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Alice in Chains Announce 30th Anniversary Edition of MTV Unplugged
Alice in Chains will release a 30th-anniversary edition of their MTV Unplugged performance on 25 September. The reissue revisits a set now regarded as one of the programme’s standout performances and preserves one of the original line-up’s final appearances together.
It will be available on CD, standard black double vinyl and a limited “solar flare” coloured double vinyl edition. Recorded on 10 April 1996, the concert was the band’s first show in just over two years, following a period shaped by Layne Staley’s addiction struggles and the group’s inability to tour behind their 1995 self-titled album; Staley overdosed weeks before the broadcast and subsequently stopped performing live.
In short
- Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged receives a 30th-anniversary reissue on 25 September.
- The release comes on CD and double vinyl, including limited coloured vinyl.
- The 1996 set was among the original line-up’s final live performances.
Explained simply
MTV Unplugged was a celebrated television series from the 1990s that featured rock and alternative bands performing stripped-down acoustic sets. Alice in Chains were one of the era's leading grunge bands, known for their heavy, distorted sound and brooding lyrics, with Layne Staley as the band's lead vocalist.
The band's April 1996 performance came after an extended absence from live shows, having not performed in over two years. This break was driven by the band's inability to tour their 1995 self-titled album, partly due to Staley's serious struggles with addiction. The performance therefore captured the band during a particularly turbulent period in their history.
The 1996 appearance is now regarded as one of MTV Unplugged's standout moments and represents one of the last times the original line-up performed together. Weeks before the broadcast aired, Staley suffered a serious health crisis related to his addiction, after which he stopped performing live, making this filmed performance an important historical snapshot of the band's final period as an active touring unit.