People think that rock frontmen just naturally can hop on a stage and belt out tunes with no hesitation, making karaoke no different than playing an arena gig. Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy would dispute that. In fact, the singer—who also performs with Slash and the Conspirators—has confessed that he is terrified of karaoke and won’t do it anymore.
Speaking to Music Radar, Kennedy recalled the experience that soured him on karaoke for good, and the song he sang. “Karaoke terrifies me. The last time I did karaoke was in 2008,” he remembered. “I think it was on my birthday. And we were on tour. Mark [Tremonti, Alter Bridge guitarist] and the guys got me very drunk.”
Myles Kennedy is most well-known for his work with the post-Creed spinoff band Alter Bridge
“In fact, this was probably one of the last times I drank on the road because they just obliterated me,” he continued. “We went to a bar down the road from the gig, I sang ‘Here I Go Again’ by Whitesnake… And there I went! That was the last time I ever A) sang at karaoke, and B) got inebriated while on tour.”
The interviewer then pointed out that Kennedy sometimes has to sing Guns N’ Roses songs. This, they noted, is complicated because Axl Rose has a “natural drive in his voice” that many other singers do not. “He does,” the singer replied. “He’s got that overdrive and the range! Incredible range.”
When asked which Guns ‘N Roses song is the hardest one to sing live, Kennedy had a fascinating answer. “I would say the hardest one for me is probably ‘My Michelle‘, just because it’s so intense,” he said, “But man, I love that song. Oftentimes, the songs I love the most are the most difficult to pull off. That one is definitely a challenge.”
Kennedy name-dropped late singer Jeff Buckley as one of his vocal inspirations
Elsewhere in the interview, Kennedy was asked which famous singers have had the biggest influence on his vocals. “The vocalists I looked to would have been Stevie Wonder. That was probably the very first one. And then Jeff Buckley was a massive influence,” he confessed.
“Like, Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke, together in the ‘90s, were big influences on me,” he added. “And as the years have gone on—this is going to sound kind of interesting—I love female singers, and there’s just something about Ella Fitzgerald, and I could listen to her forever.”
The post Alter Bridge Frontman Reveals Surprising Fear, Given His Profession, and the Last Encounter He Had With It appeared first on VICE.
