Beardo And Weirdo

Andy James went from posting instrumental guitar videos on YouTube and working at McDonald's to learning 17 Five Finger Death Punch songs in 24 hours on a first-class flight — and never looking back. Craig Gass and Chris Kael sit down with the FFDP lead guitarist for his most candid interview yet, covering everything from the Zoltan Bathory DM that changed his life to the stage fright that still hits at 80,000-person festivals.

The conversation reveals how Zoltan Bathory discovered Andy James through online guitar videos, originally hired him for Butcher Babies, then pulled him into Five Finger Death Punch on a day's notice to replace Jason Hook mid-tour. Andy details the terrifying process of learning an entire arena-rock setlist overnight, practicing unplugged in first class, and stepping on stage with zero rehearsal alongside Megadeth and Bad Wolves as COVID-19 followed the band across Europe in early 2020.

Chris Kael, who plays bass alongside Andy in Five Finger Death Punch, offers a rare perspective on watching the guitarist evolve from a note-perfect shredder into a full-blown arena performer — and now the band's unofficial musical director who teaches the rest of the lineup their own new songs from the Legacy album. Andy talks about the writing sessions with Zoltan that reignited excitement in the studio, living in Zoltan's house in Las Vegas for six months, and the personal upheaval of a divorce and new engagement to his fiancée Sam that unfolded alongside the band's biggest chapter.

Off-stage stories range from Andy bruising his spine grappling with jiu-jitsu black belt Jeff Glover on the tour bus, to the thermostat war that got him exiled from Zoltan's bus for setting the AC to 63 degrees, to the moment at Welcome to Rockville where Andy admitted he physically could not look at the crowd without losing focus. Five Finger Death Punch enters its 20th anniversary playing what Chris Kael calls the best set the band has ever performed — and Andy James is a major reason why.

Music industry secrets rarely get spoken out loud by the people who lived them — but Dave Buckner, founding drummer of Papa Roach, and Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch break down exactly how bands get paid, what a 360 deal actually costs an artist, and why forensic auditors now travel on tour buses to catch promoters hiding ticket revenue. Craig Gass hosts a conversation that names real numbers, real scams, and real consequences.

Dave Lombardo's viral drum clinic confession about Slayer's finances provides the launching point: $4.4 million gross, $400,000 to the band, and individual payouts as low as $67,000 for 90 shows a year. Buckner and Kael confirm the math tracks across the industry, revealing that a successful tour returns only 8 to 12 percent to the artists after management, agents, lawyers, and business managers take their cuts off the top. Randy Blythe of Lamb of God once summarized it bluntly — the band's real job is selling black t-shirts.

The episode traces the evolution from old-school record deals, where labels advanced money recouped at a dollar per unit sold against the band's 10 to 16 percent royalty, to modern 360 deals that claim a percentage of merch, touring, and public appearances. Buckner credits Steve Albini's legendary zine article for arming Papa Roach with business knowledge before they signed, while Kael credits Zoltan Bathory's forensic attention to tour budgets for protecting Five Finger Death Punch from financial exploitation.

The conversation shifts into conspiracy theories that turned out to be true, from CIA-backed operations and the MK Ultra congressional hearings to the military and intelligence backgrounds of 1960s rock icons like Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, and David Crosby. Buckner's most entertaining theory lands last — that Craig Gass, his close friend and recovery companion, was placed in his life as a CIA handler to monitor his outspoken views.

Three musicians and a comedian sit at the intersection of entertainment industry corruption and broader institutional secrecy, arriving at the same conclusion from different angles: the business presented to the public and the business happening behind closed doors have never been the same thing.

In this episode, Chris and Craig are joined by the legendary comedian Tom Rhodes, who shares incredible stories about opening for music icons like James Brown and Ray Charles. Tom's unique perspective on comedy and life shines through as he discusses his journey, the importance of kindness on stage, and the deep connections he's formed with his ex-wife and friends. With a blend of humor and heartfelt moments, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who appreciates the art of comedy and the power of storytelling. Join us as we dive into Tom's world and discover what makes him one of the most respected comedians in the industry. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation that will leave you laughing and inspired!

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 Introducing Tom Rhodes

00:01:28 Dealing with Hecklers

00:02:26 Music and Comedy

00:03:06 The Rolling Stones

00:03:54 Chris and Tom

00:07:50 New York City

00:10:17 Cocaine in Amsterdam

00:13:31 Porn Industry

00:15:31 "Rock Star" Comic

00:21:17 Vietnam

00:26:27 Around The World

00:29:44 Ghost Visitor

00:35:07 Best Advice

00:39:06 Comedy Underground

00:41:21 Influences

00:44:32 Faith Religion and Comedy

00:46:17 James Brown and Ray Charles

00:48:27 Opening For Ray Charles

00:52:20 The Who

00:54:26 Greatest Concert

00:56:14 Prince

00:58:51 Johnny Cash

01:02:27 Favorite Comedian

01:05:58 98 Rock In Baltimore

In this episode, Chris and Craig are joined by the legendary comedian Tom Rhodes, who shares incredible stories about opening for music icons like James Brown and Ray Charles. Tom's unique perspective on comedy and life shines through as he discusses his journey, the importance of kindness on stage, and the deep connections he's formed with his ex-wife and friends. With a blend of humor and heartfelt moments, this episode is a must-listen for anyone who appreciates the art of comedy and the power of storytelling. Join us as we dive into Tom's world and discover what makes him one of the most respected comedians in the industry. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation that will leave you laughing and inspired!

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 Introducing Tom Rhodes

00:01:28 Dealing with Hecklers

00:02:26 Music and Comedy

00:03:06 The Rolling Stones

00:03:54 Chris and Tom

00:07:50 New York City

00:10:17 Cocaine in Amsterdam

00:13:31 Porn Industry

00:15:31 "Rock Star" Comic

00:21:17 Vietnam

00:26:27 Around The World

00:29:44 Ghost Visitor

00:35:07 Best Advice

00:39:06 Comedy Underground

00:41:21 Influences

00:44:32 Faith Religion and Comedy

00:46:17 James Brown and Ray Charles

00:48:27 Opening For Ray Charles

00:52:20 The Who

00:54:26 Greatest Concert

00:56:14 Prince

00:58:51 Johnny Cash

01:02:27 Favorite Comedian

01:05:58 98 Rock In Baltimore

Chuck Billy interview reveals the Testament frontman's full story — from schoolyard bully and meth years to a cancer diagnosis at age 38 that split his life into two testaments. His new memoir Holding My Breath documents the native healing journey, the mysterious arrival of a healer named Charlie, and the stubborn defiance that carried him through 25 years cancer-free.

The thrash metal legend details how getting expelled from high school killed a promising sports career and launched him into the Bay Area thrash scene alongside Metallica and Exodus. Chuck Billy explains how his childhood habit of literally holding his breath until he blacked out became the through-line of his life — from bullying his way through youth sports to controlling every Testament set list. Rob Halford wrote the foreword to the book in two days, and Randy Blythe of Lamb of God penned the afterword.

Chuck describes the night a healer appeared at his door unannounced, performed a ceremony with flutes and chanting, and told him the wind would be his spirit guide. Weeks later, his blood work came back cancer-free. A second healer at the Center of Geronimo required Chuck to walk through a pack of wild wolves just to reach the front porch. The grounding techniques and mental visualization he learned there replaced the Catholic faith he grew up with, transforming him into a self-described spiritual person rather than a religious one.

Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass connect deeply with Chuck's transformation, drawing parallels to their own recoveries from addiction. The conversation covers turning down a songwriting session with Gene Simmons, growing up in Dublin California with baseball legend Randy Johnson, and how tragedy and cancer reshaped Testament's creative process for the better. The book Holding My Breath is available at chuckbillybook.com, on Amazon, and through Premier Collectibles with copies signed by both Chuck Billy and Randy Blythe.

Geoff Tate, original lead singer of Queensryche, sits down with Chris Kael and Craig Gass on Beardo and Weirdo to share never-before-heard stories from four decades in progressive metal — from hearing "The Lady Wore Black" on the radio for the first time while building transistor radios to getting politely dismissed by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd at an Earls Court afterparty. The conversation covers Operation Mindcrime's final tour, the real story behind the Queensryche split, and what Gene Simmons actually said that changed everything.

Tate reveals that Silent Lucidity, Queensryche's biggest hit with over 26,000 monthly YouTube searches, nearly got cut from the album entirely — saved only after orchestrator Michael Kamen delivered his arrangement and brought the entire studio to tears. He also recounts touring with Metallica on the And Justice for All tour for a full year, opening for Def Leppard in arena spectacles, and driving VW vans across Europe with Ronnie James Dio's blessing and only one roadie handling all the gear.

The episode digs into how record labels pressured Queensryche to sound like Bonnie Tyler, tried to carve the ten-minute "Suite Sister Mary" into three radio singles, and why Tate never compromised his creative vision despite the machine pushing back. Chris DeGarmo's departure, the corporate dissolution of the band, and the infamous knife story rumors all get addressed directly. Tate now runs Backstage Pass Travel with his wife Susan, taking thirty fans per trip to villas in Italy, castles in Germany, and off-the-beaten-path locations across Europe where John Moyer from Disturbed co-writes songs with attendees.

From making Tina Turner tea without recognizing her at Mayfair Studios in London, to Alice Cooper custom-fitting him a TaylorMade driver at a celebrity golf tournament, to listening to Dark Side of the Moon on a grassy hill while getting stoned with Ronnie James Dio at his final festival performances — Geoff Tate delivers the kind of first-person rock and roll history that only someone with forty years on the road can tell.

Bruce Kulick, lead guitarist of KISS from 1984 to 1996, sits down for his first major interview since surviving open heart surgery earlier this year. Diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve over a decade ago, Kulick details the full story of his valve replacement — from the initial diagnosis in Sherman Oaks to the four-hour procedure at Dignity St. Rose hospital in Henderson, Nevada — and explains why proactive cardiac monitoring saved his life before he became, in his own words, "a walking time bomb."

The conversation covers Kulick's sternum recovery, his month sleeping in a recliner, the physical therapy that rebuilt his strength, and the emotional shift that followed. Kulick describes feeling more energy and clarity than before the surgery, crediting his wife Lisa and surgeon Dr. De Sheer for the outcome. He also shares the bizarre post-angiogram complication no doctor warned him about and the KISS fan profusionist who told him, "I kept you alive for 80 minutes."

Beyond the health story, Kulick opens up about the KISS MTV Unplugged taping that catalyzed the original lineup reunion, why he called the KISS farewell show at Madison Square Garden "a missed opportunity," and his current relationship with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. He reveals that a new solo album is underway with collaborators Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz, Zach Thorne, and songwriter Joe McGinnis — including a song called "Without Her" written during recovery about Lisa's role in his survival.

Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass host this episode of Beardo and Weirdo, recorded in Las Vegas. Kulick reflects on meeting Brian May in 1975, the Vinnie Vincent Nashville performance, and why the non-makeup era of KISS deserves more recognition from newer fans discovering the catalog on streaming platforms.

Kulick closes with a message about proactive health for the rock and roll community — get physicals, listen to doctors, and follow recovery instructions to the letter.

Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass react to the Carrot Top Self Harm Story, share their own battles with addiction and depression, and accept their Best Podcast award from Vegas Rocks magazine — all on the same night. The episode moves from dark humor about their friend Scott Thompson to raw, unscripted confessions about what it feels like when nothing can reach a person spiraling toward rock bottom.

Chris reveals two self harm attempts within 30 days during his time in Five Finger Death Punch, describing how waking up after a failed attempt became the moment of clarity that pushed him into recovery. Criag shares his own experience with cocaine-fueled depression, recognizing the chemical crash as a warning sign before it was too late. Both hosts stress that the people most likely to follow through are the ones who never tell anyone — and that letting friends know they are loved is the only preventive measure that matters.

The conversation shifts from the heavy to the absurd when Criag recounts being Jedi-mind-tricked by Henry Rollins using the exact same technique Criag invented for dismissing drunk fans backstage. Billy Sheehan, Steve Vai, and Michael Anthony all appear at the Vegas Rocks award ceremony, where Sheehan — the man who once handed Kael the Revolver Golden Gods Best Bass Player award — greets him with a casual "nice to meet you." Kael turns the sting into a lesson about how celebrities protect themselves from awkward fan interactions.

The final act covers Criag attending Iron Maiden in a stadium with Megadeth and Anthrax opening, leading to a side-by-side comparison of Janick Gers prancing onstage and Billy Squier's career-ending music video — same dance moves, wildly different outcomes. Kael then previews the Yell With Kael singalong segment that has taken over Five Finger Death Punch's live shows, crediting his standup comedy work with the confidence to step out front as a solo performer.

Beardo and Weirdo won Best Podcast at the Vegas Rocks Awards after just 18 months, and this episode proves exactly why — no other show pivots from Carrot Top jokes to genuine mental health advocacy without missing a beat.

Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi reveals never-told stories from inside the most chaotic tours in 80s metal history — including the night Kevin Dubrow physically choked out Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler on their shared tour bus. Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass sit down with the 23-year Quiet Riot veteran for a raw, uncensored conversation about addiction, dysfunction, and survival in the heavy metal touring circuit.

Grossi details the 2004 Bad Boys of Metal tour where he served as house guitarist for Kevin Dubrow, Steven Adler, Janie Lane of Warrant, and Joe Leste of Bang Tango — all sharing one bus, all battling active addiction. The band burned through four buses in four weeks, and the tour crawled to its finish line at a biker bar in Yucaipa, California. Grossi also recounts how VH1's Celebrity Rehab production team deliberately supplied alcohol to Janie Lane and set up Steven Adler's on-camera arrest, staging moments designed to capture train wrecks rather than provide actual help.

The episode covers Grossi's path from playing Connecticut bars at age 15 to getting accepted at Berklee College of Music, dropping out after realizing his instructors had never made it as working musicians, and learning the business side of touring directly from Kevin Dubrow and Frankie Banali. He shares firsthand accounts of Rudy Sarzo's legendary niceness, Kevin Dubrow's second-act humility, and how the 90s forced arena-level bands to reinvent themselves with rental cars and local backline. Grossi also discusses Jizzy Pearl's departure from Quiet Riot and the viral emergence of John Tora, a young vocalist whose Kevin Dubrow impression is so accurate that fans accused him of being AI-generated.

Now five years sober after hitting his breaking point during the pandemic, Grossi reflects on watching addiction destroy Janie Lane, Steven Adler, and Mitch Hedberg while sharing hard-won perspective on what it takes to sustain a career — and a life — in rock and roll.

Josh Wolf sits down with Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass for a raw conversation about surviving 30 years in stand-up comedy, the 1990s Seattle open mic scene that produced Joey Diaz and Brody Stevens, and the George Carlin mentorship that changed everything. Fans of stand-up comedy history and behind-the-scenes comedian stories will hear details never shared publicly before.

Wolf recounts the Pioneer Square hustle that funded his early career, the night Brody Stevens threw a punch at Craig Gass during a Tacoma open mic, and how a YouTube comedy special with 14 million views saved his career after ticket sales collapsed post-Chelsea Lately. The conversation shifts between laugh-out-loud stories — a mushroom-fueled belly button encounter at the Old Chella festival, James Inman riding a city bus with a bucket of piss — and genuinely emotional moments about single fatherhood, Brody Stevens's death, and why vulnerability on stage became Josh Wolf's signature.

Craig Gass shares his own origin story of bombing so badly in Tucson that he walked off stage shaking, only to return three years later with a chip on his shoulder that caught George Carlin's attention. Wolf, Gass, and Kael also trade stories about Bill Burr obsessing over Steven Adler's drumming, Jelly Roll's legendary generosity toward fans, and how arena-sized crowds forced Five Finger Death Punch to slow down their songwriting. The episode covers the Seattle Comedy Underground, Joey Diaz's early gambling schemes, Cedric the Entertainer starting alongside Kathleen Madigan, and why Josh Wolf treats his Friday late shows as three-gram mushroom experiments.

Three decades of friendship between Wolf and Gass surface in stories that range from a George Carlin New Year's Eve at Bally's Las Vegas to the moment Wolf told a room of six people "Thank you, Seattle!" and dropped the mic. The Jelly Roll divorce question gets saved for the Patreon, but not before Wolf reveals enough to confirm the friendship runs deeper than most fans realize.

Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass reconnect mid-tour on Beardo and Weirdo to break down the FFDP 20th anniversary tour, the viral Aidan Mullen interview about the Metallica bus crash that killed Cliff Burton, and behind-the-scenes footage from the Ramones 50th anniversary celebration at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Kael reports the band is playing the strongest set of their career alongside Cody Jinks and Ava Under Fire.

The conversation covers Ivan Moody stopping a show during a dangerous Cincinnati heatwave to hand out water, the origin of Kael's "Yell with Kael" crowd sing-along segment that started as a spontaneous moment on night one, and how he Rick Rolled an entire arena at PNC New Jersey with full production support. Kael burned 1,548 calories on stage during the Cincinnati show — nearly double his usual 900 — and came dangerously close to heat exhaustion backstage afterward.

Craig shares first-person footage and stories from the Ramones 50th anniversary show featuring Travis Barker on drums, Tim Armstrong of Rancid on bass, Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day, CJ Ramone, Billy Idol, and John Travolta. Backstage encounters included John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Five, Matt Pinfield, Priscilla Presley, and Bam Margera. Craig also recounts hanging out with Russell Peters at a Pittsburgh cigar lounge after a comedy show and tells an unforgettable story about accidentally telling John Frusciante an unflattering anecdote to his face.

Kael opens up about the reality of touring — the brutal challenge of sleeping in bus bunks as a six-foot, broad-shouldered man, the Whoop recovery data showing 18% recovery on bus nights versus 82% in hotels, and how that sleep deprivation originally drove his heavy drinking. He also discusses his transition to cigar lounges as a sober social alternative and the new star coach bus setup for the next leg. The episode covers Kael's Jones Beach prank on Gass that backfired spectacularly, the Banana Man viral moment guest visiting a Canada show, and Punched Energy gummies as the podcast's first official sponsor.

Metallica's 1986 tour bus crash in Sweden killed Cliff Burton and trapped guitar tech Aidan Mullen beneath the wreckage. Mullen, who was pinned under the overturned bus with Burton lying across his arm, shares the full firsthand account of that night for one of the only times publicly — from waking up mid-crash to being unable to breathe under the debris to hearing production manager Bobby Schneider's voice pulling him free.Mullen traces his path from answering a classified ad for the Eric Martin Band in BAM Magazine to getting the call from Bobby Schneider offering him the James Hetfield guitar tech position on the Master of Puppets tour supporting Ozzy Osbourne. He arrived in Lexington, Kentucky having never heard a single Metallica song, only to find Hetfield in a cast from a skateboarding accident and Ozzy wandering the hotel lobby in a yellow dress at nine in the morning.The conversation covers the Metallica bass player auditions after Burton's death, including Mullen's account of picking up a scrawny Jason Newsted at San Francisco International Airport — and knowing immediately he would get the gig. Mullen details the lasting physical and psychological effects of the crash, from chronic back problems caused by decades of defensive sleeping postures on tour buses to panic responses triggered by turbulence and lane departures. The accident also prompted sweeping changes to European tour bus safety regulations, ending the era of plywood-over-window bunk construction and exhausted drivers working spotlight trusses before overnight drives.Hosted by Craig Gass and Chris Kael of Beardo and Weirdo, this episode captures a rare insider perspective from someone who lived through one of rock history's most devastating losses and continued working at the highest levels of the touring industry with Def Leppard, Phil Collins, Eddie Money, and Mesa Boogie.

Dave Buckner, original drummer of Papa Roach and the man behind the billion-stream hit "Last Resort," reveals how cocaine addiction nearly ended his life during the height of the band's success — and how reaching his 50th birthday and 10 years of sobriety became the milestone he never expected to celebrate. Beardo and Weirdo hosts Craig Gass and Chris Kael sit down with their longtime friend for a raw conversation about fame, self-destruction, and the recovery path that brought him back from the edge,

Buckner details the exact trajectory of his addiction, from being known as "the sober guy" in Papa Roach's early days to trying his first line of cocaine on a crew bus in Europe in 2002, well after the band had already exploded worldwide. The conversation covers how drug use escalated from casual experimentation to daily consumption of multiple eight balls, how even his own drug dealer expressed concern for his well-being, and why the rock and roll lifestyle created an environment where nobody had incentive to intervene.

The former Papa Roach drummer entered his first rehab in 2007 after calling bandmate Jacoby Shaddix for help, but alcohol continued to pull him back through years of relapses. Buckner describes the specific courtroom video of a drunk driver who killed his own two-year-old son — the moment that triggered what he calls his spiritual awakening and permanently removed the desire to drink. His last drink came on June 15, 2016, after checking into his third and final outpatient program.

Buckner's story of surviving nu-metal fame and cocaine addiction while rebuilding relationships with his parents, his wife Stacey, and his son stands as a testament to long-term recovery work through 12-step programs and the people who refuse to give up on someone still struggling.

Rikki Rockett reveals the behind-the-scenes survival tactics, personal betrayals, and wild road stories that shaped Poison's 40-year career — from flyering cars outside a Sammy Hagar show in a broken-down Chevette to headlining stadiums with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard. Craig Gass Chris Kael and Dave Buckner sit down with Poison's founding drummer as he promotes his new memoir Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison, uncovering a side of the glam metal era that even longtime fans have never heard.

The conversation covers Rockett's 27-year Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice, his paranormal investigations with TAPS from Ghost Hunters, and the pivotal moment when Talk Dirty to Me broke on MTV after the band's grassroots flyering campaign on the Ratt tour. Rockett also details how Bret Michaels operated like a politician backstage, why the band kept a condom machine on their tour bus, and the night he met Lars Ulrich at the Rainbow after a magazine pitted Poison against Metallica on its cover.

Rockett explains how Capitol Records shelved the Crack a Smile album when grunge took over, forcing him into a creative hiatus where he pursued comic books instead of music. He describes the physical toll of 1980s drumming — where producers demanded machine-like precision and banned ghost notes — and how his side project Rocket Mafia finally lets him play with the swing and dynamics he always wanted. Dave Buckner, original Papa Roach drummer, shares parallel stories of destroying his body from overpowering the kit during the Last Resort era.

Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison chronicles Rockett's trajectory from dishwashing dropout in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to arena-level rock stardom, with Corey Taylor contributing the foreword and Rocket Mafia touring through December 2026.

Chris Kael, bassist of Five Finger Death Punch, reveals that the band's upcoming Legacy album will have two singles out before the tour launches, confirms new songs will be added to the live setlist for the first time, and explains why he chose to stop dating entirely to focus on music, therapy, and channeling what he calls a "simmering rage" into songwriting. Craig Gass and Kael break down the emotional mechanics of being a working musician who still carries anger despite years of sobriety and professional success — a conversation that extends into Phil Labonté's viral comments about men and therapy, with Kael offering a pointed rebuttal from personal experience.

The episode covers how Craig Gass built an unlikely network of touring industry professionals starting at age fourteen by sneaking back into concert venues after security clocked out, a hustle that has now come full circle with crew veterans reaching out to him for job referrals. Kael matches that story with his own — the tale of how he cold-messaged a stranger on a Spector bass owners group on Facebook to borrow a five-string bass for the Five Finger Death Punch "Under and Over It" music video, and how that same stranger is now his full-time bass tech on the current touring cycle.

The conversation detours into Frank Bello of Anthrax discussing musical angst across generations, Robert and Chloe Trujillo watching their son play bass for Suicidal Tendencies from a private balcony in Melbourne, Sebastian Bach's move from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and Chris Jericho's legendary method of staging fake candid photos with professional wrestlers as a teenager in Winnipeg. Craig also recounts performing standup at a Times Square comedy club where audience members mistook him for someone from King of Queens, and Kael shares the time he mistook Lakers fans at his hotel for Five Finger Death Punch fans waiting for autographs.

Beardo and Weirdo continues to sit at the intersection of heavy metal touring life and standup comedy road stories, with Kael and Criag trading the kind of unfiltered moments that only happen between a working bassist and a working comedian who share a Las Vegas zip code.

Jeff Keith, frontman of the multi-platinum rock band Tesla, reveals the full origin story of how a small-town kid from Georgetown, California, went from driving septic tanks and mixing cement to selling millions of records and touring the world for four decades straight. In this sit-down with Beardo and Weirdo hosts Craig and Five Finger Death Punch Bassist Chris Kael, Keith walks through the exact moment that changed his life: sharing a microphone with Frank Hannon at a Sacramento bar audition in 1983, the only move that convinced the band he was their guy.Keith breaks down the making of Tesla's new covers album Homage, dropping July 17, 2026 alongside a tour with Mötley Crüe and Extreme. He explains why the band chose to cover songs by Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, and others — and how George Jones's longtime keyboardist Kent Goodson became the only outside musician Tesla has ever brought into a recording project. Keith also recounts the night he performed alongside Jeff Beck in Japan with Jimmy Page watching from the audience, a soundcheck miscommunication that left Beck shouting directions mid-song, and the strict no-touching rule Keith learned about the hard way.The conversation digs into Tesla's decision to go completely sober in 2004 to support guitarist Tommy Skeoch before a Scorpions tour, a move Keith frames as simple brotherhood rather than sacrifice. He tells the story behind the hit ballad "What You Give," revealing it was inspired by the death of his dog Brandy — not a romantic relationship — and how someone dismissing his grief with "it was just a dog" became the emotional catalyst for the lyric. Keith also shares his rescue of a stray dog and six puppies from a Texas roadside, a cross-country drive to find them homes, and his ongoing connection to animal rescue alongside Kael's Las Vegas charity work.Four decades after seeing Bon Scott at his first concert in 1978, Jeff Keith still names that moment before every Tesla performance, a ritual that connects a Future Farmers of America kid from Idabel, Oklahoma to one of classic rock's most enduring careers.What did you think of the show? Let us know in the comments!Be sure to subscribe to the channel here: @BeardoAndWeirdoPodcast Check out the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BeardoandWeirdo

Stephen Ray, author of Ozzy and Me, and Big Dave from MTV's Battle for Ozzfest reveal firsthand accounts of Ozzy Osbourne's final year — from the Birmingham homecoming show to the private funeral at the Osbourne estate — exposing how surgical failures accelerated his decline and how the stage remained his only real medicine. One year after the passing of heavy metal's most iconic frontman, two members of his inner circle share memories that reframe the public narrative around his health, his humor, and the farewell that nearly didn't happen.The conversation covers Ozzy's imposter syndrome despite decades of global fame, Sharon Osbourne's legendary protectiveness including the infamous Tiffany box incidents sent to Tony Iommi, and how the Osbournes' generosity extended to everyone from road crew to casual acquaintances. Stephen Ray details how a fan letter written by his mother at age fifteen led to a lifelong friendship, while Big Dave recounts transitioning from limousine driver to trusted companion after a chance pickup assignment in 1996.Dave Buckner of Papa Roach contributes a firsthand account of Ozzfest 2001, where vocalist Jacoby Shaddix narrowly avoided arrest for inciting a riot at an East Coast amphitheater — escaping in the trunk of a rental car with Sharon Osbourne's help. Big Dave describes body-painting himself as Iron Maiden's Eddie the Trooper mascot and rushing the stage during the tour where Sharon famously unplugged Iron Maiden mid-set. Stephen Ray recounts Ozzy confusing Carmine and Vinnie Appice hours before a Black Sabbath reunion show in Budapest, and reveals that commissioned paintings of Randy Rhoads and Ozzy still sit unclaimed in a Belfast attic.The episode captures Ozzy Osbourne not as the caricature of reality television but as the self-deprecating, fan-obsessed, World War Two history buff who stayed six hours at free signings and made sheep noises during drum solos from the quick-change booth.What did you think of the show? Let us know in the comments!Be sure to subscribe to the channel here: @BeardoAndWeirdoPodcast Check out the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/BeardoandWeirdo

Stephen Rae and Big Dave — two people absorbed into Ozzy Osbourne's inner circle — share firsthand stories from decades spent inside the Osbourne world, one year after Ozzy's passing. Rae, who first met Ozzy as a 15-year-old fan from Belfast after his mother wrote a letter to the fan club, and Big Dave, a New York limo driver who parlayed a birthday airport pickup into a full-time role as Ozzy's personal assistant, recount the bizarre, hilarious, and deeply personal moments that defined their relationships with rock's most unpredictable family.

The conversation covers the culture shock of entering Ozzy's orbit without any music business background — from Rae being escorted backstage by tour managers speaking into radios as if retrieving a head of state, to Big Dave learning on the fly as Sharon Osbourne handed him roles ranging from nanny to chief of security to throat-spray handler. Both men describe the specific moment they realized their lives had permanently changed, and how the Osbournes operated less like an employer and more like a surrogate family that collected strays and gave them purpose.

Among the episode's standout revelations: the Bob Daisley shoe hustle in Rio de Janeiro where a 15-year-old Rae got stiffed eight dollars by Ozzy's bassist, Ozzy's habit of shaving sleeping crew members' eyebrows and hair during the 1980s rehearsal sessions, Jason Newsted's first-day bass etiquette lecture and Ozzy's slow revenge through ever-expanding setlists, Robert Trujillo mocking Rae's Berlin CD moments before Ozzy walked in requesting a fretless bass part inspired by "Take My Breath Away," and the Voodoo Fest night Sharon Osbourne abandoned Big Dave side-stage after Ozzy's voice blew out mid-song during Iron Man. Chris Kale of Five Finger Death Punch and Dave Buckner of Papa Roach join as co-hosts, adding their own touring context and a previously unknown Kelly Osbourne audition story.

Part one of a two-part conversation recorded on the one-year anniversary of Ozzy Osbourne's death captures how two ordinary fans became permanent fixtures in an extraordinary life, and what that proximity cost and gave them in equal measure.

Riki Rachtman, the iconic host of MTV's Headbangers Ball, opens up about navigating divorce, mental health struggles, and the raw emotional weight of rebuilding life on the road during his One Foot in the Gutter tour. The former Cathouse Hollywood impresario sits down with Beardo and Weirdo hosts Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass for a brutally honest conversation that moves between gut-punch vulnerability and the kind of dark humor only old friends in heavy metal share.

The episode covers Rachtman's separation from his wife, the nervous breakdown he experienced on an eleven-hour drive home from Florida, and the therapy and sobriety practices that have kept him grounded through one of the hardest chapters of his life. Kael and Gass share their own divorce and Separation stories with equal candor, creating an unexpectedly deep conversation about what it means to start over as men in their fifties who grew up in the anything-goes era of eighties metal.

Rachtman runs through every date on his summer 2026 One Foot in the Gutter tour — from a sold-out Whisky a Go Go homecoming show on July 16th to stops in Portland, Seattle, New York City's City Winery, and more than twenty other cities. He breaks down his VIP and Road Crew ticket packages, explains why he believes fans should stop buying album presales and support local record stores instead, and reveals that he has to rewrite the ending of his show because it was originally about the marriage that no longer exists. Slash, Mark Morton of Lamb of God, Jeff Becerra of Possessed, and members of Hatebreed all reached out with support during the split.

A Headbangers Ball legend processing real pain in real time, Rachtman proves that the Saturday night voice of an entire generation of metalheads still has something worth hearing — and this time the stories cut closer to the bone than any Cathouse after-party ever did.

Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael returns to the road after months at home, and the pre-tour dread is real. On this episode of Beardo and Weirdo, Kael and comedian Craig Gass break down the emotional whiplash of leaving a comfortable routine for arena stages, private jets declined in favor of solo motorcycle rides through 110-degree desert heat, and the unglamorous side of life in a major touring metal band.

Kael recounts an 18-hour round-trip motorcycle ride from Las Vegas to Mescalero, New Mexico — through Kingman, Arizona, and Albuquerque — that nearly ended in disaster when hundreds of elk emerged after dark on mountain roads. Gass delivers a full update on the viral banana costume incident, where a hardcore band sicced their crowd on a fan in a sparkly banana suit, and addresses commenters who tried to inject racism into a situation that had none. The conversation also covers the awkward art of meet-and-greet etiquette, including why veteran musicians never say "nice to meet you" and the mortifying moments when fans get mistaken for someone's daughter.

Behind-the-scenes footage from Sick New World festival anchors the second half, with Kael sharing stage-side video of Korn, System of a Down with Shavo Odadjian, Cypress Hill, and Marilyn Manson's set — where former drummer Ginger Fish wandered onto the stage and got tackled by security. Gass reveals that Alice Cooper wants to appear on the show, adding to a guest roster that already includes Gene Simmons, Dee Snider, Kerry King, and members of Korn and System of a Down. The Josh Wolf episode tease — featuring Gass's failed attempt to extract Jelly Roll divorce gossip — rounds out the chaos.

Beardo and Weirdo continues to pull rock and metal's biggest names into unfiltered conversations that land somewhere between backstage access and barstool confessions.