Tool bassist Justin Chancellor was asked about Maynard James Keenan demanding that the band ban people using cell phones from their concerts in a new Ernie Ball’s Striking a Chord podcast interview. A Tool member recently revealed if his wife hated Fear Inoculum.
“Yeah, we do. Since you brought that up, we just did it in Europe. I was horrified when Maynard told me, ‘I’m gonna tell everyone they can’t use their cellphones, they’ll get kicked out if they do.’ [Laughs] It’s a great thought, and for sure it was unbelievable, and we’ve had an announcement going on before…
Nobody did it, you can still see the stuff on YouTube, people have these little things, but to play a show with none of that in front of your face was just epic. And I think everyone else enjoyed it as well. And then at the last song, he said everyone can take their cell phones, it was kind of, like, a theatrical moment.”
Chancellor also discussed playing live, “The best part is playing live, for sure. Playing the show, the real tangible thing where you stand in front of the crowd and you play exciting music and they have a great evening, there’s nothing better than that.”
A Tool member recently revealed a band that fired him. esp0003 recently posted that the new Tool song “Descending” may be an answer to “Aenema” on the band’s Reddit.
“Now that the end (however you define that) has come/is coming, Descending is for those who have survived/will survive. I don’t think Descending was intentionally written as an answer to Aenema, but it’s neat to think of it like that. Thoughts?”
JethroFloyd67 responded, “I think this is what they mean they say this album is about maturing and dealing with where we are right now.
Maynard James Keenan recently ripped a Tool boycott. Ænema is the younger cynical view of ‘f**k we’ve gone wrong, better just flush it away and start over”. Descending is the older parental view of ‘oh fuck its much worse than I thought, we might actually extinct ourselves.’
Descending is almost reinforcing it, saying we need the Ænema now if we are to ‘stay alive.’ It’s gone from being a sort of angry joke to being a serious plea.”
xLYURx wrote, “All that matters in Descending is the call to order and unity. Take the rest at what ever processing level you desire…but when the ‘dread alarm’ has been sounded….just remember we’re all one word, and figure out a way to come together.”
Ultimate-Guitar transcribed Justin Chancellor’s ‘Striking a Chord’ comments.
