Guinness World Record holding band to perform in Minot
Georgia-based Southern rock band Jackyl formed in 1991 and promptly earned a deal with Geffen Records. Jackyl’s 1992 self-titled debut album went platinum and featured notable rock radio singles like “Down On Me,” “When Will It Rain,” “I Stand Alone” and, most notably, “The Lumberjack,” during which vocalist Jesse James Dupree performed a chain-saw solo. “We were very fortunate to have gotten in under the wire before the bottom of the music business fell out,” said Dupree of Jackyl’s early success. “The one thing that really matters is that there aren’t a lot of great rock venues anymore. I feel bad for the new bands.”
With the release of “Jackyl,” they began touring and only stopped long enough to record new albums. Touring mates in the band’s early days included Aerosmith, Kiss, ZZ Top and Ted Nugent. Dupree recalls the first time they ever played with Kiss in Greenville, NC. “We went into the dressing room and there’s Gene (Simmons) and Paul (Stanley) looking through our drawers,” said Dupree. Simmons also joked with him about his Southern drawl.
1993 saw “Mental *@%.!” featured on “The Beavis & Butt-head Experience,” a compilation album of songs tied in with MTV’s hit cartoon series; it was eventually certified triple platinum. The idea for the album was actually his idea. “I watched ‘Beavis & Butt-head’ and I said I want to do something with these guys,” said Dupree. He had a meeting set up with show creator Mike Judge, but was postponed due to the controversy surrounding Beavis’ chanting of “Fire! Fire!” being blamed for the death of a two-year-old in Moraine, OH in October 1993.
Jackyl performed on the North Stage on the first day of Woodstock ’94 in Saugerties, NY. The resulting double album “Woodstock 94” went platinum and included “Headed For Destruction” (a track from “Push Comes To Shove”). The live recording “Night Of The Living Dead” was released exclusively in Europe on Mayhem Records in 1996. Dupree recalls the magnitude of performing in front of half a million people, calling it the “biggest crowd we’ve ever performed in front of.” His favorite performances from the festival was from a musician who was part of the original Woodstock festival in 1969. I was always a Joe Cocker fan,” said Dupree.
“Cut the Crap” was released in 1997 and benefited from two industry heavyweights overseeing its recording: producer Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica) and mixer Kevin Shirley (silverchair, Aerosmith).
This album spawned the rock radio hit “Locked and Loaded,” which included guest vocals by AC/DC’s Brian Johnson. It was the first time Johnson had ever recorded with any artist but AC/DC since he joined the band 17 years earlier. Jackyl released “Relentless” on Humidity Records in 2002. It contained the second collaboration with Brian Johnson, “Kill the Sunshine.” “It was an absolute honor. He’s just the most humble guy,” said Dupree. “He was the last one to go to bed and he’s the first one up making breakfast. His mother was a great cook and he learned from her. He loves great food and he knows how to cook it.”
The band earned two Guinness Book of World Records citations and the designation “The Hardest Working Band in Rock ‘N’ Roll” for performing 100 shows in 50 days as well as 21 shows in 24 hours. Dupree says the most grueling of the two was 21 shows in 24 hours; Jackyl completed that task in Texas, and the shows were all done with full lights and sound. The daytime sets were 45 minutes long, whereas the ones done at nighttime were between 90 and 120 minutes long. “We’ve never been shy about being one of the hardest-working rock bands. A real rock band stays on the road,” said Dupree. He is confident that no one will break his record and “if they do, I’ll shake their hands.”
“Live at the Full Throttle Saloon” was recorded and filmed in summer 2003 in Sturgis, South Dakota, as part of the annual biker rally festivities held there. “It’s gonna be a Disneyland for adults,” said Dupree of the biker rally.
“Rowyco,” the eighth studio album from Jackyl, will be released Aug. 5 and the band will be at The Original on September 6 at 8 p.m.