Tool’s longstanding feud with Howard Stern: “They’re assholes”
Howard Stern has been one of the most renowned and formidable voices in American radio broadcasting for decades now. Going all the way back to the 1980s, The Howard Stern Show has been a regular fixture of American pop culture, providing a platform for countless different bands and musical artists to reach the masses. While the presenter himself is often noted for his congenial, if at times controversial, attitude, nerd-metal outfit Tool found out what it is like to get on the wrong side of the radio titan.
Back in the 1990s, Tool were at the forefront of an exciting new generation for American metal and alternative rock. Led by Maynard James Keenan, the group quickly distanced themselves from virtually every other band in America by embracing experimentalism, visual and performing arts, and imbuing every release with a range of covert messages, references, and motifs that their incredibly dedicated cult following quickly lapped up.
Simultaneously to Tool’s rise to success, Howard Stern was at the top of his game during the 1990s, running amok on the airwaves with his radio show. Looking back, there were multiple moments within The Howard Stern Show that were horrendously controversial and some which should have been far more controversial than they were viewed at the time. Nevertheless, there was no getting away from the commercial colossus that was 1990s-era Howard Stern.
For a new and emerging band, airtime on Stern’s radio show, or even a few positive words from the presenter, was enough to seal a band’s success for years to come. So, when Stern began to express his admiration of Tool’s music, it could have been the beginning of an important new era for the group. However, things quickly turned sour, largely as a result of Tool’s unique way of operating and how careful the band were with licensing rights.
In 1993, Stern published his semi-autobiographical novel Private Parts, which was an immediate success. So, the presenter quickly envisioned the book being adapted into a film, as was the trend with any semi-successful book of the 1990s. In the run-up to the movie’s eventual release in 1997, Stern went about constructing its soundtrack, featuring the likes of Rob Zombie, the Ramones, Ozzy Osbourne, and Deep Purple, among others.
The soundtrack was largely a reflection of Stern’s constant support for the American rock and roll scene over the years, but he was keen to include a few modern artists, too. Reportedly, he wanted to use music by Tool in the film, and the licensing rights had been promised to him by the band’s then-record label Zoo Entertainment. However, Tool had a longstanding “no soundtrack” policy with their material, and so refused the offer.
Even when Stern increased the substantial sum he was willing to pay for Tool’s music, the band refused, leaving both Zoo and Stern with egg on their faces. This debate over licensing commenced a feud between the radio presenter and Tool, which has never really been resolved. In 1997, Stern told Rock Flash, “Fuck Tool and fuck Zoo. I don’t care if you print that. They’re assholes.”
For their part, Tool has never made much of an effort to make amends with the radio host, though it seems they have had difficulty in trying to reach him. Keenan’s side project, A Perfect Circle, once requested to appear on The Howard Stern Show, only to be rejected by the presenter because of that Private Parts feud.
“Howard Stern has been keeping me out of his studio for years,” he told Metal Edge in 2007, “I’m not even in New York, and he’s talking about how I’m in the lobby wanting to come up to talk to him, and he says, ‘Get that guy out of here,’ and here I am, in LA.”
In more recent years, the relationship between the pair has witnessed some promising steps forward, with Stern lending a few complimentary words to Tool’s 2019 record Fear Inoculum during his radio show. For the most part, though, it seems as though the decades-old feud is still rambling on, preventing the pioneering prog-metal band from ever regaining their position on Howard Stern’s nice list.
