The Extreme ‘Six’ album was a long time coming. Guitarist Nuno Bettercourt blames the pandemic for the delay but was it? “The album would have been out earlier if it wasn’t for the crazy lockdown,” Nuno tells Noise11.com. “We wanted to wait. We didn’t want to be another soundtrack for the old pandemic. We wanted to celebrate this and actually tour so we waited”.
We better do some sums here. The pandemic started three years ago in 2020. The ‘Six’ album came 15 years after the previous Extreme studio album. So those numbers don’t add up. “You are absolutely correct,” Nuno concurs. In fact the 15 year gap is more like the gap between the previous two Guns N’ Roses album ‘Chinese Democracy’ (2008) and ‘The Spaghetti Incident?’ (1993). “We tired,” Nuno laughs. “That’s the main reason we wanted to wait because we wanted to break that record and we succeeded. It wasn’t all a lie”.
But wait? Did Extreme succeed? Guns N’ Roses ‘The Spaghetti Incident’ was released 23 November, 1993. ‘Chinese Democracy’ was released 23 November, 2008, exactly 15 years to the day. That’s 5479 days.
Extreme ‘Saudades de Rock’ was released on 12 August, 2008. ‘Six’ was released on 9 June, 2023. That’s 5414 days. Noooooo Nuno, You missed it by just 65 days. As Maxwell Smart would say “missed it by that much”.
The pandemic wasn’t really the delay in the ‘Six’ album being released. Nuno admits he was. We were hearing about a new Extreme album in 2016 and before that in 2010 but then noting ever happened. “We had enough music for an album, three or four times in the last 10 years. To my financial detriment it would have been better to put out albums but I never wanted to put out anything that I wasn’t 1000% ‘put your head on the pillow and be excited about it’. I didn’t want to put out something just as a reason to tour and make some money. I’m sure my band thought differently to that and hated me for it. I’ve always told Gary (Cherone) I wanted to put out something that means something to me and have songs we are absolutely proud of and that’s what this was. Whether people like it or not, that’s what we wanted to do.
Footnote. It has been 5321 days since that last Gunners album ‘Chinese Democracy’ was released so it unless there is a new Gunners album before the end of 2023, if there is ever anyone one, they will beat their own record with their next record.
Extreme will return to Australia for shows with Living Colour in September.
Dates are:
Melbourne First Show SOLD OUT – 2nd and Final Show On Sale Now!
TOUR DATES
Mon, Sept 4, Melbourne, The Forum
Wed, Sept 6: Regal Theatre, Perth
Friday, Sept 8: Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide
Sunday, Sept 10: Forum Theatre, Melbourne SOLD OUT
Tues, Sept 12: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Wed, Sept 13: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
https://zaccariaconcerts.com.au/current-tours/extreme-and-living-colour
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