

And it's it's it's hard to think about. I thought I was going to get way more emotional and I'm not. So that's great. So that means I'm kind of moving on. But like it's it's that shit we're like, dude, like. I used to hate getting up in the morning and getting in the van. Now, dude, when Hannah and I, like, get to go drive somewhere, I'm like, like, I'm so ready to get in the van and just car and go.

Yeah. Like, you know what I mean? And she's been really good at that. So she'll, like, always kind of take me on a little, like, road trip just so I can get back on the road, get a sheet's in me and then go home. And she's the best, man. We once on work tour, we, we ubered from wherever we were. in maybe West Virginia,

Ubered into Ohio just to go to Sheets. Yeah. It just made a run. And like during the day, that day you're probably like, man, like we're just going to do this. It's going to be a pain in the ass. But now you think about that and you talk about that.

And you're like, I would give anything to do that again. Yeah. No problem. Yeah. The biggest inconveniences become the best memories. Yeah, because, dude, and the thing is, too, man, like,

the one thing that, like I hope that you guys I mean you guys have been touring for a real long time but like don't don't like lose the wonder man you know what I mean like go see shit fucking there was so many times where like I wish I had spent the time to just walk around downtown some city or like yeah yeah go see something and you know it's it's I always kind of got freaked out I would get the town and and I would like I'm like oh my they got to get a workout in I got to you know what I'd have like my list and I totally blew past like seeing. stuff. Of course, yeah. You know, so now it's, it's cool, like, when I'm in these cities and I can, like, get up early and just kind of cruise and go see some shit and then go to the show. It's kind of nice. I kind of just got the wonder, which is, which sucks. I got it a little too late. I, like, I look at some of the cities that I've been. I'm like, well, I would have liked to have done that. And I, I think I was just so tired. Oh, man. The whole time that I never did anything. Yeah, we got to do it. Yeah, we have like a, like, we're like a five out of five.

Everyone goes and does stuff. Yeah. Kind of a thing. Taylor, your brother didn't do shit. No, that's where I get it from. I tour with him. So I'm in the don't do stuff band. Yeah.

Yeah. You also tour with your brother, man. That's like really cool. Like that, like to me, like that's something that like, I don't know. You know what I mean? I never had a, I never had a family member on tour with me. I wish I had. Yeah.

It like Taylor and I's dynamic is is like very unique. You know, he's like kind of my brother, kind of my best friend, but also we'll be like, fuck you, you know. Yeah. Which is, you know, that's part of the course. But it like it keeps us both well behaved, I think. Like neither of us are like, what's the word? I don't know. Like neither of us are freaks like in a capacity.

So I think being together we're like, like maybe. Maybe that's why we're not fun to tour with. Maybe you might want to quit our band. So, like, I get it. Yeah, I think I'm ready to start having fun. Oh, yeah, dude. But I'm not touring anymore. So it's like, it's too late for me to have fun.

Yeah, but, dude, got, got to hate. You're going to go to Japan. Yeah, you know you're going to be touring. It's a, don't say you're not touring. You're in, like, you're actively in, like, 16 bands. At some point in time, one of those things. Everybody thinks that, but only, like, one of them. is even doing so.

There's a new one. But that one can kill Fests. Yeah. The last time, Austin, every time I die, played together, was at Unify Fest in Australia.

That paid super great and is basically like a one-off Warped Tour show. And It's played. And it was one of those like, ah, kind of things. We were there for 18 hours.

I remember that. There's no reason. Wait, did you stay at that? Wait, did you guys stay at that weird house with us? No, we drove back to our. our friends. Oh, we stayed at this scary house and I, this big house in the middle of this field.

And I had just listened to this like true crime story about a fucking city in Australia close to where we were where these dudes came in and literally like machete a family. Oh, sick. So I'm like, dude, I was terrified to stay. I was like, I remember like calling Han and I was like, dude, I might get machete tonight. Like I might, someone might come in here and fucking machete. There's a. I can't listen to True Crime anymore.

I can't listen to True Crime anymore. Oh, wow. Yeah, I can't do it. Yeah. All right, you perverts. It was surrounded by high grass and they straight up were like, don't go in there. Yeah. Just like, don't, don't wander into the grass.

Because there's a machete guy? No, fucking velociraptors or whatever they have. Yeah, there could be anything. Australia's got those real bad. Something could grab you and just take you. No one would ever know. Yeah. Well, all right, man.

This was a wonderful conversation. Have me on again. Have me in on again. Yeah, you got it, dude. This might be two parts. I don't know.

It's fucking long. So that's awesome. Do it. I have a segment. I'll tell a joke every week. I don't know. Oh, see, you'll be our,

what's the guy on, what's the guns? Jeff McHagan. Yeah, you'll be our deaf McGagan. But I do it like this. And then I'll just leave. All right.

This was a pleasure. Andy, it's always good to see you. It's been so long. We might see you this month at, or I might see you at double or nothing, so that'll be no. You'll 100% see me at double or nothing. I'll be there. I might.

Yeah. If you're going to go there, I'll be there. Now we're cooking, baby. Well, we'll see you all next week. Andy will be back very soon because this was just so lovely. So thank you guys and see you next week. Please. All right.

Love you guys. Bye. That sucks. Okay. Oh! Oh! Ha! Ha!