It’s official – Dan Nelson is out of Anthrax. The man has only been in the band about 10 minutes, and he’s already been given the boot / jumped ship. So what have Scott Ian and co done? They’ve only gone and re-recruited ex-frontman, John Bush – a man who was ditched from the band in 2005 to make way for a short-lived re-union with original vocalist Joey Belladonna. And all in order for them to play the UK leg of Sonisphere. Shit just got real!
But Bush isn’t permanently returning to the fold – he’s just back for a one-off performance. We guess his bank balance needed a bit of a boost, but not so much of a boost that he was willing to swallow all his pride. Anthrax’s management have announced that they’ll be looking for a full-time replacement later in the year. They’ve had to cancel their proposed US dates supporting Slipknot to do this. Boo for you, transatlantic-types.
Watch Dan Nelson help Anthrax ruin ‘New Noise’ by Refused at their recent ULU show
+++UPDATED+++
A statement from Dan Nelson has now surfaced, where he essentially says that Anthrax are full of shit. Nelson claims he was never ill, never resigned from the band, and in fact discovered he was out of Anthrax until the band issued a press statement stating that was the case. Ouch.
If you want to catch what is quite probably the last-ever performance Anthrax will ever do with John Bush (and possibly their last ever performance as Anthrax – OOOH CONTROVERSIAL!) then you better get yourself to the first ever UK Sonisphere Festival. If you haven’t already gotten your arse in gear and got yourself a ticket, now would be a very good time to do so.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Will Beardmore // Jul 21, 2009 at 10:11 pm
“Watch Dan Nelson’s only UK performance in Anthrax, ruining ‘New Noise’ by Refused”. I was at that gig, and it was FAAAARRRRR from ruined.
The other new tracks tore the place apart too.
2 Samantha Jade // Jul 21, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Just because someone decides to play a show with people he was in a band with previously doesn’t mean he has no self respect. Is your life that cut and dry that everything you do is SO black and white? I doubt it. Life is short. If someone wants to play again – hell, even if he did join the band permanently or not that’s his and their decision. Stop being so judgmental – they made some great music together and I think it’ll be exciting to see them playing together again. Maybe, just maybe they’ll be excited by it to – and if no one’s getting hurt and there’s “fun” to be had then no one has a right to say anything anyway. You’d think sitting up that high on a horse you’d have a better view, apparently you don’t. Get a life.
3 Raz // Jul 21, 2009 at 10:49 pm
I love bush.
4 Jack // Jul 21, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Why you hating?
5 Peter // Jul 22, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Samantha Jade is spot on. And from a personal standpoint, this is the best thing that could ever happen to Anthrax right now. I really hope John Bush rejoins full time – I saw them five years ago tear Manchester Academy apart. Bush stagedived from the speaker stack and landed right on top of me! It was one of the most amazing gigs ever, and I for one need to see Anthrax is John Bush leading from the front again!!!
6 Peter // Jul 22, 2009 at 1:38 pm
***Anthrax WITH John Bush…
7 Mark Eglinton // Jul 23, 2009 at 12:06 pm
The whole thing is a fiasco; not least because they have an album in the can with a singer ( a good one at that) who is no longer in the band. The reasons for his departure appear to be matters of chemistry with the other members and these things will always happen.
John Bush is a gentleman there is little doubt and a reunion with him is possibly the best solution in the short term. Of more concern though would be the fact that Anthrax’s output with Bush was just ok and the introduction of Dan Nelson was definitely going to add a new dimension. I heard the four new songs and they are in a different league to anything from Bush era Anthrax so nobody really wins here.
8 Sonisphere Festival 2009: Anthrax @ Apollo Stage - Saturday, 01 August 2009 // Aug 6, 2009 at 2:19 am
[...] this weekend. With former frontman John Bush stepping in to fill for the recently resigned/fired [delete according to preference] Dan Nelson, for all their flaws, Anthrax have more willpower driving them on than a dozen [...]
Leave a Comment