Scott Ian admits he used to play online poker during Anthrax sets: “I’d be going deep in the tournament, then it’s time for the band to go on stage”
What does multitasking look like for the average band guitarist? Probably not playing a set and an online poker tournament at the same time – unless, of course, you’re Scott Ian.
In a new interview, the Anthrax axeman reveals how his obsession with Texas Hold’em became so intense that he would occasionally bring a laptop on stage during shows to keep tabs on ongoing games.
READ MORE: “The old George Harrison trick… it works every f**king time” Jason Isbell admits he stole a guitar technique from the Beatle for one of his most famous songs
Ian, whose poker fixation reportedly began after competing in VH1’s 2006 Classic Rock ‘N’ Roll Celebrity Poker Tournament alongside Vinnie Paul, Ace Frehley, and Godsmack frontman Sully Erna, tells Poker News, “There were times where I’d be in a Sunday tournament.”
“I’d be going deep in the tournament, and then it’s time for the band to go on stage and I’m like, ‘What am I going to do?’”
“So I would literally bring my laptop on stage,” says Ian. “I’d be up there playing. My laptop would be right over there on the side where my guitar tech is set up. And so I’d be out there playing and songs are an average four minutes to six minutes, and then I would run back [and ask] ‘What happened?’”
“My tech knew enough about [Texas] Hold’Em, and I would just give him instructions like ‘just fold anything except for nines or better at this point,’” he adds.
“There were actually a few times where he would get in the hands and actually win a pot for me, and so if I cashed, I’d cash him out at the end of the game, too.”
Poker eventually became more than a backstage distraction. In 2008, Ian signed a professional sponsorship deal with online gaming site Ultimate Bet, kicking off a four-year stretch where he says he played up to 90 hours a week.
In the meantime, Anthrax are currently on tour supporting Iron Maiden on the European leg of the latter’s Run for Your Lives World Tour.
The post Scott Ian admits he used to play online poker during Anthrax sets: “I’d be going deep in the tournament, then it’s time for the band to go on stage” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
