ANTHRAX played their second of two shows on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise without bassist Frank Bello, who left the ship early to attend the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, creating one of the most talked-about moments of the entire festival. ARMORED SAINT's Joey Vera filled in for the January 31 concert on the pool deck stage, marking his return to the ANTHRAX fold -- Vera had previously toured with the band in 2004 and early 2005 when Bello took a break to explore other musical projects.
The circumstances leading to the substitution were unusual but entirely understandable. Bello is nominated for the 2026 Best Rock Performance Grammy alongside British artist YUNGBLUD for their live cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Changes," a nomination that required his presence at the ceremony at Crypto.com Arena on February 1. With the cruise not returning to Miami until February 2, Bello had to disembark at Nassau, Bahamas to fly to Los Angeles in time for the awards.
Fan-filmed footage shows Vera slotting in seamlessly for a set that included classics spanning ANTHRAX's four-decade career, from pit anthems "Caught in a Mosh" and "Madhouse" to fan favorites "Indians" and "Got the Time." Vera's familiarity with the material -- both from his previous stint with the band and from decades of close friendship with the members -- was immediately apparent from the first note. Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, and vocalist Joey Belladonna appeared to be in excellent spirits, clearly enjoying the novelty of having their old friend back on stage beside them.
The pool deck performance took place in the same challenging wind conditions that had marked much of the cruise, with dedicated fans pressing against the stage barriers despite the elements. ANTHRAX proved to be good sports about the weather, with Ian joking between songs about the wind threatening to blow his guitar off his shoulder. The band's first set, played earlier in the cruise at the indoor Studio B theater with Bello on bass, had been equally well-received, making ANTHRAX one of the undisputed highlights of the 2026 voyage.