Behemoth’s Nergal Says Anthony Kiedis Inspired Him to Say ‘No’ to Invasive Fans
Becoming a noticeable figure can be a big adjustment for people, especially when it comes to having decreased privacy in public. Behemoth's Nergal explained that Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis taught him to politely say "no" to fans when it comes to certain situations.
During a recent episode of the "h23" podcast (heard below), Nergal brought up one of his friends who's met several celebrities in Los Angeles, including Ozzy Osbourne and Kiedis. While The Prince of Darkness agreed to take a photo with the friend, the RHCP vocalist told him "absolutely not," and Nergal expressed his fondness for that kind of response.
"I mean, it's cool if people do that. I usually do that, but on many occasions, fans, they're just all over you. They don't know where the boundaries are — they don't feel that. You're in a restaurant having a date with a lady, and [they ask], 'Can we take a photo?' 'No.'"
The frontman admitted that hearing his friend's story about Kiedis actually inspired him to say "no" in a "very assertive but polite way."
"So I have no problems with saying, 'I'm sorry. This is a private meeting. I'm having a date. Hopefully next time.' And I'm happy to see their reactions, which, nine out of 10, are, like, 'I respect that. Sorry for disturbing. See you next time. Can I just shake your hand?' 'Of course you can.' And that is cool."
Check out the full conversation below.
Behemoth's XXX Years Ov Blasphemy livestream concert, which celebrates 30 years of the band and will include three full sets, will premiere this weekend on Halloween. Get details and tickets here.