Phil Demmel Recalls His Last Performance From Machine Head to Slayer
As we all know, Phil Demmel had quit Machine Head two years ago. He had first announced his departure after a long way which lasted 15 from his old-group. And now, he spoke for the first time about his last experience with Machine Head since his departure.
Vio-lence guitarist Phil Demmel has joined Slayer to fill in for Gary Holt’s place right after his departure from Machine Head back then. On the other hand, also the drummer of MH, Dave McClain had also announced he was leaving in a similar position.
A few days ago, Phil guested at Let There Be Talk and he spoke about MH for the first time after he left. He talked also about Slayer, Metallica, Vio-lence, and the early San Francisco days, too.
As Gary Holt had lost his father and had to leave the tour, the opportunity for filling in his place came up to European days of the Slayer‘s tour. This is how Phil Demmel jumped into Slayer from Machine Head in the past. So, he had embarked on one last trek with the MH before he left. And in his recent interview, he described their last trek as “super awkward” while he was talking about their last days in the group.
“Ending this career with Machine Head, I’m doing this super awkward last tour – because I quit, but we had this tour set and I quit a month prior.
So I go back and say, ‘Fuck, it’s a dick move to quit and I bail on a tour. If you can’t find anybody else to replace me, I’ll do the tour.’ ”
Kerry King texted him
Phil Demmel spoke with an open heart in his interview about all the experiences he had lived in the industry. It was the times he had been questioning his self from different ways, he expressed.
“But I’m leaving this thing, leaving the industry, thinking if I’m good enough for this band, and a lot of shit was said about me – and to me. And I’m questioning, ‘Am I a pro-level guitar player at all?”
So he had gone back to Dublin, where he and his wife bought a bar. But he didn’t have much time to take care of his family and their bars as he planned to cause a message came from Slayer’s guitarist Kerry King.
“He’s saying, ‘Hey man! Can you learn the set and be out here in a few days?’ And I dropped the phone on the bed. She asked what happened, I read it to her and asked them if that was like an offered chance, and they said, ‘No, we need you.’ And she was like, ‘Fuck, you got to go!'”
So this is how Phil Demmel joined Slayer back then. And here is the video down below if you want to listen more about his story and what else are they’ve talked about. You can listen to full interview below!