On September 29, Alice In Chains’ classic 1992 album Dirt will turn 30 years old, and the Seattle band are gearing up to celebrate the anniversary in a few big ways. Not only will they be releasing a special deluxe box set commemorating the record (which was their second studio effort, certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA), but over the next 30 days they have also vowed to share in the memories.
In a post on Instagram September 2, the band remarked, “September 29, 2022 marks 30 years of #DIRT. Join us in celebrating over the next 30 days while we share our collection of memories and rarities from this era, plus get a sneak peek into our forthcoming 30th anniversary deluxe box set.”
They added, “This record means a lot to us, and we’d love to see what it means to you too. Share your stories, memories, and collections with us by tagging our account and using #Dirt30 all month long.”
Alice In Chains are kicking off the recollections themselves, posting some rare behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the music video for “Them Bones,” one of Dirt‘s biggest tracks.
In another Instagram post on September 2, the grunge rockers shared private screen tests of Layne Staley belting out the song’s marquee vocals as well as Jerry Cantrell, Mike Starr and Sean Kinney playing in the video’s infamous cavern setting. The post also includes sketches of the creative design for the shoot, photos from the day of filming and the writeup of the concept from director Rocky Schenck who was also behind the camera for the “We Die Young” and “Grind” videos, among others.
In the Instagram post, Schenck shared his memories, stating, “Thirty years ago… I had an extraordinary experience directing the video for Alice In Chains’ #ThemBones – still one of my favorites! I worked with this great group of guys for many years, and together we created some interesting photographic and cinematic art … and had a lot of fun doing it! This band always encouraged me to push my imagination to the very edge, and occasionally over the edge. It was extremely hard work, but we had lots of laughs and like any creative collaboration, plenty of drama!”
He continued, “I sketched a crude drawing of the set I envisioned – a large dirt hole (or stylized ‘grave’) with dripping, broken sewer lines protruding from dirt walls surrounding the band, who performed amongst pools of toxic waste. A nuclear sky with blood red lighting would bathe the environment, with white spotlights on each band member and lightning and wind effects added. I realized that the environment I was imagining needed to be manufactured on a sound stage with a fantastical set, similar in vibe as the artificial world we created when I photographed the band’s #Dirt album cover earlier in the year.”
Read Schenck’s full recap in the Instagram post below. Alice In Chains are currently on tour – get tickets here.
See behind-the-scenes footage of the making of Alice In Chains’ “Them Bones” video
Alice In Chains have asked fans to share in the memories of Dirt over the next 30 days
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