Jerry Cantrell recently answered some fan questions and explained the meaning behind Mike Inez’s famous phrase, ‘Friends don’t let friends get friends haircuts,’ written on his bass during Alice In Chains’ MTV Unplugged performance. When asked about it, Cantrell revealed that it was a playful jab at Metallica, who had just cut their long hair.
“That was about the time Metallica cut their hair. They were going for a new look, and maybe some hair was starting to go, so they made the wise decision to not hold onto it too long. Ha ha! They are close friends of ours, there was no disrespect, and I think Mike was just taking the piss. They laughed about it,” he explained.
MTV Unplugged was Alice In Chains’ first show in two and a half years, after a break caused by Layne Staley’s battle with addiction.
The incident didn’t affect the friendship between the two bands. Cantrell earlier shared that he had thought about collaborating with James Hetfield after jamming together a few times.
“James and I have talked about it, kind of. We never had a formal conversation but I’ve jammed with him at Kirk’s place. I’ve even spent a night or two at his house, and we’ve ended up with guitars in the kitchen and on the porch,” he revealed during a chat with Metal Hammer.
“It’s something I’d be really curious about, even to just write a song with him. As for whether it’d turn into something more than that, he’s got a pretty demanding day job. Ha ha! So I’d understand if it never comes to be,” he added.
Cantrell is currently promoting his upcoming solo album, ‘I Want Blood,’ across North America. The tour kicked off on January 31 in Niagara Falls.
