Dez Fafara: I just heard about that, and it was a surprise. I didn’t see anything going down. It seemed like everybody was getting along. I’ve known those guys a long time. It’s unfortunate any time there’s a parting of ways with anybody in a band, but there must be reasons. Anthrax will definitely carry on. Good luck to both of them.
Where haven’t you played live that you’d still like to get to?
We’ve gotta get to Japan. I’ve never been there in my career. We want to get to places like India, Indonesia, Dubai. I want to go to crazy places. We’ve been just about everywhere. We haven’t been down to South America in about two years. The crowds are undeniably insane. We’re booking to the end of 2012 right now. We’re already booked until mid-2011. We just keep rolling.
Do you enjoy life on the road that much, or is it just part of the deal?
Home? What’s that? (laughs) My home is the tour bus with a bunch of people, and my love is the road. Although this year is the first year I’ve been informed by my wife that every time I say I love the road, the word “I” doesn’t include her. So I’m eventually going to take some time off, considering that the past 13 years has been spent on the road. So there will be some time off, but it’s something that I love, that I cherish.
Does the family ever come on tour?
Some of the guys have had their girls out for the last two or three days. But in my life I’ve realized that women don’t belong on a pirate ship. My wife rarely comes out, and I tend to keep my kids as far away from this lifestyle as I possibly can. On the road is not a good place to have a family. Now some people do it right. Max Cavalera (Soulfly) brings his wife and family out on their own bus. I think that’s really cool. They have a way that works.
Communicating with the family back home is certainly much easier now as well.
Absolutely. My kids and wife understand what I’m doing and are very supportive. My wife has been my backbone for 13 years. And she’s got a guy who basically hangs out in the back lounge of the bus. I don’t do any of the backstage groupie cocaine stuff that happens out here.
So what do you do after a show?
Music, man. I listen to everything from blues to black metal. I play Native American flute, I read a lot. Right now I’m reading all the classics like Beowolf and Arabian Nights. I like to be alone. My bus driver said I’m the only guy that can sit in the back lounge by himself for eight hours and it doesn’t bother him. I’ve got a loner vibe, but it works with me.
