Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz Touring The World On A Vegan Diet
In a conversation with Metal Magnitude at last month's Metal Hall Of Fame event in Anaheim, California, Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, who follows a vegan and straight-edge lifestyle, was asked about the challenges of maintaining her lifestyle while on tour. She replied: “I've been touring for about 20 years and I've been vegan for 25 years and vegetarian before that, so I've definitely seen it become way easier. I've done it all across the world, with language barriers and cultural barriers and lack of time or money or transportation, and I'm still able to do it. So I have to say it is totally possible. Moby, obviously, is a well-spoken animal rights activist as well, and he's a friend of mine, and so he did this documentary [‘Punk Rock Vegan Movie’] sort of diving into the connection between the punk mentality and, by extension, the metal mentality and veganism. And I think it's a really cool aspect and an interesting facet of the movement.”
During a 2022 question-and-answer session at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, Alissa was also asked if it's difficult for her to maintain her lifestyle while she is on tour. She responded: “It super easy, actually, because I still party; I just don't intoxicate myself when I do it. But if other people wanna do that, that's their choice — it's up to them. Smoking, I'd like them to stay away 'cause I don't wanna breathe that in. But otherwise, it's really, really easy, actually. It's not even something that I think about. And actually, we have… In our tour bus, in our band and crew, I'm not the only sober one and I'm not the only vegan either, so I'm surrounded by a lot of different kinds of people and we all get along beautifully.”
Aside from her musical achievements, Alissa is a fervent advocate for animal rights. Vegan since the 1990s, she has collaborated with numerous animal welfare organizations and consistently voiced her opposition to animal exploitation. Her musical career is deeply intertwined with her mission to raise awareness and foster compassion for all living beings.
Alissa's unique fusion of artistry and activism has earned her widespread acclaim and recognition as a trailblazer in the field. As a prominent figure in both the metal community and the animal rights movement, she remains dedicated to creating a more compassionate and just world for all creatures.
At the 2023 Tuska festival in Helsinki, Finland, Kiki from the ‘Bleeding Metal’ podcast asked Alissa whether her activism is a fundamental part of her identity: Alissa response was: “Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I am an activist before I'm a musician even. That's really what drives me forward every single day, is hoping that in some way my existence on this planet can make it a little bit better for everybody else who is currently existing on the planet and who will exist in the future. And that's first and foremost animal rights.”
Sources:
