A recently resurfaced YouTube video of Kerry King giving a guitar clinic back in the early 2000’s was interesting for a few reasons. First of all, it took place at the legendary (and sadly, recently closed) record store, Vintage Vinyl.
If you grew up in the northeast U.S. sometime over the past 30 years, Vintage Vinyl probably ruined all other record store shopping experiences for you. It had the best underground releases, the best-in store performances and the best band signings.
Anyways, the other interesting thing about this particular video was that Mr. King was very vocally not a fan of Voivod’s live set. Despite Slayer not being a part of the 2003 Ozzfest, Kerry was apparently traveling with the tour on select dates due to some promotional obligations with Jägermeister.
The 2003 Ozzfest line up was a bit all over the map, with the mainstage ruled by heavyweights Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Disturbed and Chevelle. And then on the second stage, you had a diverse line up made up of the likes of Cradle of Filth, Voivod, Shadows Fall, Nothingface, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira, Etown Concrete and more.
Before beginning his guitar clinic at Vintage Vinyl, Kerry launched into a little unprovoked speech about the bands he liked (and didn’t like) on Ozzfest 2003:
“Taking a break in between Ozzfest… I’m out there signing for Jager [Jägermeister]. That’s why I’m a little bit flighty, so when you guys come up here and play guitar with me, it might take me a little while to remember things that you guys are looking for me to play. Jägermeister has a bad effect on brain cells.” He goes on:
But I’ve been signing out there in Boston and I’m signing at the next two Ozzfests, if you guys forgot the one [thing] that you gotta have signed, I’ll be signing at Jägermeister for the next two days so keep that in mind. I don’t like anybody so there’s not a whole lot of things I’m looking at. Chimaira is rocking. Killswitch [Engage] is rocking. I think if any of you guys see Voivod, you’re going to be very disappointed, but make your own decision. I used to like ‘em too… but it’s not good.”
Youch. On one hand, the Voivod dig seems a bit out of the blue and a bit unnecessary. On the other hand, It’s Kerry King, and it’s pretty on brand for him to be no bullshit and to speak his mind. That’s what the fans have come to expect from him. It’s hard to say if there was some personal hard feelings with the band themselves, or if King truly just wasn’t digging what the band was throwing down on stage in 2003.
You can watch it in Kerry’s own words here, followed by his fan guitar clinic:
Voivod likely don’t feel the same about Slayer, as they actually covered Chemical Warfare live back in the 80’s:
Youch. Kerry King Was NOT a Metallica Fan in the 90’s and Early 2000’s