Amy Lee Shares Why Evanescence Didn't Play 'Bring Me To Life' For Years

Looking at Setlist.fm, it’s clear that no love was lost between Amy Lee and the Evanescence classic tune, Bring Me To Life, for years. 

In 2002 and 2020, the band performed the track once. They played it three times in 2009, four in 2015, 15 this year (so far), 18 in 2021, 19 in 2016, and 30 in 2006. For such a huge song, it’s somewhat surprising that the popular American band didn’t play the hit every single night.

But it speaks to how vocalist Amy Lee felt about that infamous rap verse, performed by Paul McCoy of 12 Stones, being forced into the song by Evanescence’s record label.

In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Lee was asked about how she feels towards the nu-metal banger now.

She responded, “I stopped performing it a long time ago. We never really did perform it. When we're on tour, and we have somebody that fits into that spot, they jump up on the song.”

She continued, “We were on tour with P.O.D, and we had Sonny [Sandoval, vocalist] get up a few times. And obviously, if we're ever in the same town as Paul [McCoy, 12 Stones vocalist], who originally did the part, we will have him come up, because it's fun and it's cool and nostalgic. 

"But that part, that sound, that's not my style. That's why it was such a difficult pill to swallow, even on one song. But we won because we didn't have to change our whole sound.” 

While Lee disagrees with genre “boxes” such as nu-metal (“those are just words”), she does embrace performing with her musical peer and friend, Korn’s Jonathan Davis.

Last year, Amy Lee delighted fans in Colorado by joining Korn onstage. She vocalist accompanied the band at Denver's Ball Arena for a spirited performance of Freak On A Leash. 

The performance was a reunion of sorts, with Lee having featured on the 2007 MTV Unplugged version of the song.

Both bands were touring in support of new records at the time, with Korn pushing their #1 ARIA charting Requiem and Evanescence their career-reviving The Bitter Truth. When the tour was first announced, Lee stated, "I fell hard into Korn's music in high school. It was an inspiration during the formation of my own band. 

“The chances we've had to play together over the years are special, a part of our history. They remain one of the best live bands I've ever seen. It's an honour and a thrill to go out with our friends again, our first full tour together since '07. We're all really looking forward to this."