Slayer and Exodus guitarist Gary Holt spoke in a recent interview with Revolver Magazine and shared his concerns about keeping his sobriety during the tour.
Even though Gary quit drugs years ago, he was still using alcohol. In June 2021, Gary announced on social media that he has decided to quit alcohol because it has started affecting him negatively and will remain fully sober for the rest of his life. A couple of days later, Gary pointed out that he has not been struggling with alcohol addiction and stated that he has started sleeping better.
In the conversation, Gary admitted that a part of him feels nervous about getting back on the road because there is a lot of alcohol and drug abuse during tours. However, his concerns are not about relapsing. According to Gary, he is afraid of dealing with the people who will use drugs and alcohol during this time because he thinks they will be annoying.
Furthermore, Gary revealed why he won’t use any alcohol during the tour by saying that he is a stubborn person. Following that, the musician admitted that quitting alcohol was a lot easier than quitting drugs and cigarettes.
Gary Holt shared his concerns about touring in the interview:
“I’m kind of stubborn in my own belief of not f*cking shit up, you know? And since I’ve already publicly stated it, I’d look at it as a total abject failure now if I had another fucking beer.
But you know, I’m fine about it. I’ve been partying since high school, and the party isn’t over — just the alcohol part.
And we’re talking some serious drug abuse, too. I quit all that, and I quit smoking, and quitting drinking was a lot easier for me than quitting meth or cigarettes!
There is part of me that might be a little nervous about getting back on the road, not about slipping and drinking again, but just, ‘How am I going to deal with other people when they’re wasted?’ Because someone’s really ripped — your best friend, a complete stranger, it doesn’t matter — they’re always annoying.
He continued:
“But, you know, three-fifths of us are alcohol-free now, and Tom’s not drinking right now because alcohol absorption is completely different when you don’t have a stomach.
And when I came out publicly about not drinking, I received a lot of support from a lot of guys in bands that I didn’t even know were sober. So there will definitely be people that I can hang out with.”
Later in the conversation, Gary Holt also talked about the upcoming album of Exodus, ‘Persona Non-Grata,’ and stated that he is very proud of what they have done with the record.
