If you’re a touring band, getting pulled over by the cops, for whatever reason, is always a drag. Especially if you’re in Texas … and the cop apparently plants evidence on you. Melvins’ drummer Dale Crover recalled such an incident when the band was on tour in the Lone Star State. But things weren’t as they appeared, thanks to the trickery of Tool guitarist Adam Jones.
In a new interview with “The Chuck Shute Podcast”, Crover told the story about the band’s “run-in” with the law.
“We got pulled over in Texas, right outside of Houston,” he said. “And the cop found some weed on the ground right outside of our van… it wasn’t ours… None of us are stupid enough to have any weed in Texas.”
Crover described the officer as a “big, huge Buford Pusser-style Southern cop” who reminded the band about Snoop Dogg’s recent arrest for pot possession in El Paso, dating the encounter to around 2012. The band members were forced to exit their vehicle, and when the officer deemed Crover the “spokesman for the group.” he began searching the musician’s bag.
“I see my bag on the hood of his car,” Crover said. “And then he starts pulling stuff out of my bag. He’s like, ‘Look, what we got here.’ Pulls out out a 9mm [pistol]. ‘Looks like you got firearms. That’s a federal offense in Texas here.’”
The officer then pulled out weighing scales and a large bag of cocaine, telling Crover he’s going to prison before putting him in the police cruiser. At that point, the drummer was “freaking out,” wondering if he should bribe the cop who’d obviously planted the evidence. Finally, the Melvins’ touring manager spotted the paraphernalia on the hood of the car and confronted the cop.
“‘Well, you know, just want to tell you guys, Adam Jones from Tool said, ‘you guys are pranked,’” the cop finally revealed.
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When asked if the Melvins have gotten revenge on Jones for the stunt, Crover said “not yet.” Perhaps the Melvins, being irreverent jokesters themselves, have a grand plan for getting the Tool guitarist back for the undoubtedly terrifying Texas prank.
The lengthy interview with Crover is filled with other hearty anecdotes from the veteran musician. For example, he discusses the time when Kurt Cobain could have possibly joined the Melvins. Crover and Cobain had previously collaborated on the lo-fi Fecal Matter tape, one of the latter artist’s first musical endeavors.
As for Crover, the drummer continues to move forward with various projects, having just released his second solo album, Rat-A-Tat-Tat!. He also appears on bass guitar for the Melvins’ upcoming album Working with God, recorded with the band’s 1983 lineup format.
Listen to the full interview on “The Chuck Shute Podcast” below.
