Tool Guitarist Says He Prefers NXT to Raw, Talks Performing at SummerSlam ’11

– Tool guitarist Adam Jones spoke with Rolling Stone about his love for professional wrestling and more. Check out the highlights:

On whether he prefers NXT or the main roster shows: “I really love NXT. There’s a great vibe, and they put on a great show. In a way, it reminds me of PWG [Pro Wrestling Guerrilla], where the wrestling is great and the audience participation is next level. I’ve never been to any music event or sporting event that has the same vibe as a PWG show. And NXT compares to that. I’ve always admired Vince McMahon, because he’s doing what he loves to do, and now Paul [Levesque, aka Triple H] has taken over some of the business in the company, including NXT, and he’s gone back to the roots of wrestling. We were playing in Florida, and he invited me out to a taping and it was great. My whole point of view in life is to pretend I’m 12 years old, so whether it’s listening to music or looking at art or going to the movies or sporting events, I really do enjoy the experience.”

On whether he complains about his favorite talent being buried or storylines: “Honestly, no. It’s like when I go see a movie. My friends won’t even ask me what I think about it, because I always just say, “It was good!” People will criticize everything about it, but I’m always like, “Hey, it’s better than your movie.” Everyone is so jaded, but when I was 12, I wasn’t analyzing everything. It’s like, “Hey, just be entertained for a while. Not everything needs to be Star Wars.” I love it when they find some weird guy from Mexico, or, you know, bring back some really famous guy – like when Shane McMahon came back, that was a great moment! I’m friends with Lita, and when Shane-O Mac showed up on Raw, she was like “Did you see Shane? That was so great!” I just really enjoy the things I like, including wresting, because they all inspire me to be creative.”

On performing the Star-Spangled Banner at SummerSlam 2011: “Oh, I have [Vince McMahon’s] phone number, we talk all the time! [laughs] No, Paul and a few other people helped set that up; they were like, “Vince wants to hear it,” so I did a demo and sent it to Vince, and it was, like, so impressive to even have that distant communication with him. A couple years later I was backstage, and I ran into Vince and took a picture and thanked him for all the free entertainment over the years, and he was really intimidating! I was kind of scared of him! He’s a good guy, for sure, but you can tell he doesn’t take s–t from anybody.”