Les Claypool may be lauded as one of the bass’ undisputed virtuosos and most influential innovators.

However, according to the man himself, this wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in Metallica when he auditioned back in late 1986, following the death of Cliff Burton.

“I didn’t know how popular they were,” Claypool admits in a new interview with The Guardian, explaining he totally misread the room.

“We played a song or two and I said, ‘Hey, you guys want to jam on some Isley Brothers?’ Nobody laughed.”

Claypool was high school classmates with Kirk Hammett but suggests a personality clash was the reason why he never ended up in Metallica. Later, in Behind the Music, James Hetfield diplomatically disagreed, stating: “He was too good.”

In a 2005 Bass Player interview, Claypool spoke more on the experience. “I can't really remember what songs we played, but I didn’t fit in, that was really obvious,” he said.

“I believe Lars said. ‘You're not really used to this kind of music, are you?’ My first response was, goddamn, this is loud!”

As for his response to Hetfield’s reasoning on Behind the Music, Claypool has since scoffed at the suggestion.

“No, it wasn't that – I just didn’t fit in,” he later told Kerrang! “I had a blonde Mohawk and baggy skater pants and two different coloured tennis shoes – and this was back when they had long hair long hair and tight pants.

“I told him he was full of it, and thought I was a freak! That was why he didn't want me! And he [Hetfield] just laughed, because it was true. I wouldn’t have fit. They’re not dumb.”

As it turns out, the rejection set the bassist onto his true path, as the classic Primus lineup of Claypool, Ler LaLonde on guitar and drummer Tim Alexander led to 1989’s Suck On This and 1990’s Frizzle Fry – and their success landed them a major label deal with Interscope in 1991.

Les Claypool sits comfortably in the pantheon of bass greats, thanks to his off-kilter slapping-and-tapping playing style and bold basslines that have captured the imagination of generations of players.

Yet, according to the Primus bassist himself, he only started playing bass because, growing up, “everybody wanted to be Eddie Van Halen”. That, and he received a little coaxing from Kirk Hammett.

In a recent interview with Rick Beato, Claypool reveals that the two used to jam together – back when they were a bunch of high schoolers at De Anza High School in Richmond.

“He actually tried to get me to sing for his band. We had algebra together, and he sat behind me in algebra, and he would always go, ‘Hey, Claypool. Hey, Claypool, check it out, man.’

“I still, to this day, remember this ad. It was the ad for a Stratocaster where the guy's holding it, and he's going, ‘It's a rock machine,’ and the guy behind him is going, ‘No, it's a country machine.’ And he's [Hammett] like, ‘Here's my guitar, Claypool, man. It’s the one I'm getting.’”

Hammett eventually got his Strat, and eventually attempted to recruit Claypool as a singer for his band, which didn’t quite work out. “I chickened out,” he admits. “I was a total Bobby Brady, croaking and cracking. So I chickened out.”

Meanwhile, another “guy needed a bass player,” which piqued Claypool's interest, leading him to invest in his first bass.

“There was a guy who had this bass for sale for 15 bucks, some old piece of shit, and actually [it] was 30 bucks, and I had 15. I said, ‘Dad, can I borrow 15 bucks?’ He's like, ‘Is that really what you want to do?’ And I said, ‘Yep.’ He's like, ‘Well, let's go down and talk to Al's Music’ – it was a buddy of his.

“We went down and we got a brand new P Bass copy Memphis. I got this thing, and I had to pull weeds all summer to pay for it, but then I was instantly in a band because nobody wanted to play bass back then.”

As Claypool explains, “Everybody wanted to be Eddie Van Halen. So bass players were a very rare commodity.”

Alas, “it wasn't Kirk's band, and I didn't find out till years later that he was kind of pissed at me for bailing on his thing to go play bass in this other band” he quips.

Recently, Claypool's bandmate, Larry LaLonde, revealed how the two ended up with off-the-rack gear from Guitar Center right before a show.

Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde describes the sudden departure of drummer Tim Alexander as an unexpected curveball. But because he and bassist Les Claypool are so tight, the addition of new man John Hoffman has been relatively easy.

“We just did a jiu jitsu move, turned it on itself, turned it into a fun time, and an opportunity to do something different,” the guitarist says. “It’s fun. The fact that we’re able to keep doing it is enough – it’s like, ‘Jesus, why would you not do it?’”

He says the best aspect of working in the group is the amount of freedom he’s allowed.

“You can almost play anything you want,” he says. “We were never part of any scene or movement so we’ve been able to cruise along and not worry about what’s going on in the music world.”

As if trying to find a new drummer wasn’t enough, LaLonde lost his home in the California wildfires at the end of 2024. A lot of his gear went up in flames, but his family is safe, his outlook is renewed – and once Primus get off the road, they’ll start working on new music.

Primus have a new drummer, John Hoffman.

“He’s really great, gung-ho, eager, and excited about playing it all and getting it right. He was a fan before, and he knows the vibe of all the drummers that have been in this band. I’m even learning a lot about how different the feels were with the other drummers. He really notices more of the exact feel and stuff.”

Has it been a challenge to lock in?

“Les will point out stuff when we’re learning, how they feel, and what the vibe is. I’ll be like, ‘Oh, I guess that’s why it sounds like that!’ [Laughs] But yeah, it’s been a fair amount of work, but it’s been fun work.”

You lost your home in a wildfire. How much gear did you lose?

“I haven’t gotten a full count yet. I was up to 58 guitars, and my whole studio of recording stuff. And here’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life – I had this 12GB hard drive sitting on the desk. I ran past it 20 times while pulling stuff into the car. But I never thought to grab it. I don’t know where that mental block came from, because that kind of thing is what it was for. So that’s kind of a bummer.”

Has it been difficult replacing the guitars you lost?

“I’d had a lot of them in storage, but a friend of mine who had stuff in the same place got ripped off. I was like, ‘Oh, man, I can’t keep them there.’ So they were in my house.

“Luckily, Paul Reed Smith just sent me two amazing guitars to help out because I lost all but one of my PRSs. That’s been one of the upsides – I have these two amazing Paul Reed Smith guitars. I probably never would have thought about getting another one otherwise.”

What else did you lose?

“There’s one Strat that I had on the first Primus records, like Sailing on the Seas of Cheese. I had it since high school, and I used it up until I started playing PRSs. When I was like, ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ the first thing I grabbed was the double-neck Alex Lifeson gave me.”

Was all that happening while Primus were trying to find a drummer?

“Yeah. You’ve just got to make the best of it. The only thing you can control is how you respond. It’s hard for the family, but you can’t place your finger on how much stuff you have until it happens. It’s like, ‘Oh, I have one of those – wait a minute, no I don’t.’

“But yeah, it coincided with the drummer submissions. We put it out there into the world – we said, ‘Instead of just finding someone new, let’s see what’s out there.’ Because you never know.”

Was the response overwhelming?

“We received almost 7,000 applications. I was burning through them with our old drum tech, Tim Soya, who knows all the songs. We’d just gone through that process and then the fires came through. So we were simultaneously doing the drum auditions and scrambling to find a place to live – and buy a toothbrush!

“Then we geared up for the tour, so there hasn’t been a lot of downtime to place my finger on how much gear I lost. But yeah, there’s a lot of cool ash in that lot.”

Have you had any interesting gear discoveries this year?

“I started using a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus. I don’t know why I haven’t been using one of those forever! They’re amazing. Every time I play through this thing, it’s just like magic.”

Tube amp purists won’t want to hear this, but the Roland Jazz Chorus is probably the GOAT.

“Man, dude, you totally know! It’s so different than a tube amp because it’s so immediate. You can instantly see why all those King Crimson things from the ‘80s sound like they do – it’s those amps. Plus, the guys who played through them are pretty incredible!”

Does the Jazz Chorus have you traversing new avenues with your playing?

“It definitely has. It’s the amp I had when we moved into a new place. It definitely inspires you to play a lot of cleaner stuff. It handles fuzz pretty well, but it’s not chunky, like a Marshall. It makes you articulate your picking and attack.”

Was the Marshall what you’d leaned on most in the past?

“I was using Marshall JCMs until I moved over to some Orange stuff, just for something different. Then I got some Friedmans, and now I’m playing through an ENGL because it has four channels.

“I was using a Fractal for a long time; and within Primus there’s so many sounds I’ve got to get that it’s crazy. I can’t just have one amp and a couple of pedals. So, this ENGL has been great because I can use all four channels and it’s like having four different amps.”

Can you track the progression of your playing, dating back to your days with Possessed?

“I was in high school when I was in Possessed, and taking lessons from Joe Satriani. The goal was just to be a shredder. It’s kind of weird to look back because there wasn’t really a lot of death metal then. There was Motörhead, Metallica, and Slayer; it felt like we were kind of inventing some kind of music.

“It was this weird thing to see if you could pull it off – see how you could reach people when you’re 15; see if you could do it.

“In that same spirit, when I ended up in Primus it was like, ‘Okay, I want to keep trying to create new stuff and not try to be the next version of something else.’ When you’re 18 or 19, you’re not thinking, ‘How can I get famous?’ You’re thinking, ‘How can I make cool stuff?’

“But at the time I think my favorite bands were Frank Zappa, Dead Kennedys, and the Grateful Dead. So it was like, ‘If I could be a fraction as big as these guys, this would be a success!’”

Would you say being in Primus, a genre-less band, is pretty demanding?

“Surprisingly, it’s freeing in the sense that nobody is expecting you to fit into a format. If you just come up with something that sounds interesting, luckily, the people who follow this band will be like, ‘Yeah, that’s cool!’

“And for the most part, if it’s something that I like, the other guys are probably going to like it, too – and vice versa. If they play something crazy, I’m gonna be like, ‘Cool. Let’s make this into something weird!’”

Primus were forced to play off-the-rack gear because of a snowstorm. When did you realize you’d be performing without your own rig?

“We were going from Red Rocks to Las Vegas for a festival, on tour with A Perfect Circle. All our gear was in the same truck and it got stuck in the snow. The weirdest thing was, in the back of my mind I’d been thinking, ‘Is this gear gonna make it? These numbers aren’t adding up…’

“So we were like, ‘The truck’s not making it; the gear’s not making it. What are we going to do?’ Les and I both had the same thought – he texted me as I was about to text him, saying, ‘Should we go to a local guitar store and buy some stuff?’ An excuse to go buy some gear? Awesome!

“So we went in with the limited time we had and grabbed some stuff. We were trying to find a matching bass and a guitar, then whatever pedals that seemed like they’d get us through the show. It went from a thing that sucked to turning into an opportunity to be something fun.

“I had to have a Strat – I thought that was going to be the most versatile thing. Les got a P-Bass, which made us go, ‘Hey, do you have two that match?’ We came up with a white Strat and a white P-Bass. We were probably there for 45 minutes, maybe. The guitar was cool – it was single coils, from what I remember.”

Do you still have it?

“No, we auctioned them off for charity, and that was another win from the whole thing. We got the opportunity to do some good with them.”

What sort of reaction did you get after walking into a random Guitar Center unannounced?

“Surprisingly, I don’t think anyone even knew who we were!”

Primus recently played The Brown Album in its entirety on the road.

“We were just throwing songs together and we saw it was a row of Brown songs. We were like, ‘Let’s just roll out like seven in a row and see if anyone notices!’ If they were big enough fans, people were going, ‘Are they just gonna play the whole Brown Album?’”

Will a new drummer, a new Roland Jazz Chorus and some new PRSs help spawn new Primus music?

“That’s the recipe for new music! Despite losing that hard drive full of songs, I was already starting to write a bunch of stuff. Once we end this tour, get home and regroup – maybe after we’re home for a bit – we’ll see what we can put together and keep this thing rolling.”

In January, as wildfires raged across California, Primus' Larry ‘Ler’ LaLonde was one of the countless individuals and families whose homes were destroyed by the fires, and whose most beloved possessions were lost forever. For LaLonde, this included the guitar gear he had collected throughout the years.

“That’s been one of the craziest components... I haven’t gotten a full count yet,” he divulges in a candid interview with Guitar World.

“The last I looked, I was up to, like, 58 guitars. So yeah, tons. My whole studio of recording stuff… and here’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life: I had this hard drive, a 12-gig hard drive, just sitting around on the desk. It was just for these situations, and I probably ran past it 20 times while pulling stuff out of the house and into the car.

“I never thought to grab that hard drive. It was just the dumbest thing in the world. I don’t know where that mental block came from because that’s what it was for. So, that’s kind of a bummer. But yeah, that was the craziest thing.”

LaLonde explains how Paul Reed Smith reached out to him and sent him two “amazing” guitars, “because I lost all but one of my PRSs,” to help him replace some of the many instruments that were destroyed.

As for whether there were any guitars lost that were particularly sentimental, LaLonde replies, “There’s one Strat that I had on all the first Primus records, like on Sailing on the Seas of Cheese, that’s the guitar I’m holding in that picture. I had that guitar since high school, and that one was in there [the fire].

“But the first thing that I grabbed when I was like, ‘We’ve got to get the hell out of here,’ was the double-neck that Alex Lifeson gave me. So, there’s some stuff that made it out of the house, but a lot that didn’t. But one that comes to mind that didn’t was that Strat, which I used up until I started playing the PRS.”

Elsewhere in the interview, LaLonde discusses the process of auditioning drummers after the departure of Tim Alexander while he and his family were “scrambling to find a place to live.”

Guitar World's full interview with Larry LaLonde will be published in the coming weeks.

Seeing Primus' Larry LaLonde and Les Claypool at a local Guitar Center may not have been on anyone's bingo card for 2024, yet that's exactly what happened after the two guitar and bass behemoths realized their gear had become stuck between Red Rocks and Vegas en route to a festival.

“The weirdest thing was, kind of in the back of my mind, I was thinking, ‘Is this gear gonna make it? These numbers aren’t adding up…’” LaLonde tells Guitar World in a new interview.

“We were on tour with A Perfect Circle, so all our gear was in the same truck, and it got stuck in the snow. So, really quickly, we were like, ‘Okay, the truck’s not making it, the gear is not making it. What are we going to do?’”

Their solution? To head to the local Guitar Center for some brand-new gear.

“I think at the same time, Les and I both had the same thought, because he texted me as I was about to text him, ‘Hey, should we just go to a local guitar store and just buy some stuff,’ which in itself, is like, an excuse to go buy some gear, which is awesome,” LaLonde recalls with a laugh.

“We went in with the limited time that we had and grabbed some stuff. That turned into us trying to find matching guitars, like, a bass and a guitar, and then whatever pedals were in there that seemed like they might get us through the show.

“So, it went from a thing that sucked to turning into an opportunity to be something fun. It was interesting, for sure.”

Asked whether any fans spotted them at the store, LaLonde replies with, “I don’t think anyone even knew who we were.” Pressed for time, the shopping spree lasted less than 45 minutes and saw LaLonde grabbing a white Strat and Claypool opting for a matching P-Bass.

As for what happened to the instruments, the two decided to auction them off for charity and donated the proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“So, that was another win from the whole thing, you know?” LaLonde explains. “We actually got the opportunity to do something good with them.”

Guitar World's interview with Larry LaLonde will be published in the coming weeks.

Frontman with Primus and a whole string of side projects including Sausage and Oysterhead, Les Claypool is best known for his stunning slap-and-pop technique which, combined with near-impossible speed and eccentricity on a host of fretted, fretless, whammy-barred and multi-stringed instruments, leaves all but the world's best bass players in the shade.

In 2003 when Primus announced a reunion tour, on which the band played its 1991 breakthrough Sailing the Seas of Cheese album in its entirety, bass fans immediately paid attention, and it all flowed from the hands of the three old friends – Claypool, Larry Lalonde on guitar, and Tim Alexander on drums.

A new EP featured five new Primus tracks and a companion DVD that included every Primus video alongside a host of previously unreleased live performances.

“Going through the old stuff is always nostalgic,” Claypool told Bass Player. “Seeing old friends, not to mention the hairstyles and clothing. But more than anything, it was special re-experiencing those songs. There's just something Larry, Tim, and I have together that we'd forgotten about.”

“Tim has a unique style, especially the way he uses the kick drum, so we rediscovered this vast catalog of material. Some of it is just so far out – really bizarre. I don't really listen to Primus records. It amazes me that we wrote like that. It's not exactly classic rock, that's for sure.”

The following interview from the Bass Player archives took place on the eve of 2003’s Tour de Fromage, which presented the best-known Primus lineup in a “multimedia theatrical stage production.”

How did it feel to dig so deeply into the old material?

“My first reaction was, ‘This is some strange stuff!’ I can't remember the last time I had heard Seas of Cheese. I did listen to Frizzle Fry when we remastered it, and that was one of the things that got me going to do something with Primus again.

“I hadn't attempted to play it for so long, mostly because it's just so different from what I've been doing with Oysterhead and Frog Brigade.”

What did you make of your playing on the earlier songs?

“I imagine it's a reflection of my youth, but I was surprised to hear how cocky some of it is. I mean, I had a 6-string bass guitar made for me, and then I had them pull out the frets – just because I wanted to try something different! Then I brought it into the studio and just began playing it, like it was normal.

“Same with Tim. The day we started recording Seas of Cheese, he got this massive drum set delivered to the studio. He'd never even seen it before, but he set it up and tuned it all by himself. The result was the oddest-sounding drum kit ever. Meanwhile, I was just fumbling my way along on this incredible bass, and here we were making our first major-label record.”

You do have a highly developed style. When you're writing, are you thinking, ‘This part needs one of those upper-register ostinatos I'm famous for,’ or is that just...

“Actually, with the new material, I was very conscious of making it sound like we sounded the first time around. When we got Brain (drummer Brian Mantia, who later joined Guns N' Roses) in the band, we shifted gears completely. We wanted to be like Led Zeppelin, with huge rock drum sounds – totally different from what we'd done with Tim – and it was great.

“But this time out I told Tim, ‘You have to get a kit with a gazillion drums and a gazillion cymbals, just like your old set. We'll get that tiny kick drum sound. It'll be like Seas of Cheese, man!’

“I also had Carl Thompson do some work on my Rainbow bass. I quit using it when Brain joined the band because it had just become so difficult to play. So I had Carl reshape the neck and lighten the headstock considerably. That bass was always very awkward, and I always had to force myself to play it.”

Is the Rainbow bass as heavy as it looks?

“It actually doesn't weigh all that much, but it was very top-heavy because the tuners were so big. So Carl put different tuners on it and reshaped the neck a bit, and it's way better now. It's incredible how great it feels.

“Once I decided to play that bass, I pushed Tim to just go crazy, to be as aggressive as he'd ever been. That's why we ended up just bouncing off each other like we used to, and that's why the new songs sound the way they do.”

Your influence in the bass world is undeniable. How much do you think about your status as a bass player?

“I'm never trying to be a bass superhero, that's for sure. I think in terms of images and songs, not in terms of how groundbreaking a bassline can be. I do love the fact that there are kids who look at me the way I looked at Geddy Lee and Tony Levin. That's marvellous and wonderful, and sometimes it can be incredibly touching, but it's not something I think about when I'm playing.”

Did you ever picture yourself as anything other than a bassist?

“Oh, yeah. The bass is just something I happened to pick up. It wasn't a random choice, of course; it was because I like the instrument's sound. But I was going to be either a bassist or a drummer, and I still play both. Still, I'd be writing the same material if I were a guitar player.

“Now I'm so comfortable with the bass that it's become like my pencil – but it's like a cartoonist choosing a pencil over a Sharpie or some water colors. It may look or sound different, but the underlying material is similar.”

Is technique something you still have to think about?

“I still sit down in front of the TV with my bass and noodle around, just to keep things lubricated. I need to as I get older. I never used to practice before gigs or anything. Todd Huth, our old guitarist, used to warm up completely before every show, but I never did. I'd just sit around drinking beers and smoking weed. But as I get older, I do find that I play better if I keep the gears in shape.

“My most intense playing over the past few years has been on the road with the Frog Brigade. I was constantly challenging the band with material. We'd play Pink Floyd's Animals from start to finish, or we'd learn new tunes every day.

“These were just ways to stay fresh, because out on the road, you need to keep up your chops. But coming together with Larry and Tim is a completely different thing. For example, it never occurs to me to do much tapping with Frog Brigade, mainly because there are so many guys up there. There just isn't much space for that kind of bass playing.”

Primus can fill up space, too – My Friend Fats is quite a racket!

“That's me hitting every button on every pedal I had going.”

Somehow, it still sounds like you three are playing together. How long did it take to feel comfortable with each other again?

“It was strange, because I usually know my stuff, but I couldn't remember words, and I couldn't remember transitions. Luckily, those guys knew the stuff pretty well. We did have trouble getting all the way through songs at the beginning, but that was because of me. I think I just had so much other material in my head.”

Was there a moment when you felt you had to play together again?

“Probably during an Ozzfest tour, when Brain was still in the band. It wasn't because anything was lacking with Brain in the band at all; the stuff we did with Brain is great. I love the Brown Album. It's such a departure, and it was a huge risk to make this really garage-y record.

“But I remember watching Sabbath – and I'd seen Sabbath play with Carmine Appice and Mike Bordin and some great drummers over the years – but this was the original lineup with Bill Ward on drums, and it was mind-blowing. That was it, right there – it was magic. And at that point, I realized that someday we had to do Primus with Tim again.”

Among the thousands of buildings decimated and damaged by the ravaging L.A. wildfires are the homes of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith and Primus guitarist Larry ‘Ler’ LaLonde, both of whom confirmed the news via social media.

Smith's wife, Natalie Dufresne-Smith, shared the news on Instagram, writing, “We are safe. We have each other. We will start again. #malibustrong,” before thanking everyone who has supported the family during this difficult time.

Primus founder and bassist Les Claypool shared the news that LaLonde's house had suffered the same fate, sharing images of the ruins of his bandmate's home.

“All that is left of our good friend Ler Lalonde’s home,” he wrote. “When Mother Nature gets up on her hind legs, it can be brutal. My heart hurts for him and his family.”

Meanwhile, Anthrax's Scott Ian confirmed that he and his family evacuated their home and thanked the Los Angeles Fire Department for their vital work. “Sending all our love to the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department,” he shared on social media. “Over and over you risk your lives to save ours and I can’t thank you enough. Tonight is going to be a hellish night for so many. Stay safe my friends, that’s all that matters.”

Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan also shared a personal video recounting his experience: “Wanted to share with everyone as last night we had to evacuate as a family from where we were staying. The situation here in Los Angeles is very overwhelming and at times chaotic but our love to the first responders who so courageously run into these situations...

“Praying for everyone today as hopefully this can come under control for the entire area, which is vast in scope and so full of nature. The loss overall is awful and unspeakable and that is what I wish to highlight; as the fires touch every strata of society.”

The LA wildfires are being described as the most destructive disaster in the city's history, with losses expected to exceed $250 billion.

In an effort to assist the thousands of musicians impacted by this catastrophe, Guitar Center has launched an initiative to replace instruments and gear destroyed in the blaze, while MusiCares, the NAMM Foundation, and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund are providing immediate financial assistance to musicians in need.

2024 Year in Review: What do you do when you get to the venue but your gear has been delayed in transit? Unless you’re able to borrow what you need from another band, you’ll probably have to visit the nearest guitar shop.

Which is precisely what Primus did when they arrived to play Sick New World Festival in April, with their equipment running late due to extreme weather.

Maybe some bands would have struggled without their tried-and-tested tools, but not Primus, with fans commenting how the California trio sounded as good as ever come stage time.

“Just further proof that the gear doesn’t matter when you have the skills to pay the bills,” one person noted, with another fan agreeing how “Les sounds like Les on any bass” and declaring their love for how “he kept the tags on.”

Last weekend, Primus were left without their instruments after all their gear got delayed in transit due to storms. Fortunately, they were still able to play their set at the Sick New World Festival after a local Guitar Center kitted them with new gear.

In an Instagram post, Les Claypool explained how he and Larry “Ler” LaLonde ended up with two matching Fenders: 

“Because of storms, our gear got stuck between Red Rocks and Vegas so Ler and I bought a pair of matching Fenders that day for the Primus Sick New World set. It was an insane, bare bones show and we will now be auctioning these instruments off and donating the proceeds to St. Judes Children’s Hospital. Stay tuned for details.”

Some of his fans couldn't help but wonder why he opted for a P-Bass over a Jazz bass or his go-to Carl Thompson 4-string. Claypool settled the debate in the comments:

“Seen comments about Pbass over Jazz. Yes, I normally would play a Jazz but the only matching Jazz they had that day had a cracked neck. Ler and I wanted to match up (like ZZ Top!). My first bass was actually a Memphis Pbass copy. The bass turned out to be very nice and played like a dream.”

Despite the last-minute gear change, festival attendees confirmed that Primus still sounded like Primus. “Just further proof that the gear doesn’t matter when you have the skills to pay the bills,” commented one fan, while another added, “Les sounds like Les on any bass. Also, I love that he kept the tags on.”

In a recent interview with Guitar World, Claypool described his open-minded approach to instruments. “I don't even think of it just as a bass guitar at this point. It all depends on the gig, you know? It's like, ‘Okay, what crayon am I pulling out of the box for this one?’ And even if I'm drawing similar pictures with my crayons, the expression is different because the situation calls for that.”

Primus are currently on the last few dates of Maynard James Keenan's Sessanta tour alongside A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.

Les Claypool’s use of chords on bass guitar, his technically brilliant right-hand technique, the way he plays fast-moving triplets (or even quadruplets), his use of hammer-ons and pull-offs, and the hip grooves he comes up with. All of these elements made Primus, together with drummer Brian Mantias and guitarist Larry LaLonde, a band to be seriously reckoned with.

How did he come to develop such monstrous technical chops? “The slap stuff came out of my love of Larry Graham, Louis Johnson and Stanley Clarke,” he told BP. “All the chordal stuff I do comes out of necessity from the style of guitarist that Larry is. He’s a very textural guitarist, so I lay down a foundation with the drums and then and then throw in some chords to mimic a rhythm guitar part.” 

It was on Primus’s major-label debut, Sailing The Seas of Cheese, that Les first recorded with his legendary 6-string fretless, made by famed luthier Carl Thompson. “At first it was like wrestling an octopus. I started banging on it and tapping on it, and before you know I’d written the riff to Jerry Was a Race Car Driver. You know, now I come to think of it, that riff might have been the first I ever wrote on the 6-string.”

Claypool’s bold basslines tend to use one- or two-bar phrases with small variations from measure to measure. His parts feature lots of muted, thumbed, popped, and strummed notes. Speaking to Claypool in 2013, he was happy to help us break down some of his finger-knotting basslines.

Jerry Was A Race Car Driver (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)

“I became known for tapping after Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, but it wasn’t because I was saying, ‘Hey, look at me go, I wanna be like Eddie Van Halen.’ It was more I was trying to emulate what Tony Levin was doing on the Chapman Stick.” 

Despite Claypool funking things up on his Carl Thompson fretless 6-string, it’s possible to play this bassline on a fretted 4-string by moving all the notes down an octave, but it’s harder to execute. None of the notes are plucked – they’re all either hammered or pulled off. The ghost notes are produced by slapping the left hand down on the strings without letting any of the actual notes sound.

Cosmic Highway (Purple Onion, 2002)

Cosmic Highway is the big prog-rock song from Claypool’s Purple Onion, which was billed as his first solo album in 2002. “That song started off with the drumming bass part, which is something I’ve done on a few Primus songs, like Fish On and Southbound Pachyderm. I drone on one string and then play a melody line on the next string up. I used my Thompson 4 with some Kong envelope, and halfway through I hit a MIDI pedal that triggers this Taurus-like patch on my Access Virus analog synth.”

Check out the start of the guitar solo as Claypool continues this drone approach,with his open D string ringing out. He also punctuates the groove with melodic ideas on the G string. Look out for the clashing G major tonality that Claypool alludes to in the second ending. 

Tommy the Cat (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)

With it’s monstrous slap lick and stuttering scat-style vocals Tommy the Cat is a perennial favourite in the Primus back catalogue. “I had that riff in my head for a long time and would bounce it off different drummers, then I had that vocal line ‘Hey baby do you wanna lay down with me’ and I just kept trying to force them together. Eventually I made it work. It was a nightmare, but once you’ve got it, it’s like riding a bike – you never forget how to do it.”

Pseudo Suicide (The Grand Pecking Order, 2001)

Claypool’s Black Sabbath influence is clear to hear in the main riff from Pseudo Suicide by Oysterhead – Claypool’s trio with Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio and Olive drummer Stewart Copeland. “That riff started as just a low E to a high E, and I gradually fleshed it out to include the hammer-on and the b5. I came up with the Geezer Butler-like main riff, and tried to get Trey to add a Tony Iommi vibe. Then the outro goes into a live-Zeppelin rock-out thing.” Claypool also added some envelope and chorus.

Bob’s Party Time Lounge (Brown Album, 1997)

“I used a trick I got from Stanley Clarke’s Schooldays where the chords get strummed, then he slides down the neck – bang! So I’m doing like a clawhammer downstroke, then hammering-off. It’s sort of a pull-off hammer-on: I do a lot of the clawhammer – I call it that because I relate it to banjo technique, and so I downstroke it then hammer-off and catch it on the way back up – it’s almost four notes, they’re just so slurred it sounds like a triplet.”

Shake Hands With Beef (Brown Album, 1997)

“That bassline’s a quick little ’thump and pluck’ octave thing. Kinda ‘da-ga-da gong…’ instead of ending on the same octave, I go down a whole step. It’s hard because it’s on a 6-string and on my bass the strings are very close together. I don’t know if there’s really a thing as a ‘traditional’ 6-string bass of course, but Carl Thompson built this bass and the strings are very close; it’s hard to get in there and get some of those notes.”

Eleven (Sailing the Seas of Cheese, 1991)

Another track from 1991’s Sailing The Seas of Cheese, in the 11/8 time Eleven the beats are grouped in a way that’s easy-to-grasp: one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two. The strums should be strong to emphasise the beats they fall on (the pa-pa of the oom-pa-pa feel). The hammered notes should be merely embellishments. For the slides, fret the D-string with your middle finger and the G-string with your ring finger.

Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade have announced additional dates for their Hunt for Green October Tour, which launches in Oakland, CA on Wednesday, October 11th – see LesClaypool.com for dates.

Few musicians manage to stay as busy – or turn out quality music at as consistent a rate – as Les Claypool. One would think that, given his propensity to hop from project to project, the quality of his work might suffer. Yet that's far from the case for the Richmond, California native.

Instead, Claypool seamlessly shifts gears, sometimes waiting years to return to past musical lily pads. To be sure, though, when he does return, it's usually worth a listen, and certainly worth the wait. And so, when Primus most recently came back down to Earth from their typically chaotic madness, Claypool reassembled his much-loved, long-dormant Frog Brigade group.

According to Claypool, "The Frog Brigade went on hiatus because we were too chickenshit to say we broke up. I'm happy to be back out with these guys. This band represents the early period of my solo work, and it's cool to be revisiting it. And I wanted to do Pink Floyd's Animals because I've always loved that record.

"It's interesting to do it in its entirety this time because I've got some different folks with me who will interpret it in their own ways. The goal is always to do something different outside my Primus endeavors."

Of course, Claypool is a member of a number of other collectives, as well. There's no denying that the dizzying array of projects can be challenging to take in. Still, there are sonic constants, the most prominent being Claypool's bombastic bass licks. Given the eclectic nature of his style, though, what's also undeniable is that it's nearly impossible to hone in on where it originates from.

When asked, Claypool takes a moment to ponder the question before quipping: "My attraction to the bass was due to my repulsion of the guitar. In high school, there was a talent show, and these guys played the Allman Brothers Band's Ramblin' Man through these cheap Fender Champ amps, and it just sounded awful. After that, I decided the bass sounded way cooler because it never sounded wimpy, and I could do all sorts of cool things with it.

"Later, when I started wanting to be in a band, I found that my being a bassist was great. No-one wanted to play bass, so it was way easier for me to find gigs because there was always demand."

From there, Claypool expands on his approach and how his perspective changes as he shifts from one project to the next, "I don't even think of it just as a bass guitar at this point. It all depends on the gig, you know? It's like, 'Okay, what crayon am I pulling out of the box for this one?' And even if I'm drawing similar pictures with my crayons, the expression is different because the situation calls for that.

"At the end of the day, the bass is the instrument I'm most comfortable playing," Claypool continues. "Historically, I've played with many textural players who are not in your face. So, there's always been a lot of space that I needed to cover. With Primus, originally, I was always trying to hold down the bottom while essentially playing the rhythm guitar parts at the same time. 

"That's why I was always doing so much strumming and whatnot. It wasn't until I began playing with Tom Waits that I approached things much differently. That's when I developed as a supporting player. So, it all depends on the gig."

1. Geddy Lee

"Geddy was my first superhero. He just did things that were a real kick in the ass on bass. But Geddy was a very melodic player, and his tone was always so amazing. 

"For a young man like me, the music of Rush was very enticing because it was unlike anything else. And honestly, Rush fans were unique people, and we still are. It's almost like being a Trekkie. It's like this exclusive club, and, before they got big, there was a cult element to the whole thing. But beyond that, Geddy's tonality, melodic sense, and overall power were all very enticing to me."

2. Chris Squire

"Another guy who had one of the greatest tones in the world. His style really got me going, and I loved it almost as soon as I heard it. It goes without saying that a guy like this would influence me as a player and songwriter.

"His music was so great, and his style is timeless. Again, the tonality was great, and he was one of the most musical players I've ever heard."

3. Larry Graham

"His thumping and plucking were second to none. His style is intricate, and he's basically the guy who popularized that approach to playing bass. 

"To this day, one of the greatest performances I've ever seen is when Larry played live at the Oakland Coliseum. And I was very fortunate several years ago to go to a private event that Larry was playing at, and he just kicked the shit out of everybody in the room. It was unbelievable.

"Larry Graham, for lack of a better term, is who I'd call the Jimi Hendrix of the bass. He changed the entire landscape with his approach."

4. Louis Johnson

"Louis Johnson completely changed my world. I remember watching Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, and I saw this guy standing there, just pumping the shit out of his bass. That was Louis.

"It was crazy, his hand would come almost a foot off the bass before he'd come back down with his thumb. I saw that and was like, 'Oh, my god… that's amazing.'"

5. Stanley Clarke

"I can't underestimate the influence Stanley Clarke had on me. As a kid, I didn't have much money to buy other records, so I was limited to what I could listen to at home. But back when I was in school, there was always that kid with a huge record collection, and I befriended that kid.

"I'd go over to hang out at his house, and one day, he said, 'I know you're really into Geddy Lee, but you've got to check out this guy Stanley Clarke; he's unreal.' So, I did, and it changed my life. His playing opened doors for me that I had no idea existed.

"I had a chance to play with Stanley a few years ago, and, man, he fucking kicked my ass. But I thought it was wonderful to have my ass kicked by one of my biggest heroes. I loved it because he's still a hero of mine. It means he still has something to show me, which I wholly appreciate."

6. Tony Levin

"Next, I have to go with Tony Levin, who was a big influence on me. I was always a huge Tony Levin fan simply because I think he's one of the most tasteful and unique players of all time. As soon as you hear Tony's playing, you know that it's Tony. It's unmistakable. 

"I first came across him when I got into Peter Gabriel, and, of course, he played with King Crimson later. But what I love about him is that he's a more minimalistic player than any of the guys here. Every note Tony plays is incredibly powerful and unique and has his thumbprint all over it.

"As soon as you hear Tony, you know it's Tony. His tone is incredible. I've always been drawn to players who were unique and powerful. Tony was both of those things for me."

7. Mark Sandman

"I'm going to end with Mark Sandman, who is probably one of the most underrated bass players ever. For those that don't know, Mark was the bass player for Morphine, an incredible band from the '90s that people should check out. 

"I became aware of Mark after we played the H.O.R.D.E Festival in '98 or thereabouts. The thing about Mark was he played three-string slide bass, and two-string bass, with the strings tuned in unison an octave higher, which was something that no-one was doing. When he played slide bass, it was honestly the most passionate, emotional, sultry bass playing I've ever heard. That made me realize that you don't have to be some fancy guy with a bunch of strings to create wonderful, compelling sounds. 

"Unfortunately, Mark passed away right as we were becoming close friends. But he was an amazing player and one of the most emotive bassists I've ever encountered."

• Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade tour the USA May through July – see LesClaypool.com for dates.

Footage has emerged online of a Tool/Primus supergroup jam – featuring Justin Chancellor and Dan Carey, alongside Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen – covering Tool’s Ænima.

The performance was part of a recent fundraising gig, which was hosted by Primus on April 17 in support of their friend Jimmy Hayward. An animator and film director, Hayward has been undergoing cancer treatment and related surgeries for a number of years. 

The event was billed as featuring Chancellor and Carey alongside a number of surprise guests, and the ensemble’s Ænima cover has quickly proven to be a highlight of the set.

Outside of the names involved, it is remarkable for several reasons: not least because Justin Chancellor appears to be playing through Primus frontman/bassist Les Claypool’s rig for the duration of the song and, as such, sounds utterly thunderous.

Of course, with Chancellor on bass duties, Claypool – looking particularly fetching in his ram’s horn helmet – is left hands-free and proceeds to absolutely make the most of his arms’ new-found freedom. Plus he does a great, quivering vocal in the vein of Tool’s frontman Maynard James Keenan. 

The track’s pummeling rhythms also really benefit from the joint talents of drummers Dan Carey and Primus man Tim Alexander, who lock in remarkably well, despite the pace and complexity. 

Finally, not to dismiss the talents of Adam Jones, but Troy Van Leeuwen and Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde make a fine pairing here, thickening things up with great results on the sliding crescendo parts – though they still struggle to compete with Chancellor’s monstrous bass sound.

If you’re interested in the intricacies of the track, a few years back Chancellor and Carey dropped in at Berklee and performed Ænima in front of an intimate crowd of college students – allowing you to hear the rhythm section in complete isolation.

Regardless, if you enjoy the performance and want to support Tool and Primus’s fundraising efforts, you can send a donation via Jimmy Hayward’s GoFundMe page.

Best known as the voice behind Primus hits such as Jerry Was A Race Car Driver and Tommy The Cat, cameoing for Generation X in the second Bill And Ted film, running a vineyard and ranting wherever possible about his love of fishing, Les Claypool is one of the most recognisable figures in the bass field. 

Despite slapping down the years on a variety of bass guitars, most of which have been custom jobs from Brooklyn luthier Carl Thompson in various string and fretted/fretless configurations, in 2011 Claypool made the switch from Carl Thompson basses to his own model, the Pachyderm. 

“I basically designed my own bass,” he tells us. “It’s everything that I always wanted out of a bass. It’s amazing, it’s fabulous, and it’s called the Pachyderm.” 

We assume that Claypool himself didn’t cut the wood and file down the fret ends, so who did the actual building? “A buddy of mine who made my banjo bass and one of my uprights. I’ve known him since high school, he built it for me: his name is Dan Maloney,” he says. “I did the design and he cut the shape, and I went in and used Japanese planing tools to fine-tune the shape. Basically I created what I feel is the most comfortable and easy-to-play bass in the world, with tonality that I like, which is a very punchy sound.”

Simplicity is key, Claypool tells us, with the Pachyderm bass as with everything else. “It has one knob on it, a volume knob (we're told a second knob controls LEDs inlayed in the neck). I don’t want any tone, I don’t want anything else on it,” he laughs. “I want it to just turn on and turn off. I pick up basses these days – sometimes super-expensive basses that my friends have – and they have 50 knobs on them and multiple pickups, and I don’t like it. I don’t like the sound and I don’t like the feel. Electronically, my bass is very simple.” 

Unusually for a man whose studio contains basses which vary from a one-string instrument – the famous Wham-Ola – to the six-string fretless beauties that Thompson made for him, the Pachyderm has your average number of strings. 

“I’m mainly playing four-strings anyway,” he says. “On Primus records like Green Naugahyde there’s actually nothing but four-string and upright bass, apart from a Dobro bass which is pretty spectacular. Why do I call it the Pachyderm? Well, that name has become somewhat associated with some of the stuff that I do: my wine label is Purple Pachyderm. It has some elegance, yet some girth to it!”  

What on earth is Naugahyde, anyway? “There’s a song on that album called Lee Van Cleef, which looks back at my childhood, and one of the lyrics refers to a ‘Studebaker with green Naugahyde’. That was my dad’s pickup truck when I was a kid. 

"Naugahyde was basically fake leather made of vinyl, but they wanted a fancy name for it. There was a company that sold luggage made of this stuff, and if you asked ‘Hey, is that leather?’ they’d say ‘No, it’s Naugahyde!’ and you were supposed to go ‘Whoo, that sounds cool!’ 

"Growing up in a long, lower middle-class line of auto mechanics, a lot of the furniture I saw around was Naugahyde, because people thought ‘Why get leather when you can get Naugahyde?’” 

Green Naugahyde is available on Amazon. 

In an admission that will surprise precisely zero Primus fans, Les Claypool has revealed that he and guitarist Ler LaLonde took acid ahead of Primus’ landmark 1992 MTV Spring Break show at Daytona Beach.

The bass guitar icon spoke to Revolver recently and recalled the band’s riotous early days and their fast rise to fame amid the heady alternative music boom of the early 90s. 

In the interview, which you can see below, the bassist says he was hassled by his label and management to take the Daytona gig for MTV, despite thinking it was “super cheesy”. 

“We said, ‘No, we don't want to do that,’” says Claypool. “And my manager said, ‘Look, you guys keep passing on all this stuff, the label is gonna stop supporting you…’ So on the way down there, I just got pissed; me and Ler did acid. 

“When you're watching us on that thing, everything I saw was just orange, just bright orange. And I remember talking to [MTV presenter] Pauly Shore – he's like, ‘Hey, buddy…’ And I was like, ‘What the hell's going on here!?’ And we met the Cypress Hill guys, and it ended up being a pretty fun thing.”

According to Claypool, things didn’t get any clearer once they got out of the festival.

“We flew back that night back up to Poughkeepsie, New York, back to the Public Enemy tour. So we were going from Daytona Beach, which was hot and warm, to literally – taking off – the captain said, ‘Well, the airport's closed in Poughkeepsie due to a blizzard, but we think they'll have it open by the time we get there.’ 

“So we're like, ‘What the hell!?’ and we had to do one of those fly arounds, which pilots don't like to do that unless something really bad is happening. The plane got almost completely sideways, and everybody's looking out the window, and it was only just us on the plane. And me and Ler frying out of our minds on acid.”

Claypool also recalls the band’s surprise at their own success at the time and an amusing conversation with Metallica’s Kirk Hammett around the release of 1991 album Sailing The Seas Of Cheese – the band’s first on a major label. 

“It was all so surreal, you know? Getting on MTV, we're like, 'What the hell?’” says Claypool. “I remember Kirk [Hammett] giving me shit, saying, ‘Man, how'd you get on MTV? We can’t even get on MTV!’ We got on with the John The Fisherman video [from their 1990 debut album Frizzle Fry]. It was just all bizarre, being on the radio, that's why we called the [next] album Sailing the Seas of Cheese.”

Sadly, Primus were recently forced to cancel the European leg of their Rush-inspired tour, A Tribute To Kings, due to logistical challenges. For now fans can comfort themselves with this live footage of Primus performing A Farewell To Kings…

Primus have announced they have canceled the European leg of its upcoming A Tribute To Kings tour due to “unavoidable logistical challenges”.

The European dates were originally scheduled to commence on September 9 in Sweden, would have seen Les Claypool and co trek the continent performing Rush’s 1977 album A Farewell To Kings in its entirety, in tribute to their musical icons.

Primus’ performance in Sweden would’ve been followed by dates in Norway, Denmark and Germany, as well as three dates in the UK – Glasgow, London and Manchester – before concluding on October 1 in Dublin, Ireland.

Confirming the news on social media, a statement read, “We are very sorry to announce that due to unavoidable logistical challenges, Primus has canceled the upcoming European tour dates scheduled for the Fall of 2022. 

“We apologize to our fans who were planning to attend and look forward to performing in Europe again soon,” the statement continued. Ticket refunds will be available at the original point of purchase.”

The band recently wrapped up the US leg of their A Tribute To Kings tour on June 25 in Las Vegas, after completing a mammoth three-month, 46-date stint around North America.

Speaking to Guitar World about the daunting undertaking, Primus bass legend Les Claypool said the whole tour originally “started as a joke”, though became a reality when he and Primus bandmates Larry Lalonde and Tim Alexander started taking the idea seriously.

As for the challenges associated with playing Geddy Lee’s bass guitar parts, Claypool told Bass Player, “They’re spectacular. They’re big. They’re hard! That was back in Geddy’s Rickenbacker days, and I love those Ricky tones, although Moving Pictures was on his Fender Jazz bass, and the tones on that record are equally spectacular. 

“But it’s Geddy Lee, you know?” he added. “There weren’t a lot of duds in the Geddy Lee bass-playing world.” No doubt the challenge was made ever-so-slightly easier for Claypool after he received one-to-one bass lessons from Lee himself prior to the tour.

From a Rush perspective, Lee told Bass Player that he was “very complimented” by the gesture, albeit conceding he thought the entire concept was “a little bit nuts”.

“By all accounts it’s quite an impressive performance and a real tribute, performed by an awesome band,” he said. “Les has a unique rhythmic sensibility. I find his playing to be an amalgam of various styles: he can slap, twang, or run up and down the neck like a jazz player. His tone is original, deep, and true, and he’s developed a style that is deliciously eccentric.”

The cancellation of the European leg means the A Tribute To Kings tour has come to a premature end, though Primus will be back in action for a handful of dates this August.

For more info, head over to Primus.

“Honestly, this whole thing started as a joke,” says bassist Les Claypool, explaining how he and his Primus bandmates – guitarist Larry “Ler” Lalonde and drummer Tim Alexander – began covering Rush’s 1977 album A Farewell to Kings from start to finish. “Then one day it was like, ‘Hey, wait. Maybe this isn’t a joke. Maybe we should actually do this.’”

Claypool quickly points out, however, that at first the band considered paying tribute to their musical heroes by playing that album’s follow-up, 1978’s Hemispheres, but there was one little hitch: “Hemispheres has Cygnus X-1 Book II on it,” he says, “and we couldn’t really go out and play that one without doing the first one – that would be a little strange.” 

For a second or two, the band even tossed around the idea of covering Rush’s grand sci-fi classic 2112, but Claypool thought that such a gesture would be deemed “too obvious.” 

“So we decided to play A Farewell to Kings,” he says, “which made sense because it has Cygnus X-1 Book I. Plus, that was the first Rush album I ever heard. I remember seeing Cygnus as a kid and watching the Rocinante spaceship flying through the black hole and just ejaculating in my pants and thinking, ‘That’s the greatest thing I had ever seen.’”

Ever since Primus opened for Rush in 1992, the members of both bands have remained tight. Recalling his reaction when he was told that Primus planned to tackle A Farewell to Kings live, guitarist Alex Lifeson says, “I thought to myself, ‘I hope Ler gets those chords right.’” 

He laughs. “You know, the song A Farewell to Kings has some quirky chords in it, especially the ones that are up high on the neck. And with Xanadu, I thought, ‘Oh, my God. The poor guy’s going to be suffering night after night with that 40-pound guitar on his shoulder.” He adds, “But seriously, I thought it was great. What an awesome idea.”

Originally, Primus planned to take their A Tribute to Kings tour – a full reading of A Farewell to Kings followed by a set of their own songs – out on the road in 2020, but once Covid effectively shut down the global concert business for the next 18 months, they were forced to postpone those dates until last year. Lalonde notes that the unexpected time spent at home had its benefits. 

“To be honest, it meant I could use all of that free time to actually figure out these guitar parts,” he says. “Like Alex said, these songs aren’t that easy to play. I found out the best way to learn the chords was to simply email him and ask him what they are. And that heavy guitar as well [a Gibson EDS-1275 doubleneck] – I’m using one he sent me, but I found out he put bricks inside of it. It’s twice as heavy. There’s bricks inside of it. I’m sure of that.”

Lifeson lets out a good-natured laugh, but he doesn’t dispute whether he did or didn’t add any weight to the guitar. “It feels that way,” he says. “The 2021 A Tribute to Kings tour was enthusiastically received by fans of both bands, so much so that Primus are setting off on another such excursion this spring, and for the first time the itinerary will include stops in Rush’s home turf of Canada. 

“I’m glad that people are into seeing it,” Lalonde says. “It should come as no surprise that people love these songs, and they love seeing them being played and hopefully not butchered too bad – at least myself. 

“That love is reinforced when I meet people who come out to the shows. A lot of them say how emotional it was to see these songs being played. They’d sing along to them. For me, it was cool to see how much people love this band.” 

In the following interview, Claypool, Lalonde and Lifeson discuss Primus’ A Tribute to Kings tour, and Lifeson reflects on the recording of the iconic album behind it all.

Alex, I’m curious. Did Rush ever play A Farewell to Kings in its entirety?

ALEX LIFESON: “I would guess so. I mean, we did some of the songs.

LES CLAYPOOL: “I asked Geddy about this. I looked this up because I have that big giant book of all the set lists. You know the one, right?”

LIFESON: “Yeah, yeah.”

CLAYPOOL: “It’s got everything – how much you guys got paid. The ticket prices are amazing. I asked Geddy if you guys ever did “Madrigal” live, and he said no. I’ve never seen it on a set list.

LIFESON: “No. No, there was always one or maybe two songs we would record knowing we would never play them live. That was certainly one of those songs. Different Strings [from Permanent Waves] was another.”

CLAYPOOL: “Madrigal has become the song where Ler and I embrace each other on stage as we perform it. Sensitive, sensitive tune, you know?

Both bands hit it off when you played together in 1992. You would even jam with one another after sound checks, right?

LIFESON: “We did. We would do sound check at 4:30, and then Primus would set up and they’d do their sound check. We’d have dinner at 6, and then we would have a jam, usually in our dressing room or in a hallway that was nice and echoey. At one point, the deal was that you had to go out and get an instrument you couldn’t play. Ler, I think you got a clarinet.”

LARRY LaLONDE: “That’s right.”

LIFESON: “I got an accordion and a flute. We all played these instruments we had no idea how to play. We actually recorded these jams. I don’t know what happened to those recordings, but we did them everywhere.

“When we played in Berlin together, just after the wall came down, we had a jam outside around the corner from the parking lot of the arena. There was a little grassy area outside the stage door, and I remember setting up there. Neil had his practice kit, I think. 

LaLONDE: “I saw Alex using a tortilla chip for a guitar pick one time. That was pretty sweet. [Laughs]”

When you say ‘jam’, what kinds of songs would you play? What’d it sound like?

LaLONDE: “It sounded like somebody asked, ‘What would it sound like if someone had just bought an accordion that day?’ That’s the kind of music it was.”

CLAYPOOL: “I will say, one of the greatest things I ever experienced was during one of those jams in a sports arena locker room and watching Neil play the lockers as his percussive instrument. It was amazing.”

Bearing in mind that the tour is called A Tribute to Kings, I’m curious if any of you have seen actual Rush tribute bands.

CLAYPOOL: “On YouTube, I’ve seen – what are they called – Rash? They’re the one band that’s pretty popular. I see Geddy wearing their shirts.”

LIFESON: “Yeah. He’ll endorse anybody. [Laughs]”

LaLONDE: “I saw them with the Gillettes.” 

LIFESON: “I haven’t seen any. I don’t really think about it, to be honest with you. I guess it’s a nice compliment that someone would take the time to learn your songs and play them. I suppose we’ve all been tribute bands at one time, learning other people’s songs when we’re starting out. I don’t know… I don’t really think about it.”

It’s a whole different subgenre from what Primus is doing here. Full-fledged tribute bands get the whole thing down – the attire, the way the members look.

LIFESON: “Yeah, that’s pretty crazy. I don’t know why you’d want to look like Geddy. [Laughs]

CLAYPOOL: “I already look like Geddy. [Laughs] I have four silk robes I bought for this tour.” 

LaLONDE: “Yeah, that’s how you get the sound.”

CLAYPOOL: “Exactly. It sounded terrible until we got the robes.”

LIFESON: “More scarves.”

LaLONDE: “Yeah, we need scarves. We’re deficient in scarves.”

What about Primus tribute bands? Les and Ler, have you checked out any?

LaLONDE: “Not really. I think I’ve seen some clips people have sent me, here and there. People send me, like, a two-second clip or something – I’m assuming it’s a cover band or someone playing a song.”

Alex, have you been to any of the Tribute to Kings shows?

LIFESON: “No, I haven’t been out of this city in two years. I would love to see them. I think there’s a Toronto date coming up this summer?”

CLAYPOOL: “Massey Hall.”

LIFESON: “Massey Hall’s beautiful. They’ve just done a major, multimillion-dollar restoration of the place. I just did a gig there for Andy Kim.”

Have you seen any videos of Primus from this tour?

LIFESON: “No, I haven’t. I’m still trying to figure out how to work my computer or iPad. I’m waiting for the real thing. I’m sure it’s awesome.”

LaLONDE: “He’s waiting to see me play the parts wrong in person.

Ler touched on how hard it was to nail some of the chords in this material. Les, were there any difficult aspects for you as well?”

CLAYPOOL: “Oh, my God, yes. [Laughs] The vocals were very difficult. I mean, everything about it’s very difficult – it’s frickin’ Rush! Besides having to put on a big cinder block of a double neck instrument around your neck every night… I have to say, I love playing Primus songs, but every night I look forward to playing A Farewell to Kings because it’s just so much fun. 

“About the vocal parts, I kind of figured out a little trick of Geddy’s, which I won’t say, because I think I think it might be a secret. 

“Finally, my son just said, ‘Dad, quit trying to sing it like Geddy. Just do it your own way.’ So I just kind of did that. I have some stuff that’s sort of in the upper register, so I would just take on these characters, like Sgt. Baker [from Primus’ 1991 album Sailing the Seas of Cheese] … And, of course, there’s the keyboard parts. But once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.”

Did playing the same instruments as Rush used at that time help you feel more “Rush-like”?

CLAYPOOL: Yes. And the robes! [Laughs]

LaLONDE: For me, it definitely did. One of the hardest but most fun parts is trying to switch between the necks. There’s a video that shows how Alex does it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the whole night, trying to get that sweeping across and flipping the switch back. 

LIFESON: “You’ve got to be quick.”

LaLONDE: “You do! But there is a video out there – I think it’s from Moving Pictures. There’s one little section I saw where they show you do it back and forth. I was like, “Oh, what’s that?” I froze it. I watched it, like, a hundred times trying to figure it out. It’s awesome.”

Alex, A Farewell to Kings is often cited as a breakthrough album for Rush. Does it hold a special place in your heart? 

LIFESON: “Yeah, it does. I remember when we were in the studio recording it and the mood we were all in at the time. We had done a tour of Britain before the album. It was the first time we toured there and the promoter didn’t expect anything, but we actually did really, really well. 

“We came back to record the album there, and it was the first album that we recorded in Britain. It was really a great experience for us to go back to the roots of the music we listened to when we were young. Rockville was a very cool, very rural kind of studio, not fancy at all, but it had a good sounding room and a great sounding console. We had so much fun recording, as we always did.

“And then playing this stuff – Closer to the Heart – became quite a big song for us, and Xanadu was always a treat. Xanadu was the first song we recorded, and I remember we played it once from beginning to end so that the engineer, Pat Moran, could get levels. 

“We played it one more time, and that’s the take that’s on the album. We did all 11 minutes of it, and Pat was like, “What?! They switched guitars – what the fuck?” [Laughs] He was so impressed. And then we got to the second song, which Cygnus or something where it was a little more tedious and more hard work. [Laughs] Back then we used to prepare. We used to go into the studio with songs written and ready to go. And it was certainly one of the last examples of that.”

Any thoughts on doing another Rush album after this tour?

LIFESON: “Uh, no. [Pause] Are you talking to me?”

Oh, no, no! I’m sorry. No, I meant the Primus guys. 

LIFESON: “Oh, OK. [Laughs]”

CLAYPOOL: “I mean, we have to do Hemispheres at some point in time; at least we’ve got to do Cygnus Part II, just because you’ve got to finish the sandwich, you know?”

LaLONDE: “And I already know how to play it. One of the ways I learned how to play guitar was learning all the stuff from Hemispheres. It’s like, I’d never seen these chords anywhere before; all my guitar heroes didn’t play these chords. So that’s how I learned them.”

LIFESON: “I’m to help you with those chords if you need it – if I can remember.”

LaLONDE: “You’re going to regret that offer.” 

• See Primus for all dates on the A Tribute To Kings Tour.

If there was going to be one band on the planet with the desire, the chops and the derring-do to dive headlong into a madcap endeavor such as performing Rush’s 1977 prog landmark A Farewell To Kings live it was Primus.

That’s just the sort of thing that its bassist and frontman Les Claypool would do, right? Rush super-fan, friend of the band, and one of the world’s foremost practitioners of bass guitar. There are few, if any, players more qualified.

But having heard Claypool’s side of the story about how Primus’s A Tribute To Kings Tour, we thought we’d give Geddy Lee a call to see what the Rush bassist made of all this, and indeed, how he looks back on A Farewell To Kings and the changes in his playing since the recording. 

Lee has nothing but love for Claypool and Primus, but does offer a warning – this material is a lot easier to record than it is to perform live.

How does the Geddy Lee who recorded A Farewell To Kings in 1977 compare to the Geddy of today?

“I’d say that as I have gotten older, my playing has become more rhythmic, more nuanced and fluid, as opposed to my slightly more aggressive younger self.

“Since 1977 my tone has evolved from a deep and twangy, strident Ricky tone, to kind of a ‘souped up’ Fender Jazz sound, which gives me a bouncier lower mid and bottom end, with a bit more fuzz on my midrange twang.

“The lower midrange presence I’m getting now might be the biggest difference between my tone then and now.”

How do you think the original bass parts stand up? 

“Damn, you mean I have to listen to them again? Okay... well, I think they stand up pretty well and are very much reflective of the period – which means we were writing with a ‘live’ approach in mind, not too many overdubs, so we could reproduce them accurately onstage. As such there was lots of space in the track for my sound, as well as my fairly busy, prog-rock bass parts.” 

Would you record them differently nowadays, and if so how?

“These days I use my own array of solid-state devices, plus a mic’d speaker cab if I need some room sound on the top, or some extra air movement in the bottom end. It is not unusual for me to use three or four channels on the mixing console, one for each device and each slightly different, and I mix those according to what the song needs, or how indulgent I want to get! 

“In the old days, it was two sets of amps, fed by the pickup split on my Rickenbacker 4001 Rick-O-Sound output. So the bass pickup would go to one set of amps and then an old tube compressor, and the treble pickup would go to its own setup and a different type of compressor, so I could crunch the sound individually… plus a DI in case I needed it during the mix for presence, or to put it in some extra effects.”  

Which are the most challenging bass parts on the album, as you see it? 

“Recording my bass on A Farewell To Kings was not as challenging as playing those same parts live. Cygnus X-I, for example, was big fun to record, but onstage Neil and I had to be feeling all the stops and starts in exactly the same time frame. 

“Singing and playing those parts is always more challenging than simply playing the instrument bits, regardless of their complexity, because when I’m not singing, I can devote my full attention to playing them correctly. 

“If anything, perhaps the most challenging parts to record were the funkier parts of Cinderella Man, where I was pushing myself for the first time into a slightly different style of play.”

What was your reaction when Les expressed his desire to play the album live with Primus?

“I was very complimented, of course, and then I thought he was a little bit nuts, but by all accounts it’s quite an impressive performance and a real tribute, performed by an awesome band.”

What are Les’s strengths as a bassist?

“Les has a unique rhythmic sensibility. I find his playing to be an amalgam of various styles: he can slap, twang, or run up and down the neck like a jazz player. His tone is original, deep, and true, and he’s developed a style that is deliciously eccentric.”

Tell us you’re going to come out and play a guest solo at one of the Primus shows…

“Haha! Now there’s a random suggestion!” 

Les Claypool – bassist, producer, novelist and low-end pioneer – is the frontman of the remarkable funk-rock band Primus, as well as a whole string of amazing side projects.  

Admired for his thumping and plucking and his willingness to experiment with a host of fretted, fretless, whammy-barred, and multi-stringed instruments, the man can do it all. Tapping, clawhammer-style picking and high-register chords all populate his approach, but technique is as important as feel in his philosophy, with the groove of his playing the mainstay of his music. 

You may know the 58-year-old Californian as the voice behind Primus songs such as Jerry Was A Race Car Driver and Tommy The Cat, or for his cameo role in the second Bill And Ted film, or maybe for writing novels, producing movies, running a vineyard and ranting wherever possible about his love of fishing. 

Today, though, BP is interviewing the master about Primus’s [then-] forthcoming tour on which they’ll be playing through the whole of A Farewell To Kings by Rush. Who would undertake such a mad endeavor? And what does Geddy Lee of Rush think of it... and how does Les react when we tell him what Geddy thinks of the Claypool approach to bass?

Why did you choose to play A Farewell To Kings as opposed to any other Rush album?

“Well, any Rush album is an undertaking. You know, we always joked that we should go out and play Hemispheres in its entirety – but then we thought, ‘Well, maybe we actually should do Hemispheres in its entirety’. 

“But one reason why we didn’t is that you can’t do Cygnus II before you do Cygnus I. In looking at all the Rush records, 2112 seemed a little too obvious, and some of the records have a little more keyboards than I’m comfortable with. But A Farewell To Kings was the first Rush record I ever heard in my youth, and it has Cygnus I on it, which is my all-time favorite tune by those guys. 

“It was a pretty easy decision to make, you know. A big factor was the damn keyboards. I play keyboards on this thing, and I have a couple of Moogs that are completely covered with different-colored pieces of tape, so I know where to put my fingers. You know, I’m a bass player!”

How do the bass parts compare to the rest of the Rush catalogue?

“They’re spectacular. They’re big. They’re hard! That was back in Geddy’s Rickenbacker days, and I love those Ricky tones, although Moving Pictures was on his Fender Jazz bass, and the tones on that record are equally spectacular. But it’s Geddy Lee, you know – there weren’t a lot of duds in the Geddy Lee bass-playing world.” 

So you’re playing a Ricky on this on this tour?

“I’m playing a couple of Rickys, a black 4003 that Rickenbacker sent me, and then I have the double neck, which they hadn’t made in 30 years, but they made one for me. It’s pretty spectacular. The funny thing is that when I was a kid and I had no money, my dream bass was a black Rickenbacker like Geddy’s. I didn’t have one all these years, and now I finally have one, so doing this album has fulfilled one of my dreams of my youth.”

What about the backline? Did you guys go fully authentic with the '70s Rush setup?

“We’re keeping it as authentic as possible. The funny thing is, I avoided the vintage Ampeg SVT heads for my entire career. Not because I didn’t like the sound of them, but because they’re too fucking heavy, and I just never wanted to commit to hauling the damn things around. 

“But I would find that I’d go on tour to South America or whatever, and the rentals were always these vintage SVTs and they always sounded amazing, so a handful of years ago, I bought a few of them and I started using them regularly on stage. So coincidentally, I happened to be playing through an old SVT, which Geddy played through back then.”

Any pedals going on?

“Oh, there’s all kinds of shit going on, and buttons to push.”

Do you think the bass parts represent a particular section of Geddy’s career as a bass player? For example, was he in a particularly flamboyant mode when he recorded them?

“Was he ever not in a flamboyant mode? It wasn’t until the '80s, when he focused more on the keyboards, that the bass parts became a little less, I wouldn’t say less prominent, but they weren’t as in your face, I should say. 

“Obviously, when he got to Moving Pictures, and even Hemispheres to an extent, he was being pretty flamboyant with YYZ and La Villa Strangiato and things like that. I think there’s a little more riffage in those records. These parts are alligators that you have to wrestle every night, you know?”

How do you find singing and playing bass at the same time?

“Well, there’s a big difference between doing my voice and playing bass, and doing Geddy’s voice and playing bass. For many years, I was never very comfortable with my singing voice, so I always said I was the narrator of the band. But singing Geddy Lee parts and playing bass, or just singing Geddy Lee parts period, is fucking hard, because it’s up in the upper stratosphere. 

“I talked to him about it when we were working on this. I said, ‘When you sang those parts, are they falsetto or are they full voice?’ He told me they were full voice, so that was tough. In fact, at one point my son was listening in on some of the rehearsals, and he said, ‘Dad, you need to quit trying to sing it like Geddy. Just sing it in your style. You’re trying to sound like Geddy and it’s a little cringeworthy’.”

I can see definite parallels in approach between Primus and Rush.

“It’s definitely turned around. When we toured with Rush in Europe in the UK, many years ago, we got so much shit for it, especially from the press. They were like, ‘What are you guys doing playing with these prog-rock dinosaurs? 

“You know, that was when we were the cool alternative band or whatever back in the day, coming up with Soundgarden and all these other bands. We really got shit on by the press, especially in the UK, for doing that tour. It was like admitting you’re a Star Trek fan or something. In hindsight it was a wonderful, wonderful thing, but the press did not like it so much.”

Ah well. Screw the press.

“And you’re from the press, haha! But that’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s interesting how things have turned around. I was watching a documentary from years ago that I was in, and a lot of musicians stepped up and said, ‘Oh, I’ve been a Rush fan forever’. 

“Well, in the early '90s, nobody would have admitted that. They would never admit they were Rush fans. It was like saying, ‘I play Dungeons & Dragons’ – not necessarily the hippest thing to admit in the days of grunge.”

What are the most challenging bass parts on the album?

“Parts of Cygnus are pretty tough, but it’s all relatively tough! Even wrestling the Rickenbacker is a whole different ballgame than playing one of my Pachyderm or Carl Thompson basses. But playing the album has gotten to be very therapeutic. You know, we go out and we do a Primus set, and I’m just like, ‘Okay, let’s get through the Primus set, because I want to play the Rush set’. 

“It’s fun. It’s like a vacation. Not that playing Primus songs isn’t fun, but with the Rush thing, I look forward to it every single night. It’s just feels good to play it. So I don’t know which is more challenging, although ironically, Madrigal is probably the most challenging because it’s the most non-Rush song on the album. I don’t think those guys ever played it.”

Are you adjusting your playing with the Ricky?

“It’s heavier for one thing, especially that double neck. That’s like putting cinder blocks around your neck. The Carl Thompsons and my Pachyderm basses are like Ferraris. They’re designed so you can get around them real easy. 

“Not that the Ricky isn’t, but Rickys aren’t the best for thumping and plucking, not that I do any of that on the Rush stuff. It’s just a different beast. They sound amazing, but it’s a longer scale, so it’s a little more challenging than one of my Ferraris.”

What was Geddy’s reaction when you told him you wanted to play a Rush album live?

“I actually asked him about it quite a while ago. We originally planned on doing this thing a while ago, but then we ended up taking the Slayer tour which postponed it, and then Covid hit and postponed everything. 

“When we originally talked about doing it, Neil Peart was still on the planet. I just texted Geddy and said, ‘Hey, we’re thinking about doing this. What do you think?’ He said, ‘Oh, that would be great’. He was stoked on the idea. 

“And Alex [Lifeson, Rush guitarist] has been very supportive too. Lor [Larry LaLonde, Primus guitarist] will call him and say, ‘What the hell chord are you playing in this one section?’ Alex has been very helpful with that, and he loaned him some guitars as well. So they’ve both been extremely supportive. We’ve yet to play it in front of them, and I’m all nervous about that.”

Is that going to happen?

“I imagine they’ll show up at some show. We’re going to Canada in April.”

Yes – starting off in Toronto.

“We start in Toronto? Holy shit. I didn’t even know that.”

What are Geddy’s strengths as a bassist?

“His phrasing is unbelievable. It’s different than anybody else. It’s almost like Paul McCartney, in that he is very melodic and in the way he phrases it. It’s almost lyrical, the way he phrases his parts, and Geddy has that kind of phrasing. 

“You can sing Geddy Lee bass parts. Remember when he did the Big Beautiful Book Of Bass? Well, I was in that thing, because he wanted to put one of my Italian Eko basses in there. 

"When he came out to my place, I said, ‘Part of the deal of me doing this is that you’ve got to show me the proper way to play YYZ,’ so we hung out and we played some stuff together, and he showed me how to play that song. It turns out I’ve been playing it wrong this whole time. The fingering is just different than I would think of doing it. 

“You know, he has his way of doing it, and it looks so effortless. You watch his fingers. When I play that song, I’m doing all this moving around with my fingers, all over the place, but he’s just barely doing anything, and he’s making all these incredible sounds. So he’s Geddy Lee, you know. Nobody plays like him.”

How are you and he similar as bass players, then? 

“Well, I grew up listening to that guy. It’s me taking my influences from him. He made some comments in the press recently that I inspired him when we first toured together, but you know, I don’t see it. What I’ve always aspired to do is to have that kind of lyrical phrasing in what I play, especially when I’m doing pizzicato stuff. I often think of guys like Geddy or Paul McCartney or Chris Squire as guys that have that lyrical sense.”

Would those be your three main influences on bass?

“Well, Larry Graham is the king, but there’s a lot of them. I started off with Geddy when I was a kid, and then this one kid who was older than me said, ‘You’ve got to listen to Larry Graham and Stanley Clarke’ and I went, ‘Whoa, there’s a whole other world out there’. Eventually I got to people like Tony Levin, who is one of my all-time favorites. Every note he plays is the right note, and he has one of the best tones of anybody.”

If Geddy showed up to a show, would you let him sit in and do a solo?

“Haha! I have a band with Sean Lennon called The Delirium and we played in Toronto. Geddy told me he was going to come to the show, and I said, ‘Hey, you want to sit in?’ but he was like, ‘You know, I’m not really a sitting-in kind of guy, I’m not a jammer’. I said, ‘It’s Tomorrow Never Knows, it’s one note. If you want to do it, come on!’ And he came out and he killed it. It was amazing. It was one of the highlights of my life.”

We asked Geddy for his analysis of you as a bass player, and he told us, ‘Les has a unique rhythmic sensibility. His tone is original, deep, and true. And he’s developed a style that is deliciously eccentric’. Is that a reasonable assessment, as you see it?

“Wow. That makes me blush. I think that’s wonderful.”

We also asked Geddy what he thought of you doing this tour, and he said that it was a great compliment, and also a little bit nuts. 

“Well, I think it is – on all fronts. It’s definitely nuts, and I get to wear a satin robe every night on stage, which is pretty spectacular. That’s another sprinkle on the cupcake of this project. 

“Every now and again I think, ‘Geddy Lee’s a good friend of mine’. If I’d known that when I was 14, I would have ejaculated in my pants to even think of the notion. With my career, I’m most proud that I’ve been able to meet, befriend and oftentimes work with a lot of my heroes – and it’s been a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

• The A Tribute To Kings US tour runs until June 19.

Keeley Electronics has unveiled an Artist Series Edition version of its BubbleTron Flanger/Phaser pedal, for which the company has joined forces with Primus electric guitar player, Larry LaLonde.

The collaboration stems from LaLonde’s own affinity for the BubbleTron – a pedal he started using back in 2016 when the original iteration debuted. It’s since become a pedalboard mainstay for the Primus player, who labels it “the best pedal ever made”.

As an overview, LaLonde’s own unit is pretty similar to the original, but makes one key deviation: the envelope filter effect, which was previously accessible only via an internal dip switch, has been strapped to the front of the control panel.

In operation, the Artist Edition BubbleTron features a “trilogy of tone modes” selected via a toggle switch: DynaMoPhase, DynaFlanger and – the product of LaLonde’s tweaks – LerVelopeFilter, all of which are at the mercy of Resonance, Sensitivity, Depth and Level controls.

The DynaFlanger takes inspiration from the MicMix DynaFlanger – a favorite of Frank Zappa in the late-‘70s and mid-’80s – and is said to adapt depending on the strength of your pick attack. As such, the BubbleTron triggers and stops the flanger when you start/stop playing.

Meanwhile, the DynaMoPhase is described as two phasers in one, offering both a true dynamic phaser – one that caters to your pick attack – and an additional one that has its speed dictated by the Rate control.

Last but not least is the LerVelopeFilter, an envelope filter that promises a “super smooth filter sound” and an additional “tonal push”. To dial in sonic nuances, Depth vows to provide a range of High Pass and Low Pass tones, while Resonance sets the quality of the filter frequency.

Just like the original BubbleTron, LaLonde’s signature stompbox also features a secondary Bank, accessed through an internal toggle switch, which provides the conventional Sample and Hold filter sound effect.

Under the hood, there’s also a Vintage/Modern analog filter toggle that works to roll off some higher frequencies.

The Larry LaLonde BubbleTron is available now for $229.

To find out more, visit Keeley Electronics.

Welcome to Guitar World’s weekly roundup of the musical highlights from the, erm, world of guitar. Every seven days (or thereabouts), we endeavor to bring you a selection of songs from across the guitar universe, all with one thing in common: our favorite instrument plays a starring role.

Pink Floyd – Hey Hey Rise Up

What is it? Incredibly, a new Pink Floyd song. David Gilmour, Nick Mason and longtime Floyd bassist Guy Pratt have reunited to record a new track in support of the people of Ukraine, with Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band BoomBox on vocals.

Standout guitar moment: This might be the first time in decades that Gilmour has created entirely new material with his post-Waters-era Pink Floyd bandmates, but he hasn’t lost a single bit of his touch. With his trademark wailing bends, heartstring-tugging melodic motifs and roof-of-the-Sistine-Chapel-like tone, Gilmour provides the perfect musical counterpoint to Khlyvnyuk’s eerie but powerful vocals – which were recorded in Kyiv’s then-empty Sofiyskaya Square.

For fans of: David Gilmour, Queen, Led Zeppelin

– Jackson Maxwell

Clutch – Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone) 

What is it? Arguably the best example of a song we didn’t know we needed but are glad we’ve got: a track about the Boss Metal Zone Covid-19 vaccine conspiracy theory that plagued the internet at the height of the pandemic. For the track, Clutch deploy a barrage of high-octane riffage, bruising basslines and energetic drum beats that make light of the nonsensical theory in the best, most badass way possible.

Standout guitar moment: The razor-like guitar riff that crops up at the 1:27 mark that, for our two cents, sounds like it was conceived by the hallowed circuit of the Boss Metal Zone itself.

For fans of: Mastodon, Queens of the Stone Age

– Matt Owen

Primus – Conspiranoia

What is it? It seems Primus are only in competition with themselves, and boy do they outdo themselves every time. On sprawling new single Conspiranoia – taken from the trio’s forthcoming EP, Conspiranoid – Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Tim Alexander cram copious amounts of winding basslines, outside-the-box guitar licks and non-traditional arrangements into a whopping 11-and-a-half-minute runtime.

Standout guitar moment: LaLonde’s double helping of solos from the 5:34 mark typifies Primus’s non-conformist approach to songwriting, consistently changing course with everything from staccato stabs and lightning-quick sweeps to rapid pull-off-driven descending passages.

For fans of: Mr. Bungle, Frank Zappa

– Sam Roche

Interpol – Toni

What is it? They’re not in full suits anymore, but New York’s foremost purveyors of suave, moon-lit post-punk are back with The Other Side of Make-Believe, their first new album in four years. This is the LP’s lead single.

Standout guitar moment: Toni shows the trio playing with some new textures, but Paul Banks and Daniel Kessler are still a stellar two-guitar team. The sound of Banks’ slick, Strokes-y rhythm work set against Kessler’s frenzied picking toward the song’s conclusion will be familiar, and quite welcome, to any Interpol aficionado.

For fans of: The Strokes, The National, The Killers

– Jackson Maxwell

Delicate Steve – Street Breeze

What is it? After getting his hands on a 1966 Fender Stratocaster during the pandemic, Steve Marion reconnected with the simple joys of plugging straight into the amp and just playing. Street Breeze is our first taste of his renewed focus, and it’s a reflective, breezy – and I swear to all that is good and guitar-y that I wrote that adjective before clocking the song title – stroll through guitar memory lane, conjuring the kind of chill, world-influenced vibes that have made Khruangbin a household name.

Standout guitar moment: We’d be remiss not to mention the eight-stage phaser on the rhythm tracks, but the loose phrasing that crops at during the track’s breakdown is beautifully delivered – both wistful and uplifting.

For fans of: Ty Segall, Mdou Moctar, Khruangbin

– Michael Astley-Brown

Anna Calvi – Ain’t No Grave 

What is it? The moody new single from English singer-songwriter Anna Calvi, who dials up the gain and locks into a brooding low-end riff for four minutes of angsty six-string soundbites and eerily hypnotic vocals. The track relentlessly chugs away, and eventually arrives unerringly at its destination with, of course, a few guitar-heavy detours – including a trip down an atmospheric side road that delivers a spectacular lead-laden interlude.

Standout guitar moment: The one guitar line dominates about 80 percent of the track, and for good reason. But when it’s paired with the wailing ascending lead lines at the 2:14 mark, it makes for one stellar six-string listening experience.

For fans of: Nick Cave, Snail Mail

– Matt Owen

Helms Alee – Tripping Up the Stairs

What is it? The latest skullcrusher from the alt-stoner Seattle trio, who count Ben Verellen of Verellen Amps fame among their lineup. Tripping Up the Stairs boasts a goosebump-inducing lineup of riffs, and Verellen’s tonal nous lends each one the exact shade of nightmarish fuzz it needs to deliver on its hellish promise.

Standout guitar moment: Those double-tracked fuzz slides at 1:44, leading into that uber-gnarly treble line. Chills.

For fans of: Torche, Kylesa, Baroness

– Michael Astley-Brown

Hovvdy – Town 

What is it? A new track from American indie-pop duo Hovvdy, who for their latest offering do what they do best: conjure up an oversized chord progression, compose some catchy lyrics and go to town creating some truly kaleidoscopic soundscapes. 

Standout guitar moment: It’s another compositional home run for Hovvdy, whose tastefully layered intro acoustic strums and textural electric musings help form the infectious foundations of the entire track.

For fans of: Bon Iver, Florist, Pinegrove, Lomelda 

– Matt Owen 

Primus have announced a new EP, Conspiranoid, and issued its sprawling 11-and-a-half-minute lead single, Conspiranoia.

Set to arrive April 22 via ATO Records, the EP will land shortly after the band commence the second leg of their A Tribute to Kings world tour, which sees them perform Rush's landmark 1977 album A Farewell to Kings in its entirety as part of the set.

The EP will feature three tracks in total including Conspiranoia, though the other two are likely to be shorter.

“Because the single Conspiranoia is of such length, I realized that for a B-side of the vinyl, we would need at least two tunes to fill out the real estate of the actual 12-inch disc,” frontman Les Claypool told Consequence in a new interview.

“Because all three songs were bred in an odd time of divide, confusion, angst, frustration and social senility,” he continued, “Conspiranoid seemed like an appropriate moniker for the EP.”

Conspiranoia is exceedingly ambitious, filled to the brim with Claypool's winding, often frantic bass guitar lines, and a pair of outside-the-box solos from guitarist Larry LaLonde, which incorporate everything from high-register staccato stabs to lightning-fast sweeps. Check it out below.

“I'd been itching to record an opus – basically a long, winding bastard of a song, reminiscent of some of the compositions I cut my teeth (or ears) on, in my music-hungry adolescence,” says Claypool. “I said to the fellas, ‘Let's record a 20-minute song.’ The end result was an 11-and-a-half-minute, progressive hunk of sound called Conspiranoia.”

As he explains, the track was conceived from a few lines he had written in his notebook on the “mental state of the contemporary world” a year ago.

“I watched the distrust and divide grow between friends, colleagues, relatives and the general population because of the consumption and digesting of disinformation, misinformation, warped information, and flat-out fairy tales being perpetuated by anyone with a slight hint of web design aptitude,” he continues.

“I was compelled to shed light on the ridiculousness of many of these perspectives and the lack of rational thought that was being applied in the interpretation of many such entities and theories.”

Primus are likely to play some of Conspiranoid's material when they continue their A Tribute to Kings world tour from April 15 in Oklahoma City. The band will hit a host of cities across the US from April through August, before heading to Europe from September 9. For more info, head to Primus's website. 

Check out Conspiranoid's track list below.

1. Conspiranoia
2. Follow the Fool
3. Erin on the Side of Caution

Gibson has published the latest video in its Riff Lords series, this time featuring Primus guitarist Ler LaLonde.

In the video, LaLonde talks us through some of his most celebrated licks and tones, including Jerry Was A Race Car Driver, Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers, Groundhog's Day and the South Park Theme Song. 

There’s a lot for fans of LaLonde’s weird and wonderful approach to the six-string to pick over, from the appearance of the green Flying V on which he wrote the South Park theme, through to the siren-like sounds at the opening of Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers – reportedly one of the top FAQs he gets from other players.

There’s also a line-up of fine Gibson eye-candy and a few career tidbits, like the ‘triangle exercises’ he learned from Joe Satriani, which fed into The Heckler’s crazy arpeggios. 

“Years ago, Joe Satriani had given me a million exercises that have saved my life over time… though Joe would be appalled if he heard me play it like that,” jokes LaLonde.

“The great thing is you hit almost every note there is, so no matter key you’re in, you’re gonna be in key for half of the solo. It goes by so fast that people will forget. So, pro tip: play triangles and… something will happen!”

LaLonde has been back on the road with Primus recently as part of a Rush tribute tour in which the band are performing the entirety of the Canadian prog gods' classic Farewell to Kings. 

Earlier this week, Primus frontman and bass guitar heavyweight Les Claypool revealed he received a bass lesson from Geddy Lee as the funk-metal outfit geared themselves up for their much-delayed Rush tribute tour, A Tribute To Kings.

Now, the fruits of Claypool’s labor have been revealed, and it seems as though the four-string lesson from Lee has been put to good use as Primus kicked off their two-and-a-half-month trip across the US on August 10 in style.

Performing their first show in Boise, Idaho, the three-piece tackled the entirety of Rush’s A Farewell To Kings from start to finish, making light work of the daunting setlist comprising A Farewell To Kings, Xanadu, Closer To The Heart, Cinderella Man, Madrigal and Cygnus X-1 – Book One – The Voyage.

From Larry LaLonde’s punchy musings on the electric guitar to Tim Alexander’s faithful drumming exhibition, the trio seemingly nailed every aspect of the performance – heck, Claypool even took to the stage wearing a kimono, modeled after Lee himself.

Elsewhere, the set also included the appearance of a Rush-accurate Gibson EDS-1275 for the thumping riffs of Xanadus, which Claypool propped up with a double-neck of his own.

As well as the comprehensive Rush tribute, Primus also performed a number of tracks from their own repertoire on the night, fleshing the setlist out with live renditions of Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers, Seas of Cheese and Over The Electric Grapevine. 

Tales From The Punchbowl's Wynona's Big Brown Beaver and Southbound Pachyderm were performed as encores.

Last year, while Primus were hard at work preparing for the 45-show-strong tour – and before his 1-2-1 tuition with the Rush icon – Claypool revealed the band had received Lee’s personal blessing for their proposed A Tribute To Kings concert.

“I talked to Geddy about it,” Claypool told Rolling Stone. “I texted with him just to make sure we weren’t trodding on something weird. So I checked in with him to see what he thought of it, and he was excited about the notion.

“He just got excited,” he continued. “He thought it was a great idea. You know, we go way back with those guys, so I think it made him feel good that it was going to be us that was going to do this thing. But I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. I can’t put words in his mouth, but he seemed excited about it.”

Primus are next slated to take the stage on August 13 at the Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington.

Head over to Primus's official website to see a full list of tour dates.

Funk metal stalwarts Primus are gearing up for their long-delayed Rush tribute tour – A Tribute To Kings – in which they'll play a whopping 45 shows across the US over a two-and-a-half month period.

And in an effort to dust off the metaphorical cobwebs post-pandemic, frontman Les Claypool has revealed he recently received a bass lesson from legendary Rush bassist Geddy Lee.

In a new photo posted to Claypool's Instagram account, the Primus man is seen next to the prog-rock pioneer – both with bass guitars in hand – alongside the caption: “Learning from the master...”

Originally scheduled for 2020, Primus's A Tribute To Kings tour is set to commence tonight (August 10) in Boise, ID, wrapping up in Phoenix, AZ on October 25. It will see the band perform a set of their own material as well as Rush's platinum-certified 1977 album A Farewell to Kings in its entirety.

“Finally, the clouds are parting, the planets are aligning, the dough is rising... whatever metaphor floats your proverbial boat, Primus is going on tour again,” reads a statement from Claypool.

“We were poised and ready for a massive, bent-rock extravaganza when the gremlins of Covid came and yanked the rug out from under us all. I personally have been climbing the walls like a shit-house rat and, after my first season off in 30-some-odd years, I'm very anxious and excited to stand in front of the microphone with my four-string piece of furniture and belt out some girthy ditties to sweaty throngs of punters.”

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Claypool detailed conversing with Lee prior to the tour coming to fruition, saying the Rush bassist was “excited about the notion”.

“He thought it was a great idea,” he says. “You know, we go way back with those guys, so I think it made him feel good that it was going to be us that was going to do this thing. But I don't know, you'd have to ask him. I can't put words in his mouth, but he seemed excited about it.”

For tickets to A Tribute To Kings, head to Primus's official website.

Les Claypool has unveiled a short film, Precious Metals, which finds the Primus legend co-starring with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo in a bass guitar battle for the ages.

The film, directed by Claypool’s son Cage and presented by EMG pickups – which recently unveiled new models for both players – plays on old-timey Western tropes, with Les digging for gold in the hot Northern California sun before being confronted by Trujillo, who brandishes his own precious item: a set of EMG pickups.

The two face off in an old-school shootout, but eventually settle their differences with a friendly, and ridiculously awesome, slap-bass duel. All’s well that ends well!

You can check out Precious Metals above.

“As a veteran music video director and wannabe filmmaker, it swells my chest with puffy pride to see my son Cage delve into the world of cinematography and excel at it,” Claypool said in a statement. 

“He blows me away with his skill set, perspective, work ethic and ease of collaboration. That’s my boy!!”

• Best basses for metal from Warwick, Schecter, Ibanez and more

In recent years, Hollywood star Jason Momoa has traded Game of Thrones for a game of tones as his passion for bass guitar blossoms.

Last year saw the Aquaman star jam with Primus bassist Les Claypool and land himself a Fender Custom Shop P-Bass – and now he can tick another major achievement off the list, as he takes pride of place on the new issue of Bass Player.

In the magazine’s all-encompassing conversation – which marks the actor’s first instrument interview – Momoa expands on his musical background and influences, while citing admiration for Claypool, who he spent time with back in September.

Of the pair’s jams, Momoa says, “That was like a childhood dream. We just hit it off. He was playing the drums and I was playing bass and going ‘Jesus Christ, man’, I was so nervous.

“Les is like fuckin’ God, so it was really hard to relax because he was just playing drums and I was supposed to start filling space and I was like, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ I look forward to the day when I can communicate on the bass on that level.”

As for whether Claypool taught Momoa anything about bass playing, the answer is very much in the affirmative.

“Yeah, I gotta learn a lot of stuff, I taped a bunch that I’ll be learning right now,” Momoa continued.

“I can’t wait to gather more knowledge to be around him and just jam. We had a really great time together, which was a really big relief because you don’t want to meet your heroes and then they’re fuckin’ assholes. We were having fun, just being fathers and family men. It was super-inspiring.

“I asked him a lot of questions. I asked him what his hardest song is to play and if he can still play it. The song DMV is his hardest; he has a very hard time playing it. I got the story behind why he did these really challenging things, and how he’s pissed because now he can’t do it on stage!”

In the magazine, Momoa is faced with questions not only from BP editor Joel McIver but also Claypool himself, Rob Trujillo of Metallica, Megadeth's David Ellefson, former Pantera bassist Rex Brown and Frank Bello of Anthrax.

You can snap up a copy of the latest issue of Bass Player at Magazines Direct.

NAMM 2021 isn't taking place in the physical realm this year, but you'll find all the hottest January gear launches in our guide to the biggest guitar, amp and pedal releases of 2021 so far.

EMG has introduced a new set of 'Pachyderm Gold' Signature bass pickups for Primus player and bass legend Les Claypool, as well as offering three new finishes for Robert Trujillo's existing set of Rip Tide Jazz pickups.

Based off EMG's PA pickups, the 'Pachyderm Gold' set brings a new, modern aesthetic to the tried-and-true tones of Claypool's preferred set of pickups, which utilizes Alnico 5 magnets to ensure warm and rich tones.

"Short, squat coils" are also included, ensuring a noise-free performance from the Pachyderm's, with a solderless design ensuring a seamless integration into bass guitars.

The EMG Les Claypool 'Paychderm Gold' pickups will be available for $149 when they are released later this year.

Elsewhere, Metallica man Rob Trujillo sees his signature Rip Tipe J pickup set updated with three new Metal Works finishes.

Previously available in only Black Chrome, new finishes include Brushed Black Chrome, Chrome and Brushed Chrome.

Despite these new appearances, the Rip Tide set maintains its original, thick tone that Trujillo has been using since before his Metallica days. Designed for a traditional four-string Jazz Bass, they are also said to be suitable for narrow 5-string basses.

Again, a solderless wiring harness features for an easier installation.

The flashy new Rob Trujillo Rip Tide pickups will be available later this year for $219.

Head over to EMG for more info.

When it comes to the art of the quarantine video jam, no one has killed it these past few months quite like Two Minutes to Late Night, who have slayed us with insane covers of AC/DC’s Riff Raff and Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.

But the self-proclaimed “world’s only heavy metal-themed talk show” may have topped themselves with their newest video, a crazy-awesome take on Rush’s Anthem, featuring Tool’s Danny Carey on drums, Primus’s Les Claypool on bass and an electric guitar trio consisting of Mastodon’s Bill Kelliher, Mutoid Man’s Stephen Brodsky and TMTLN co-creator Jordan Olds (a k a “Gwarsenio Hall”).

On vocals, meanwhile, is Coheed and Cambria frontman and avowed Rush fanatic Claudio Sanchez, who handles Geddy Lee’s helium-range vocals with ease.

Needless to say, the jam is awesome. What’s more, all the artists involved are donating their fees for the video to the Cancer Research Institute.

For more on Two Minutes to Late Night, head over to their official YouTube channel.

Slayer have announced the seventh and final leg of their farewell world tour, scheduled to kick off November 2 in Asheville, North Carolina and wrap November 30 in Los Angeles. 

Dubbed “The Final Campaign,” the shows will feature support from Primus and Ministry, as well as Philip H.  Anselmo & the Illegals, who will perform sets featuring a “vulgar display of Pantera.”  

Tickets go on sale July 12 at 10 A.M. local; limited VIP packages will be available. Head to Slayer.net for all ticketing and package details.

All confirmed tour dates can be viewed below.

Slayer “The Final Campaign” tour dates: 

11/02 - Explore Asheville Arena, Asheville, NC

11/03 - PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC

11/05 - Salem Civic Center, Salem, VA

11/06 - Giant Center, Hershey, PA

11/08 - Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA

11/09 - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

11/11 - KFC Yum Center, Louisville, KY

11/12 - Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH

11/14 - TaxSlayer Arena, Moline, IL

11/15 - Denny Sanford Center, Sioux Falls, SD

11/17 - Fargodome, Fargo, ND

11/18 - CHI Health Center, Omaha, NE

11/20 - Broadmore Arena, Colorado Springs, CO

11/22 - Rimrock Arena, Billings, MT

11/24 - Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA

11/26 - Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA

11/27 - MGM Arena, Las Vegas, NV

11/30 - The Forum, Los Angeles, CA

In one of the summer's more unexpected pairings, Mastodon and Primus have announced a co-headlining American tour. It will take place this summer.

Mastodon—who just took home a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for their 2017 song, "Sultan's Curse,"—are supporting last year's Emperor of Sand album, while Primus will be promoting their 2017 full-length, The Desaturating Seven.

"We are so excited to be hitting the road with Primus, they're one of our favorite bands!" Mastodon said of the tour. "This tour is going to be a blast! Don't miss it, let's get weird."

The tour will begin at Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheater in early May, and will hit just about every corner of the United States until it wraps up in early July. You can check out the full itinerary below.

For ticket information, stop by mastodonrocks.com.

Mastodon / Primus 2018 North American Tour

• May 06 - Denver, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheater
• May 08 - Oklahoma City, Okla. @ Criterion
• May 10 - Dallas, Texas @ Southside Ballroom (on sale 2/3)
• May 11 - Austin, Texas @ 360 Amphitheater
• May 12 - Rogers, Ark. @ WAL-MART Amphitheater
• May 14 - Birmingham, Ala. @ BJCC Theater (on sale 2/3)
• May 15 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Municipal Auditorium
• May 16 - Atlanta, Ga. @ The Fox
• May 18 - Portsmouth, Va. @ Ntelos Pavilion
• May 19 - Charlotte, N.C. @ Metro Amphitheater
• May 20 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Red Hat Amphitheater
• May 22 - Reading, Pa. @ Diamond Credit Union Theater @ Sandtander
• May 23 - Buffalo, N.Y. @ Art Park Amphitheater
• May 25 - Glen Falls, N.Y. @ Cool Insuring Arena
• May 26 - Providence, R.I. @ Bold Point Park
• May 29 - Boston, Mass. @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
• May 30 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Penns Landing
• June 01 - Asbury Park, N.J. @ Stone Pony Lot
• June 02 - Baltimore, Md. @ Pier 6 Pavilion
• June 03 - Coney Island, N.Y. @ Coney Island Amphitheater
• June 05 - Columbus, Ohio @ LC Pavilion
• June 06 - Chicago, Ill. @ Northerly Island (on sale 2/3)
• June 08 - Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Stage AE
• June 09 - Sterling Heights, Mich. @ Freedom Hill Amphitheater
• June 10 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ The Lawn
• June 12 - Cincinnati, Ohio @ PNC Pavilion
• June 14 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ The Myth
• June 15 - Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
• June 16 - Camenton, Mo. @ Ozarks Amphitheater
• June 18 - Lincoln, Neb. @ Pinewood Bowl (on sale 2/3)
• June 21 - Bonner, Mont. @ Kettlehouse Amphitheater
• June 22 - Seattle, Wash. @ Marymoor Park
• June 23 - Bend, Ore. @ Le Schwab Amphitheater
• June 25 - Troutdale, Ore. @ Edgefield
• June 28 - Avila Beach, Calif. @ Avila Beach Amphitheater
• June 29 - Berkeley, Calif. @ Greek Theater
• June 30 - Lincoln, Calif. @ Thunder Valley Casino
• July 02 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Salt Air Pavilion
• July 03 - Las Vegas, Nev. @ Downtown Event Center
• July 05 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Greek Theater
• July 06 - San Diego, Calif. @ SD State - Open Air Theater
• July 07 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ Comerica Theater

Les Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Jay Lane, collectively known as Primus, started doing a run of "Primus 3D" tour dates last year, and they've extended it into another tour leg for 2013.

The show promised to augment Primus’ music with 3D visuals and Surround Sound for an entire evening with no opening act. The Fox Theater in Pomona, California, played host to one such show on May 19, and the place became Primusville for the evening.

The giant horde of Primus fans flocked to enter the gates of the Fox, the merch lines were long, and the specially made event posters, priced at a hefty $30, were selling like hot cakes. Everyone picked up their free 3D glasses upon entering, and the backdrop screen displayed this warning:

“Images presented here may cause symptoms of vertigo or motion sickness to those with sensitive constitutions. If feelings of dizziness or nausea become apparent, remove glasses, look away from the screen and try not to vomit on your neighbor.”

This turned out to be merely a statutory warning, more like a disclaimer than anything else, because none of the 3D visuals were of the kind that would cause motion sickness. In fact, my biggest concern going into the show was whether the visuals would distract from Primus' inherent goodness.

I know they’ve put in a lot of time, effort and money into making this a 3D show, but I wasn’t blown away by it. It didn’t add much, and I'd be totally fine seeing Primus play the music with regular 2D visuals. In fact, the floating layer of 3D visuals even overshadowed the wonderful stage presence of Les, Lar and Jay, as we could barely see them with the 3D in the forefront.

That said, the visuals did provide us with a few powerful moments, like during "Southbound Pachyderm," when we witnessed an effect that made us feel we were entering a spatial cave or something of that sort. It was psychedelic and one of the many highlights of the show. I enjoyed the Surround Sound, and I often simply closed my eyes to absorb the music.

Claypool is obviously the center of attention at a Primus show. Not to be outdone, however, LaLonde delighted the guitar lovers in the audience with his brilliant work throughout the set, especially on "Golden Boy" and "Over the Falls." He even dusted off a thrash metal riff when Claypool openly teased him about his stint with Possessed, but he followed it up with the bluesiest licks you'll ever hear. Meanwhile, Jay played his part on drums, keeping the crowd going even as Les and Lar changed and/or tuned their instruments.

The first set ended with crowd favorites "My Name Is Mud" and "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver." As is customary in this "evening with Primus" format, there was a 25-minute half-time break at around 9:10 p.m., during which Popeye cartoons were shown on the screen.

This second set focused more on the music as Les talked much less frequently than he did in the first. It was a true musical display, with longer songs, plenty of rocking moments, tempo changes, a variety of bass instruments, pig masks and delightful guitar play by Lar on songs like "The Toys Go Winding Down" and "Harold of the Rocks." The encore began with an even more entertaining medley by him, consisting of Deep Purple and Slayer riffs. The show ended with "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver."

These 20 songs didn't leave any Primus fan disappointed, and in response to the genius show put on by Claypool & Co., the raucous crowd gave back plenty of energy to spur on the band. Every song was greeted with loud cheers, and people from the front row to the back indulged in jumping and dancing. "Jump pits" replaced the usual mosh pits at this show.

As for the 3D glasses, I’d say it helps taking them off in between songs just to give your eyes a breather. Besides the music and visuals, Claypool’s banter was brilliant, and his taking the mickey out of a certain fan from Liverpool was beyond hilarious. Owing to his goofy and eccentric personality, he had the crowd’s complete and undivided attention at all times.

Primus’ new show is well worth your money and then some.

Set List:

• Set 1:
• 01. Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers
• 02. Last Salmon Man
• 03. Golden Boy
• 04. Southbound Pachyderm
• 05. Over the Falls
• 06. Lee Van Cleef
• 07. John the Fisherman
• 08. My Name Is Mud
• 09. Jerry Was a Race Car Driver

Set 2:
10. Extinction Burst
11. Dirty Drowning Man
12. The Heckler
13. American Life
14. Seas of Cheese
15. Jilly's on Smack
16. The Toys Go Winding Down
17. Moron TV
18. Harold of the Rocks
Encore:
19. HOINFODAMAN
20. Wynona's Big Brown Beaver

Remaining Tour Dates:

05.31 Winnipeg, MB—Burton Cummings Theatre
06.01 Maplewood, MN—Myth
06.02 Chicago, IL—Riviera Theater
06.05 Charlottesville, VA-nTelos Wireless Pavilion**
06.06 Hunter, NY—Mountain Jam Festival*
06.07 Toronto, ON—Danforth Music Hall
06.08 Toronto, ON—Danforth Music Hall
06.09 North Tonawanda, NY—Niagara River Rocks*
*Not a 3D show
**Co-headline with Gov’t Mule

Andrew Bansal is a writer who has been running his own website, Metal Assault, since early 2010, and has been prolific in covering the hard rock and heavy metal scene by posting interviews, news, reviews and pictures on his website — with the help of a small group of people. He briefly moved away from the Los Angeles scene and explored metal in India, but he is now back in LA continuing from where he left off.

Primus have announced a spring tour in support of their 2011 album, Green Naugahyde. The tour, which will feature two full sets, begins May 3 in Columbia, Missouri, and wraps up June 24 in Modesto, California.

Primus will release a limited-edition 10-inch single featuring live versions of "Jilly's On Smack" and "Eyes of the Squirrel." The vinyl, which will be wrapped in a green naugahyde sleeve, will be available at indie record stores in late April. For more details, check out ATORecords.com.

Primus recently performed "Lee Van Cleef" and "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The band also released a music video for "Tragedy's a' Comin'," which premiered on IFC.com in a three-part series.

Green Naugahyde was produced and engineered by Les Claypool and features Claypool, Larry LaLonde and Jay Lane. For more about Primus, visit their official website.

Primus 2012 Tour Dates:

• 5/03 - Blue Note - Columbia, MO %
• 5/05 - Sugar Mill - New Orleans, LA %
• 5/06 - Beale Street - Memphis, TN %
• 5/19 - Paramount - Huntington, NY %
• 5/20 - Landmark Theater - Syracuse, NY %
• 5/22 - AE Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA ^
• 5/23 - LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH ^
• 5/25 - Summer Camp Festival - Chillicothe, IL %
• 5/26 - Harmony Park - Geneva, MN %
• 5/27 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI %
• 5/29 - Ryman Theater - Nashville, TN %
• 5/30 - Brady Theater - Tulsa, OK %
• 6/01 - Gilloiz Theater - Springfield, MO %
• 6/02 - Wakarusa Festival - Ozark, AR %
• 6/03 - Houston Press Festival - Houston, TX %
• 6/05 - Kiva Auditorium - Albuquerque, NM %
• 6/06 - Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park - Flagstaff, AZ %
• 6/08 - The Greek - Los Angeles, CA #
• 6/11 - Brit Pavilion - Jacksonville, OR %
• 6/12 - Cuthbert Amp - Eugene, OR %
• 6/14 - Marymoor Park - Redmond, WA %
• 6/15 - Orpheum Theater - Vancouver, BC %
• 6/16 - Fox Theater - Spokane, WA %
• 6/17 - Big Sky Brewery - Missoula, MT %
• 6/22 - The Joint - Las Vegas, NV #
• 6/23 - Santa Cruz Auditorium - Santa Cruz, CA #
• 6/24 - Civic Center Plaza - Modesto, CA %

% An Evening With Primus
^ with Gogol Bordello
# with Fishbone

MTV may have gone awry decades ago, but that doesn't mean the music video isn't alive and well in 2011.

For a while, it seemed the art form might be on its way out, with the rise of reality programming on former music channels, but the music video has persevered, and it's finally unlocked the potential of the Internet to once again become a viable -- and powerful -- form of promotion.

And we had some good ones this year, including the return of Primus, a beach party with Rammstein and a pair of excellent shorts from the Foo Fighters.

What video took home the No. 1 spot? Read on to find out!

10. Behemoth - "Lucifer"

As dark as this video is, we can't help but smile knowing it marks a healthy return Behemoth mainman Adam "Nergal" Darski, who this year played his first show with Behemoth since undergoing treatment for leukemia.

09. Five Finger Death Punch - "Under and Over It"

Five Finger Death Punch were all about making a stir this year, so it's no surprise that the band who named their new album American Capitalist used the album's lead video to cram in every excess imagineable.

08. Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"

A viral sensation due to the sheer prowess of Thom Yorke's crazy dancing, the "Lotus Flower" video created countless spinoffs as YouTubers competed to see who could best sync up Yorke's unorthodox dance moves to hilariously out-of-context music.

07. Opeth - "The Devil's Orchard"

This spaced-out, vaguely German-expressionist clip for "The Devil's Orchard" seems a perfect fit for the vintage prog vision of Opeth mastermind Mikael Akerfeldt.

06. Steel Panther - "If You Really, Really Love Me"

Say what you will about Steel Panther, but these guys just get the eighties. Steel Panther could have taken this video to the ridiculous extremes of the song's lyrics, but instead they went for a playful take on the feel of big ballad videos of days gone by and nailed it.

05. Primus - "Tragedy's A' Comin'"

While it will never eclipse the cinematic masterpiece that is "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver," the video for "Tragedy's A' Comin'" is a welcome return for Les Claypool and Co. Only the zany minds behind tracks like "Jilly's on Smack" and "The Last Salmon Man" could cook up a scene involving a hungry astronaut and a reluctant lobster.

04. Rammstein - "Mein Land"

Is there any German industrial metal band you'd rather have a beach party with than Rammstein? We didn't think so.

03. Megadeth - "Public Enemy No. 1"

It's safe to say when most of us saw the early screen caps of this video featuring the Megadeth guys in the Old West, we thought the final product might be a little more Tombstone and a little less Dunston Checks In.

02. Mastodon - "Deathbound"

According to Adult Swim, "We asked Mastodon for a song for our Adult Swim Singles Program. When they sent us this incredible jam, we knew we had to make a video for it. We called our friends at Authority Films and the first thing they thought was 'puppets!'" It's hard to beat the acid-tinged feel of Mastodon's other music video this year, "Curl of the Burl," but when it came time to decide which video made the list, we had to side with the puppets.

01. Foo Fighters - "Walk"

It was hard to choose this over the "White Limo" video -- or for that matter the "Hot Buns" tour promo video -- or the ensuing live footage of the Foos serenading protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church -- or the one where Dave Grohl kicks someone out of a show ... . The hell with it, "Walk" is our No. 1 video of 2011, but let's take the rest of this article to celebrate all the great Foo-tage from 2011.

“I’m from Transylvania!”

“Where do you work?”

“I don’t!”

“How do you pay for your apartment?”

“Savings!”

“You don’t work?”

“The time to spend is now, my friend. Like Les says, Tragedy’s A Comin’!”

At this point, the second guy stopped listening and began talking to someone else. I heard the first guy repeat his statement followed by “2012!”

“Holy crap,” I thought to myself. “This guy is spending his life savings because he thinks the world is going to end next year.”

And so began my first experience at a Primus show.

When my good friend, Zack, asked if I wanted to go see Primus at the Roseland Ballroom last Friday, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. Only a few weeks prior, the two of us aurally devoured Green Naugahyde, the band’s first full-length studio effort since 1999’s Antipop. Finally, the day had come where we had the good fortune to see this incredible group live. And already I was way out of my element (I’m the '80s guy, remember?). Nonetheless, I was pumped.

After finding out, much to my and Zack’s delight, that there would be no opening act, the lights went down. On stage, an ominous face was projected onto the helmets of two enormous balloon astronauts standing on either side of the stage. On stage walked bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane.

Without saying a word to the audience, the band kicked in to “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers” off of 1991’s Sailing the Seas of Cheese. When the intro had passed and they dug into the main riff everyone on the floor with us, as my friends would like to say, “went buckwild." Zack and I pushed our way forward as close as we could, and there, before us, was a group of musicians who deserve eternal respect. It was truly inspiring.

After a slew of older Primus hits ("Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver," "The Pressman," "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver," etc.), the band retired offstage for a mid-show rest, during which time the audience was played four "Popeye" cartoons. If anyone at that show can’t tell you the exact formula for every "Popeye" episode ever, then they must have been unconscious. Or buying another beer. Either way, I’ve never seen so many grown men excited by a television character eating spinach.

The band soon returned for a second set; one consisting of Green Naugahyde from start to finish (half the audience hadn’t a clue how to pronounce the title until hearing it from Claypool himself). Songs like “Last Salmon Man,” “Tragedy’s A Comin’,” and “Jilly’s on Smack” were all audience favorites (the last one featuring Les Claypool on an electric stand-up bass, just in case you weren’t already aware of what a monster of a musician he is). However, the highlight during the Naugahyde set for me was without a doubt “Eternal Consumption Engine.” Claypool uses his voice generally as another rhythm instrument, but during the B section of this particular song he sang his heart out. And it was awesome.

After the second set was over, the band allowed the outro to their album to play them out as they walked offstage. But there had to be an encore. This audience wasn’t leaving without one. After a few minutes, the band rushed back on stage and without warning slammed into Frizzle Fry’s “Mr. Knowitall,” followed by “Harold of the Rocks.” I’m not sure who was more tired, the audience or the band, but by the time the set was over everyone was leaving fully satisfied.

If you read this, and you’re toying with the idea of going to catch this band live, please do it. You’ll have yourself a buckwild evening. I can promise you that.

Has it really been more than a decade since we had a new Primus album? Maybe it's the timelessness of the band's bass-heavy grooves, but I know it certainly doesn't feel like 12 years since Antipop hit stores -- remember stores? You had to buy music there once.

If Primus were supposed to grow into stuffy adults and write mature, heartfelt ballads of years gone by, no one gave them the memo.

The band's first album of new material in the millennium, Green Naugahyde, is everything you've come to expect from a Primus record: Les Claypool's funked-out bass lines, Larry LaLonde's spacy, Zappa-inspired solos and even the return of a familiar face for Primus fans, drummer Jay Lane.

And in case you're worried about waiting another 10 years for the next Primus album, rest assured, this isn't a one-off project. As LaLonde revealed in our recent interview, Primus feels like a new band again.

GUITAR WORLD: At what point after Antipop did the band decide to take a break?

It was after we got done touring. At the end of the tour, we just kind of never came back together. That was usually the way Primus happened: We'll do a record, we'll tour and then when it's over we usually end up back in the studio, and it just didn't happen that time.

Before getting on to the new Primus album, catch us up on what you've been up to for the last decade-plus. I know you did some work with Tom Waits, Serj from System of a Down and then the No Forcefield record.

Yeah, I mean that was about it, really. I think it was around 2000 when the Primus tour ended, I just kind of hung out in LA, surfing and making weird, avant-garde records. Some of 'em came out, some of 'em didn't. Then around '04, Primus ended up going back out and doing some touring and then that didn't really turn into a new record, and the same with the tour in '06.

After the 2006 tour I went out with Serj for a while and then only recently, I guess like a year and a half ago, the calls started to come in for offers for Primus to go out and do more shows. That time around it turned into me and Les talking and saying, "We don't want to go out and be a nostalgia band and not have a new record." So that's when we decided to put it back together and do a real record.

So obviously you were actively writing this whole time. Had you been stockpiling riffs for Primus?

Yeah, there were a lot of riffs around -- there are still a lot around that didn't get used on this album, that'll hopefully end up on the next one. I was always writing stuff, and there were some [riffs] that I was like, "If we were doing a Primus record, this would be a perfect riff." The song "Jilly's On Smack," I probably had that riff for four or five years. "Internal Consumption Engine" is another one that I've had around for a while, and I had "Moron TV" sitting around waiting to go on a Primus record.

Is there a certain quality to a riff that makes you immediately think it would be right for a Primus record?

Yeah, for the most part. I can sort of picture that it's an OK riff, but it really needs the other guys to make it into something cool.

Speaking of the other guys, how did the decision to bring Jay back into the band come about?

Well, we pretty much knew Tim wasn't going to want to do it, but we thought if Jay were to be back in the band we'd all be super stoked to make a new record. So we called him up, he was into it, and away we went.

Jay's definitely got a pretty distinct drum sound. How much did his style influence the sound of the record?

Probably a lot. He was definitely around for the writing of a lot of Frizzle Fry, and some of the songs from Sailing the Seas of Cheese were from when he was in the band, so it definitely had some of that same feel right off the bat. And he's the kind of guy that when you start jamming with him and start writing with him it kind of snowballs. It's really easy to come up with stuff with him.

Les even likened Green Naugahyde to Frizzle Fry in a recent interview. Would you consider that a fair comparison point?

I think so to some extent, but Frizzle Fry was also a record that we went in and recorded in like a week. [laughs] So we had a lot more of it worked out.

This one was definitely a lot more writing in the studio. It's kind of Frizzle Fry-esque, but also it feels sort of like a new band as far as the new songs and writing go.

What was your main guitar setup for the album?

The amp setup was super simple. It was a Fender SuperSonic into an EVH cab. We didn't have a lot of room, so we didn't end up with a million amps or trying a bunch of stuff. So we just had that amp setup with a clean and a dirty channel. Most of the album is probably my Fender American Deluxe Strat, which is brand new, and the rest is probably a '76 Strat and a '69 Tele Thinline.

You've always been known as a guitarist who is extremely technically capable but who will pull back for the sake of the song. What are some of the challenges to playing guitar in a band where the bass is way more upfront than most other bands?

It definitley forces you to be a bit more of a textural player. You end up trying to find holes to fit in. It definitely takes away from being a traditional rock player, with standard power chords and riffs -- although those things are still in there.

In a lot of ways, it can be pretty inspiring, too, because instead of playing something off the top of your head, you're listening a lot more and figuring out what the other guys are playing. I had a lot of bands I was into that were kind of like that. The Police were like that in a lot of ways. Bow Wow Wow were definitely a very bass-driven band.

It's also cool that you're not up front all the time, you can hide a bit more. [laughs] You can get away with a bit more, too. You can play some notes that maybe aren't supposed to be there. If you pick up the Mel Bay book, they would probably tell you not to play those notes, but sometimes you can get away with it more because the guitar isn't the total focus.

You definitely have a very unique taste for note choices. What school of music is that coming from?

A lot the songs come from guys like Snakefinger, or Fripp and Belew, who played a lot of notes that just weren't the ones you were expecting. Then solo-wise, it's probably a lot from Zappa. Also, I used to take lessons from Satriani, and we spent a lot of time sort of bending rules as far as theory and stuff -- coming up with keys that were weird and trying to solo over them, making scales out of random notes.

And how do you tend to go about working out your leads? Do you work them out in advance or is it mostly improv?

It's definitely almost all improv. I'll figure out what the bass is doing, and usually I'll have to write it out into some kind of new key I just had to invent.

I'll start to see patterns and different fingerings across the neck that are in that key because a lot of times you can't go to traditional things that you learned your whole life -- blues scales and things. You have to tweak them depending on what the bass is playing. But now I've got to go learn 'em all for touring! [laughs]

I think "Last Salmon Man" might be my favorite solo spot on the record. Is there one that sticks out a lot to you as a favorite?

Yeah, that one -- it was funny because we've been learning stuff for the tour and I'd been playing it and playing it, and now I listen back and it's like, "Hey, I guess I played something completely different than I thought I did on the record." [laughs] That one was fun because that was the first time I ever used a fuzz or any kind of distortion on a solo. For that one, I went with the full-on octave fuzz kind of thing. The last song on the album, "Exctinction Burst," has kind of a one-take solo thing, so I kind of like that one.

Talking to Spin, Les said this album was like Frizzle Fry, but with 20 years of life experience. How do you think you've matured as a musician in those two decades?

That's definitely valid. After 20 years, you've definitely got a lot more stuff to write about and you've heard a million different kinds of music -- and hopefully learned a bunch of different music. When we did the first record, I think I was 19. Up to then, I tried to cram as much guitar knowledge in as possible, but over time there's always more and more stuff out there to learn. So I'm sure we've all heard and played with a bunch of differnet people, and hopefully got something out of that.

I think also, recording after we've made however many albums, I've sort of learned to relax. Before, I was always so manic about trying to get everything perfect -- which if you listened to the records, you probably wouldn't believe that. [laughs] But not I'm trying to relax a bit more and not worry about it so much.

Easily one of my favorite things about the band has always been the music videos. Any chance of a new music video ala "Winona's Big Brown Beaver" for the new album?

That's what we're trying to figure out right now. Unfortunately, the budgets aren't what they used to be for videos, and the excuses to make 'em quite as big as they used to be when you could actually get something out of it. We're going to try and do whatever we can get together and pull off, but it definitely used to be great to be able to make all the crazy videos.

You said earlier that you already had some riffs for the next Primus album. Do you see this being a case of the band going out and touring then making another album?

Right now it feels kind of like it's a band again, and we're just going to keep going as long as people are interested in seeing us and hearing us.

The new album from Primus, Green Naugahyde, is out tomorrow, September 13.

Primus will release their first studio album in 11 years, Green Naugahyde, on September 13, but in case you can't wait, the album is now streaming in full exclusively at the South Park's Facebook page.

The popular cartoon and Primus have had a long-running relationship, with the band writing/recording the theme song for the show in the late '90s. The stream will be available on South Park Facebook page for two weeks.

Primus will be hitting the road later this month for a fall tour, and you can find full dates here.

Primus are now streaming the first track off their new album, Green Naugahyde, at Spin.com. You can listen to the track, titled "Tragedy's A-Comin'," over here. You can also check out some live footage of the track below.

"Lyrically, this is me focusing on eventual demise or at least the notion that big rain is coming and at some point I'm going to get pretty fucking wet," Claypool told SPIN of the track in question. "Who says lemmings can't dance as they go over the cliff?"

Green Naugahyde, the follow-up to 1999's Antipop and the band's first album in over 11 years, will be release don September 13.

As to the reason behind the long wait between albums, Claypool commented: "Primus had hit the creative wall by the end of the '90s and Primus needed to sit. Like a good compost, we needed to ferment and turn the manure and garbage into fine, nitrogen rich dirt."

Keep an eye out for GuitarWorld.com's upcoming interview with Primus guitarist Larry LaLonde.

Members of Rush, the Police, Primus and Tool have joined forces in what could loosely be called a "super group," though would probably be more accurately described as one amazing jam session caught on film.

The mostly all-drums, all-star lineup of Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey and Les Claypool got together at Copeland's home studio last April to jam and were gracious enough to post a video online

You can check out a video of the group jamming on a tune they call "Count Drumula" below.

The group, who bill themselves as CCCP, have no immediate plans to tour.

Primus have announced the dates for a run of shows in the US this fall. You can check out the tour dates below.

As previously reported, Primus will released their new album, Green Naugahyde, on September 13. The album is the band's first since 1999's Antipop.

Green Naugahyde was produced and engineered by Les Claypool in his personal studio, Rancho Relaxo, in Northern California and features Claypool, long-time guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane.

Primus Fall 2011 Tour Dates

• 9/23 – Boston, MA @ The Orpheum
• 9/26 – Richmond, VA @ The National
• 9/27 – Albany, NY @ Palace, Theatre
• 9/30 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
• 10/1 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theatre
• 10/2 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
• 10/4 – Montreal, QE @ Metropolis
• 10/5 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
• 10/7 – Pittsburg, PA @ Stage AE
• 10/8 – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
• 10/10 – Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace
• 10/13 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater
• 10/14 – Chicago, IL @ The Congress
• 10/15 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
• 10/17 – Denver, CO @ Ogden
• 10/18 – Denver, CO @ Ogden
• 10/20 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheater
• 10/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

Funk metal band Primus have announced the release of their new album, Green Naugahyde, for Sept. 13. The record will be Primus' first album since 1999's Antipop.

Green Naugahyde was produced and engineered by Les Claypool in his personal studio, Rancho Relaxo, in Northern California and features Claypool, long-time guitarist Larry LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane.

Lane was in an early lineup of the band and also was in Sausage, a 1994 reunion of the 1988 Primus lineup.

"If I were to look at all of our records, it seems like this is reminiscent of the early stuff," says Claypool of the new album. "Obviously, with Jay there's a newness to it, but because he left the band right before we recorded our first record, his approach has an eerie harkening to the old Frizzle Fry days."

Claypool made clear there was no reason for recording a new album other than the desire for the three musicians to get together and experiment. "There wasn't a lot of pre-thought to this as much as, 'Oh, here we are, we should make a record,'" Claypool says.

"I've been playing with Jay quite a lot over the past 10 years and we have an intuitive bond, so for me he was a natural choice to be back in the mix," Claypool continues when asked how Lane came about rejoining the band after nearly two decades apart.

Green Naugahyde is out on ATO Records and Prawn Songs on Sept. 13.

Originally published in Guitar World, July 2010

The Primus bassist chats with Guitar World about his early days.

What first inspired you to pick up a bass?

I opted not to pick up the guitar because, when I was in junior high, there was a talent show. Two guitarists and a drummer had a band, and they played “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers. The lead guitarist, who went on to become the first guitarist for Primus—Todd Huth—was soloing, and it sounded so horrible through the tiny little amps they were using. I didn’t know the difference between the bass and the guitar; I just knew that one had four strings and one had six strings. I thought, I want to play whatever is the opposite of that.

What was your first bass?

It was a Memphis P-Bass copy. I pulled lots of weeds and mowed lawns. Shoveled dog shit and raked leaves.

What was the first song you learned?

Because nobody wanted to play bass, I was instantly in a band. We played only original tunes, so the first music I learned was the music of our guitarist. It was sorta like Rush–meets–Judas Priest–meets–Jethro Tull.

What do you recall about your first gig?

It was in the cafeteria at school. I was so petrified that I stood sideways to the audience the whole time.

Ever had a nightmare gig?

Nothing too terrible. I’ve had dreams that were worse, where I get onstage and nothing’s working and I’m trying to play a song I can’t remember. I remember once in Holland, [guitarist] Larry Lalonde almost got electrocuted every time he touched the mic. We just thought he was doin’ some fancy stage tricks because he was floppin’ around on the ground.

What is your favorite piece of gear?

I enjoy my John Deere tractor quite a lot. It’s a tool that I must use to keep Mother Nature at bay. I have all kinds of things encroaching on my property.

Do you have any advice for young players?

Play as much as you can as often as you can with as many people as you can. That’s how you learn and grow.