The Downbeat - RIP ANDY WILLIAMS.

Episode Date: September 7, 2026

I can't find the episode with Andy and Hana (I think it was on his own podcast that doesn't exist any more) but you can watch Andy's episode on Hardlore here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl0YeBfZH6s&list=PL3c0R7LR8d2KiJsW6OLQ0z_t9z8XjuVZeand scroll back on your feed to find audio Downbeat episodes with Andy and Hana. Couple of legends. RIP.

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Discover coffee plus on nispresso.com. What's up guys? Back again with a horrible video that I don't want to do. But basically all the episodes are just scheduled to come out when they come out and feels a bit wrong to not address what's happened in our heavy community because it's such a massive loss. So just wanted to take a minute to talk about the late Andy Williams who passed away this week.

Andy was a guitarist of every time I die. he was a pro wrestler he was the guitarist of atomic rule and as you've probably seen over the last few days he is a literal legend in every sense of the word there are people who people say like are that guy's awesome but you know guaranteed a couple of people hate him you know he was not one of those people he was universally loved by everyone and for absolutely all the right reasons funny, talented, fucking just hero. I just want to take a minute to talk about Andy because all these episodes are pre-Andy

and probably quite lighthearted and everything and it just seems wrong to not at least put a little break in proceedings to talk about it. I grew up watching every time with our DVDs. It's probably like a lot of you. The shit happens to DVD, the DVD that came with the big dirty and they just they are pretty much those in the Black Darlene Motor DVDs

again, R-IP Trevor laughing because I'm uncomfortable by the way they are responsible for me wanting to be a touring musician and wanting to make it work because they were just so much fun those DVDs just looked like the best time

and looked like the best job in the world the best just the best and Andy Williams was a phenomenal part of that Those DVDs, if you haven't seen them, are very, very funny. And he's very, very funny. And I thought back then when I was a kid, if I could be like 1% as cool as him, maybe I could do what he does.

And maybe one day we would meet and maybe be friends. And at the time, it seemed like a childish pipe dream kind of thing. and fast forward about 10 years, almost 10 years probably to the day that I was watching those DVDs. I joined Straden the Path and a couple of my first shows are in Europe, in between festivals and we played with every time I die. And within seconds of being in the venue and he's like, do you lift? Which is like, A, number one, big guy saying, do you lift?

It's like top top three moments. for a lifter. And two, just incredibly friendly to the new guy. And I was like, yeah, I lift. Thanks, bro. And he's like, you want to go to the gym? Should we walk to this gym in Schweinfert? He tells some absolutely fucking insane stories on the way to someone who's a stranger.

And immediately, I just go, yep, that's the guy from the DVDs. That's the coolest person I've ever seen in my life. And we train me, him and Tom. In fact, we get to the gym. Guy behind the counter is like, are you in a band? We tell him our bands. He says, I don't like Germany, obviously, Schoenford. He says, I don't like the lost every time I die album.

Straight from the path and stick to your guns are the same band to me. Don't like either band. And he's like, cool. Me and Tom are like, cool. He asked for guest lists. We give him guest list. Very German interaction. And then he lets us in the gym for free.

so me Tom and he's got some shoulder injury so he's taking it easy warms up with a hundred reps on the bench press shows me a couple of cool crazy shoulder exercises i think i probably said how do you get those fucking massive shoulders um we have a great workout he buys me a protein shake at the end and uh that's it we were friends and being the new guy on a tour is it sucks for like the first five years

everyone already knows each other Tom and Andy had toured together before I didn't know these guys and there's some people there's some bands and that I'm still new guy in Australia even though I was there for 10 years and we never elevated to the level of friendship

the other guys had most of the bands really we never elevated to that same level of friendship because because I was a new guy and Andy made me his friend within 10 minutes of meeting him and we stayed in touch

after that got dinners together podcast together and you know when I hurt my back Andy was I would say Andy was probably the first person in my inbox

okay have you heard of nerve flossing I'm like no what the fuck is that sends me a bunch of links. What about this? What about this? I've been through injuries. I've had serious injuries. You've got to do this.

You've got to do this. Coach me through it. When I wasn't sleeping, same thing. Supplements, all this stuff. It's just like the level of care he showed me was just phenomenal. And seeing these things in the last few days of other people, other people's memories, it's like how did this guy, like I know he was big, but how did he have the capacity to be that nice

to fucking everyone, literally everyone. It's made me just seeing all this stuff, as horrible as it is, it just makes me want to be a better person because that was just the best guy. He stopped touring shortly after that to, become a literal wrestler. His first dream was to be a wrestler,

tore his ACL, decided on a backup, unobtainable dream of being a rock star, succeeded in being a rock star, and then went back to the original dream and also succeeded in that. Wrestling in AEW, having a fucking toy.

He had a toy? Like, the man lived two dreams. Two dreams that for most people, are unobtainable he did both of those things um and of course he did legend of course he did so talented so so funny storytelling like everything i'm sure i'm sure you've seen them they're on hard law just re-released their episode with andy We did an audio episode, like there's stories for days in there.

There's stories from everyone else. I'm dribbling to try and stop the dribbling coming from my fucking eyes. It's all out there. I suggest you go play some eat it, listen to the Hardlaw episode. Play some atomic rule. That was another thing like me and him, especially in our kind of genre. You don't often bump into too many people who really like 70s, prog and real doom music um and he loved them both yeah i was going back through our

instagram messages and text messages and it's just have you heard this have you heard like and it's knee shit that no one else fucking likes um had a lot in common with him i was really looking forward to we talked about dinner and another podcast we talked fucking 10 days ago about dinner and a podcast. It doesn't feel real. It's so close to Bo. Last time I saw him was at Bo's memorial and he mentioned, like we both surprised to see each other there and then within like a second we'd be like, no way, of course we're both here. But like he mentioned what a sad but beautiful thing that all these people came together, all these people from a million different walks of life because of one person and it's like here we are again it was weirdly foreboding and here we are

again and it's a fucking tragedy new from nespresso blend wellness into your coffee routine with a coffee plus range infused with functional benefits choose the coffee you love with added b vitamins like coffee plus b12 to help support immune function and coffee plus b6 to keep your day moving or go with the flow and choose ginseng delight. Our new double espresso with ginseng extract. Whatever lies ahead, don't change your morning. Let your morning change you. Discover coffee plus on espresso.com.

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I didn't know and they found each other and that was just it we did that podcast episode six years ago and they were just there's a podcast I can't remember what it's called I'll have to find it and link it they did a podcast with the two of them together

him and Hanna on someone else's podcast I'll find out what it is and it was like a couple podcast and it was just so awesome they just loved each other so much I can't fucking believe I just can't imagine what she's going through he touched so much

many fucking people's lives. It makes me want to be a better person and I hate that it took this for me to realize that. Yeah, RIP, Andy Williams. I just wanted to put this out before normal episode to come out because he

fucking deserves it. I wish we had more time. I wish we had more chats, more dinners. you. Spotify Ads Manager makes it easy to create your first audio ad in minutes for free. Sign up today, launch a campaign, and start reaching your audience. Hug your friends.