ANTHRAX's FRANK BELLO Says He Is 'Done' Shaking Hands With People

During an appearance on MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn's "No Fuckin' Regrets With Robb Flynn" podcast, ANTHRAX bassist Frank Bello discussed his band's touring plans for the coming months. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're doing periodic shows. We're doing bits and pieces. There's no real touring, for us, till next year; there's no [new] record till next year. It makes sense. We're doing [several of the Danny] Wimmer [Presents festivals] — all that stuff. And it's all fun. And it'll be nice to see people in general and get a little taste of it [as we come out of the pandemic]. We're kind of dipping our toes in."

Asked if ANTHRAX will be doing any fan meet-and-greets at the upcoming dates, Bello said: "No. Not that I know of. I haven't signed off to it. I'm not ready.

"I was just at this meeting the other day at some restaurant, and the dude comes out," he continued. "I know it's me; I know I'm anal retentive at this point. I'm fucking freaking out on it. [He walks] right up [to me] with [his] hand [out]. It's like a defense mechanism. I put out my elbow fucking immediately. It's like a karate thing all of sudden.

"Dude, I'm in Japan at this fucking point," he said, referencing the Japanese custom of bowing rather than hugging, kissing or shaking hands. "I'm bowing and shit. Fuck the rest of this garbage. No fucking way. Most of these fucking people have sweaty goddamn hands. No offense to people. It's just too many germs touching your fucking hand. We all learned now — we just fucking learned this shit.

"No disrespect to anybody," Bello added. "I don't wanna offend anybody, 'cause you've gotta be careful — you can't offend anybody now. I'll [give you an elbow] bump anytime, but the shaking-hand thing — you can float me your boogers; you've got fucking diseases. There's no way. It's done, dude. I want out. I'm out.

"I'm all for meeting people," he explained. "I love meeting people and talking to people — I'm a people person. I'm not like that. I don't wanna stay away from people; I wanna be around. But the whole idea of just that germ thing… Like, when I have a cold from now on, I'm gonna wear a fucking mask. They do it in Japan, and it's a great way to go. I don't wanna spread my germs to anybody, so please, please do that."

Bello's memoir, "Fathers, Brothers, And Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, And Anthrax", will be released on October 12 via Rare Bird. The foreword was written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons.

ANTHRAX is working on material for the follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album, tentatively due in 2022.