HAIL! Members Report On CHI CHENG Benefit Concert

HAIL! members David Ellefson (bass; F5, ex-MEGADETH),Tim "Ripper" Owens (vocals; YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) and newly appointed drummer Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER) took part in an all-star jam last night (Saturday, January 16) at The Slidebar in Fullerton, California to benefit DEFTONES bassist Chi Cheng.

Commented the band: "The show last night at The Slidebar went amazing! The place was packed to the rafters and the line extended around the block 'till long after we played.

"It was an honor to be able to contribute to this benefit event.

"We wish you the best, Chi, and hope for your continued and full recovery.

"We originally planned a six-song set of 'Ace Of Spades', 'Breaking The Law', 'Grinder', 'Paranoid' and 'Run To The Hills', but as we are prone to do, we threw in two more that even we didn't know we were going to play! We were having such a good time that we spontaneously broke into 'Cold Gin' and ended the night with 'The Trooper'.

"As Andreas [Kisser; SEPULTURA/HAIL! guitarist] was not with us (he was in Brazil),MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel and THE LETTER BLACK guitarist Mark Anthony filled in and did an amazing job. These guys both killed it and we thank them profusely.

"Mike Portnoy played drums and was his usual ridiculously great.

"Due to the nature of the event, we weren’t able to rehearse or even soundcheck, so when we stepped on stage, it was literally the first notes we ever played together.

"Most surreal memory of the evening was that there were no dressing rooms in the club, so we changed and hung out in the kitchen of the restaurant as the staff actively cooked all around us.

"LIT guitarist Jeremy Popoff, who owns the venue, along with the event promoter, Danny Hill, took good care of us and we thank them.

"It was a fun warm up for our shows in New York and Boston next week. We're looking forward to them and will see you all soon."

Chi has been in a semi-conscious state since being involved in a horrific accident in November 2008, and his family has accumulated an overwhelming amount of medical bills that insurance does not entirely cover.

Cheng is 39 years old and is a poet as well as a musician. He released a CD of his poetry called "The Bamboo Parachute" in 2000.

Cheng has been a member of DEFTONES since its formation in 1988. The band released its debut disc, "Adrenaline", in 1995 and scored a platinum record with 2000's "White Pony".

For more information, visit OneLoveForChi.com.