Alice in Chains Behind The Scenes of Their MTV Unplugged
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Published 2019-07-01
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What's going on everybody and welcome to Rock N' Roll True Stories
And I had previously done a video on Alice in Chains as MTV Unplugged episode from 1996 but that one was more just about the performance itself
This video I want to talk about what happened behind the scenes and maybe talk about some stuff that you guys haven't heard before especially from some of the MTV people who were involved with the actual show
So there was a guy named Alex Coletti and he was a producer at MTV and he was involved pretty much with the whole MTV Unplugged series since its inception in 1989
So when it came time to go after Alice in Chains to do the show he said they have the songs they have the depth and they have the emotion where you basically strip it down you really find
something there
There was just something going on and according to Coletti it was MTV who approached the band
Even though the show took place in New York the rehearsals actually began in Seattle but they didn't go well initially
So Sean Kinney would tell journalist Greg Prato that it became more apparent that unless things seriously changed then the band couldn't go out and play to their potential at this level at least and he said we can't even get through a week and a half without drama and scary stuff going on
That's about right when I mentally started preparing that it's done
The same thing with MTV Unplugged they kept asking if we'd do it up to the moment it was a real nail-biter
So barely any rehearsing at all
The guys not showing up
Same stuff
We rolled out there and everything worked
Coletti corroborated Kenny's comments saying that there clearly was more going on behind the scenes than he was aware of
So Coletti claimed that one factor that was working in the band's favor was that at the time Alice in Chains wasn't touring so it wasn't a huge inconvenience to have them on tour and then do an MTV Unplugged show
Now this was a huge advantage because for a lot of bands who did MTV Unplugged they were
used to playing giant stadiums or even playing arenas and to go from playing that to scaling down their show and their set to something that's TV friendly and that's friendly to like a much smaller venue is often difficult for a lot of bands and requires a lot of time
Now Coletti recalled flying to Seattle and actually checking in on rehearsals and meeting the band and talking about the parameters of the show
Now the band had enlisted the help of a second guitarist which was Scott Olson who also worked with Heart as well
Now Coletti recalled going to rehearsals and he remember seeing Layne energetically walking into a room eating a bucket of chicken and greeting him saying hey man and his hands were covered in fingerless gloves and were greasy from eating the chicken
Now the band would travel to New York City in early April to prepare for the show which was scheduled to take place on April 10th 1996 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music
So Toby Wright who produced Jar of Flies as well as the band's self-titled album would return once again and according to him rehearsals went great
Now Coletti recalled a last-minute request to add lava lamps to the set from the band
It was a difficult request because the lava lamps needed to be heated and then turned on for quite a while before they're used
So if you guys pay particular attention to the show you'll notice that some of the lava lamps aren't really moving a whole lot and in coletti's own words they were very grungy looking giving the set its proper appearance so it ended up actually working out in their favor
Now there were several issues that the band was dealing with behind the scenes
So a guy named Randy Bureau who worked with the band as a guitar and bass tech stated that both him and Layne were going through withdrawals at the time
So Bureau had somebody bring some to him at the actual show while Layne already had his own precooked supply which he tended to carry in an old glass pill bottle covered with a cork top
So according to Bureau Lane hadn't done enough to the point where he was nodding off or
drooling but he was right there before Layne went on the set and he did some just before he went on but he didn't do a lot and he said he had enough and no point did I see him run down to the bathroom or anything
Also adding complications was that Lane had dyed his hair pink which forced the lighting
director to match the background to his hair color
All Comments (21)
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The dude walked on stage took a breathe and started instantly singing Nutshell!!! It was the best Unplugged ever!!
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The bass alone in this performance was on a level all its own.
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It’s wild that MTV used to play music
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Jerry is straight up class. Loyal to the very end. He never ONCE threw Layne under the bus and I fully respect and admire his decision to suit up again with Will Duvall and put out some more great music.
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I love that Jerry never bags out Layne, not like Stone Temple Pilots bags Scott Weiland. Of course AIC was sad Layne was an addict, probably angry at him. But they loved him, saw it for what it was, and never criticised him outwardly. Layne was such a sensitive, internal guy, it would have crushed him to see band members bitch about him.
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Greatest unplugged in my opinion
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Sad to see a guy like Layne with so much talent torn apart by addiction. He had so much more left in his life to give. Never be another voice like that.
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Awesome to hear Sean Kinney being recognised for his vital role in the success of the unplugged session. He is a brilliant drummer and often overlooked.
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Best unplugged ever. Second place goes to Nirvana. I miss the old Mtv
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I personally was at this performance in New York in 96, I knew someone that worked internally on MTV, who sent me a 🎫 and I drove up from Cleveland. I think I still have that ticket stub 🔥
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One thing though, I don't think I've ever seen someone running so fast towards death who looked so beautiful as Layne did on that unplugged show. Strange and ironic. You could tell he was going down and lost, yet couldn't help but think he was the most beautiful thing in the world at that moment.
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Layne’s album with Mad Season is one of the best albums ever. River of Deceit is haunting.
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Who didn't cry when Layne walked out & started singing Nutshell? 😢❤️ Loved this~ learned a few new things, thx! AIC's Unplugged is, by far, my favourite. Sometimes difficult to watch, but also a celebration of these soul-grabbing, haunting, heartbreakingly beautiful songs. Love Layne~ precious, tormented, beautiful soul... RIP ❤️😢💔
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To nod off but be able to hit your mark on time and nail it... that's pure talent. He's always mesmerised me and still continues to do so. Your wings are no longer denied, Layne 💜💜
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Rain When I Die has always been one of my favorite Alice In Chains tunes. While at a friends Kentucky Derby party that Sunday, we had a local rock station playing on the radio when I heard the news Layne had been found deceased. Being a gathering, initially I was the only one to hear it. I immediately walked out their back door into their back yard and the the tears immediately flowed. Almost as if on que, it then started raining. Coincidences often happen. That being a sunny day with no rain in the forecast, this felt like more. I guess for me it was.
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Without a doubt, the best MTV Unplugged ever recorded. Layne seemed weak and ill from addiction and health issues stemming from addiction but WOW did he not let that destroy his performance. He came to life as soon as his ass hit that stool and rode that wave the entire show. That my friends, is a true artist!!!
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You could feel the pain and struggle in Layne's voice. And how the band felt that unplugged was quite possibly gonna be there last performance as a whole. I love Alice in Chains from the first time I heard them in my older sisters room when I was around six or seven years old. 25 years later its still some of the best rock ever played.
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Jerry, Mike and Sean walk on stage: The crowd cheers! Layne walks on stage: THE CROWD EXPLODES!
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Jerry and Layne were fucking brilliant. I love the fact Jerry never talked shit about Layne, other than acknowledging his addiction. Still absolutely adore that Seattle sound and being so young; best fucking time ever for music.
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This is layne at his worst making it his best and that in "nutshell" is what defines art....
