Watch Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley fight a Nazi live on stage
In 1993, during a live performance in Sweden, Alice In Chains frontman Layne Staley cemented himself as something of a cultural icon with a single yet powerful gesture. Unlike the swaying hips of Mick Jagger or Freddie Mercury’s bellowing crowd command, Staley’s move was straightforward but impactful, almost symbolic of the grunge movement as a whole.
As tensions simmered amid an increasingly volatile crowd, Staley made a daring move by inviting a Nazi skinhead onto the stage, standing eye to eye as bewilderment grew. The audience fell silent, almost in disbelief, as they witnessed the unfolding development. However, without hesitation, Staley promptly punched the intruder off the stage, sending a clear and resolute message against bigotry and hate.
Staley, who tragically died of a drug overdose in 2002, previously spotted the man making a Nazi gesture throughout Alice In Chains’ set when the band performed live in Stockholm. Unable to ignore the person in the crowd, Staley stopped the show, called him over, helped him climb up onto the stage, and landed a right hand.
Alice In Chains, who were in transition at the time after bassist Mike Starr was replaced by Mike Inez, were enjoying a European tour alongside the Screaming Trees in support of their sophomore album Dirt when the incident in Sweden took place.
According to Randy Biro, the guitar and bass tech looking after the band during the tour, a man disrupting the concert began making obscene gestures and actively attempted to beat people up in the mosh pit. After finishing up a rendition of ‘It Ain’t Like That’, Staley had seen enough of the man punching and elbowing other fans and took things into his own hands.
After speaking into the microphone, the singer stated: “We love you, Swedish people,” which was met by cheers as he began to walk to the edge of the stage. With some assistance from security, Staley reached out to the man in the audience, much to the bemusement of fellow crowd members. After landing two punches, Staley swiftly pushed the man off the stage, and security rushed in to promptly remove him from the venue.
“Fucking Nazis died!” he said emphatically.
After the show, however, the man reported the band to the police, who, in turn, opened an investigation. Authorities attempted to track down the Alice In Chains frontman, but by this time, Staley and Biro were already on their way to catch a ferry to Finland. That said, local authorities managed to catch up with the rest of the band, who had their passports seized until Staley returned. A brief questioning, which included the Nazi’s own brother siding with the band, resulted in Staley being praised by Swedish police and released immediately.
Staley’s actions reflected his outspoken stance against racism and intolerance. As a musician with a platform and influence, he used his voice to express himself creatively and speak out against social injustices. The incident served as a reminder of Staley’s commitment to standing up for what he believed in and defending marginalised communities.
See the full clip below.
Which Alice in Chains band members were there?
Given that Alice In Chains were touring Europe in 1993, this stop at the Cirkus venue in Stockholm, Sweden, played host to a line-up featuring Jerry Cantrell on lead guitar, Sean Kinney on the drums, Mike Inez on bass, and, of course, the great Layne Staley fronting it up.
On the night, the band rolled through numerous fan favourites. After opening up with ‘Dam That River’, Alice In Chains performed the likes of ‘Put You Down’, ‘Junkhead’ and, fittingly, ‘Bleed The Freak’, which could easily be aimed at the Nazi who took the blows.
See the full setlist below.
Alice in Chains setlist, Stockholm, Sweden:
- ‘Dam That River’
- ‘We Die Young’
- ‘Them Bones’
- ‘Would?’
- ‘Love, Hate, Love’
- ‘Junkhead’
- ‘Godsmack’
- ‘Bleed The Freak’
- ‘Put You Down’
- ‘Sickman’
- ‘It Ain’t Like That’
- ‘Rooster’
- ‘Dirt’
- ‘Hate To Feel’
- ‘Angry Chair’
- ‘Man In The Box’
