Tool’s Maynard James Keenan recently joined our very own Bryce Casey from The Rock’s Morning Rumble for a yarn ahead of their recently-announced Auckland show this November.
Check out all the ticketing and event details for Tool's one-off NZ show here.
Maynard’s favourite things about New Zealand
When asked about his memories of performing here, Maynard admitted the shows themselves blur together. What really stands out for him? “Of course, the wineries,” he said. Classic.
“Black sand beach and visiting Serj [Tankian], and, you know, seeing Sam Neill and going to wineries. New Zealand to me is the people I know there,” he said, while giving a shout out to Hawke’s Bay, Waiheke, and Two Paddocks reds.
Asked if he’d be bringing anything with him this time after previously carrying Covid into New Zealand back in 2020, Maynard joked, “Yeah. This brand new, you probably haven’t had it yet - chlamydia. Just a little bit, just the tip. That’s all you need.”
Honoring Ozzy Osbourne
Tool recently performed at Back to the Beginning, the massive tribute show for Ozzy and Sabbath. With Ozzy’s passing still raw, the moment carried extra weight in what Maynard called an “Irish style living wake” for the Prince of Darkness.
Maynard’s history with the Osbourne family goes back to Ozzfest ’98, and while he didn’t get to see Ozzy on the day of the tribute gig, he did see him in October last year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in Ohio.
“To be able to reconnect with him in Cleveland at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and then be able to go over to Birmingham and contribute our time for that was an honour.”
Tool and Israel Adesanya
We had UFC legend Israel Adesanya in recently, where he told Bryce that he listens to Pneuma in the locker room before he fights. Naturally, we recorded a message from Izzy to Maynard, relaying the sentiment.
“It’s a 12-minute masterpiece that gets me ready for war,” Izzy said in the video he recorded for Maynard, which Bryce played.
Maynard’s reaction? A shocked “Fuck off! Really?”, before demanding someone make sure he actually gets to meet Izzy at their Auckland show in November.
The Rock 2000 Countdown
Tool are always a heavyweight in The Rock 2000 countdown. Maynard’s advice for voters? “Make 19 of your votes Tool… and the 20th one should be the Pina Colada Song.”
Too bad voting closed last month, but cool to hear he thought the countdown sounded ‘awesome.’
Is New Tool Music Coming?
Fans hoping for a definitive “yes” on new material will have to wait. Maynard kept it cryptic, saying “I don’t know” when Bryce posed the question.
“You’re in the band, man” Bryce laughed.
“Well, yeah, but, you know, those guys have to get together and chase their tails until they're done chasing their tails, and then I can come in,” he said. “So, I have to wait until I hear something. There is nothing, and there might be something, but I haven't heard it, so.”
In the meantime, he’s confirmed he’s finished a new Puscifer record set to come out next year, and is eyeing up more work with A Perfect Circle.
Maynard’s favourite song to perform, and favourite possession
Maynard’s current favorite song to perform is Invincible, and his prized possession is a framed, autographed original KISS poster from their very first record release.
“It's them in their original outfits with smoke around them. I think Peter Criss has a dagger in his hand. It's the original, original, original first Kiss poster, and I have one. I've had it since high school.”
Epic.
Tool remains one of the most loved rock bands in Aotearoa, with this country being one of the highest Tool-music-purchasers per capita in the world.
Maynard clearly has a connection to New Zealand - even if he’s just as excited about checking out the local reds and bringing over a new strain of something with him.
Tool are all set to play a one-off Spark Arena show at Auckland’s Spark Arena on November 22nd. Don’t miss it - grab all of the event details and ticketing information.
