Some death metal bands are more focussed on nutritional broth-based foodstuffs than others. Bone Broth was a classic example, the 1993-1995 rockers who earned a cult following, before disbanding over broth-based differences.
This isn’t a tragic rock story, but it is one about broth, cooking, death metal, and learning to not even bother having a go because you’re probably not good enough.
The Rise and Boiling of Bone Broth: Death Metal’s Greatest Soup
Bone Broth formed in 1990. The band members were all working in a local steak restaurant and wanted to stick it to the rat race, so after three years of further mundane worked and delaying their instincts, they formed in 1993, released 17 albums over the next two years, but this excessive output was considered excessive and also led to a drop in musical quality.
Lead singer Bob “Bonesy” Jefferson told us, as part of an exclusive interview:
“You know, we were feeling the pressure, you know? Erm… you know? 17 albums in two years will, you know, take it, er, out of anyone, you know? There are only so many bone broth type songs you can actually write, you know? I reckon we did well, you know, writing 150 songs about it in such a short space of time, you know?”
After Bonesy was fired from the restaurant for urinating in the broth, the other members quit with him and formed the band. Bonesy noted:
“Yeah, you know, I did it. So what? I piddled in the soup, you know? I don’t regret it, you know, why should I? Had that not happened, you know, I’d never have written our best selling single Rabies Cheese and the Onset of Athlete’s Foot. You know?”
In a drunken celebration after leaving the restaurant, one fine evening in August of 1993 Bonesy wrote 35 songs for their debut album. This album is the cult classic Rabies Cheese and the Onset of Athlete’s Foot, with the eponymous lead single from this album charting 135th on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Spurred on by this success, he wrote 15 albums in three weeks, arguably the greatest achievement in the history of music. Bonesy told us:
“Some say I’m an genius, you know, and whom I am to say they is wrong, you know? They’re probably right, you know? 15 albums… it was a blur. I was up until 5am, sometimes not sleeping at all, you know? Just me, pen and paper, and a never-ending list of broth songs, you know?”
With 15 albums and 130 songs to play to new fans, the band hit the road and toured America in rundown venues offering low pay. As that didn’t result in fame and fortune, friction within the band reached boiling point.
Breakup: The Great Bouillon Betrayal
In August 1995, drummer Johnny “Lobster Bisque” Bridges was found snorting beef stock cubes behind a venue, right before a gig. Bonesy told us:
“I rounded on him, you know? What the fuck was he playing at, you know?! I was out of it on cocaine all day and night and what’s that layabout doing? He’s on… beef stock cubes [Bonesy puts his head in his hands at this point and sighs]. We knew then we’d have to disband immediately or Lobster Bisque was done for.”
Bonesy wrote two more albums in three days about beef stock cube addiction, then disbanded the group (to the protestations of the other members), and went 100% vegan.
“I was not having Lobster Bisque overdosing on beef stock cubes on me. I was not having Bone Broth turning into another rock and roll tragedy, you know? So, I opened a vegan café and in 2001 was arrested for being a communist.”
Bonesy is still in jail to this day. In 2022, he finally gave in to pressure and reformed Bone Broth. The members now perform prison-based gigs for the convicted criminals locked up, most of whom are fans of soup.
