Beardo And Weirdo

Andy James went from posting instrumental guitar videos on YouTube and working at McDonald's to learning 17 Five Finger Death Punch songs in 24 hours on a first-class flight — and never looking back. Craig Gass and Chris Kael sit down with the FFDP lead guitarist for his most candid interview yet, covering everything from the Zoltan Bathory DM that changed his life to the stage fright that sti...

Music industry secrets rarely get spoken out loud by the people who lived them — but Dave Buckner, founding drummer of Papa Roach, and Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch break down exactly how bands get paid, what a 360 deal actually costs an artist, and why forensic auditors now travel on tour buses to catch promoters hiding ticket revenue. Craig Gass hosts a conversation that names real numbe...

Chuck Billy interview reveals the Testament frontman's full story — from schoolyard bully and meth years to a cancer diagnosis at age 38 that split his life into two testaments. His new memoir Holding My Breath documents the native healing journey, the mysterious arrival of a healer named Charlie, and the stubborn defiance that carried him through 25 years cancer-free. The thrash metal legend...

Geoff Tate, original lead singer of Queensryche, sits down with Chris Kael and Craig Gass on Beardo and Weirdo to share never-before-heard stories from four decades in progressive metal — from hearing "The Lady Wore Black" on the radio for the first time while building transistor radios to getting politely dismissed by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd at an Earls Court afterparty. The convers...

Bruce Kulick, lead guitarist of KISS from 1984 to 1996, sits down for his first major interview since surviving open heart surgery earlier this year. Diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve over a decade ago, Kulick details the full story of his valve replacement — from the initial diagnosis in Sherman Oaks to the four-hour procedure at Dignity St. Rose hospital in Henderson, Nevada — and explains...

Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass react to the Carrot Top Self Harm Story, share their own battles with addiction and depression, and accept their Best Podcast award from Vegas Rocks magazine — all on the same night. The episode moves from dark humor about their friend Scott Thompson to raw, unscripted confessions about what it feels like when nothing can reach a person...

Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi reveals never-told stories from inside the most chaotic tours in 80s metal history — including the night Kevin Dubrow physically choked out Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler on their shared tour bus. Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass sit down with the 23-year Quiet Riot veteran for a raw, uncensored conversation about addiction, dys...

Josh Wolf sits down with Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass for a raw conversation about surviving 30 years in stand-up comedy, the 1990s Seattle open mic scene that produced Joey Diaz and Brody Stevens, and the George Carlin mentorship that changed everything. Fans of stand-up comedy history and behind-the-scenes comedian stories will hear details never shared publicly...

Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael and comedian Craig Gass reconnect mid-tour on Beardo and Weirdo to break down the FFDP 20th anniversary tour, the viral Aidan Mullen interview about the Metallica bus crash that killed Cliff Burton, and behind-the-scenes footage from the Ramones 50th anniversary celebration at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Kael reports the band is playing the strongest set...

Metallica's 1986 tour bus crash in Sweden killed Cliff Burton and trapped guitar tech Aidan Mullen beneath the wreckage. Mullen, who was pinned under the overturned bus with Burton lying across his arm, shares the full firsthand account of that night for one of the only times publicly — from waking up mid-crash to being unable to breathe under the debris to hearing production manager Bobby Sch...

Dave Buckner, original drummer of Papa Roach and the man behind the billion-stream hit "Last Resort," reveals how cocaine addiction nearly ended his life during the height of the band's success — and how reaching his 50th birthday and 10 years of sobriety became the milestone he never expected to celebrate. Beardo and Weirdo hosts Craig Gass and Chris Kael sit down with their longtim...

Rikki Rockett reveals the behind-the-scenes survival tactics, personal betrayals, and wild road stories that shaped Poison's 40-year career — from flyering cars outside a Sammy Hagar show in a broken-down Chevette to headlining stadiums with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard. Craig Gass Chris Kael and Dave Buckner sit down with Poison's founding drummer as he promotes his new memoir Ghost Notes:...

Chris Kael, bassist of Five Finger Death Punch, reveals that the band's upcoming Legacy album will have two singles out before the tour launches, confirms new songs will be added to the live setlist for the first time, and explains why he chose to stop dating entirely to focus on music, therapy, and channeling what he calls a "simmering rage" into songwriting. Craig Gass and Kael break down the em...

Jeff Keith, frontman of the multi-platinum rock band Tesla, reveals the full origin story of how a small-town kid from Georgetown, California, went from driving septic tanks and mixing cement to selling millions of records and touring the world for four decades straight. In this sit-down with Beardo and Weirdo hosts Craig and Five Finger Death Punch Bassist Chris Kael, Keith walks through the exac...

Stephen Ray, author of Ozzy and Me, and Big Dave from MTV's Battle for Ozzfest reveal firsthand accounts of Ozzy Osbourne's final year — from the Birmingham homecoming show to the private funeral at the Osbourne estate — exposing how surgical failures accelerated his decline and how the stage remained his only real medicine. One year after the passing of heavy metal's most iconic front...

Stephen Rae and Big Dave — two people absorbed into Ozzy Osbourne's inner circle — share firsthand stories from decades spent inside the Osbourne world, one year after Ozzy's passing. Rae, who first met Ozzy as a 15-year-old fan from Belfast after his mother wrote a letter to the fan club, and Big Dave, a New York limo driver who parlayed a birthday airport pickup into a full-time role as Ozzy's p...

Riki Rachtman, the iconic host of MTV's Headbangers Ball, opens up about navigating divorce, mental health struggles, and the raw emotional weight of rebuilding life on the road during his One Foot in the Gutter tour. The former Cathouse Hollywood impresario sits down with Beardo and Weirdo hosts Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch and comedian Craig Gass for a brutally honest conversation that...

Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael returns to the road after months at home, and the pre-tour dread is real. On this episode of Beardo and Weirdo, Kael and comedian Craig Gass break down the emotional whiplash of leaving a comfortable routine for arena stages, private jets declined in favor of solo motorcycle rides through 110-degree desert heat, and the unglamorous side of life in a major...

Frank Bello has spent four decades as the bassist of Anthrax, but the stories behind the music cut far deeper than any thrash riff. Sitting in a hotel room in Dresden, Germany at 1:00 a.m. during a seven-week European tour, Bello joins Beardo and Weirdo hosts Craig Gass and Chris Kael for a conversation that swings from hilarious Kiss impressions to the darkest chapter of his life — and a never-be...

In this incredible episode, the guys are joined by legendary bassist Chuck Garric, who holds the title of the longest-standing member of the Alice Cooper band. The group kicks things off by recounting Craig's humiliating run-in with Alice Cooper's tour manager at the Welcome to Rockville festival, where Chuck actually had to step in and save him. Chuck then discusses his current role as mu...

In this action-packed episode, Chris & Craig dive into some of the wildest viral stories hitting the internet right now while sharing an inside look at the incredible No Doubt residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Craig shares his VIP experience hanging out in the owner's suite courtesy of Tony Kanal, raving about the mind-blowing visuals and top-tier catering that make the Sphere the best ven...

In this episode, the guys dive right into some awkward backstage drama involving former SNL stars Horatio Sanz and Chris Kattan. Craig recounts the agonizing story of trying to set up free VIP tickets for Horatio and Chris to see No Doubt at the Sphere in Las Vegas, only to have both comedians flake out at the last minute—twice—leaving Craig scrambling to save face with No Doubt’s bassist, Tony Ka...

In this episode, the guys kick things off by recapping Chris's massive performance at the Welcome to Rockville festival in front of eighty thousand screaming rock fans. Chris shares what it is really like to step onto a stage of that magnitude and how his bandmates handle the pressure, while Craig shares his own nerve-wracking experiences opening for comedy legends like Russell Peters and Loui...

In this episode, Chris and Craig sit down with the absolute master of crowd work, stand-up comedian Ian Bagg. Ian takes us on a wild ride through his unbelievable career, starting from his dangerous early days setting up explosives at a Canadian gold mine to moving to New York City with only $700, living in a youth hostel, and landing a spot on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He opens up about...

In this powerful episode, Chris & Craig sit down with Andrew Tkaczyk, the legendary drummer for The Ghost Inside, to discuss his incredible journey of survival and determination following the band's tragic 2015 bus accident. Andrew opens up about the life-altering impact of the crash, which resulted in the loss of his right leg and ten days spent in a coma. He shares the raw details of his...