Ah, love. What else is there to say other than it’s really nice to see two people so enamored with one another that they decide to get hitched and make it a life-long thing. So I think it’s time that some congratulations are in order for Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Butcher Babies vocalist Carla Harvey, as the couple announced they got engaged over the weekend.
As one would expect a couple to do in 2024, both posted the news on their social media accounts, sharing pictures of themselves all happy and lovey-dovey. According to Benante, the big event happened as the pair caught a U2 show in that crazy sphere in Vegas as “All I Want Is You” was playing in the background.
“We went to see @u2 and this happened ???? @carlaharvey .they played “ all I want is you”… ❤️. Oh yeah, thanks to #bono #theedge #adamclayton #larrymullenjr ( even tho he wasn’t there) #bramvandenberg ! @thegreatfrogldn“
Harvey also shared her thoughts on her Instagram, stating that she was happy that “it wasn’t a dream.”
“it wasn’t a dream, I woke up in Vegas as the future Mrs. Benante ????❤️ I love you @charbenante ❤️”
The pair have been public about their relationship since 2019, but the couple have actually been an item since 2016. As two working musicians in popular acts, it makes sense that they’d want to keep their relationship quiet for so long, but that can only last for so long.
Apparently, they almost weren’t a thing at all. According to Benante during a 2021 interview on Audio Ink Radio, the drummer said his advances were initially turned down.
“Actually, we met at… Well, she says we met earlier, but I don’t remember it. She says she interviewed me at the Golden Gods Awards, but I don’t remember it, but she does have a picture of it, so I know I was there. And then we played a festival in San Bernardino together. I think it was — it could have been Knotfest. And then afterwards, our manager said, ‘Oh, the Butcher Babies, they covered one of your songs for this, blah, blah, blah,’ and I’m, like, ‘Oh, cool.’
“And then, that’s how I ended up meeting her, at that show. And we were both kind of interested in the same type of things — like, goofy, nerdy shit. But at the time, we were both kind of involved in marriages and stuff, and that was it. We would e-mail here and there, ‘Hey, did you check out this book?’ or, ‘Did you see that?’ And then that was it. I didn’t talk to her for a bit. And then one day, I was in L.A. making a record, and I hit her up, and I said, ‘You wanna meet around here, go get a coffee or something?’
“And, she turned me down. And then I hit her back up a little bit later, and she’s, like, ‘Okay, I’ve to gotta go to the art store in that area. Do you wanna come with me?’ And we ended up going to an art store. And that was it.”
Anyways, we’re extremely happy for the couple. May they have many years together in happiness and in health!