Some things, like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, and burgers and fries, go together perfectly. In the world of metal guitars, brutal riffs and headbanging is a union that will never fail.
But the act of headbanging isn’t without its consequences, and Gary Holt – who pushes himself to the limit in both Slayer and Exodus – learned that in the most insane way.
The physical demands of playing a starring role in two massive metal bands were always going to take their toll, but this particular incident came after one particularly raucous show, as Holt celebrated his first gig in six months a little too feverishly.
“Physically, this kind of music isn't easy anymore. I blew my neck out headbanging at the Blue Ridge Rock Fest a few years ago. I couldn't turn my head for six months,” he says in the new issue of Guitar World.
“I had clinical-grade whiplash from the Blue Ridge show; I thought I blew a disc.”
The band had been booked for the 2023 festival at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA, playing the third stage behind Biohazard, Machine Head, and Rise Against. Justifiably, he was excited to get back out there.
“They gave me an MRI and said it looked like I'd been in a car crash,” he then says. “But no surgery. I dodged a bullet. The problem was, we hadn't done a show for six months, and then I went out there and acted like I always do.”
Fortunately, he has not had to undergo neck surgery like his brothers in thrash, Dave Mustaine and Tom Araya, but it was likely an eye-opener for him moving forward.
In related news, Holt recently claimed that “everybody cheats” when it comes to the furious downpicking that defines thrash metal playing, and explained the stark differences between his job roles in Exodus and Slayer.
Holt’s full interview, alongside fellow Exodus riffer, Lee Altus, features in the new issue of Guitar World. Keith Richards is this issue’s cover star.
Head to Magazines Direct to pick up a copy.
