It actor and Saturday Night Live veteran Bill Hader appears in the latest episode of Amoeba Music’s What’s In My Bag?.
The 46-year-old, who admits he asked to be a guest on the Youtube series, offers an in-depth dive into his music taste for almost 20 minutes. He predominantly discusses punk bands – such as the Bad Brains, Minutemen and the Ramones – and experimental artists including Frank Zappa and Beak>.
At the episode’s outset, the actor/comedian says he grew up a fan of hair metal, name-checking Def Leppard specifically. “Then, when I turned 12, my dad gave me this big box of, like, different music,” he continues.
“He’s the only guy I know who hates the Beatles,” Hader adds, “because he was a teenager in the sixties and he was like, ‘All you heard was the Beatles and the Doors!’ So he gave me this box and it was, like, Pink Floyd and Overnight Sensation by Frank Zappa.”
Arguably the episode’s most entertaining moment comes at the end, when Hader picks out t-shirts for his three daughters, aged between 10 and 15. He shows merch from pop stars Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo before picking, specifically for his youngest, a Misfits top featuring the band’s iconic skeleton logo.
“I gotta start them early,” he smiles. “It’s gonna make her cry. It’s gonna scare the shit out of her. I don’t care! I’m gonna be like my dad – this is my version. Nothing against Olivia and Taylor Swift … but, hey!”
Watch the full episode below.
Hader spoke further about his appreciation for Def Leppard in a 2019 interview with Pitchfork.
“In 1988, there was no bigger band than Def Leppard, and I would listen to my Hysteria tape top to bottom,” he said.
“That album reminds me of the fair in [Hader’s hometown] Tulsa, where they would always be playing hair metal – you would get on a ride, and it would be Pour Some Sugar On Me. I always think of those guys with the Iron Maiden t-shirts – they were the cool older kids.”
As well as It and Saturday Night Live, Hader is known for his performances in such comedy films as Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express.
He’s since transitioned more into voice work, and is set to star as the title character in an animated adaptation of Dr Seuss’ The Cat In The Hat next year.
