During an appearance on “The Hustle: Music & Money” podcast, Faith No More’s Roddy Bottum discussed his multi-millionaire status. The keyboardist earned his wealth after investing $12,000 into Apple during the early 1990s.
Bottum said the following:
“I talk about it in the book [‘The Royal We’]. It’s all laid out there pretty clearly. Part of the premise of who we were as kids and the buttons that we were pushing and the provocation that we were stewing in in San Francisco at the time was, like… I mean, you’ve gotta sort of, like, wrap your head around what San Francisco was at that time. It was bicycle messengers. It was punk rock kids. It was kids who wore black, kids who sort of were really pretty judgmental and stuck to their own lanes in terms of highbrow arts and highbrow punk rock ethics.
So us as kids, me and my crew, were about sort of pushing buttons and we were really about doing things that were considered outlandish or that rubbed people the wrong way. And one of those things, believe it or not, was, like, yeah, we were watching the stock market, just ’cause it was so uncool and so ridiculous and so over the top. Like, what punk rock, bicycle-messengering, dreadlocked, pot-smoking kid would follow the stock market?
But that’s the kind of provocative kids that we were, particularly this boyfriend that I had at that time, my first boyfriend… He was super smart. He was a little bit older than me and he kind of tutelaged me in that way. He showed me sort of the ropes and taught me how to read the stock market, just ’cause it was fascinating and also because I knew that it was provocative and it was like ridiculous.
We’d had no money. I had no money. I wasn’t gonna buy stocks, God knows, but we did follow the stock market just sort of in an obnoxious way and brag about it later just to kind of stir shit, if you will. So then when the time came when I made a little bit of money through Faith No More — I’d never made that much money before. I made $12,000 after touring for probably a year and a half straight.
And I was at my home in Los Angeles visiting my family for the holidays, and someone delivered that check from… Our management company, who was managing Faith No More at the time, was, like, ‘Oh, this is your compensation for what you made over the past year and a half. We have some overage, so everyone in the band is getting $12,000. And it was more money than I’d ever seen, of course. And my dad was super proud. He was, like, ‘Oh my God.’ He couldn’t believe that I was getting a check for $12,000.
And at the time I was living with that boyfriend in San Francisco. We lived in a studio apartment. I didn’t pay any rent, and I was still sort of working as a bicycle messenger and I would sort of, like… We were gonna go out on the road immediately. So I had no need for that $12,000. And the insane bipolar boyfriend convinced me to just take that $12,000 check and buy Apple stock with it.
And it was at the time when sort of Apple stock was at its absolute most base. Steve Jobs wasn’t back in the company yet. We were years and years away from the iPhone. And I just bought that stock and I just let it sit. And it’s kind of a weird thing to bring up in the book. A couple of people read it. Even my publishers read it. My boyfriend read it. The people who read it said, ‘Are you sure you wanna put that in the book?’”
He went on to discuss why he put it in the book:
“I’m not bragging about it. Honestly, it was like winning the lottery. It was just the craziest thing. Like, who would ever do that, for one? And it was just sort of like this crazy happenstance of luck that I happened to sort of like make that decision with this. I think the way that I bring it up in the book, too, it’s, like, I have had insane relationships my whole life.
I have been connected with and sort of friends with just absolute maniacal people my whole life. And I’ve been criticized for it and people have hated my friends and judged me for that, but I’ve always — that’s a talent that I have. I have sort of this talent of seeing the light through the darkness in all kinds of people.
And I say in the book, I say, well, oftentimes it bites me in the ass or whatever, but there’s always a payoff. There’s always a payoff for sort of the risks that I’m willing to take and the friendships that I make. And that is an example of sort of a payoff in terms of this boyfriend I had was unbearable. I loved him. He was amazing and so smart. And I could see that — I could see the light through the darkness in that regard. And in terms of real tangibility, yeah, he made me a millionaire. So there you go.”
He also added the following when asked if his wealth led to a lack of urgency to make new music:
“Well, there’s not an urgency to make money, I guess. I have that cushion. You’re right. That’s a luxury. But I make music every day. Imperial Teen just finished a record. We were just finishing a record, and we’re mixing it right now. I’m making another record in New York with Crickets. We start our record in January.
The past two years I’ve put out two records with Man On Man, and we’re gonna make another record in February. So it’s not like I am not doing something and I’m resting on my laurels and living off of Apple money. Sure, that’s a cushion and that’s sort of a luxury that I have. But I don’t make music for money. I haven’t written this book for the want for money. That’s not my motivation in what I do artistically.”
[via Blabbermouth]
During an appearance on the Stupid And Contagious Podcast, Candlebox’s Kevin Martin discussed the band’s upcoming plans. Notably, the group have now decided to continue after announcing a farewell tour three years ago.
Martin said the following:
“I was done [in 2023]. We were putting out the record and we were going out with 3 DOORS DOWN, and I really wanted to focus on my family and my relationship with my wife and son more, and I was also releasing this bourbon and I wanted to focus on it. And I just kind of felt like I was done with this music business. And then the minute you say that, your value becomes tenfold. An then I was asked to go out with BUSH, and, of course, Gavin [Rossdale, BUSH frontman] and I have been friends since the ’90s, and I was, like, ‘I can’t pass up on that.’ And it was [also] with Jerry Cantrell [on the bill]. And then it kind of all kickstarted again. And my wife’s, like, ‘Look, you know you’re not done with this.’ And then Pete’s [original CANDLEBOX guitarist Peter Klett], like, ‘Hey, man, I’d like to come back.’ So, yes, it’s now — we’re calling it the ‘We Can’t Quit You, Babe’ tour. I mean, fucking RAINBOW said they were retiring. So did THE WHO, KISS…”
He continued when asked about future live shows:
“Yeah, we have rehearsals starting in February. We’re only doing a short spring run, because Pete and I are working on a new record. So, that spring run will be short and sweet, but we’re working on a big summer thing and a fall tour. We’re also doing South America. I think we’re working on Europe for ’27, depending on how the record does, all that sort of stuff. [We’ll] keep ourselves busy.”
He also discussed how touring has changed over the years:
“It’s a hell of a lot harder. It’s a hell of a lot more expensive. Certainly with socials and social media and stuff, it’s difficult because there are expectations, I think, that fans have of the bands. I mean, back in the day, CANDLEBOX was the most faceless rock and roll band out of Seattle. So it was easy to play a show and go out and watch the opening band and nobody knew who we were. Now your face is all over everything and people can reach out and say, ‘Oh, my uncle’s a huge fan.’ And, ‘I met you guys through this person’ and ‘You’re not coming to my town. Why not?’ That that kind of stuff… Everybody asks that, and it’s, like, you live in a tiny little town in the middle of Iowa. Nobody goes there because it’s the most difficult place to get to and it’s incredibly expensive to get there. And it’s not that we don’t want to — we would love to. If we could afford to hit 70,000 cities in the United States in one year, we would, but the odds are stacked against you. But other than that, it’s really just the expense of being a touring band. It’s so financially unbalanced now. A tour bus, for example. If you’re in a 2010 tour bus, let’s say. That’s 15 years old — a 15-year-old tour bus that probably hasn’t been very well taken care of or upgraded or anything like that. It should be about $500 a day, but what you end up paying is about $1,500 a day for that bus. That doesn’t include the driver, that doesn’t include the fuel. So you’re looking at a bus that’s 15 years old that’s gonna cost you $2,200 a day. The cost of hotels is $350 a night, [plus] taxes, insurance. I mean, my daily nut to tour is $22,000. That’s a day what I have to pay to tour. And the merchandise isn’t cheap. To print a shirt is about $12 to $15. That’s why t-shirts at shows are $40 and $50 and $60 because it’s like retail markup. You’ve gotta make a hundred percent markup. And it’s not gonna get any easier as long as Trump’s in office, with tariffs.”
[via Blabbermouth]
According to public records, AJ Channer (CHNNR, ex-Fire From The Gods) was recently arrested in Cleveland, TN after being charged with child endangerment. The vocalist was taken into custody on December 19, 2025. Amid this news, it has also been revealed that he was previously arrested on May 8, 2024 after being charged with assaulting a pregnant person in Travis County, TX. Notably, Fire From The Gods parted ways with Channer last year without an explanation. His partner Brittan Taylor previously claimed his departure was related to a decision to focus on his family and mental health. However, it is now being speculated that his criminal history may have been a contributing factor.
[via The Mosh Network]
Suicide Silence have recruited Soreption guitarist Ian Waye for their upcoming shows. He will be filling in for Chris Garza, who recently announced a hiatus from the band.
Guitarist Mark Heylmun said the following:
“Hey everyone, with the news of Garza’s hiatus I thought I’d share some things I feel pertinent.
I’ve been in this band since 2005. I did not start this band, but I’ve been a part of creating every piece of music (for better or worse) that you’ve heard minus the EP and early demos. I did play the EP release show at showcase theatre in my first months of joining.
I took a break from the band for about 9 months in 2019 because I was preparing for my father’s passing who was fighting cancer and I knew it was only a matter of time. I never shared that publicly because I didn’t want my dad to know I was taking the break because of him. I’d have taken a longer break but was asked to come back to help write what became ‘Become The Hunter.’
I fully support/respect Garza’s decision to take a break. That said, SS is a part of my blood and DNA at this point and this band has always been a 5 headed dragon and the show must go on, and it will.
I speak for the guys when I say we’re stoked to have a ripping fill in step up to the plate for all upcoming shows. We are bringing our friend @themilkywaye of Soreption on board as fill in for the upcoming European and Asian tours. For anyone familiar with Ian’s playing you know he has a heavy right hand and can rip with the best of em. If it’s brief or if it’s for a while, we are gonna bring some serious firepower to every stage we step foot on as we always have. Can’t wait to see you all on the road!”
Bitter Branches (Deadguy, Paint It Black, etc.) will be releasing a new album, titled “Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals,” on March 6. Two tracks from the effort, “Basic Karate” and “Cave Dwellers,“ can be found below:
“Let’s Give The Land Back To The Animals” Track Listing:
01. “Rat Poison“
02. “Cave Dwellers“
03. “Pity Party“
04. “Basic Karate“
05. “Posture Contest“
06. “Everything Must Go“
07. “High Street“
08. “7-11“
09. “Fine Powder“
10. “Here Comes The Chisel“
Vocalist Tim Singer commented:
“On some of these songs, I let myself explore some dark thoughts in my head. It’s not your typical belligerent music because there’s a lot of open space; it feels like it’s a bit more sinister.”
Drummer Jeff Tirabassi continued:
“On our first record I feel like we were all trying to get our feet underneath it, but on this one we really wanted to lean into the groove.”
Singer added:
“On a fanboy level especially for us old heads, it scratches that Jesus Lizard itch; a little bit of exploring a lane over there instead of the typical lanes. There’s a lot in that post-hardcore lane that we all love that I don’t think is explored enough … or at least not by the right people.”
The 69 Eyes have released a new song titled “I Survive.” A video for the track, which features guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, etc.), can be found below. The band commented:
“Our new single ‘I Survive’, written by guitar legend Steve Stevens and Jyrki 69, is The 69 Eyes at our best: simply rocking! The track is mixed by Barry Pointer (Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, etc.) to bring the extra Hollywood magic in.”
Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof has issued a statement regarding the band’s decision to move forward with a new lineup. Despite the change, the guitarist has “nothing negative to say about” his former bandmates.
Vanderhoof said the following:
“Hey friends! As with any band, sometimes things just stop working and you have to move-on, no matter what the cost and no matter what people are going to say or think about you, including former bandmates. It’s just that simple.
I am continuing to do what I’ve been doing since I formed Metal Church 46 years ago, writing albums and releasing music. If you love that, great, if not, that’s ok too. If you love any of the former band members, that’s also great, then go support their musical endeavors and be thankful for new music. I personally have nothing negative to say about them, I wish them all the luck.
I’m just happy to be where I am at now, with great musicians that I respect and I look forward to performing live with. That’s all I have to say about it.
Cheers, Kurdt!”
This news comes after former singer Marc Lopes recently opened up about his departure from the band, calling the situation “pretty disgusting.”
Glenn Hughes (ex-Deep Purple, etc.) has cancelled his spring U.S. tour due to a “minor health issue.” Refunds for tickets and VIP upgrades will be available from your point of purchase. Hughes issued the following statement:
“I’m taking advice from my medical team, who I am working closely with. Hoping to see you on the road of happy destiny.”
Metal Anarchy 
You must be logged in to post a comment.