VIO-LENCE Guitarist PHIL DEMMEL Reflects On First Show With SLAYER - "I Just Hovered Over My Monitor, Making Sure I Stayed In Time And Didn't Fuck Up My Parts"
May 10, 2020, 4 years ago
In a new installment of an interview with Ultimate Guitar's David Slavković, Vio-lence guitarist Phil Demmel looked back on his 2018 Slayer tenure, when he filled in for Gary Holt on a string of European tour dates.
UG: What was it like when you're out there on the stage as a member of Slayer? After all, you were filling out this role that once belonged to Jeff Hanneman, so how did you feel when you first got up there with them?
Demmel: "I was on the stage, right, so I'm watching the intro, with Tom (Araya / bass, vocals), and I realized I had rehearsed everything except for when do I walk out on stage (laughs). I said, 'I'm all shit, Tom, I don't know when I was supposed to go up there!' And he looks me straight in the face and he's all, 'Bro, you were supposed to be out there right now!' And I'm like, 'Oh, fuck!', and I start running, and he grabs me by the arm with a big old Tom Araya smile and he's like, 'Just kidding, man. Wait 'til the pentagrams come together,' and he gave me that last nod of, 'You're gonna be fine.' And, you know, the first show was kind of a blur because I didn't want to fuck up, I just stayed just kinda locked in; there was so much pyro, and cool artwork going on behind me, and lights, and I just hovered over my monitor, making sure I stayed in time and didn't fuck up my parts (laughs)."
Read more here. Check out video from Demmel's first show with Slayer below.
