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Interview
by Joe Doe
5-4-2004
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| Alice in Chains: the late Layne Staley |
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A hero-less decade
Kurt and Layne, before the Stepford Idols
Compact discs may be selling even less but it looks like there is a lot of money to be made out of music still. We counted 15 Festivals, at least, during the year on this fair isle alone. Isn’t that too many? Once upon a time there was Reading Festival that made it a special event whilst now it is only one of number of sights competing for the same touring artists.
Back in 1992 it was the stage where Nirvana played Britain for the last time. And, it is the tenth tragic anniversary since Kurt Cobain [b. 20 Feb. 1967 - d. 05 April 1994] pulled that trigger. He not only ended his life but it finished off the idol system. After Elvis, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Bob Marley, Johnny Rotten and Kurt, alongside few others space prevents us naming, there has been no leader of youth since. Eminem blasted calibre before embracing the benefits of living in a celestial castle.
The choice for the crown has been rather dubious after Eddie Vedder successfully avoided to become a spokesman for the generation. Subsequent candidates all display some shortcomings: Korn’s Jonathan Davis is overflowing with issues, Slipknot’s Corey Taylor is too masked, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is too awkward… And, there is distinct lack of time to stake one’s claim to being - a cut above the best! Simply no gathering an iconic moss, just a bunch of Stepford idols.
Surely it's just a coincidence, but it's worthy of mention that another tragedy hit the Seattle music scene two years later. We shouldn't [but we do] forget that 8 years later, on the same day [05 April, alas the body not discovered until the 19th!?], Layne Staley (b. 22 August 1967, Bellvue, Washington) of Alice In Chains speedballed to oblivion.
After years of drug abuse, Alice in Chains singer Layne fatally overdosed on a combination of heroin and cocaine at the age of 34. But where Cobain’s death was met with a massive public outpouring of grief, Staley’s was greeted with a general shrug of indifference and a complete lack of surprise. His band had been inactive for so long, and he’d been written off by so many, that it almost seemed like he’d already died.
It’s clear that Staley’s unwillingness or inability to kick drugs tore Alice in Chains apart. What’s not so obvious is a why his addiction caused people to overlook his contributions to music and why only 200 fans attended a vigil after his death.
The Alice in Chains sound - Staley’s darkly melodic vocals and minor-key harmonies coupled with the band's down-tuned chug - is the framework for numerous modern acts, including Godsmack, Taproot, Puddle of Mudd, Smile Empty Soul, Cold and Tantric. Even Metallica, who said they always wanted to tour with Alice in Chains, have some Staleyesque harmonies on their latest opus, ‘St. Anger’. And Alice songs like ‘Them Bones’, ‘Grind’, ‘Would?’ and of course ‘Man in the Box’ continue to be (US) Rock-radio staples.
Alice in Chains’ music has endured largely because it tied together timeless elements of classic rock and metal with passionate, well-crafted songwriting. Moreover, it captured the lifestyles of its members. If Nirvana were about the joy of destruction, Alice embodied the beauty of decay. Their songs were gloomy, cocky, abrasive, unrepentant and confrontational, and Staley frequently sang about the being in the grip of heroin addiction. But there was more to Layne Staley than his incurable drug habit, tortured lyrics and unmistakable voice.
Fans got a taste of Alice in Chains’ goofy sense of humor during an edition of ‘Headbangers Ball’ shot at a water park. The bandmembers showed up wearing bathing caps, water wings and flotation devices shaped like animals. Later, Staley cast a fishing pole into the aquarium and Cantrell was pushed into the pool - the band was booted from the park soon after.
In some ways, Alice in Chains’ frontman was like a mischievous little kid trapped in the body of an agonized artist. He carried a Game Boy around with him, which he played at every free moment. At home, when he wasn’t playing one of his many video games, he spent hours watching professional wrestling and giggling at cartoons. Yet he also loved creating art and used to wear a T-shirt emblazoned with a self-portrait he’d made. He created a similar print of a couple embracing for the cover of ‘Above’, the 1995 debut album by his side project Mad Season.
There was a soft side to Layne Staley as well, one that contrasted sharply with his brooding vocals and haunting lyrics. He loved playing with his cats and talked about someday falling in love and having kids. Still, being in the music business hardened Staley, and fame scared him.
Like Cobain, he hated being viewed as a public figure. Most of all, he hated being characterized as a hopeless junkie - not because it wasn't true, but because of the effect it had on those he cared about. He was pretty unapologetic about his own drug use and was convinced that his talents and personality defined his character, not his extracurricular activities. He was angry that articles about his usage grieved his mother and sister and made his fans think heroin was cool.
Like many drug addicts, Staley would disappear for days on end. It seems like Staley was never content and frequently felt alone. It’s one of the reasons his vocals echoed with such power and so much pain.
The beginning of the end for Layne came in October 1996, when Demri Parrott, his girlfriend, died from a bacterial infection caused by drug abuse. After that, he pretty much gave up and became the Rock’n’Roll casualty he swore never to be - and for all intents and purposes, he vanished from view.
On ‘Sickman’ from 1992’s ‘Dirt’, Staley sang, “I can see the end is getting near/ I won’t rest until my head is clear.” The day came too soon.
Joe Doe
5-4-2004
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