See Alice in Chains' Layne Staley Sing "Opiate" With Tool in 1993 | Page 3 | Revolver

See Alice in Chains' Layne Staley Sing "Opiate" With Tool in 1993

A Nineties dream collaboration onstage in Hawaii

On August 15th, 1993, hot on the heels of the April release of Undertow, Tool were in Hawaii, performing at the Big Melee Music Festival at Kuualoa Ranch. Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Femmes and Primus were also on the bill, but the biggest rock star in attendance wasn't even listed among the headliners. Alice in Chains were riding high on the success of their sophomore album, Dirt, which was not yet a year old, and the Seattle band's lead singer, Layne Staley, was on hand to make a surprise cameo with his friends in Tool.

Tool's 11-song set spanned both Undertow and its predecessor, March's Opiate EP, and it was for the title track of the latter that Staley jumped onstage. A biting critique of religious idolatry ("Deaf and blind and dumb and born to follow/Let me lay my holy hand upon you"), the song was a perfect vehicle for the Alice in Chains frontman's haunting howl, and hearing his voice intertwine with Mayanrd James Keenan's is something to behold. Staley would join Tool to perform the song on a few other occasions, but only video of the Big Melee performance has made it onto YouTube. Watch above and below.