Purely Provocative: Miss May I Guitarist BJ Stead Speaks About Spitting on Fans, Arrests, and Losing His Virginity

Miss May I, the Troy, Ohio-based metalcore quintet, released their fourth studio album, Rise of the Lion, on April 25, 2014 via Rise Records. Boasting a sick mix of thrash, groove and various other metallic elements, Rise of the Lion is a metal recording of monstrous proportions. Currently touring the U.S. with Affiance, the band will play shows leading up to their performance on stage 003 at this year’s Knotfest. We checked in with guitarist BJ Stead who humored us with some answers to some of our less-than-professional interview questions.

Most public situation you’ve projectile vomited?
Stead: I was at a girlfriend’s house, when I was 17 or so, and chugged a Bud Light lime, and immediately ran to the bathroom and puked the entire thing up all over the toilet. The best part was, it all happened so fast that I don’t think anyone ever even knew, even to this day.

Ever intentionally spit on fans?
Stead: Only if it’s the kid in the front few row who is holding his middle fingers up in the air the entire set. People like that really piss me off, so I send a nice wad their way, usually.

Most times you’ve had sex in “one sitting”?
Stead: The better question is, is how many times have I not had sex in one sitting. It’s like a thousand. I’m not having sex, literally all the time.

Any arrests?
Stead: I got an underage when I was 16, I didn’t quite get arrested but me and a buddy did do a freestyle rap to the camera in the interrogation room because, alcohol. Parents weren’t too proud of that one!

Any near-death experiences?
Stead: I slipped on a banana peel in Germany one time. I swear you can’t even make that up.

Has a fan ever really pissed you off? What happened?
Stead: Recently yes, I Tweeted about a song I wrote for fun, a remake of our song gone, and his response was, “I will pretend I never read that and I hope it never makes it to see the light of day.” What the fuck even does that mean?

Do you bathe on tour? Is it regular? Do you take what you can get and do a wet-nap wipe if there’s no shower?
Stead: I do try to shower as often as possible. On tour, it is usually easy providing most venues have decent showers, but even on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, this past Summer I was no stranger whatsoever to the old wet-nap wipe down, haha. Sometimes you’re just too drunk or too lazy to walk all the way to the showers!

What scares the absolute shit out of you?
Stead: Fucking, bees man. I have got no time for those cocksuckers!

Have you ever been too wasted to play live? What happened?
Stead: I’ve never been too wasted to play, but there’s been a number of times I’ve played wasted. The trick is, is to drink all the whiskey while you’re on stage, not beforehand. That way by the time you’re too drunk to play, the shows already over! Life hacks!

Your instrument/gear (drums, guitar, etc.) has a catastrophic failure on-stage and you have no back-up, what do you do?
Stead: Sit back and watch the show, and fire your guitar tech.

Name some of your biggest pet peeves. You know… the ones that make you want to wreck shit!
Stead: When people don’t re-rack their weights at the gym and just leave a pile of bullshit for me to clean up. Bro life.

Name someone you’d like to punch in his or her stupid face, and why.
Stead: Nikki Minaj; I don’t believe that needs any explanation.

Describe when and how you lost your virginity.
Stead: 16 during St Patrick’s Day with the cheerleading captain. Boom!

Does God exist – why yes/no/who the fuck cares?
Stead: Don’t give a shit. if he does he does, if he doesn’t he doesn’t. I’m just here to get drunk and have fun, so let’s do that and not fight about it.

Tell us about the worst lie you ever told someone.
Stead: “I love you!”

What’s the creepiest thing a fan has ever done to you/creepiest encounter with a fan?
Stead: When our singer Levi and I were roommates; within the first year of living in our house someone had left fan letters taped to our door and we’ve absolutely no idea how they figured out where we lived. They also asked for free merch.

Check out the song “You Want Me”