John Bush's "flawless" performance at Sonisphere fuels return rumors
Singer may ultimately have last laugh on band which previously opted out of his services
By Thom Copher
Yknow among other personal responses to John Bushs return to the Anthrax fold for the special
one-off performance at the Sonisphere festival this past Saturday (August 1), I say to your
face, John Bush: WAY TO F-ING GO!!! I had no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you, if no
one else, would put your heart and soul out on the table and give everyone on the festival site
and I do mean EVERYONE, from the crowd to the show promoters to (even) the rest of Anthrax
a show for the ages.
I must, at this point, back-track a bit. Back in 1992, I was bummed that Anthrax had parted
ways with (well, o.k., lets not mince words canned) Joey Belladonna. After all, that version of
Anthrax had given me some of my best memories: ALL of their albums with Joey were great, but I
particularly dug the vibe with Persistence of Time; there were the monstrous shows in 87 and 88
at Washington, DCs (now defunct) Bayou Club; yadda, yadda it was a great band which, poof,
suddenly inexplicably, was no more.
With that disappointment also came hope in the form of John Bush being named as Joeys
replacement. With John came a harder edge, but more importantly a blue-collar attitude that set
aside the aura of comic foil which seemed to loom not only with Joeys presence, but within the
band itself. John injected what I always considered to be a focus in the bands presentation
which, naturally, begins with the way in which the frontman is interpreted.
Despite a critically-acclaimed performance at the
Sonisphere festival, the jury is still out on John Bush's
return to Anthrax.
John Bush performing with Anthrax at the Sonisphere festival on August 1.
Amidst internal turmoil, label struggles, shifts in trends and anything else that
reared its head in the 90s, I held steadfast to my claim that Anthrax never made
a bad album. I honestly felt that the band had come full-circle with the brilliant
2003 album We've Come For You All. That album contained many key elements
which spanned the band's career. Anthrax was on a roll. More importantly, I
believed that the strength and power of that album once and for all silenced Bush
naysayers as well as those who expressed that the band had run out of
cutting-edge creativity. I loved WCFYA and by some definitions it stands as
possibly the band's finest hour. In a way, it felt like 1986-7 all over again.
Then came the hints of Joey's return or the possibility of a Joey/Bush
collaboration, or what ever you want to call it. I began to feel a opportunistic
capitalist tug on the Anthrax side of my heart. There were, as you may
remember, rumblings that (The Almighty) Sharon Osbourne had told the band that a
Joey-fronted Anthrax would secure a spot on Ozzfest. Well, we see (truth or not)
where that (alleged) little white lie led.
Personally, I said "Bollocks To All Of That... carry the momentum which We've
Come For You All established!!"
Well, the big Anthrax "classic lineup reunion" came and went, in my opinion, rather uneventfully. No huge headlining arena tour, no blockbuster
reunion album... some choice gigging, yes, but hardly anything that set the world on fire. As a diehard fan of all things Anthrax, I was
bummed; as a huge Bush guy... yes, I did feel a bit of vindication.
So, after the reunion smoke cleared and the "what to do" period surfaced, I anticipated the Bush-return-to-the-fold offer. Again, when
that didn't pan out I wasn't necessarily disappointed. Truth be told, I took the Bush side with a "Screw me once, shame on me... screw me
twice - No F*ckin' Way!" attitude.
http://heavymetalhog.com/HMH_commentary_bush_may_have_last_laugh_in_anthrax_drama.html
I guess that time does heal wounds. When the whole Dan Nelson thing fizzled before it ever blossomed, I began to think of what would be
good for the band as a whole. Then the announcement: John Bush would join the band for the Sonisphere gig - easy in, easy out, end of
story. I also pondered, "What if?" Long-time band supporter Eddie Trunk commented shortly after Nelson's departure that "Anthrax needs
John Bush," and those words certainly didn't fall on deaf ears. I believed it, but certainly not the flipside that "John Bush needs Anthrax"
because that is just not true.
Now, here we are, post-Sonisphere. First-in reviews have described the Bush-helmed performance as "flawless," "perfect," and a "seamless
return to the WCFYA thunder." It seems to me that John Bush stands to have the last laugh on this one, no matter which way he decides to
play it. I would love to see him come back; I might, too, even get a charge if he simply says "pass." I do honestly believe, however, that if
the latter occurs that Anthrax' demise is imminent. It would be a sad, even tragic day in the tumultuous history of Anthrax, the band whom
I have loved and supported through thick and thin, for good or ill.
Who's to say which court the ball is in, but we do know for sure that Anthrax has seemingly realized Eddie Trunk's revelation. Whether the
band's new Worship Music album will see the light of day with John Bush steering the ship remains to be seen... yet another strange chapter
in the turbulant journey that has been Anthrax.
Singer may ultimately have last laugh on band which previously opted out of his services
By Thom Copher
Yknow among other personal responses to John Bushs return to the Anthrax fold for the special
one-off performance at the Sonisphere festival this past Saturday (August 1), I say to your
face, John Bush: WAY TO F-ING GO!!! I had no doubt in my mind whatsoever that you, if no
one else, would put your heart and soul out on the table and give everyone on the festival site
and I do mean EVERYONE, from the crowd to the show promoters to (even) the rest of Anthrax
a show for the ages.
I must, at this point, back-track a bit. Back in 1992, I was bummed that Anthrax had parted
ways with (well, o.k., lets not mince words canned) Joey Belladonna. After all, that version of
Anthrax had given me some of my best memories: ALL of their albums with Joey were great, but I
particularly dug the vibe with Persistence of Time; there were the monstrous shows in 87 and 88
at Washington, DCs (now defunct) Bayou Club; yadda, yadda it was a great band which, poof,
suddenly inexplicably, was no more.
With that disappointment also came hope in the form of John Bush being named as Joeys
replacement. With John came a harder edge, but more importantly a blue-collar attitude that set
aside the aura of comic foil which seemed to loom not only with Joeys presence, but within the
band itself. John injected what I always considered to be a focus in the bands presentation
which, naturally, begins with the way in which the frontman is interpreted.
Despite a critically-acclaimed performance at the
Sonisphere festival, the jury is still out on John Bush's
return to Anthrax.
John Bush performing with Anthrax at the Sonisphere festival on August 1.
Amidst internal turmoil, label struggles, shifts in trends and anything else that
reared its head in the 90s, I held steadfast to my claim that Anthrax never made
a bad album. I honestly felt that the band had come full-circle with the brilliant
2003 album We've Come For You All. That album contained many key elements
which spanned the band's career. Anthrax was on a roll. More importantly, I
believed that the strength and power of that album once and for all silenced Bush
naysayers as well as those who expressed that the band had run out of
cutting-edge creativity. I loved WCFYA and by some definitions it stands as
possibly the band's finest hour. In a way, it felt like 1986-7 all over again.
Then came the hints of Joey's return or the possibility of a Joey/Bush
collaboration, or what ever you want to call it. I began to feel a opportunistic
capitalist tug on the Anthrax side of my heart. There were, as you may
remember, rumblings that (The Almighty) Sharon Osbourne had told the band that a
Joey-fronted Anthrax would secure a spot on Ozzfest. Well, we see (truth or not)
where that (alleged) little white lie led.
Personally, I said "Bollocks To All Of That... carry the momentum which We've
Come For You All established!!"
Well, the big Anthrax "classic lineup reunion" came and went, in my opinion, rather uneventfully. No huge headlining arena tour, no blockbuster
reunion album... some choice gigging, yes, but hardly anything that set the world on fire. As a diehard fan of all things Anthrax, I was
bummed; as a huge Bush guy... yes, I did feel a bit of vindication.
So, after the reunion smoke cleared and the "what to do" period surfaced, I anticipated the Bush-return-to-the-fold offer. Again, when
that didn't pan out I wasn't necessarily disappointed. Truth be told, I took the Bush side with a "Screw me once, shame on me... screw me
twice - No F*ckin' Way!" attitude.
http://heavymetalhog.com/HMH_commentary_bush_may_have_last_laugh_in_anthrax_drama.html
I guess that time does heal wounds. When the whole Dan Nelson thing fizzled before it ever blossomed, I began to think of what would be
good for the band as a whole. Then the announcement: John Bush would join the band for the Sonisphere gig - easy in, easy out, end of
story. I also pondered, "What if?" Long-time band supporter Eddie Trunk commented shortly after Nelson's departure that "Anthrax needs
John Bush," and those words certainly didn't fall on deaf ears. I believed it, but certainly not the flipside that "John Bush needs Anthrax"
because that is just not true.
Now, here we are, post-Sonisphere. First-in reviews have described the Bush-helmed performance as "flawless," "perfect," and a "seamless
return to the WCFYA thunder." It seems to me that John Bush stands to have the last laugh on this one, no matter which way he decides to
play it. I would love to see him come back; I might, too, even get a charge if he simply says "pass." I do honestly believe, however, that if
the latter occurs that Anthrax' demise is imminent. It would be a sad, even tragic day in the tumultuous history of Anthrax, the band whom
I have loved and supported through thick and thin, for good or ill.
Who's to say which court the ball is in, but we do know for sure that Anthrax has seemingly realized Eddie Trunk's revelation. Whether the
band's new Worship Music album will see the light of day with John Bush steering the ship remains to be seen... yet another strange chapter
in the turbulant journey that has been Anthrax.
