Vocal Coach Reacts - Alice In Chains - Down in a Hole (MTV Unplugged) 

'I just hear pain in his voice" Welcome to Alice in Chains.

Oh Layne… wish you were still around.

Grunge is the coolest yet saddest genre of music. I can’t believe how many grunge singers we’ve lost. R.I.P Kurt, Layne and Chris

Layne is going through real pain here. Layne was so sick and sore with heroin withdrawal. He took enough here to make him feel "normal" and he just evened himself out. Then he delivered one of the most raw and iconic performances ever. Jesus Christ almighty what a singer he was. A rare diamond in the rough. God bless you Layne, Rest in Peace.

The fact that he's so deep into an addiction that he's a walking skeleton, and so high he can barely keep his eyes open, but can still sing like that shows how great he really was. The GOAT

I’m sure lots of fans would tell you by this point layne didn’t have the voice he once did but still this unplugged performance is an all time classic. Haunting doesn’t really cover it, it’s actually heartbreaking. He’s not performing he’s showing you his soul , every single word

Layne was 87% dead at this point and he still sounds amazing. Its so heartbreaking but the brightest flames burn quickest.

Layne’s voice still gives me chills even after 30 years. What an amazing talent.

One of the greatest voices in rock.

There's probably never going to be as good a vocal duo as Layne and Jerry again.

If you notice, as amazing as Layne was, Jerry totally carried this performance. He sang in parts he wouldn't normally sing because he didn't know if and when Layne could join in. That's a true bond, right there. Even the fact that Jerry was very ill that night does not compare to the sight of Layne so thin and pale and literally cold sweating on stage. But they made beautiful music together. Pretty much the definition of "grunge", if you ask me...

The sheer command Layne has over his voice even when he's almost ready to fall over is truly impressive.

The greatest unplugged performance ever period.

One of the most heavy and depressing songs ever. Each lyric is so intense and beautifully phrased

That entire Dirt album was the single most accurate translation I've ever heard of emotional pain and despair into a recorded album. I was living in Seattle in early 1992, and I am sure that influenced my musical tastes, but that album speaks to me more than probably any other piece of music I have *ever* encountered. I don't have words for how close I was to living the lyrics to the song Dirt in reality, after some person experiences. This album came out *right* when I was dealing with exactly the sort of emotional issues AIC covered, so it will always be a very personal album for me. This song, Down in Hole, has also been something I could very very much personally identify with. To this day, it's difficult for me to listen to, much like Comfortably Numb, since it brings me back into that mental space, which I still identify with in many ways. Layne was an all-time god-tier vocalist. His death as a result of heroin eating him alive will forever be a tragedy akin to Morrison or Joplin dying from their own personal failures. We can only imagine what any of them might have done had they survived and had an entire lifetime of work and performances. I just feel lucky I had the opportunity to hear Layne sing live once upon a time.

Twenty years he's been gone, and his voice STILL gives me chills.

Look at Jerry Cantrell look at his band after Lanes vocal run at the end of the first chorus…..that smile……he knew what they were doing was utter magic……raw, honest, musical magic!!!!!

Tomorrow is Layne's birthday. I love their Unplugged, but it always makes me cry, especially Nutshell and this song. I miss him so much :(

His voice is perfection, one of a kind along with his harmonies with Jerry, and their lyrics just crushes you 😭😭😭💔 RIP Layne

Thing is Layne was absolutely smacked out his head during this. If you watched the whole thing you could literally see him nodding during the show. Jerry even said in an interview he was afraid the show wasn't going to happen cause of it. So yeah the pain and anguish in his voice is very authentic as he knew he was slowly killing himself.

Why isnt AIC in Hall of Fame ? The Best of music from that era

Layne was, without a doubt, the best of the "big four" of his generation. It is one of life's great tragedies that we have lost three of those four far far too early. RIP Layne, Chris and Kurt. And, for god's sake, stay safe Eddie.

The fact that he had lost most of of his teeth at this point and was still being articulate is amazing.

2:20 "What I love about this... absolutely everything. Just, raw, honest and so real" Miss you Layne 🙏

Dirt is/was a classic grunge album......still one of my all time faves.

This breaks my heart every time I see it. Layne was going through a literal hell on earth. Every time he sang out of control on this song, I feel like he was taking a shot at himself because he knew how far gone he was into his addiction. And Jerry and the other guys are sitting there playing and in Jerry's case singing his heart out alongside this man they loved like a brother (Layne) while he slowly killed himself and there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it. It's crushing. I found out personally just how crushing when my eldest brother literally drank himself into a damn coma five years ago. Having kept the depth of his alcohol addiction hidden from us. He recovered from the coma, came home to convalesce and we hoped recover, only to literally collapse and die in front of our .mother while I was the next state over! I still feel like there's more I should have tried to do to help my brother before he got to that place. Even though I know such thoughts are futile. But I'd bet Layne's bandmates went through similar thoughts and feelings. Well, I suppose all of us left behind feel that way when we lose someone to the demon of addiction. RIP Layne, and RIP Michael. I love and still miss you brother.

I love when she begins the video she says “I won’t cry”. It’s everyone’s first instinct when you hear this, especially knowing the end result for Layne.

Layne was pretty much already dying when he gave this performance. On the day of filming, the rest of AIC didn't know if he would show up (either not be able to, or might have decided not to) let alone if he would be in any condition to sing anything, or he might have tried to sing but his voice might not have been up to it, or couldn't read the lyrics (etc). The smile which Jerry Cantrell gives at 4:11 of your video is the smile of "Hell yeah! *This* is the Layne we dearly love and who we desperately hoped & wanted/needed to see." A performer at the height of their powers, putting all of their soul into the music for friends, the band, the fans and musical history...even though they know their life is irrevocably fading away right in front of their own eyes. A truly dedicated and epic performance. RIP Layne. Greatly missed. [el'sda2].

As someone who has lived with depression. I don’t just hear this song, I feel it. Hard.

Imagine he never even had any vocal coaches. He taught himself the control, the technique, the breathing. They were insanely talented and brilliant to come up with these arrangements, these lyrics, and the music.

I heard Layne’s performance described as singing his own funeral. Not many are willing to display their pain on that level and create pure magic.

During the end of the first chorus, Jerry looked at someone smiling. He was really saying:"Layne is incredible, he is turning all this into gold!" And I love both of them, and their music and spirit!

Today is Layne birthday. Rest in piece, one of the best vocals in rock history

"I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied" One of my favourite bands of all time. Those vocal harmonies, those lyrics....

Wow, this made me cry. It's so obvious that Layne is going through hell right here, seeing him sort of closing his eyes and shying away from the camera.... He had one of the most genuine voices I've ever heard, and right here I feel like he was really uncomfortable... Such a delicate, beautiful soul.

Discovered this song month ago, have already listened it more than hundred times. Incredible performance

I've always loved how Jerry winks and nods with a big smile to someone in the back. Like "hell Yea thats layne muthafucking staley" then layne looks over like "how's that" lol

Arguably, the greatest MTV Unplugged show of all-time and one of the best renditions of a song. I own the CD and DVD for this performance and it is chilling and incredible

Greatest vocalist ever. You do understand that he was so physically destroyed by his heroin addiction that he lost most of his teeth. So he is singing when his life was almost over, with nearly no teeth, and still able to sing like that. He also had a note sheet in front of him to remind him of the words.

"I just hear pain in his voice." Truest thing I've heard about this performance. I've been a big AIC fan since I first heard them in the early 90s, but I don't think I ever truly appreciated the authenticity of their music, and the pure magic they created, until Layne passed away. It's weird how the loss of someone you personally never met can hurt.

The one thing I love about Alice is that Layne, as the lead singer, pretty much always did the 'harmony part' while Jerry carried the melody. For me, their vocal interplay was absolutely unmatched, No Excuses from unplugged being the perfect example

I wish you were still around Layne,Kurt,Chris, Scott.

Staley and Cantrell had such amazing harmonization 👍

5:16 "I just want to hug him so much" Same 😥 every time I hear his vocals, whether he was sick or not.

I was a Hair Metal guy and sad when grunge changed everything. That being said, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden were so damn good, and we've sadly lost to absolutely incredible vocalists.

Their song "Nutshell" from that performance was just the most epic way to start that concert off

"The dark descent of Layne Staley" documentary is an incredibly sad one but it documents what he was goin through up until the end pretty well.

The raw footage of this performance is nuts. They had to stop and start constantly because he was so messed up. Literally had to have a person help him from sliding off the stool at points.

I always felt almost bad for Jerry who has such a wonderful voice but Layne's voice was so incredibly unique and raw.

His tone. "Lots of singers do it." Yea, It's Layne's and everyone started to try to emulate it. Tried. Happy Birthday, Layne. Celebrating you this week. You had such an incredible impact in me during my college years, and I literally left parties so I could go hang out at my dirm alone watching Head Bangers Ball and checking out all the latest AIC videos, which I always loved. Miss you.

You can hear the top harmony because that’s what was planned and sung on the album by Layne. And we all wish we could hug him too.

When he sang “but my wings have been so denied” I was waiting for the pause button to be hit lol. I remember the first time I heard that, fell in love with this song

Ay hell yes, best band ever. their vocal harmonizations are unmatched, Layne an all time great singer and Jerry just an absolute genius musician, one of the best songwriters ever and a solid vocalist himself. Anyway nice reaction always great to hear the big channels do Alice In Chains. This song was written by the guitarist/2nd vocalist about a longterm relationship he had, it takes on extra meaning tho with what Layne was going through, the lyrics applied alot to his life/situation which added extra emotion to the song.

My favorite vocal tandem ever. This was the first show they had played in a very long time, and there was some doubt about Layne. This is Jerry saying "He's killing it" 04:05

"I just feel pain in his voice" ... honestly his voice and emotions that they convey were so important to me.

My god, this still rips my soul apart, even after all these years. This song followed me into the darkest depths of pain and self-destruction I've ever known, and yet...I still love it like I've never loved anything in my life. Layne, I miss you, my brother.

My favorite all time Band being reacted to by my favorite RU-vid influencer. Did I die and go to heaven?

A huge thank you to my parents for being so cool they would sit through some of the best 90s concerts just so I could attend. Without them I would have never seen AIC, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, Blind Melon etc. Of course I was dragged to shows like Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd and John Denver. Which way is the time machine?

This is the only RVA video I've seen. I was impressed. It touched me that this music touched her (and isn't that what these reaction videos are for?) but beyond that .... she strikes me as quirky, funny, and *hot* . So win win win win 😍 I will rewatch this one before proceeding on to any others.

I cried when Layne came out (when I watched the original airing back in the day). He was merely a shadow of himself. You can't critique his mechanics, because he was high beyond imagination. Mostly why he sits there lifeless with his head down and eyes closed. It wasn't his best "professional" or "technical" performance, but the pain he was feeling bled all over this performance and that's what made it amazing. And Layne is Layne, so even though this was not his BEST, it was still stunning and REAL. Gone too soon.

Layne was a vocal god. RIP fella..

The most impressive thing about Laynes voice to me is how he was able to reach and sustain those high notes keeping so much pressure and strength throughout.

Becca you should do “ man in the box” by AIC to appreciate his power vocal next. Layne Staley was an immense vocalist with a fantastic range from ballads to powerful & always in perfect pitch

This was one of the last performances Staley ever did---by this time he was in deep trouble, and it's actually quite amazing he was able to finish the set. RIP Layne, you deserved better.

R.I.P. Layne, the most unique voice in grunge. You are missed.

The story behind this performance makes it that much more heart wrenching. His voice will never be replicated.

He was such a tormented man and could sing in a way that you could feel his pain.

Layne is wearing gloves in the whole performance to cover up his heroin tracks in his hands. The guy was on death door at the point, you can also comment that he never open his mouth fully because he was embarrassed by his tooth loss. But he still gave one of the most emotional, ironic, beautiful, vocally unbelievable, incomparable performances ever. R.I.P Layne Staley.

The lyrics are just fantastic, wow. Rarely had such a deep emotional feeling. Their voices are amazing, the harmonies.. I live for great harmonisation and THEY nailed it. And you, you're looking stunning! I'm in love with you hair and makeup!! Also, let ME take care of Suki. I'm pretty good at grooming. Queen gets what she deserves. 😍

Nutshell unplugged is a MUST ! This whole concert is legendary. 🤘❤🇨🇦

I never got to see AIC when Lane was alive. He was such an amazing singer. My daughter just turned 14 and is getting into 90’s rock and I took her to AIC two months ago and I was impressed. At times it was obvious it wasn’t Lane but there were a few songs where dude sounded dead on to Lane. I was impressed overall.

One of the most hauntingly beautiful performances in music history. Every emotion captured in this song!

I can always feel Laynes pain in his vocals, he expressed things with his vocals he couldnt find a way to express with his every day personality ( where he was goofy and always laughing despite how he was actually feeling). This performance specifically makes me cry my eyes out every time

Hi Rebecca! Hope you're well. Great choice to react. Layne was amazing. If you haven't heard The Rooster, you should check it out. And the story behind the song. So powerful.

Layne was literally down in a hole at this time with one foot in the grave… He is skinny, disheveled, has teeth missing, looks like he’s suffering from anxiety from being in front of a crowd again… But he still gives us one of the most brutally honest, beautiful performances in the history of music… He would pass on not long after this was recorded. RIP Layne…

Rrrrrrrebeca! a pleasure to watch you again, here from México.

Oh Layne... :( you can see hes so fragile and frail... drowning in his addiction.. its actually heartbreaking seeing him sing this... its very sad 😔

It is astounding how a single syllable, emphasized in a particular way, can affect how the song is heard. How two singers can find harmony while singing different lyrics, within the same melody. How one person singing one lyric can momentarily be in the same place as another person singing a different lyric, and then continue on in different directions. One of my favourite AiC songs. Magic. Chemistry. I don't know what to call it. But, DAMN, I can't hear it often enough.

IM 44 yrs old and I still get goose bumps when i hear Layne sing.

This was my favorite Unplugged, my favorite song, favorite era, with my favorite singer. This song really changed my life. I could feel his pain and anguish with every word. His deep connection to the lyrics. This album was just sheer poetry, and I am so honored to have been on this planet to be able to hear it. My biggest regret is never being able to see him sing live in concert, but AIC did a wonderful tribute to him when they performed here. He had a unique ability to draw you in, and make you feel it to your core. He and Jerry fought horribly, but they harmonized so well together. Jar of Flies resonated within me at that point in time. Some people will never understand how much their songs mean to some people. And, for him I will be eternally grateful. Thanks for covering his legacy. Layne will live on. A flame snuffed too soon.

We miss you, Layne. He was well and truly in the throws of addiction by this time and you can see it. Heartbreaking for those of us that witnessed him on stage prior to this. Such a formidable force. I feel lucky to have seen AIC with Layne 4 times during the early nineties and it hit hard when we lost him. Just like Chris Cornell more recently. Damnit. Gone far too soon.

This unplugged performance is quite possibly the greatest live music performance of the 90s and probably the best of any since. Absolutely raw down to the bone. I still get chills listening to this 25 years later.

Great reaction Rebecca love your vids.. And by the way your hair is looking 🔥 stay looking beautiful as always..👍🏼❤️

Sooo glad you did a “Reacts” to this song of the unplugged show! One of my best bands and I have watched this song 100s of time on RU-vid and listened to ignore times than I can remember over the years! So Raw and powerful! Found your channel awhile ago now when you did a reacts on a Pantera song, so glad I did 😁 One of my best songs, by one of my best bands, by what has become one of my best channels!! Bravo and keep up the good work 🤘👍❤️

Such an incredible voice, sad and heartbreaking seeing him strung out like this. He is still missed.

The whole story surrounding this episode is sad.

Sad fact: Layne was nodding off from heroin through this whole Unplugged performance. So yeah, that pain was real.

Really enjoyed your commentary Rebecca, and hearing the song through your perspective. AIC are fantastic and Dirt the album a formative part of my late teens. Thanks

So glad that I got to see Layne live before he left us for somewhere he could finally find peace.... A band that showed emotion in its purest and also darkest glory, Alice in Chains... The honour was mine 🖤🖤🖤

reason his eyes were closed and he came out with glasses was because he was high as a kite. depression and drugs arent a good mix. one of the best rock/grunge singers ever

This opened up a flood of tears out of no where. I listen to this and many other AICs songs often, but today it reminded me of my favourite artist who was a friend of Laynes , Mark Lanegan..who died 2 years ago. All the best, thanks for the interesting video.

We are blessed to have this to listen to today.. thank you and RIP Layne and Mike ❤️

10:47 "I just hear pain in his voice." Layne's life was one of pain and by this point in his life, the drugs were bad. All he knew was pain.

Fun as always. You're by far the best "vocal coach reaction" on youtube because you're the funnest. Keep them coming!

The first "down in a hole" is the most honest delivered line any artist has delivered that I can recall. You could see how the words literally hit him, like him saying them out loud made him realise just how truly down in that hole he was, and he knew he was too far down to get out. Truly beautiful, and heart breaking

Rebecca,your personality makes me feel so at home,keep it up sis,your great!

Definitely one of THE best "Grunge" bands ever. Layne's excruciating and piercing vocals always manage to tug on my soul. Your thoughts were soooo spot on. You get it.

Hi AIC is legendary

Love this song. First time viewer of this channel. Your adorable lol

The sounds of a dying man who knew he had one or two last left in him..... I'm 42 n it's been 25 years n we still listen to this and their catalogue as often as our weekend alcohol allows....