When former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo isn’t fronting Down or The Illegals — two of the heavy world’s heaviest — he likes to pay tribute to some of his heavy metal forebears, such as UK indie icons The Smiths. Just watch this performance of Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.
Anselmo and comedian Dave Hill performed this rendition of the lugubrious classic at New Orleans venue One Eyed Jacks after a screening of their collaborative web series, Metal Grasshopper. Of course, it may surprise some readers to discover the performance isn’t so tongue-in-cheek.
Anslemo is an outspoken fan of The Smiths and their divisive, ever-despondent frontman, Morrissey. He recently told Radio.com, “The Smiths are humorous, the Smiths are poppy when they want to be, but they’re also very grim at times. I think that maybe the more grim stuff might appeal to heavy metallers in a way. You think you know depression, grimness and self-loathing? Listen to Morrissey.”
“I think that they’re heavy in their own way. I always say extreme music comes in all genres. They are an extreme band in the same way The Beatles were extreme or Queen was extreme,” he added. Anselmo certainly makes the tune his own, inserting stentorian ‘fucks’ where appropriate.
Watch: Phil Anselmo & Dave Hill – Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths Cover)
