Greg Walls (ex-Anthrax)

Greg Walls is guitarist who was an early member of Anthrax and has also played with Stephen Pearcy. He has some great stories of the early days of Anthrax, hanging with Metallica, the New York rock scene and more! Check it out!

00:00 - Intro
00:33 - Early Days of Anthrax
06:15 - Scott's Drive & Business Sense
08:40 - Anthrax Lineup Changes
09:38 - Fistful of Metal & Greg's Contributions
12:06 - Scott's Book Signing
14:35 - Songwriting Credits & Making Peace
23:57 - Reaction to Greg's Video
25:50 - Memories of Metallica
28:55 - Different Paths & Other Musical Projects
32:55 - Dave Mustaine
33:42 - Real Estate Career Vs Music Business
36:05 - Playing with Stephen Pearcy
37:42 - Future Musical Projects
38:50 - Tragedy Strikes
42:38 - Children's Burn Foundation
44:06 - Outro

Greg Walls YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@GregoryWalls

Children's Burn Foundation website:
https://www.childburn.org/

Chuck Shute website:
https://chuckshute.com/

Transcript

Chuck Shute: 0:00

Okay, Greg walls is my guest today. He was a guitarist in anthrax for a couple of years in the early days. And then he later played with Steven Piercey, as well. And he's got some very interesting stories. And he's a very colorful storyteller. And we're going to talk about his time in anthrax, the New York rock scene, what he did after anthrax and what he hopes to do for the future. All this and more coming right up. Well, first of all, welcome to the show, right? Well, you call it count as a founding anthrax guitarist or early anthrax guitarist. I'm not sure what

Greg Walls: 0:43

I mean, look, I met Scott probably when he was 16. We were working at Toys R Us. And that's where I met him. And, you know, I mean, he was doing nothing. It was just him and Danny loker. And he had a place in the music building in Jamaica, Queens. And I started playing with them after a while. But I mean, it was just a couple of kids and his brother was 14, and his brother was singing and the first gig we played was the North stage dinner theater, and it was in Glen Cove. And I think Iron Maiden, he played the day before and Joe Perry played after that. So it was like, it was the big venue. And I don't know how we booked that. But you know, he was a rich kid. He paid for everything. This guy, he really did so so um, but, you know, I couldn't play with his brother. I just told him. I said, Look, I'm not going on stage with your 14 year old brother again. I'm not doing this again. I so so I knew Greg D'Angelo. And Scott hated Neil turban like crazy. I think it was because of a girl at school or something. And so but I had to so much convinced him to take Neil turban. And Greg D'Angelo had this amazing drum set like Tommy older, he came from a very rich family. Also, him and Scott both had a lot of money. And he had this insane drum set, double kick set with a big bar going around and rolls. I mean, he had, and I said, we're gonna look impressive if we get this drum set up on stage, you know, so I got those guys. I knew them. And, really, I mean, I really put it together into a professional situation. Even Scott was using Scott and Rosenfeld, and they said, why don't you just use Scott Ian? Got Ian Rosenfeld. They said that, you know, it's, it sounds like, I don't know, it sounds like a corner store and Rosenfeld. So, you know, to me, he said, Now, I don't want to do that. My mother wants me to keep my name, but and he ended up doing it. Yeah. All things, you know. I mean, it started to start to propel the band into a more professional kind of a mode if it if it wasn't for me, they would be still picking in those playing Black Sabbath. You know, what you can already play began with? Well,

Chuck Shute: 3:05

yes, I've heard that. I've heard a lot of these. You said the story before I had some I had some questions about it. First of all, so you worked with him at Toys R Us? Why did he work at Toys R Us if he was so rich? Like why his parents made him do it or something fun? Or?

Greg Walls: 3:17

I think so. Absolutely. You know, I can tell you. It's something I am dying to tell everybody that I don't want to say because I don't know legally where I would be. But his father was a jewelry manufacturer. But he did something else also on the side. And he had a cigarette boat. I mean, do you know how much the cigarette boat cost in 1980? I mean, it was a cigarette boat. Those are racing boats. They're like, back in the day. They were$150,000 boats. They were long, long, you know, so and he lived on the water in the South Shore Long Island. So, Scott, I mean, Scott showed up with amazing, expensive guitars every week, a different guitar. He bought all of tices equipment. When they came off the tour was beaten to shit. But it looked impressive. And we had a wall of Marshalls and sick kids on it. I mean, it was insane. The money him and Greg D'Angelo and Greg tangelos father also had a lot of money in a car collection. He had a Shelby Mustang and he had tons of Corvettes. The kid was driving a Corvette and at both of these guys had shit tons of money. And, you know, I could tell you stuff about why I got stories. I got stories about everything that Greg told me. I tell you, I can't you know, I got to Clary here. Okay, so that's fine. So yeah, his mom his mom liked me and she was a nice lady. And I think she she wanted to keep the sort of Jewish tradition in his life. And and he even wanted us to play on the Gila at once. But I said no, because then we're gonna play an Irish jig. And my mother is from Iran. So but no, I yeah, you He was working for his father in Manhattan in the jewelry, manufacturing business. And he offered me a job at one time. But, I mean, he was getting paid like, I mean, I was a poor kid grew up on top of a store in a bar in Queens. I didn't think money like this. It was insane. I was driving this rust bucket. I had no money, you know? So it was sort of shocking to me that but he, I mean, even when we went to Johnston, Zul as he used to blow 1000s of dollars, he had a little record store in New Brunswick, New Jersey in the flea market. Jobs Zola so I mean, he did this. Even Scott told me if I'm talking too much, let me know. If it's got no, he told me that. He used to buy scalpers tickets. Way back in the day when they were two $3,000, which is like a billion dollars today. He used to sit front row dead center for every fucking concert. Because he wanted these people to know his face. That's the kind of thinking he had. I thought this guy, he's gonna do something because at least, you know, yes, the word

Chuck Shute: 6:12

was. So why was he so driven? I mean, usually like kids that have a lot of money, you know, they'd go into the business or something like, why was he so motivated to do music or something was it

Greg Walls: 6:22

I think that he really looked up to all of the rock stars like I did, and everybody else, and he loved all the horror movie stuff. And I think it was probably some deep seated dream that he wanted to do, which I wanted to do, too. That's all I ate shit did nothing else, but guitar and rock. And that was the only thing I could think of. And you know, I'm 102. And I'm still like that. So. But I think that's what it is, you know, so yeah,

Chuck Shute: 6:51

the other thing I was wondering about was, because that was the other thing with the money is that you know, you say on a lot of money, but then you said he never paid you guys or something. So like, when he

Greg Walls: 7:02

got the lights and gave it to the guy for the truck, oh, I gave it to. And here I am not going to college, not getting a job, putting all my time into helping this guy get more and more professional looking and giving him great ideas, writing songs for him. And then, you know, a couple of years down the line. I'm like, What the fuck am I doing? At least I woke up thank God. But I mean, you know, this is how it went. And I, I don't know.

Chuck Shute: 7:30

We're used to working other jobs during that time when you were an anthrax like, because if you're getting paid for anthrax, you had to be doing other stuff.

Greg Walls: 7:37

I was pumping gas. I have long hair down in here. You know, I still do. But you know, that was pumping gas and getting spit on by people with porches and Great Neck. But yeah, that's what I was doing. So that's kind of

Chuck Shute: 7:49

what motivated you to go to college because you didn't you didn't see a future with the band.

Greg Walls: 7:54

Exactly, exactly. Because I saw how he was really what he was doing. And he was really, the guy was a was a savvy businessman, but a bastard. He was just using every working on top of everybody's head. You know, I even was friends with Danny loker. And even after I left anthrax, I used to go to his house and hang out with him. And, you know, he threw him out. I know, Danny, really, when we tried to record, Danny was not being able to play a steady note for the for the backbone of the of the recording. And the engineer was telling us, it's kind of it's not steady when he's playing. I can't record with this guy. So that was the beginning of the problem with him. And, you know, so what happened?

Chuck Shute: 8:36

How did well, how did he get how's the other question I had about you? Because you said when you joined, you guys changed singers and his brother was the original singer. How did you beat him to fire his brother and is his brother? I mean, there's some good terms. He wasn't bitter about it or anything?

Greg Walls: 8:50

Oh, well, you know, I haven't. Well, one day, one day, I saw his brother on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Queens, which is like a place where everybody went to meet girls and drag their cars. He pulled up next to me and was about a year later after I left and he said, Greg, I just want to tell you that Scott made his first million dollars with fistful of metal. And I said, really? How many millions of dollars did he spend to make that 1 million? Because I know what was going on. That's what was going on. You know, when there's a mural of Scott on Hollywood Boulevard on Sam ash or Guitar World, he pays for everything that's that his guy is, I mean, he's not a supermodel, and he's not an amazing guitar player. Maybe this is what he was doing. But you know, but I just wanted to tell you, you know, fistful of metal was completely written before Charlie Benante and spit and bellow or any of these guys were ever even on the horizon. We were at 120 West 31st Street, which was a block off of Madison Square Garden. In a recording studio. Ross. The boss was there. Judy Chase, which is now his wife. If she was a kiss that she was there, my girlfriend, Lynn Kozminski there was a lot of people there. And Neil used to come down once in a while. We were recording rhythm tracks, me and D'Angelo. And, you know, Ross, the boss came into my room where I had the Marshall stack, and he turns it up to 10. And it was like, What the fuck are you doing? He's like, it's rock and roll, man. I didn't notice his fucking fees back. I can't do anything with this. But we were recording it there because it was completely written. This is where the issue came out when they came out with this documentary of the history. Without Greg waltz, if I didn't have that little video, those two videos I have of me as a kid playing with them. Nobody would blame me probably.

Chuck Shute: 10:46

Yeah, so explain that because I think I heard your demo which the first demo and has the songs hate pastureland Satan's wheels, and across the river and howling furies, you said across the river and howling theories was already written before you're in the band. So what was the song you said? You said, you wrote panic and metal thrashing mad. The other stuff? Why wasn't that recorded in that first demo? Was that not? They didn't think it was as good then or was it recorded? Was it written after that demo? Oh, was

Greg Walls: 11:13

written after that demo? Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. wanted us to play. I'm a teen. And Scott wants to suck. Everybody's taking a piece. Everybody, of course. So that's what he did. And I told there was so many other songs I wanted to play. But at Neil also, too, we were kind of fighting one of us out, right. Let's play that song. You know, whatever. And so yeah, I mean, I don't know. I mean, I talked to a lot of these guys online. And Charlie Benoit. They blocked me because they said, Can I ask you something after that documentary came out? I think it blew the top of my head off. Because all these years I got on with my life. I've been flipping foreclosures. I'm a millionaire in real estate. I am fine. I've been doing everything that you know, I want to do I play with Stephen Piercey, and all kinds of shit. But that blew the top of my head off. Because also, you know, Scott, he wrote a few books. And he was doing a book signing. He was doing a book reading. Because, you know, I don't know who he thinks he is. He's He's Hemingway, I guess with the cats. I don't know. And he was in some comedy place in La Cienega Boulevard in LA and I heard it on the radio is with my girlfriend. I said, you don't want let's go down there. So I get down. I told the guy at the door was like, as big as a building all the security guys he had. He said, okay, okay, come in. You don't have to pay sit in the back. I sat in the back. I listened to him telling stories and bullshitting whatever he's doing. And then at one point, he turned the lights up and said, anybody have any questions? And I walked down the thing. And I said, when's the last time you saw Greg walls, and I still had a good attitude to tell you the truth. I didn't have a good time with him. He was a smart guy. I mean, we had a good sense of humor. We're always laughing and joking around. But he was the son of a bitch behind all of that, you know, he would stab you in the back while you're not. So I hugged them on stage and talk to him in front of everybody and I and he said, I believe that you. It's really you turn the lights up against you. And he goes, I can't believe I can't believe you written the book. You read the book. And I said, What is he acting like this for? I mean, no 300 people there a lot of people thought online aid they wrote to me, and I started saying, Boy, this motherfucker. He really thinks he fucked me over good. This motherfucker. Why is he so bent out of shape? He he stopped the show. He couldn't do the show anymore. He walked outside and started. There was a line and he's signing books. I walked through the line started talking to him. And he's going through the book. You read a book, Look, you're in a book and go Yeah, I'm wearing your jacket, man. And I started talking to us and life is crazy, man. I know, isn't it's not and I gave him my number. I said, Look, and Pearl was there, his wife and I said, I got my girlfriend. I said, Why don't we go out to dinner? I'll buy you dinner sometime. And we'll talk or whatever. Never heard from him again. And I started thinking, you know, this motherfucker knows what he did. He knows what he did. And in my opinion, when he put all those other guys names on there by being generous to share his songs with everybody. He was spreading the crime. So if I fucking did something that's not as five people against me.

Chuck Shute: 14:28

Hmm, interesting.

Greg Walls: 14:30

He's no dummy. You know, I'm sorry. I had cataract surgery. So anyway,

Chuck Shute: 14:34

no, so yeah, so explain that you you've said that you wrote a mental thrashy man and panic, the riffs and then Neil, the singer at the time,

Greg Walls: 14:42

battle threshing, man, that whole song and not the lyrics but I wrote that song complete and are a panic I wrote complete except for the the double lead part. That's it. Danny wrote the double. That's it. So

Chuck Shute: 14:57

because I don't know how that works, so I've never been In the band or in the music business, like, did he just maybe Did he forget? Did he just think about in the band? So you're not a part like, did he not realize

Greg Walls: 15:09

I have a big mouth now, I wasn't like that when I was 18. And I came out of a heavy, horrible kind of family with a lot of substance abuse and alcoholism, and a lot of abuse. For me, I was the only kid in that family with a bunch of adults who are out of their minds. And I did not speak up for myself. And I didn't say anything. I took abuse from every band I insane. Okay, and whenever, but, you know, because people ask me finding aid do anything because they come from a nice family, they don't understand what it was going on. I was throwing up and I had diarrhea all the time, because I was a monkey in a cage, getting poked with a stick. And I was, you know, being be heavily abused. So people don't get that, you know. And that's what my issue was. And that's why I didn't say or do anything about it. And I just kind of pushed it away, and went to college and tried to do what I could. But it bothered me all my life. But when they came out with this thing, that really bothered me, and you know, many people have told me that I won't even mention because they're, they're known. Many people even, you know, even I met recently, Danny Spitz, who, Danny Spence, Dave Spitz, the bass player was in Black Sabbath who's Danny's brother, he doesn't like his brother, and he told me shit, you know? I mean, they all had my anthrax rip me off video on their phone when I met them at in Deerfield Beach at the Rock and Roll fantasy camp recently. And I talked to Mustaine, I gave him my number. I said, Listen, I said, Listen, I love what you did. I think I think it's amazing. You got kicked out of Metallica and came back, in my opinion with a band that's even stronger, more, more amazing musicians. And I said, if Kiko ever leaves, please call me. Please go. I'm a workaholic. And I'm a maniac. I'm not interested in girls or money. I'm just interested in playing with you. So you know, but I owe these guys had my shit on their phone. They came up to me like this. And I was laughing. They all knew what was going on. So they might not say it. Because a lot of these guys are safe, they have a good, good career going. They don't want to rock the boat. But a lot of these people know what was going on. And I was kind of at least, it's made me feel good. You know?

Chuck Shute: 17:24

Do you think though, but I guess my point was, Do you think that Scott, do you think he just thought like, Oh, it doesn't really matter? Like, no one's gonna like, this isn't gonna sell a bunch of copies. Like he didn't. He probably didn't think we're gonna be talking about this album. 40 years later, like, he probably just thought like, I just give the credit to Charlie and, and Dan and I'll just give it to everybody.

Greg Walls: 17:42

I know his personality. He's not that type of guy. If it was asked no big deal, he would have he would have eventually included me. Oh, what I was gonna say was all of these people. A lot of people have told me shit, I forgot what I was gonna say. When you get old what happens? Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 18:06

So yeah, do you think that now I forgot I was gonna say this is great. This is great. Great. Great. Radio, your podcasting? Yeah. Do you think so? How do you make peace with this? I guess that's my question now. Because now like I said, it's been 40 years. How can you bury the hatchet with Scott? I mean, you went on YouTube, and made it very public. And you gave him your number. He never called you. So I mean, do you think if you guys sat down either maybe on my show or in private or something? You think you could bury the hatchet with him? Like, what would you would you want them to admit that he was?

Greg Walls: 18:38

I tried being nice to him at that show at that comedy show. And he didn't call me and ran away? You know, it would? It would have been so easy. I mean, look, I've been playing guitar for 52 years. I'm a fucking monster. And if he's used so many different people, he could have said, Hey, wouldn't that have been nothing even? I shouldn't say that out loud. But he should have said why don't you play with us for a tour? Or why don't you put but I mean, to at least make amends for what he did. I know what he did. And he's the son of a bitch. He's I believe he's like a fucking narcissist. sociopath that doesn't give a fuck about anybody even fucked over Danny loker. His best friend. He that's the kind of guy he is. He did the same thing to his brother. I mean, this is kind of guy he is he'll he'll do anything it takes including put some jeweled kneepads on and get on. I mean, this is how he is. So he is such so much of a spotlight. You know, whore that you remember married with children when they were on that show? Yeah, he takes Joey Bella Donna, a singer like that, who's great and puts him on the couch with a fucking tambourine. And Scott sang on the show, because he wanted the fucking spotlight. And I thought that was so humiliating what he did to Joey, I said, Who the fuck would even stay in a band or talk to him after that? I mean, I'm playing the tambourine. That's what I do in a band. If I sit here like an idiot, I mean, that's the kind of person he is that shows everybody right there to me. In my opinion, what kind of person he is?

Chuck Shute: 20:10

Yeah, but you don't want to hold on to that anger, like, how do you how do we move forward from that? Well,

Greg Walls: 20:15

he stole my fucking songs and he copyrighted my shit. And made I don't know how many millions of dollars and you know what, I just saw a Jackson kind of little clip he did for Jackson guitars. He's playing 40 years later, he's still playing. So when he goes to sleep at night, he knows Greg was when I talked to even Johnson Zola before he died, Johnson Zilla, said, listen to, if you're telling me that, I goes, I gotta tell you, that's their best song. That's what he said to me. Wow. And you know, and he was very nice to me in the end that he had the same kind of childhood I had. And he was very cool. Maybe he knew he was dying. But he was awesome. To me. I you know what it is, it's that I feel like I was used and abused. I was I was he ripped me off. What he did was a crime. And it was fraud. And on top of that, you know, after all these years, then they come out with this dis documentary that doesn't mention me. Now, I was gonna say all of these people that are well known, what they said to me in the side was, he did that because the lie has been going on for so many decades. He can't come out and say the truth. Now. That's what I wanted to say before. He painted himself into a corner. And now he's gonna go oh, by the way, Greg was in the band. And oh, really, he's gonna do that now. He really can't. So truthfully, that's that's what the deal is.

Chuck Shute: 21:43

Okay. Do you don't think he would ever publicly admit that? Or do you think he would privately to you and say, Yeah, that was your riff. And here's why I use I don't know what the reasoning was why he didn't credit you. But

Greg Walls: 21:56

I mean, he's probably afraid of a camera from Project Veritas. I

Chuck Shute: 22:03

haven't sued him. So I mean, either you think that you don't want to go that route and be aggressive like that? Or you don't think you could win the case? Because how can you prove it? It's his word against you.

Greg Walls: 22:14

The statute of limitations is five years, and I think about it, and I tried to fucking not think about it, and get on with my life. And it was a painful thing. And I took I took the fucking, you know, wounds and I took the gun shots and the arrows. And I said, All right, this is the way it went. But when they came out with that with 20 shows and not one mention to me, and then even Neil turban new turban actually called me on the phone. He made me so fucking mad. That's when I made that video. And it was a one shot thing I didn't practice call times to do it. I just did that one shot thing, because I couldn't take it anymore.

Chuck Shute: 22:50

What did Neil do that pissed you off?

Greg Walls: 22:53

I don't remember. But when he talked to me, you know, he. He said something that made me angry that, you know, because Neil Wasn't there a lot of times when, when we were practicing for fistful of metal to record it. We were getting together two hours before Neil would get there. Some days he wouldn't even get there. It was just the Greg D'Angelo on drums and Danny Luker, Scott and me, we would practice to get tight to record this album. So we used to get there. And the thing is that when I showed him all of these riffs and all of the songs, I didn't say, hey, Neil, that song, we just played his mind. And Scott wouldn't say anything. He just smiled and winked at me. And like the dope, I didn't say anything. As a kid. I was I was, you know, I can't really blame myself because this is how, how I was and I just trusted people and thought, you know, I'll be on the album. They write my name on it, because it's the right thing to do. But he fucking kidding. world doesn't work like that. Gregory.

Chuck Shute: 23:55

Yeah. So you kept all that in? And then you finally let it out with a YouTube and how did that feel? And what kind of because I read the comments, and most of the comments really positive. Anyone reach out to you, other members of anthrax or anybody else?

Greg Walls: 24:08

No, no, of course not. I saw Danny. Somebody sent me a link to Danny talking to some gigantic fat pig. He was eating doughnuts. Who is Greg works? What is he saying? Who is he think he is? I read in Scott's book. Well, that's your fucking problem. You read it. Scott's like being you know, I was there. It's my life. These the eyes, this nose and these ears, smelled it and listen to it. And I lived it, son. You know, I don't know what you're talking about. So that I mean, look, 95% of the people said nice shit. I turned the comments off. Because people are more interested in TeamSpeak is that his hair? I mean, this is where they go. Hey, Buck, and I can be a fucking great grandfather. I'm better looking than you'll ever be. I go look 20 years old, a big, fat slobs with a little half a beard. It looks like they were eating shit in prison. I mean, that's what got me mad and I don't need to shit. I don't need these guys to gang up on me. Fuck you. So I turned the comments off. And that was it but a lot of people did say nice shit to me. And yeah. Have you ever thought of doing like stand up comedy pretty damn funny stand up comedy on Broadway and a few please stand up in New York in Manhattan.

Chuck Shute: 25:28

Okay, yeah, cuz you said I saw the video and then you send me this like 10 minute clip. And I didn't really I saw a 10 minute clip from you. I'm like, 10 minutes. I was like thinking that was so long. At the end of the 10 minutes. I was like, no, keep going. I want to hear it. I was like, I gotta have this guy on the show. Like it's entertaining. It's colorful, you know? Yeah, so talk about like, I know, I mean, obviously, you know, you're bitter towards Scott, and rightfully so. But talk about the good times that you guys did have when you were in the band back in the scene in New York music. You had some good stories. You're hanging out on Metallica, their New York music scene people that you came in contact with during those years?

Greg Walls: 26:14

Yeah, it was a ton of them. I really don't remember a lot of stuff. But but every once in a while I remember certain things here and there more than I usually remember, you know. But it was kind of cool. You know, when Metallica first, I probably said this on other things. But when Metallica Mertens came to work from San Francisco. I was there three hours early because that's the kind of guy I was in the music building. And they were on top of us on the fifth floor. We were on the fourth floor. And they came into the room. And it was just the four of them. It was Burton and Mustaine and Hatfield and Lars. And, you know, I used to make these guys laugh all the time. And I would talk like this and I was always doing something. What are you talking about? You know, I was driving a MCSE. And they all laughed. And they all like me. They were all cool. And but but they told me you want to come upstairs and hear a set. And they didn't have vocals or anything. They just played through their marshals in the little fucking room. And I was sitting there and I was like, all these guys are really tight. We sound like a fucking Garage Band. And I'm telling you, you know, with Mocha rod bass dead Scott playing, he was horrible. He never practice. Greg DeAngelo used to yell at him all the time. He's like, You got to fucking practice. You're always fucking out, driving around and going to drive throughs you got to you got to put some work in this spiral metronome. But you know, so that when when Scott and the band that everybody came after I saw them play a set. I said metallic is upstairs. And you know, I didn't know from Metallica, who that yeah, that was Johnson who was thing. And I met them. They were cool. And you know, I was joking around with him. I said, you know, so you're from San Francisco. You know, when I hear about San Francisco, he goes, Oh, yeah. Well, what about the village? Okay, all right. Here. No. And then they, they were gonna go upstairs and I said, Listen, these guys are very fucking tight. Don't take it lightly. And they went upstairs. They came back. And Scott. He said, let's play for them now. And they came downstairs. He picked one of the most embarrassing baby a shitty songs that he wrote, I don't know hunting dogs or something. I said, No, let's not play that way. That was my anything but that. And he said, Oh, no, no, no, let's play it. And it was the shitty and I felt so embarrassed after seeing them. And I was downstairs with them. And I was like, Listen, I don't want to get fucking humiliated. We got to do better than this, because I'm playing with a bunch of schmucks here, you know. So that's, that's my first thing with Metallica. But I mean, we were hanging out with them all the time. We used to get in Greg D'Angelo and Stan and go buy beer, go buy it. You know, I'll tell you something I never did. I never did drinking or drugs or smoked, because my family was

Chuck Shute: 29:00

a nuclear family background. But so you never didn't even when you're hanging out with all these guys. You were dead sober.

Greg Walls: 29:06

Yeah. Maybe that was the problem.

Chuck Shute: 29:10

I know. That's interesting. Because he I thought I thought about that, like, I'm sure I know. You have some regret of like, if you had stayed with the band, but I thought you staying with the band could have been a disaster. Because I think background, I don't think you would have been ready for the road and maybe sober and then but maybe eventually you would have fell prey to drugs or I mean, you could be

Greg Walls: 29:31

dead. I never did it. That's why I'm so beautiful. In 71. You

Chuck Shute: 29:36

still made millions in real estate, right? Is that what you do? Right? Yeah. So maybe everything worked out for you?

Greg Walls: 29:44

Yeah, but you know what, though? I never quit playing the guitar and I got better and better and better analysis YouTube. When I was a kid that was a record. You put the needle on that and try and what did he do? I can't figure it out. Now. They're showing you here's what I did. What would that be? So Oh, I am getting better and better I have that fever in me. It's just who I am. And, you know, I did this little EP with Mark Stein, he sang on it from Vanilla Fudge. You know, I'm still doing I'm trying to get something together. I did talk to him stain. I saw him, you know, not too long ago, so maybe seven months ago, something like that. So I did play with Piercey. After that, you know, I moved to LA in 2010. And did that

Chuck Shute: 30:27

when you were in college? Did you play like on the weekends and stuff? Or do you try to start another band after that?

Greg Walls: 30:34

You know, when I went I went to three different colleges. I got a I have a BS in finance. But what happened was, I kept I kept quitting to play in bands. And I was in a band called I shouldn't even say the name of that band. I don't even want to give them any, any fucking PTR at all. They were horrible. But I played with couple of bands here and there. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 30:54

You remember. Speaking back in the New York scene? Do you remember a band called steal a fortune? Because Matt Fallon. He's kind of an interesting case, too. He later went on to be the singer of anthrax briefly. And then later the singer of Skid Row. And so I just wonder if you ever have any interactions with him?

Greg Walls: 31:11

No. Doesn't sound familiar at all. And the name of the band doesn't either to me so.

Chuck Shute: 31:16

Okay. Or twisted, Twisted Sister was big back then in New York, right? Yeah.

Greg Walls: 31:21

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. But I mean, yeah, I mean, I saw the whole thing with Kirk. You know, Dave Mustaine leaving and crying and they went to Danny Lucas house and took a shower and got on a bus. And, you know, I thought this guy's never going to come back with anything. And then, and then they need to have a guitar player for a long period of time. And probably two or three months is what I remember. And, you know, I just Hey, Greg. Hey, what's the matter where you wake up? I decided I wish I was the guy I am now back then. You know, Metallica doesn't have a guitar player. And you play guitar. Jesus, you know, I really I took this is all about that too. But um, but I played with Kirk Hammett out of my little practice amp IBV. Backstage because we played with them. And Kirk Hammett. A guitar players hate each other. And he did not like me. I can tell him like, jealous or whatever. He's got a little baby ish kind of nonsense. But a Burton was a very serious guy. And always looked like a mean guy. But I used to make him laugh. I used to make that guy laugh too. And inside, he was a sweetheart. He looked like this on the outside. But he was a sweet guy. And I love the guy. I feel bad about what happened. But um, I mean, you know, I saw both guitar players. I thought Dave Mustaine was a great guitar player. I think he's intelligent. He hires guys like Marty Friedman, and amazing Chris Broderick. He's humble enough and smart enough to go, I'm gonna get guys even better than me. That's an intelligent guy. Instead of going, I want to be the guy on the microphone on married with children. And, you know, so I really respect that, you know, well,

Chuck Shute: 33:10

have you seen what he said recently, he was saying some stuff like he's still mad about Metallica, how they use some of the songs and I'm bitter about that, even though he had huge success with Megadeth.

Greg Walls: 33:21

Like the four horsemen in the mechanic, which song

Chuck Shute: 33:25

was right. One of the songs I think, was it Ride the Lightning? I think that song was covered by him too.

Greg Walls: 33:30

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, they you know, but the thing is that he at least, you know, he did something you can't hear. He's driving Aston Martin and married to a model. So when you said

Chuck Shute: 33:42

you're driving an Escalade, you did really well with real estate.

Greg Walls: 33:45

I have three TVs in it like Puff Daddy.

Chuck Shute: 33:49

So what is what what made you want to go into real estate was it just you wanted to get rich, you wanted to make money or what drew you to do that?

Greg Walls: 33:57

My aunts were huge in real estate. And they owned, they held a place on Jupiter Island here when I was a kid. And I made a key unbeknownst to them. And I used to come down here all the time, was right on the ocean. But I think I saw I saw, it's gonna sound cheesy, but I saw a guy on real estate who had a tape system, and a cheesy car dealer moustache used car dealer. And that's where I got the ideas from, oh, you can go to the courthouse and read the cases, and then read to see if it's the first mortgage and to see what to buy. And I started doing that. And I started. I mean, my first one was like, I put $50,000 into it made 140,000 And then from 140,000, I made 400. And then it just kept going and going and going. So I mean, everything's fantastic about real estate. I mean, even doctors and lawyers want to get in there for the tax reasons and everything else. Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 34:53

Well, no, because I don't know if you know, you know, like, the singer of the original singer of La guns Paul black, and I think One of the members of vixen I'm told that they are both doing real estate now. And they're making way more than they would make in their respective bands. So I think that's real estate you can make a lot more money than a lot. I mean, unless you're at that again, Metallica or Motley Crue level playing stadiums, you probably make more in real estate.

Greg Walls: 35:17

Yeah. And you know, something, the music business because this 8 billion guys who play guitar who want that spot, they're willing to kill or suck a dick or I don't care what it is. Same, so they really abusing us people. I mean, I shouldn't say this, but I'm gonna give you a little Greg D'Angelo from white lion. You know, he was in anthrax with me. The sheet the stories he told me, I'm not gonna say, but they're fucked up. I mean, he didn't get treated good. Annie Maulana his own money going around the world. I don't think they they treated me like a piece of garbage. So I mean, you know, that's what goes on. I mean, you know, the when I played with what, what the fuck was gonna say a little everyday when I played with Steven Piercey. The guitar players got Eric. For Rent dose. Yeah. You know, onstage, I could tell everybody loves me. But the minute I plugged in, guess who hated me, Eric rent us. And we're playing. In the end of the night. I played them a little circuit with them in LA and, you know, the Rio in Las Vegas and around. Eric was so pissed that I was there and wanted to don't want to play any leads. Oh, you know, this is the kind of shit I had to deal with all my life. He takes a guitar he broke a string it during round and round in the end. The last song put the guitar over his head like an axe. And this guy, he's gigantic, like a hawk came running towards me. Like this onstage in front of everybody. And you know what, because I'm fucking nuts. I stood there. And I said, I hope he hits me I'll sue all these bastards. What was stopped and he goes out. And then Steve appears he walked off stage he didn't see that because I've been able to play guitar anymore because he broke a string and he put the guitar down and then he put her over his head and rent and and in backstage he was talking to Steven as he did that on purpose. He he turned to me and I didn't touch anything. I didn't touch anything. But you know being honest. doesn't get you anywhere in this business. Balls your liking and you know that's that's how it is. That's why Yeah, it's real estate better with all the shark lawyers don't Yeah, it is.

Chuck Shute: 37:42

Well, so Okay, so what is the future that you want to do for music now? I mean, you have I saw heard some of the walls of sound stuff that your YouTube that's cool is are you going to continue with that? Or do you want to do another project?

Greg Walls: 37:53

No, I tell you, I want to do something heavier. And and I'm living in a one horse town. It's rich, beautiful area here. It's like fucking paradise. And but, you know, I'm in. I'm in the middle of nowhere. There's nothing here. You know, if you want to go to the guitar store and buy a fucking ukulele and a banjo. That's about all that's There's nothing. There's no music scene here in New York, or where is this? No, this is Florida, Jupiter, Florida. So, you know, I mean, Kid Rock lives here. I see. I see Tiger Woods, CBS you know it's awesome. But for the music business, it's not gonna get me any I'm still in touch with people in Las Vegas and Nashville. And, you know, Steven Pearce he wanted me to come out to Las Vegas. He said why don't you come out and hang and whatever. But you know, I don't know what's going on in my life. Maybe because I'm older. And I'm just, you know, I had a girlfriend that died of cancer in November 2. And she died in like a month and you know, change my head with everything. And I I am probably burning bridges and telling people stuff. And I told Stephen what happened with Eric and he wasn't too happy about it. So

Chuck Shute: 39:07

shit. Yeah, I'm sorry to hear about your girl. I saw that on Instagram. I was like, hey, Molly. Oh, seems like sorry to hear that.

Greg Walls: 39:15

I mean, beautiful. My age but young looking. And she had muscley legs because she was a dancer. She used to teach little girls dance and just a really great person to full life and love life and was always happy big smile, sweetheart, and just she was diagnosed. Like, yeah, stage four cancer and I think it was like a month and a half. And it accelerated in the last four weeks so quickly. I mean, she just died. It was just unbelievable, but I'm, I'm glad she didn't suffer. It went from her lungs into her body into her brain. She just bought a new car. She couldn't see. I had to pick her up and take the chemo and the doctor said she had eight leaves. In a brain, she said, Greg, I'm sorry. She's got 32 lesions. This is pointless. And I was like, Oh my god. So yeah, that's I just sold her house for real estate. I have a license. I just Thursday is the closing, actually. So a couple of days. But yeah, just horrific. You know, you never know, you know? Yeah. But you know,

Chuck Shute: 40:24

life is crazy. Well, I mean, I think you're a really talented musician. I watched you play guitar, you clearly can play. And I think you should do something with that. I mean, whether even if it's just for fun or whatever, I think you should do something. I mean, people out there you can maybe you can do something via like, Zoom like this. Like you can write something and put together I know, a lot of people have made albums, living in different cities. I mean, maybe playing together, but you can make albums playing different cities.

Greg Walls: 40:50

Get hooked up with somebody, you know, for sure. And that's, that's my issue right now. You know? Yeah, I would love to do that. If I could. So

Chuck Shute: 41:02

well, you can somehow find

Greg Walls: 41:04

a grave. You know what I mean?

Chuck Shute: 41:06

No, no, no. And I think that you need to find somehow we need to find peace with with Scott, I know you're mad at them. And rightfully so. And I haven't I never talked to Scott. I don't know his side of the story. But middle child, so I'm always like, trying to be like the peacemaker. And I was like, I need to I want to make you guys friends again. I just think it's stupid. Yeah, yeah. So I don't know. I mean, I just be curious to hear. Just to hear what he says about it. I mean, does he totally deny it? Does he admit some does he does he say, I don't remember. Like, I don't know.

Greg Walls: 41:36

I think he doesn't want to get into it. And I don't blame him. And why would he want to get into it at this point? He's got it made. And he's, why would he want to? You know, fuck anything. He's got up. I mean, you know, I've known so many people. You know, Tommy Bolin from Warlock? I used to teach him guitar in from East. He used to live in Queens. I went to school with his brother. I mean, Steve Stevens played on my Les Paul in my basement with my friends. I mean, I knew so many people from the music business. And, you know, everybody has done so well. So, yeah, I mean, I would like to do something. And I think I'm talented enough where I could, I'm singing very good now very high. And I can, you know, so I'm like, you know, okay, great. You've done all of this work. And now let's put it into something. But I would love to, you know, so really,

Chuck Shute: 42:25

okay, cool. Well, we're putting it out there into the universe right now. Somebody sees this podcast or whatever. But it's awesome. We'll keep shredding and then I always end each episode promoting a charity you had mentioned? What was it? Something? Foundation foundation in Los Angeles? How do you know about that? I've never heard about that one.

Greg Walls: 42:48

I used to, uh, you know, I've been really sending them stuff for years. Because, I mean, it started with the first video I saw of some, some kid, some Arabic kid that his father did some kind of honor killing and weird stuff on this kid and burn this cute little kid. And then from then on, it was like, holy shit. That's the worst thing I've ever seen. So I made me definitely, you know, give tributes to those guys, you know? So? Yeah.

Chuck Shute: 43:17

Okay, I'll put that link in the show notes. And then people should just follow you what on Instagram and YouTube. Anything else?

Greg Walls: 43:23

Yeah, I'm on Facebook. Also, I'm banned because I put up a joke. Joke.

Chuck Shute: 43:28

Let's see how you can be banned. You're so pleasant. And I love him. And I think you're really fun. I think deep down you have a really good heart. And so I hope I wish you happiness. I hope we can get everything worked out. I'd love to see you. I'd love to turn on my Instagram or YouTube one day and see you making some amazing music because I think you've got me, right. Yeah, definitely. Cool. Thanks so much for doing this, Greg. I'll get this up. It was it

Greg Walls: 43:55

was a lot of fun. I love your personality. It's great to know you. Okay, you can contact me.

Chuck Shute: 44:03

Yeah, we'll have you back. See later, Greg. Got it. My thanks again to Greg walls and our mutual friend, Renee for helping set this up some great stories. And I got to tell you, because I'm sure some people will say he's full of shit. But I believe him. And here's why. I've seen him tell a lot of these stories multiple times. And the story's never changed. It's always the same thing. He wrote the music for panic and mental thrashing mad and had a hand in some of the others. And he's very consistent with that and other things that he said. Liars are not good at being consistent, because they make stuff up and they can't remember what lies they told before. And often the stories get more outrageous, the more times they tell them and I just don't see that with Greg. His stories are very colorful, but the facts don't change and I hope that he continues to make more music. And make sure to support him by following him on Instagram and YouTube. And you can support this show much in the same way on Social media and YouTube and thank you so much. I appreciate you all. Have a great day and shoot for the moon.