"HE TRIED TO TAKE A PICTURE WHILE I WAS PISSING!"

Bassist Chris Kael on visiting Parliament, weird fans and that gnarly beard

What’s your favourite memory of being in 5FDP?

“I was in Copenhagen with Vinnie Paul, Ivan and this older English dude. He came over, like, ‘Hey, I’m a member of Parliament and I’m a big fan.’ I’m like, there’s no way this old white dude is in the band Parliament, so as soon as he left, I Googled his name and he came up as the main advisor to the Queen. The last day of the tour was in London and he invited me to Parliament. It was amazing the access we had, just as rock’n’roll dudes.”

How often do you get recognised for your impressive beard?

“I’ve been growing it for about 11 years now, and growing up as a heavy metal kid in Kentucky, I’ve always been looked at. So I don’t even know if people are looking because of the beard or the band. I like the level of success we have, because it’s manageable.”

You’re always out at gigs in Vegas and don’t seem to get bothered by people…

“Yeah. I’m always down to take a photo, unless I’m on a date or with my friends or family. There’s only been one dude that was an asshole. I was at a Prong show and I go to the restroom, pissing at the urinal, and he’s like, ‘I can’t believe I’m pissing next to Chris Kael!’ He tries to take a picture, and I put my hand on the camera, like, ‘No! Not in the bathroom!’”

You do a daily gratitude list: what’s usually on it?

“The very first one was, ‘I’m grateful for a charged phone.’ In 2020, I went through some stuff that I didn’t react to in an emotionally healthy way. But looking back, the work that I did in 2020 to when my mom passed away in January, all that stuff prepared me. I was there to be present with my dad and my sister. My mom was a unique woman, very social. I get a lot of that from her.”