Hardcore Tool fans aren’t music’s most easygoing bunch. Whether it’s waiting 14 years for the prog-legends to return with new material or meticulously unpacking the genius behind every time-signature change and intricate guitar lead, it’d be difficult to find a fan who doesn’t take the band seriously.
In a recent interview with Maynard James Keenan opened up to Lars Ulrich on his Beats 1 show ‘It’s Electric’ about how Tool once tried to incorporate a comedy element into their show, which unfortunately didn’t end as planned.
Keenan discussed how he initially got involved with comedians like Patton Oswald and Craig Anton, bringing them out on the road to incorporate into Tool’s live show, integrating both elements of stand up and live music as a mixed performance.
“A lot of it was just plans. We were trying to figure out a way in the early days of Tool to do a whole comedy thing on the road. Just after that, I got involved with Laura Milligan and Mike King – when Laura was doing her tantrum thing, where all the ‘Mr. Show’ guys came through and did a lot of stuff… A lot of people came through – Patton Oswald, Craig Anton, a lot of awesome names back in the day.
“But prior to that, it was Bill and I going, ‘How do we take your bit on the road and have you open? Tool does some songs, you do some more stuff, Tool does some more songs.’ It would be that kind of format.”
He then went on to describe how he noticed Tool fans were becoming “vicious”, especially when David Cross an Greg Berhendt were introduced into the show as “sports announces” that introduced the band as they walked on stage.
“They actually had a whole bit – we did a show where we had Greg Berhendt and David Cross, the sports announcers, they started the whole show as it was half time getting a play-by-play. Like, ‘Maynard’s on his game tonight!’ Like full states. They’re up front doing the stage thing with the whole like jackets and everything, almost a halftime commentary although the show hasn’t even started.”
“And we were right at the level where we could probably do that, but it was getting quickly to, ‘Yeah, I don’t think we can do that anymore because our fans are fucking vicious.”
He eventually fessed up that Tool fans once booed comedy rock icons Tenacious D off stage, saying, “it’s David Cross and Greg Barendth, and they’re getting pelted with quarters. And time after that Tenacious D opened for us and got booed off the stage.”
It was announced yesterday that a sequel to Tenacious D’s 2006 movie was in the works, set for a release this October. “I don’t know where you’ll be able to see it, but we have decided that it’s happening and it’s coming out,” Black said.
