Lets answer this question(hopefully for the last time):
The only way I would ever consider doing another Thrash Of The Titans, is if someone that I knew really needed it, and if that person, was someone whom all the bands would want to volunteer their services. I'm not a huge promoter, it was a once in a lifetime concert, I just hand picked the best staff I could get, delegated responsibilities, consulted with my staff, before any major decisions were made. Made sure Chuck apporved all big decisions(it was in his name & he deserved the right to give his opinions). I had alot of help that just made me look good, in fact our very own TL(she was one of my most trusted advisors) & I first came up with the idea, on the phone with her(Cheers TL). I came up with the idea to reform Legacy, talked to Eric & Zetro, first, then I decided to give Phil Demmel a call to reform Vio-Lence....and next I talked my good friend Steve from Skinlab, they volunteered also, so that was my basic idea 3 solid bands(not a festival).......but then it just got bigger & bigger everyday, Exodus was next......I knew I could get Sadus, & Laaz, easily, & after Craig(& Steve Jacobs) from Forbidden said they could'nt do it, I still went ahead & called Glenn, Russ & Paul Bostaph, & Tim, to see if they could do it without them, & bang they wanted to really do it for their good friend Chuck.......next I worked on Billy Milano, & he said I'll do comedy in between bands, & lets get SOD together, & even volunteered MOD, Anthrax wanted to help also, & they became the headlinner. Then bands started calling me, Heathen & Flotsam, & a whole bunch of other Bay Area & non Bay Area thrash bands. Last to come into the arena was Death Angel, then I knew this was destiny. Slayer even wanted in, but their management, had a tour scheduled to close to my date, I still think if Slayer had confirmed it would of been split into a 2 day event(different bands both nights) Slayer headline one night, Anthrax another night. Anyway it got so big that I was telling bands that they could'nt play, that was the hardest part, it evolved into the Worlds Biggest Badest Thrash Festival of all time. The TOTT crew members worked long & hard & kept to a tight schedule, the bands were all brilliant, and it went off without a problem..........I was actually just a small scale Organizer.........Everyone that was apart of that TOTT team were the real Hero's......together we were a Monster Festival........alone I was just Walter Morgan.......I just asked people "hey reform"....but it was both Chuck's that everybody rallied around, I just rose the Chuck Billy Flag, & everyone came running, wanted to do whatever it took......I look back & say, how easy that was to do.......it was the cause, not the promoter.......I am glad to give something back to the Metal Community that gave so much to me, bands like Testament, Exodus, Vio-Lence, Laaz Rockit, Forbidden, Definace, & even Anthrax(and awole bunch of big & lesser bands), have always treated me like a true friend, took me around the world, & city to city around the US, so many times, I'm so lucky, to live that life, I feel that I have at least given something back, & in the process revitalized the Trash Metal world...Music has always been my life....Thrash Metal my passion.....Thank God I accomplished something in my meger existence.......And did everyone know that Chuck Billy donated half of that Benefit Money to Chuck Schuldiner, & that was the biggest donation, he & his family ever recieved, even from Record Companies, & other orginizations, that shows what a big heart Chuck Billy really has, but that comes natural to him, he's just one of the greatest people I ever have meet!.......And thanks to all the press that covered it & put it in the history books, it trips me out, that I can be in Paris, France, to warsaw, Poland.......people wear those TOTT shirt's proudly, like a badge of Thrash honor, & to be apart of that is just the most incredible feeling......it stands for alot, Thrash Metal, helping your fellow man, unity, compassion, history, hope, & yes..........Love of Life!...........I played a small role, but I'm very proud that, & grateful to everyone that could attend & those of you who realize what it stands for, that could not...............
Dissapointments:
1. That a TOTT DVD was never agreed upon by all parties involved, I don't want to shift the blame to anyone, it just never could work itself out, in fact I've tried even recently(informally that is), but still can not seem to reach the right agreement(long story & personal issues involved, that I prefer not to discuss openly)......But I can say that Chuck, Boots(Venue Manager), & myself have always wanted to release an official DVD, that was the original mutally agreed upon plan, but we can not reach an agreement with other parties involved.............If it can not be done the way Chuck and I want it to, then we just will not do it at all, we own all legal rights, it was Chuck Billy's Thrash Of The titans, and we will not negoiate what we already are intitled to..........So it's still in Limbo
2. Chuck and myself wanted to realse an official DVD, that all proceeds would go to James Murphy & his mounting Medical Bills, I have lived with James & toured with him, & he is a good friend, so I am really saddened that we just could not come to an agreement, it only really hurts him, and all the fans who could not be there. And that the hardest part about the DVD is: not that it may never be released,
but that it never helped someone who really needed it.
3. That Metallica(The Band) never stepped up and wanted to be apart of the scene they created, now Kirk did make a sizeable donation(right on Kirk), but come on that would have opened the door to a Stadium gig, and a chance for them to help the Bay area thrash Scene, that inspired all those bands to play in the first place. And if that happened it could of helped alot of people besides just 2, it could have helped countless faces, & causes. Just think about a Day On The Green, with that lineup, maybe more, or 2 days of sold out concerts! But Metallica has never helped the scene they pulled away from and later sold out to all of us! Again Metallica: my life's biggest disappointment!
4. The gossip & the internet, enough said....I know what the truth is & still do! I hope everyone knows the truth, it was a very worthwhile cause.
5. That I could not find a bigger, better venue, for an event who outgrew itself almost daily!
Thank You List:
1. To all the bands & their families, who sacraficied the time, & the effort.....
as well as totally crushing sets they actually played......it would have been nothing without all of them........You guys have always ruled my life, & made it easier just to live with all your talent & music!
2. To all my TOTT Staff......you know who you are......all my knights of the TOTT table.......I shall never forget your efforts & loyalty!
3. To all my TOTT Road Crew, some flew in from around the world to come & work, some were right here at home, but these are the real life hero's of that long day & night, again you know who you are, Boy did you make me look good, & made TOTT a great moment in history!
4. To all my friends & family, who said I could do it, even when I just wanted to hand it over to more qualified people(as it got bigger & harder), I stuck to it because of all the support & the Cause, but thanks for the push!
I really needed that to, & to my late Father, who never doubted that I could make it happen.
5. To my cat Uba, who died after 15 years of life, of Cancer, just one month before TOTT, he made me realize how special life is, & how much we need to fight disease's, and he never gave up trying to live.......and died in my arms...........He was not just a cat, but part of our family, we miss him very much!
6. To the press who flew in, on their own, to cover this event, & put it in writing & in the history books of Metal!....& special thanks to Ian Robinson, who covered this on MTV, and called Chuck Billy a Metal Legend!....and Danny(long time friend), Ace, & Hue, of Reality Check TV.....for their extensive coverage & interviews, to document this event like no one else could of......
7. To all the fans who came to see this event from around the world, to all the Old School Bay Area Music veterans, who always find a way to get in,
to everyone who really wanted to go, but could'nt, you are just as important to me, I know you wanted to.......and to all Metal fans that still do'nt know that this took place........you'd be surprised, at how many people look at that shirt & say WOW!....did that gig really happen?..........
You better Believe it did.............
8. To Boots, for giving us somewhere to hold this event, & donating the venue & date at The Maritime Hall, as well as their staff!
9. To Metal Maria ferrarro, Debbie Abono, Joey Huston, Doug Hall, Jerry Allen, Troy, Rob Lewis, Sue Nimmer, Laurie Sato, Mike Murphy, Mark workman, & Mike Stallone, you guys deserve more thanks, than already given above, I could not of done without all of you guys!
10. To the families of everyone involved, they could not of sacraficied without you first sacraficing!
I hope this covers it, well Mid Life is that the answer you wanted?
Maybe more than you bargained for, but it's all truth, & it shall set me free!
