Thorisaz Views: Travel and Entertainment

Writing and photography by Marisa L. Williams

Chatting with Texas Hippie Coalition's Big Daddy Ritch

Big Daddy Ritch, John Exall, Gunnar Molton and Cord Pool of Texas Hippie Coalition will be touring the country this summer on the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. Playing alongside bands like Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, Mushroomhead, Asking Alexandria, Body Count with Ice-T, Miss May I, Suicide Silence, Emmure, Veil of Maya, Cannibal Corpse, Ill Nino and more, it's one festival you'll want to see. Catching up with Richard "Big Daddy Ritch" Anderson, we totally went off topic for the interview, and started babbling.

Beginning with my normal disclaimer that I would be typing while we talk, explaining if I lag behind, he'd probably hear me pounding away on the keyboard. He asked how many words per minute I type, and I said it depends on the day, which made him laugh. “I'm more like a two-finger typer,” he said, and this launched us totally off the topic of an interview, so I never did any actual typing while talking.

Not thinking, I boasted that I could use more than two fingers. Dirty minds; I had to backtrack, and he promised to be a Southern gentleman for the rest of the interview. I told him usually I was the one offending people, as I have more than 100 books, and about seven have been censored and pulled from publication; this only made him more curious, as he said he loved to read, and we continued to chat.

Ritch asked me about my books, questioning which one he should read, and I told him about The Stoney Curse, which is a series of short short stories – with each story being about 2-3 pages – and in each story, somebody dies. Explaining how each chapter is a different point in time, the story goes from the French-Indian War to prohibition with the Purple Gang, working it's way to modern day while focusing on an area in southeast Michigan called Stony Point, which coincides with my Stoney series. It was like he was interviewing me, asking where my book was available; it's on www.Amazon.com.

I explained that some of my books are not perfect, that some are more of a stream of consciousness. My record for writing a book, an entire novel, was three days, which was written while acting homeless during Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street and getting paid $600 to sit in line for the lunch the Friday before Mardi Gras at Galatoire's Restaurant: Waking Up On Bourbon. In that book, for example, I left in all the mistakes to show exactly what was written in the time I wrote it, and he could understand my logic.

We had talked about editing, and he had said that sometimes, when his lyrics are printed, it looks strange to him. Thus, he tries to take pictures of what he has actually written. Whether it has words that are crossed out, or even the wrong words written, it shows what was originally written by him.

Ritch said he was getting ready to go to Panama City and Orlando for a few days, and I told him that Florida had been like my second home. He asked if I knew of any things to do in the area, and I was glad to share that if he wanted to go fishing, don't plan on the pier in Panama, as they charge money, and instead suggested going to the beaches in Destin, which is a hop, skip and a jump away. In Orlando, I told him about my hot air ballooning adventure with Bob's Balloons close to Disney, suggested getting passes for Wet n' Wild or any of the water parks there (which led to a conversation about Schlitterbahn's in Texas and Cedar Point in Ohio), and when he said they didn't have alligators in Texas, I ranted how he would love Gator World, as they have gator wrestling, nature trails and a show at the end of the day where they make gators jump up for chickens on a string.

Suggesting a swamp boat ride, he said he was big into fishing and often took the air boats in the river in Texas. We chatted about how I was the sports writer in Key West, covering events like ESPN's Shark Week, and how I watched them pull out 14-foot sharks out of 4-foot of water. The helicopters would circle, with cameras attached to the front nose of the copter, hovering only a few feet away, where the wind from the blades whips back your hair, makes your eyes squint and ripples the shallow water.

When I told him I had the honor of fishing with pro-wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan as part of the Sailfish Tournament, Big Daddy got all excited, commenting, “you know, he just got inducted into the Hall of Fame. I love wrestling; we watch wrestling every Monday night around here.” I shared how Hacksaw kept shouting his signature battle cry, that he kept calling me “Kid,” and we talked wrestling.

When I worked at a newspaper in Hillsdale, Michigan, I was able to interview King Kong Bundy. Ritch knew Von Erich from Texas, who had discovered Bundy. When I mentioned how nice all the pro-wrestlers were that I ever met, he laughed, “most big guys are actually really friendly,” and I agree.

Before long, our time was up. I hadn't asked any of my normal questions. It reminded me of when I interviewed Les Claypool as part of my High Times coverage for the first Jam Cruise, as I had wound up chatting instead of asking questions, but when there's a limited time, sometimes it flows naturally.

For more information on the Texas Hippie Coalition, visit thcoutlaw.com, www.facebook.com/texashippiecoalition, www.myspace.com/texashippiecoalition, and www.twitter.com/THCOfficial. If you're brave enough to want to read my books, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz. Feel free to follow me at www.twitter.com/booksnbling.


White Noise Owl Interview with Chris Shy

Though White Noise Owl is a new band, it has an infectious vibe. Some may recognize Will Hunt from playing with Tommy Lee's solo band, Evanescence, Dark New Day, or touring with Motley Crue and Black Label Society; Lo-Pro musicians Pete Murray (Ultraspank) and John Fahnestock (Snot, Amen) also add to the experience of this supergroup. Vocalist Pete Murray, drummer Will Hunt, guitarist Chris Shy (Aurora Sky), and bassist John Fahnestock of White Noise Owl had their debut album produced by Ben Grosse (Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Filter), Until We Meet Again.

Author Marisa Williams: What do you consider to be your hometown, is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

Chris Shy of White Noise Owl: We're collectively separated by about 2,700 miles, so that question is trickier than it probably should be as a band. I am from and live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. If I were a tourist here, most Okies would probably tell me that thing worth seeing the most is the fastest way out of here. I have tons of pride in this city, but I also recognize it isn't the most spectacular tourist destinations. Pete, Will, and John probably have a few more stimulating options than I do.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

White Noise Owl: I attended a military academy starting around age 10, and I heard drum cadences ALL the time. Even when I left the school, the cadences never got out of my head and I eventually picked up a set of drumsticks to mimic what was imprinted to memory. After a loving run with drums, I eventually taught myself how to play guitar, and I was off.


Marisa: What instruments do you play, and how old were you when you learned to play them?

White Noise Owl: I can maneuver my way around drums, piano, and bass about as well as I do on guitar. I taught myself all of those instruments at various ages.


Marisa: Do you have any favorite gear that you use?

White Noise Owl: I play all G&L guitars and Bogner amps. I use a few effects here and there, but the majority of my tone comes from those two components.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

White Noise Owl: I piggybacked a lot of what my parents listened to and that consisted of a lot of classic rock. I was pretty tuned in to what Pink Floyd was doing until my roommate in military school put on 'Dirt' by Alice in Chains. That blew my head off right off.


Marisa: I remember touring on Ozzfest in 2002, and standing at the back of the stage in Sacramento, CA, with Nick from Black Label Society (after winning the jackpot for him in Reno) when Tommy Lee's band took the stage. For a drummer like Tommy Lee to select Will, that has to say something about his skills.

White Noise Owl: Tommy Lee is definitely more of an authority than I am on the subject, but Will sits in the pocket about as well as any drummer I've ever heard in rock. Even before White Noise Owl, Will was on my Rushmore of favorite drummers.


Marisa: Chris, you've been credited as the brainchild for the White Noise Owl project. What was the hardest part about pulling all of the selected musicians together?

White Noise Owl: It's probably more accurate to say that Pete and I co-created it. I instigated the idea, but it didn't really come to life until we finished our first demo (which was 'Feed'.)


Marisa: Each of you bring different musical experience to the table. How did your former music experience play into this new project, and what makes this project stand apart from your other bands?

White Noise Owl: The other experiences I've had in music showed me what not to do more than anything else. I think I've mentioned this before about White Noise Owl, but what makes us unique is that we simply aren't those other bands that we've been in. If you love Pete's vocals, you're going to get them. You can't go wrong with Will Hunt and John Fahnestock as your rhythm section. Ben Grosse is a sonic genius, so you kind of get awesome parts from all directions with us.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

White Noise Owl: It's usually a terribly recorded guitar part on a phone or a tablet that puts a song in motion (no joke). We will build the foundation of the song with the guitar part, and then stack the drums and bass around it from there. Vocals tend to go in motion last, because we don't keep each song we put together.


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique or signature sound in your latest project, and what is something that people might not expect?

White Noise Owl: I don't actually use or like a lot of distortion when it comes to my guitar tone. I play in many open tunings, and you can't hear the chords I'm playing when the guitar is dipped in crazy amounts of gain. I recorded just as many guitar tracks without distortion as I did with. It sounds massive all stacked together, but I've always thought aggression, or clarity, is more of a vibe and not an amp setting.


Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

White Noise Owl: I would love to think that we would get a massive response from New Zealand, because it has been on my list for a little while.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

White Noise Owl: I always like to imagine Hendrix sitting in with Pink Floyd on some of their darker material live. Hearing Gilmour and Jimi trade a completely different style of licks would have been intense.


Marisa: I have three personality questions that I ask everyone. They might sound like hogwash, but I promise, there is a psychological basis to the answers ;-) First, if you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

White Noise Owl: Prince would probably go with purple, and who am I to argue with Prince?


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

White Noise Owl: Not a yogurt person. I suppose blueberry and cold, but I'm definitely not happy about it.


Marisa: Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

White Noise Owl: What about a cartoon giraffe? Giraffes are neat.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

White Noise Owl: I do not. I've moved many times and you get used to letting things go pretty easily after a while. Maybe books, because it seems like my house is built out of them at this point.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

White Noise Owl: 80's pop music. I could listen to it all the time.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

White Noise Owl: Do what makes you happy even if it means starting right the hell over at any age.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

White Noise Owl: Don't ever forget why you actually started doing it. People will do a lot to remove that piece of information from you. Grip it tight and reference it when you feel like you are forced with a tough decision.


Marisa: Where can people find your music, or are there any links that people should check out?

White Noise Owl: Digitally, White Noise Owl is available everywhere (iTunes, Amazon, etc.) I believe it is on all the major streaming services as well. You can purchase a physical copy of our EP (yes, those still exist!) through www.whitenoiseowl.com or our facebook page. If iTunes is your thing, check it out here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/until-we-meet-again-ep/id811462839


Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

White Noise Owl: Thanks for all of the great questions!

For more on White Noise Owl, go to www.whitenoiseowl.com, www.facebook.com/whitenoiseowl and www.twitter.com/whitenoiseowl.

The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University; for more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.

Lydia Can't Breathe with Mushroomhead

In the Sunshine State, Lydia Can't Breathe is a band that is taking the nation by storm. Last year, I caught them on tour with Otep and Stolen Babies, but this year, they are touring with Mushroomhead. Catch singer Kyle Bolduc, guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer Josh Runfeldt and bassist Shawn Goree of Lydia Can't Breathe, playing with Mushroomhead, at Harpo's in Detroit on May 23rd.

Author Marisa Williams: What is your hometown, is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Melbourne, FL; yes, I live there still. I would say the Brevard Zoo is the coolest; plus, we're fairly close to Disney World. They got the zipline at the zoo, so you can zoom over the zoo. It's not the biggest in town, but it's the coolest.


Marisa: When I caught your show in with Otep last year at Harpo's in Detroit, there was a little nudity on stage. Is that a regular part of your show, or was that just a fluke for that day?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I mooned everybody. We don't always do that, but I did it a lot on that tour. It became like a joke. I did it once, and all the other bands said I should do it again. I haven't done it this tour.


Marisa: Are you giving away water pipes on tour?

Lydia Can't Breathe: We are sponsored by Head Nectar, a glass blowing company. They do ash trays and stuff like that, as well as normal pipes and water pipes. They're Brevard-based as well, from our area. We asked them to give us water pipes, and we would promote them as well. We're pretty much awarding the top merch buyer of the night; whoever buys a lot of stuff gets a water pipe.


Marisa: What's it like touring with Mushroomhead?

Lydia Can't Breathe: It's awesome. This is our third tour with them. We hang out on the bus, and they treat us like family. They're all awesome. Some bands you go out with, they're more standoffish.


Marisa: I would have to agree. The guys in Mushroomhead are real cool. Though we toured on Ozzfest together in 2002, I met them even before then, as I'm from just south of Detroit, and they're Ohio boys. A band I had been managing had opened for them at Harpo's, so that's when I first met them, and they have all been pretty cool through the years. I do know what you mean about some bands being more standoffish though. When I was touring on Ozzfest with both Mushroomhead and Otep, in my opinion, Otep was more standoffish than Mushroomhead; however, her bass player at the time, Evil J, was always real approachable and down to hang out, a real cool guy, totally down to earth.

Lydia Can't Breathe: Otep doesn't party, but she's down to workout. If you're down to do what she's down to do, like see a movie, she'll do that. The new bass player is cool, too. A lot of people had come up to us on tour, asking where the other bass player was, like we were supposed to know. He wasn't around when we did the tour, so I didn't meet him. I guess a lot of people really liked him though. I don't know what happened to him, but the new bass player is really cool. He's young, too.


Marisa: How did you come up with the name for the band?

Lydia Can't Breathe: The Beetlejuice reference is for, Lydia Deetz, which was Winona Ryder's character. My guitar player Dan Wilson and I were watching it. We had a show in a week. We had our first show lined up, and we gotta have a name. We knew we had the show, and the goal of the night was to think of it. It came to be from watching it, and we stuck with it. Kinda grew on that, and now we do movie themes when we go on tour. We pick a movie, dress up as characters, and interact with crowd as characters. Right now we're doing Anchorman. We're all dressed up, and we grew out mustaches. Last time we did Beetlejuice. We did Night at the Roxbury. We did the Chicago Bulls, which is not a movie, but dressed up and had an announcer. We're usually geared towards movies. We're all movie buffs. It's a good gimmick to have something fresh for the crowd, not just wear black, or a costume we always wore. If you don't see us, you don't get a chance to see that gimmick.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I've been playing guitar, but it started off as screaming in my dad's car, trying to mimic AC/DC. Finally, when I was 12, my parents got me an acoustic guitar. I started playing Nirvana, and it grew and grew. I started taking lessons from Paul Chapman of the UFO's. He lives in our town, and he's like a legend; he toured the country with Ozzy and stuff. He taught me, and my mom's a singer. She was never real serious, but she did cover band stuff. When she had me and my sister, she stopped. My grandpa played in the military band, so there's music history in the family. My personal influences are System of a Down and The Beatles. I like a real good story with the music. I don't want it to just be bland, basically. Between the Buried and Me, they destroyed and influenced me.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Lydia Can't Breathe: My first concert was Warped Tour. I was 13, so 15 years ago, and headlining was Green Day. I didn't know who most of the bands were; I was just happy to be able to go. My friends and I got dropped off, and I thought, “this is so awesome!” Comparison to the first show I played, which was at a bar in front of 40 family members and friends, it wasn't exactly what I thought in comparison.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would have to say a movie soundtrack, like Ninja Turtles II soundtrack.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I usually write the guitar riffs before the vocals. After that, I put bass and drums to it. It basically goes guitar, the melodies, get the concept, start adding in drums and bass, then fill in the parts. Comparatively, sometimes it changes, where we think of an idea on the bass, or vocally, then we take that from guitars. Sometimes, the band comes up with song. They've been jamming, and I'll add lyrics after they have pieces of the song. I usually structure it, like how many times we play riff from transition, but that's how we get 'er done.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would have to say falsetto for singing; it's hard to do that, then go into screaming. I don't really do them, but I envy those who can. On guitar, arpeggio, which is called sweeps. Doing really fast sweeps, which is pretty technical on guitar, and not a lot of people can pull 'em off.


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique on your latest album, Time, or what is something people might not expect?

Lydia Can't Breathe: They might not expect the cover song, “Eleanore Rigby” by The Beatles. At first, we play like they did, using string instruments. We use guitars to mimic the violin and strings they used. We play the full two minutes, and change it at the end. It gets super heavy, double timed, a minute of the melodies. A lot of people say, “really, your a metal band playing a Beatles song?” Many people didn't think we'd do something like that.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would say going to the bigger cities where there's a lot of crime, the weird bum-like people. Sleeping in the big cities, where someone could break into the van. We still ride in the van. Godforbid, nothing has happened yet, but we had a few risky situations. We don't sleep in cities anymore. We try to drive an hour and a half outside of cities. We are not sleeping in Detroit. You just gotta be smart. Keep to yourself.


Marisa: Best or worst tour moment?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would have to say the best was moment was playing Sacramento. It was just the first insane show as a band. It was our first tour with Mushroomhead, sold out, wall to wall people. We were direct support that night. It was just... the crowd was so amped, the energy of that night was amazing. It was at the Ace of Spades in Sacramento. We are in it for that experience, feeling that energy off the people. They brought it that night. It was like we didn't even have to play good; they were just ready. We play sold out shows, and people go just as crazy, but that was the first time we saw over a thousand people go crazy off our music.


Marisa: What's your favorite way to travel and why?

Lydia Can't Breathe: On Mushroomhead's bus. I got to sleep on their bus. They had mad food and air conditioning. I got to ride from one city to the next on their bus, and I was the only one in band, as we still had to transport our van and gear. They invited me to come on the bus, and that's a way better style than a 12-passenger van.


Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Colorado is my favorite place to travel to, because I love pot. It's my type of people. Every time we go, we have a lot of friends that treat us awesome and give us goodies. I would love to go overseas. I don't even care where to, like Australia or Germany, just to play music that far away, to play for a different culture of people. We've played almost everywhere in America, except Alaska and Hawaii.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Lydia Can't Breathe: It would be to jam out with the Beatles. That would be sick. They're my biggest inspiration. To sit and write with John Lennon and Paul, pick their brains and grow from that. Everyone I meet that's superior to me in music helps me grow. If playing with someone who is not superior, it's hard to grow. I can't teach you how to drive a stick shift if I don't know how. To jam out and write a song with them would be epic.


Marisa: If you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would be bright orange. And invincible.


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would say rainbow sherbert in a huge waffle cone.


Marisa: Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

Lydia Can't Breathe: If I was a cartoon, I'd be the best looking ever drawn, with super powers greater than any superhero, and I'd wreck it. I'd be able to fly, shoot spider webs, or lightning bolts, and I'd be so good-looking, I'd have nothing but hot women cartoons chilling with me.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Other than my music stuff, not really. I don't really play video games, but I do like movies. I have like 3000 movies or something, in every range, like action, adventure, even 70's. I love movies.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Smoking weed. Straight up. Definitely do that too much.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I used to be a really good baseball player. That's what I did before I found music, sports. I played high school football, played baseball a bunch in 9th and 10th grade. I quit sports and started music, because I broke my ankle so bad that I couldn't play for like a year or two. I got into hanging out with kids that don't do that and never went back.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Who your true family and friends are, who truly has your back, and when somebody does a kind act, reciprocate it. For example, if somebody buys me dinner, then I make sure to do something, like buy dinner, ice cream, a movie, something; I always try to reciprocate.


Marisa: What was your most influential moment?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I would say when I saw Green Day play that first show when I was at Warped Tour. To see that many kids going crazy, feeding off of them and the creative vibe of the music. That's absolute power. I thought, “I gotta do that,” so I never stopped going to shows. I started playing, and pushed and pushed until I was the one playing the shows.


Marisa: If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

Lydia Can't Breathe: I have no clue. Probably working a terrible job that I hate and taking care of children or something.


Marisa: What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

Lydia Can't Breathe: A toothbrush, a towel and a fresh pair of underwear.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Just know that it's going to be hard, and everyone that's ahead of you had to go through what you have to go through. Anything good in life doesn't come easy. It's not all glam and glory, but anything good in life is worth working for.


Marisa: Where can people find your music?

Lydia Can't Breathe: www.lydiacantbreathe.com, www.youtube.com/lydiacantbreathe, www.facebook.com/lydiacantbreathe and www.twitter.com/LCBMusic.


Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

Lydia Can't Breathe: Just go pick up the new album Time. That's it.


The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. For more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz. Follow Marisa at www.twitter.com/booksnbling.

Trapt Embarks on Tour to Support New Album Reborn

Trapt garnered attention with hits like “Headstrong,” but fans may be interested to hear the band with their latest addition, guitarist Travis Miguel, formerly of the band Atreyu, who is featured on their new album. In support of their new album, Reborn, Trapt will be embarking on a summer tour. Trapt will be playing the Machine Shop in Flint, MI, on June 24th, Ground Zero in Traverse City, MI, on June 25th, and the Diesel Lounge in Chesterfield, MI, on July 25th.

Author Marisa Williams: What is your hometown, is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

Trapt: Los Gatos, CA, is where it all started. We're all down in Southern California now. A tourist should definitely visit downtown Loa Gatos. Definitely had some fun times there.


Marisa: When you first started in the music industry, did you see your career moving the way it did, and what sort of challenges did you face with your career taking off as fast as it did?

Trapt: We were only 15 when we started jamming together, and by 16, I came up with the band name TRAPT, and we played various clubs and parties. We recorded 2 LP's and an E.P. between 1997-2000. We all dropped out of college and moved to LA, a 4 song demo was recorded and landed in the hands of Warner Brothers Records, and we were signed in sept 2001. It took about 6 years of being in the band for things to really take off in 2003. The challenge back then was always getting your music heard. Now, we have YouTube and all these other social media outlets to get music heard. Wish we had that in the early 2000's, lol.


Marisa: Are there any songs that you thought would have becoming a bigger hit than they did, or songs that became hits that surprised you by blowing up as big as they did?

Trapt: We never really put thought into one song being a monster hit vs another. We try and make sure every song on an album is a great piece of music, and if it resonates with a larger audience, then we chalk it up to the right place at the right time. Being happy with our body of work over the years is what really matters to us.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest early musical influences?

Trapt: I grew up in the Grunge era, I guess you could say. Never really got into the hair metal stuff, but Metallica was up there on the list before Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pearl Jam. Tool was next, and that band has always blown me away. Rage Against the Machine and Korn were also huge influences on Trapt. Pink Floyd, U2, Fleetwood Mac and Genesis came later and also really influenced the sound of the band.


Marisa: What instruments do you play, and how old were you when you learned to play them?

Trapt: I learned to play guitar around 12 and fell In love.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Trapt: Grateful dead was the first. My dad took me when I was 11 or 12, and the whole atmosphere was amazing. TRAPT's first show was at a skate park to a few dozen people, ha. Can't really compare.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Trapt: And justice for all from Metallica was the first record I picked up.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Trapt: Music usually comes first. A piece of music needs to make you feel a certain way and you capture that feeling with words. It does help to write poetry, so that you have something to draw from when you hear that perfect piece of music. I think having recording software at your fingertips really helps to get ideas across quickly and has really helped us branch out in different ways.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Trapt: Riffs!


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique in your latest project, or what is something people might not expect?

Trapt: We used some different electronic elements on Reborn that we hadn't used before, and it added a depth to the music that felt right. We didn't go overboard, and we've always had those elements on previous records, but the things you can do with today's music software is insane.


Marisa: You've had some changes in lineup over the years, how did you go about finding people to fill in for vacant slots, how have you dealt with those changes, and did those changes bring about any differences in how you attack the song writing process or the techniques used at all through the years?

Trapt: I think over time, bands need to evolve, and sometimes fresh blood helps that process. We are fortunate to have friends who are great at what they play. The live show has never sounded so good over the last few years, so everything is fitting perfectly.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Trapt: I would say waking up in the middle of the night when your bus driver is making a tight turn, and feeling like you're going to fly out of your bunk. Happens at least once a week.


Marisa: Best or worst tour moment?

Trapt: There are so many great moments on tour that I can't say one is the best. Just the last couple years have seen us play to some huge crowds, and every show had been amazing. I think social media and the Internet in general has brought our whole catalog of music to a huge audience, and we see new faces at every show.


Marisa: What's your favorite way to travel and why?

Trapt: Bus is the only way to go. It's a beautiful thing to play a show, go to sleep and wake up in a new city.


Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

Trapt: Don't have a favorite place. I love playing for our American fans, and we have plans to go back to Europe and play for our fans overseas very soon. Looking forward to getting back there.


Marisa: When it comes to music videos, can you describe that creative process? Who comes up with the ideas, how do you bring those ideas to life in the video, and do those ideas change within the video?

Trapt: Music videos are based on the songs content. We try and capture the feeling in a visual way and work with directors who can really bring that Vision to life. Once we have a concept, we start shooting and a lot of times ideas will change as we are shooting.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Trapt: They've all come true, ha.


Marisa: I have three personality questions that I ask everyone. They might sound like hogwash, but I promise, there is a psychological basis to the answers ;-) First, if you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Trapt: I'd be a black unicorn and my power would be to cook a nice steak over an open fire with my horn without burning my face off.


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

Trapt: I'd be strawberry and I'd be served from an ice sculpture.


Marisa: Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

Trapt: I'm a dawg for sure, and I'm your best friend until you try and take my food away.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Trapt: Information.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Trapt:  Haven't felt any guilt from pleasure yet.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Trapt: If I had a special talent, I'd try not to hide it. As far as special skills, I think being able to put myself in someone else's shoes and understanding them would be it.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

Trapt: Live and let die.


Marisa: What was your most influential moment?

Trapt: Life is a collection of influential moments, but playing Sublime's "what I got" as my first live performance is up there.


Marisa: If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

Trapt: Some desk job.

Marisa: What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

Trapt: My laptop, my phone and music.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

Keep writing until you love your music as much as what inspired you to make your own.


Marisa: Where can people find your music?

Trapt: YouTube, Itunes, Trapt.com, pandora pretty much anywhere music is sold.


Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

Come see us on tour this summer trapt.com/tour for dates.


For more information on Trapt, check out www.trapt.com, www.facebook.com/trapt, www.myspace.com/traptofficial. To follow Chris Taylor Brown, www.twitter.com/ChristaylorBrwn. Marisa Williams is the author of more than 100 books; for more by Marisa, www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz , http://thorisaz.yolasite.com, and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.

Mastodon to Ravage Rock on the Range

Mastodon will be playing May 18th at Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio. Joining them at the festival are bands like Kid Rock, Five Finger Death Punch, Kill Devil Hill, Jim Breuer Band, Avenged Sevenfold, Chevelle, Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, Exodus, Theory of a Deadman, Texas Hippie Coalition, Guns 'N Roses, Down, Seether and Black Label Society. Bill Kelliher, guitarist of Mastodon, talks about touring and their new album Once More 'Round The Sun.

Author Marisa Williams: Mastodon's new album Once More 'Round The Sun is coming out in June, but what else can people expect from the band in the near future?

Mastodon: Lots of touring, possibly a new video for “High Road.” We've been on tour, and we finished the record a month and a half ago, so we're prepping to play those songs live. We're playing two of them live now. We're preparing for Europe, summer festivals, and a lot of stuff.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Mastodon: I just try to play guitar as much as humanly possible on the road. There's one always nearby, so play as much as I can. In the past, we were writing at home when not on tour, all together in one room, and I find it easier now. When home from tour, I'm busier than when on tour, so with kids and family and obligations, I learned how to use Pro Tools. When I write and come up with something, I come up with it right then and there. I use a little drum machine, add bass to it, like a portable studio. When home from tour, I find I have a collection of riffs with drum beats, and that's how it has changed. I didn't have a computer before, or know how to use the software, so I had saved it for the studio or being at home.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Mastodon: In Mastodon, we tune down a full step. It gives us a full range of heavier sound. We drop tune from B to C and E to A, which gives us the ability to write a heavier riff. When Brann hums a riff to me, if it's not heavy enough, we change the tuning of the guitar, which makes it sound completely different. It opens up a whole new world to tune differently for a different riff. Changing strings around, it's new tuning. Right now, we have four or five tunings that we use.


Marisa: What's something that people might not expect on the new album?

Mastodon: I think with Mastodon, my theory is the fans expect the unexpected; people don't say, “I wouldn't expect that.”


Marisa: Mastodon is getting ready to head overseas after Rock on the Range, then you will be returning back for Bonnaroo, and heading back out overseas; where are you most excited about playing overseas, and in your opinion, how does music scene differ in America versus in other countries?

Mastodon: Playing big festivals in the U.K. is always exciting, as the bands are wild and ravage. They're huge, like The Download, or Reading and Leeds Festivals in the U.K.. They're always packed with people no matter what, rain or shine. It's a little different from American audiences. They love rain and bad weather, because they're used to it. They can be waste deep in mud and water, and they're willing to watch their favorite band play, no matter what. They'll slide around in the mud. We're also playing two shows in Russia. Those fans are diehard. They keep chanting your name forever after the show. It's a totally different part of the world, very different from America. We take a lot of things for granted. There's things we bitch and complain about, but their tough. They have political wars, they're restricted and oppressed, but they still come together over music. It's a totally different world over there than it is here.


Marisa: Some of Mastodon's music has had an almost story-like quality to it. Does this new album carry on that tradition, or can you share some of the ideas behind it?

Mastodon: This record isn't really telling a story. It's more like loosely based on time and life. In the four of our lives, it's a window of time in the band Mastodon, the four of us as individuals. It's a personal story, not like reading a book, a biography, or something like that. It's not a story per say, more of the things that have happened, emotions and things like that.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

Mastodon: My father owned a Hi-fi business in New York. That was his work. I remember when the first CDs came out. I thought it was a live band; it was so clear. I always had records and music around, but my dad and I didn't have same musical tastes. He was into jazz. I was more into punk rock and rebellious music. My dad first bought me a record of U2's War. My dad came from Ireland. He thought I would like it, because it was politically motivated. I listened to a lot of The Edge, U2, Exploited, Black Flag, Johnny Ramone and simpler but cranked up heavy guitar stuff. I moved onto Slayer, Metallica, Sound Garden, Nirvana, and more poppier stuff. I really listened to a lot of Dead Kennedy's and Bad Brains, so I was influenced by that.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Mastodon: My first concert was Ted Nugent and Areosmith at Rochester Community War Memorial, where I was this morning actually. I thought it was amazing. I thought Ted Nugent brought out a girl from the crowd. He stripped her down, and she was wearing this hot nurse's outfit. He laid her on a table that came from out of nowhere, and pretended to have sex with her. Being 14 or 15, I thought it was real and thought that was what happened at concerts. My first real show was around high school, and it was no comparison at all, just a couple high school buddies. We put on a talent show at high school. I guess, thinking about it, part of me felt awesome to be the one on stage with people watching me. I started getting that feeling that it feels right. I thought that's what Aerosmith and Ted Nugent felt like, but I didn't think I'd achieve anything that large, didn't think my band would be as big as that ever.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Mastodon: I would have to say a bus accident; that'd be terrible.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Mastodon: Riding some tasty waves and jamming with The Stones, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High.


Marisa: If you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Mastodon: I'd be plaid. My power would be flying. I think that would be first. A flying plaid unicorn would be sick.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Mastodon: I'm a break-dancing ninja.


Marisa: What was your most influential moment?

Mastodon: Probably the birth of my sons.


Marisa: What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

Mastodon: Socks, Underwear and a t-shirt.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

Mastodon: Stay in school.


For more information on Mastodon, check out www.mastodonrocks.com, www.facebook.com/mastodon, www.twitter.com/mastodonmusic, www.myspace.com/mastodon. The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. For more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.


Pinky Doodle Poodle: Sweet and Savage

Don't let the name PINKY DOODLE POODLE fool you. The Japanese punk rockers will delight and amaze you with their high energy and pounding beats. With YURIA singing and playing bass, and GEORGE on guitar, the rockers sucker you into a false sense of security with a cute name and sweet singer, then kick it into high gear with a blasting blow that will knock your socks off and leave you wanting more.

Author Marisa Williams: What is your hometown, is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

PDP: We both were born in Osaka and now live in Tokyo. We recommend the Universal Studio in Osaka, an aquarium called “Kaiyuukan” and the Osaka castle.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

PDP: Yuria: I came from a musical family. My grandfather was an conductor of a big band jazz orchestra. My father was a professional saxophone and clarinet player, and my mother was a singer and has taught piano. So, it was very easy for me to start playing musical instruments.

George: When I was a little child, my father used to listen to music, especially the American and European music.I think he influenced the foundation of music career for me. 


Marisa: What instruments do you play, and how old were you when you learned to play them? PDP: Yuria: I play the piano, guitar and bass.  At first, I started playing the piano when I was a little child, and then started playing the guitar during my junior high school years.

George: I play the guitar, bass and cajon (percussion). When I was a high school student, I started playing the guitar.


Marisa:  What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

PDP:  Yuria: It was the concert of my grandfather’s band, and my father was there, too.

George: My friend’s concert, it was much better than my first concert.


Marisa:  What was the first album you purchased?

PDP:  Yuria: Sorry… can not remember…maybe someone Japanese artists.

George: The Beatles / Abbey Road


Marisa:  How do you go about writing music?  What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else?  Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

PDP: George: Always guitar or bass riff with rhythm comes first, sometimes a melody comes on it at the same time. The process of writing music has not changed at all.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

PDP:  Yuria: Singing while playing the bass with smile.

George: Jump while playing the guitar.


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique in your latest project, or what is something people might not expect?

PDP: We can switch positions, between guitar and bass.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

PDP: No place to wash our clothes.


Marisa: Best or worst tour moment?

PDP: Recently, we went to Myanmar. All the gigs were held outside. It was so hot, but it was soooooo great.This is our best tour moment in this year.


Marisa:  What's your favorite way to travel and why?

PDP:  We like to ride a bus or a car, because we can enjoy the views from the windows.

Marisa:  What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

PDP: Our favorite place is Big Island, Hawaii, and the place we would like to go is New Zealand.


Marisa:  What do you think is the biggest difference between playing in Japan versus other places in the world?

PDP:  In Japan, every venue, even if so small, has many equipment, lights, amplifiers, and so on. On the other hand, in other places in the world, it would be difficult to do a gig if you don’t have musical equipments or friends who we can borrow from. 


Marisa:  What's your biggest musical fantasy?

PDP:  A world tour to travel by our own airplane.


Marisa: I have three personality questions that I ask everyone. They might sound like hogwash, but I promise, there is a psychological basis to the answers ;-) First, if you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

PDP:  Yuria: Pink with white mane.  I could fly and transform into a human.

George: Black. I could run so fast and fly to the universe.


Marisa:  If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

PDP:  Yuria: Natural forest flavor. I would like to be served with some fresh fruits on a coconut plate by the beautiful beach.

George: Coffee flavor. I would like to be served in Starbucks.


Marisa:  Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

PDP:  Yuria: The question branches off… “Blythe,” an American doll. I am often told that I look like a Blythe doll.

George: A dog. I am often told that I look like a dog, especially a slim muzzle dog; for example, a collie.


Marisa:  Do you collect anything?

PDP:  Yuria: Pink poodle goods!!

George: Fuzz (musical instrument).


Marisa:  What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

PDP:  Our band name is “PINKY DOODLE POODLE,” but we had a chihuahua as a pet…not poodle.


Marisa:  Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

PDP:  Yuria: Energy works.

George: I am very soft on dogs.


Marisa:  What's the most important thing to remember?

PDP:  It would be our lovely pet named “Angel.” She passed away last year.


Marisa:  What was your most influential moment?

PDP:  Yuria: It is my grandfather.I grew up watching what he did. 

George: My most influential moment is when I saw a Jimi Hendrix video.


Marisa:  If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

PDP:  Yuria: Healer.

George: Brewery owner.


Marisa:  What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

PDP: Yuria :Special salt, The tools for cupping therapy, Tuning fork.

George: Dry nattou, Charm, Motion sickness drug.


Marisa:  Any advice for musicians starting out?

PDP:  Our advice is that you should better have a good musical instrument and many opportunities to see live music.

Marisa:  Where can people find your music?

PDP: You can find our music and informations on our label “Good Charamel Records” and our own website.

      http://www.goodcharamel.com/  

    http://www.pinkydoodlepoodle.com/


Marisa:  Closing thoughts and additional comments?

PDP:  Some people may have cute images about us, because of our band name and the voice character of Yuria. But we are a high energy rock band. Please come to our concert, you can see what we really are. We are going to U.S., soon. See you there. 

For more information on PINKY DOODLE POODLE - PDP - info@pinkydoodlepoodle.com http://www.pinkydoodlepoodle.com/ http://www.facebook.com/pinkydoodlepoodle http://www.ustream.tv/user/PINKY_DOODLE_POODLE http://twitter.com/pdp_jp

For more on Marisa: www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.

Shonen Knife Slashes International Music Scene

Female Japanese trio Shonen Knife recently sold out shows in Belfast, Glasgow and Edinburgh. With over 30 years in the music, their new album Overdrive was recently released and well is worth a listen, so stretch out Like A Cat and take in the album. Naoko, vocalist, guitar player and founder of Shonen Knife shares about herself and the band.

Author Marisa Williams: What is your hometown, is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

Shonen Knife: I’m living in Osaka. There are many delicious foods in Osaka like Takoyaki, Kushikatsu, and Okonomiyaki. The Osaka Castle, Tsutenkaku Tower, Sumiyoshi Shrine, and Shitennouji Temple are worth it to see.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

Shonen Knife: I took piano lessons in my childhood, but the teacher was strict, and I didn’t like it. I quit soon. Then I was influenced by the Beatles, then started to play the guitar. My family is not a musical family, but my father liked go to Karaoke and sing.


Marisa: What instruments do you play, and how old were you when you learned to play them?

Shonen Knife: I started to play electric guitar when I was 19-years-old. It’s late, though. I leaned by myself.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended?

Shonen Knife: My first concert was Aerosmith.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Shonen Knife: “Beatles 1967-1970”


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Shonen Knife: When I find some interesting key words during my daily life, I write down them. Then I expand the words to lyrics. I put melody line on the lyrics. I make music in my brain first. Then, I use guitar and do vocal on it.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Shonen Knife: I don’t have any special technique.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Shonen Knife: I don’t have any scary things so far during the tour.


Marisa: Best or worst tour moment?

Shonen Knife: Best is when I had a good reaction from the audience. Worst is when I got cold during the tour.


Marisa: What's your favorite way to travel and why?

Shonen Knife: I like ferry boat. During European tour, we sometimes use ferry boat. It’s comfortable and gorgeous.


Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

Shonen Knife: I like Spain, because the Spanish food is so good. I don’t have anywhere I have not been to.


Marisa: What do you think is the biggest difference between playing in Japan versus other places in the world?

Shonen Knife: There is no difference. If there is, it depends on the cities. For example, at some cities, people are polite and other, energetic.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Shonen Knife: Continue to make fantastic songs.


Marisa: I have three personality questions that I ask everyone.  They might sound like hogwash, but I promise, there is a psychological basis to the answers ;-)  First, if you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Shonen Knife: Sky blue. Flying in the sky.


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

Shonen Knife: Plane yogurt. Served in a bowl.


Marisa: Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

Shonen Knife: Monkey.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Shonen Knife: Nothing.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Shonen Knife: I never have guilt.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Shonen Knife: I play tennis. I don’t know; I’m a good player, though.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

Shonen Knife: Answer for this interview.


Marisa: If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

Shonen Knife: I can’t imagine it.


Marisa: What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

Shonen Knife: Passport, iPhone and money.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

Shonen Knife: Be unique.


Marisa: Where can people find your music?

Shonen Knife: At our gig and internet.

Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

Shonen Knife: Please listen our new album “Overdrive,” and I hope you like it.

For more information on Shonen Knife, www.shonenknife.net , www.twitter.com/shonenknife and www.facebook.com/shonen-knife. For other bands on Robby Takac of Goo Goo Doll's label, Good Charamel Records, go to www.goodcharamel.com. The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University; for more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz.

Kill Devil Hill to play Rock on the Range

Though many remember him as the bass player for Pantera and Down, Rex Brown has a new project that hits just as hard with that rock groove, called Kill Devil Hill. If you haven't checked the band out yet, trust me, you will want to, as the music harkens back to real rock n' roll. With Kill Devil Hill playing Rock on the Range on May 16th in Columbus, OH, Rex discusses part of his musical journey.

Author Marisa Williams: We toured together on Ozzfest in 2002 when I was a Harley Girl, and I became friends with your sound guy, Norris. A few years after the Ozzfest tour, Norris had invited me to a hotel room here in Detroit to watch you and Pepper record an acoustic version of Stone The Crow for a radio station, which blew my mind, as I didn't know you could record with just a board like that.

Rex Brown, bassist of Kill Devil Hill: Yeah, that was kinda the start of a new technology back then. I'm not really sure what happened with that song. We might have put it out on something actually.

Marisa: With all you've done, from Pantera to Down and now Kill Devil Hill, what has been some of your personal highlights that made you smile the most?


Rex: Just putting that smile on somebody's else face, getting them to scream, boo, hooray, high five, just interact with fans. They give it back to you. Highlights are with the fans. Without fans, you wouldn't be anything, which is a kind of generic answer, but really is the truth. I wouldn't be doing this any other way. I just stand up and take it all in, but you can't do it if you're not into it. I have to be fully blown into it to do it. We've been working pretty hard with this. We just had a replacement, with Johnny Kelly stepping into replace Vinny, and I'm stoked now that he's finally pumped in. We had a problem with Vinny taking on other projects, not paying attention to the fact that we have to tour with this band. We got on the phone, had a talk, and Vinny was just not into it. He had all this other stuff going on, and there's no hard feelings, but we finally made the decision to go our own separate ways and move on. Go with with a makes you happy. I'm sitting in glorious spot right now in my career, and I'm completely happy with it.


Marisa: I was curious, does name Kill Devil Hill have any correlation to the Carolinas?

Rex: It does, there's a story behind it. In the 1700's, the British came over to claim land, and well off the shoreline of North Carolina, there were British ships. Pirates would come and loot the British ships. They would steal the rum, then go stash it in the hills and use it for bartering. It was said that the rum was so strong that it would kill the devil; hence, the name Kill Devil Hills. It was famous for the Wright Brothers, as they flew over that strip of land. Mark Zavon had come up with the name, and we thought it sounded cool. We didn't know the actual history until way later, but there's several connotations with the pirates, and we thought it sounded cool.


Marisa: Vinny was the drummer when I saw you last year, but I was curious how did you decide on Type of Negative's former drummer Johnny Kelly (who also played with Danzig and A Pale Horse Named Death )? What made him stand out from all the other musicians that you know?

Rex: I've known him 20 years, as we had toured with Type O Negative. Sure, we had the typical cast of characters to consider, but he was in the top. I seen Johnny only a month before, so we called him. He said, “give me an hour,” as he was in the midst of doing something. When he called back, he said, “the plane's booked, and I'll be there on Saturday.” This kinda threw us through a loop, as I gotta book rehearsal and stuff like that. Within the second or third song though, he nailed it. He nailed the fuck out of it. He played the songs, which incorporated what Vinny was doing, but he's adding stuff in there to add a new dimension to it. I always thought he was a solid drummer, but I didn't know he was that talented. He fits in perfect on the back beat. We rehearsed 14 days in March, as he had some prior commitments, but now he's full-time in the band. Every night is an evolving situation. The band's only as good as the last gig. What he brought to table was that last gig in Australia. Let's just say, the band could stop now, and I'd be happy, but it's not going to stop any time soon. Now we can tour, because we have Johnny. If Vinny didn't have the other side projects... At first, he wanted to do it, then with all the other side projects... I can't do that. I focus on one thing. I always try to be in one band, give it my all and fight for it. Johnny brings dimensions with the songs. I want to go to the studio with him quick, but we have 8 or 9 months of touring, easily, before we can do that. No disrespect to Vinny, but he brought in something different and kicked it into a higher area. Johnny is such a sweetheart of a person, too. The band fell into his lap. I believe things happen for a reason, and the fucker kicks ass. I played with my fair share of killer musicians, and I feel blessed to play with him. He doesn't bring a lot of baggage, like some musicians do. He doesn't have any of that baggage. He's just into jamming and having fun. He's a road dog, like we are. I couldn't have found a better pick. It's not boo Vinny and yeah johnny; he just fits the bill.


Marisa: Last year when I saw you play, Dimebag's partner Rita Haney was touring with your band and helping out behind the scenes. Is she going to tour with you again on your next run?

Rex: She's still behind the scenes, even in a bigger capacity. She's our right hand person behind the band, so it's bringing back family. Eventually, I'll get all the cats in here, slowly, step by step.


Marisa: As a musician who has literally played all over the world, what do you see as being a difference between music scenes in different countries?

Rex: I don't know if you have enough typing skills, or if I have enough breath! In Europe, they're open to all types of metal. Depending on the countries, there's some that are smug. They're just not into a type of metal, but generally, Europeans are open to different types of metal. In South America, they're fanatical, a different type of fan. They chant to all the songs, and they know all the lyrics. Being that it's a start of a new band, I can't wait to get to those territories. In America, it's the flavor of the day. It's saturated with bands that are doing some of the same things over and over and over again. It's getting redundant. It's just like how many bands do the same shit on stage every night? I try to keep my ear to ground, but there's only a handful of bands really doing it the right way with the way I look at it.


Marisa: As a writer and an author myself, I am curious about your book. Can you describe the process of writing it, and how you felt by the responses of it?

Rex: It was done over a period of time. I never wanted to be in the one in the spotlight, as I'm a private kinda person. I was the only one married in the band. I had kids, and I didn't want to be on the cover of People like others might have wanted, but I just put memories together. When it was approached to me, at first, I said hell no, but there's something I can say about what my process was. It's coming from me. It's not coming from somebody else. It's not third person. It's like I'm actually talking, but how am I going to put my whole life in 300 pages? Ten times they edited it, putting in crap and dirt to sell the book. I had to stop them and say, “that's not the point.” There's a story to be told, if you read it from cover to cover. The response has been interesting. It's all good, because I'm telling a story. Some people didn't want to hear it for whatever reason. It's just my side of the story. Phil would love to tell his side, but there's other facets of life that people wouldn't have known about, like how I got into business, and how I felt about certain situations. It's not the point of the book to slam people. I slam on myself more than anybody else. I have 600 pages on the floor of antidotes and funny shit. Maybe there will be another one down the road, but for now, I'm focused on Kill Devil Hill. With the book, for me, I gotta tell the truth, Sweetie, and the truth hurts sometimes.


Marisa: I was always curious, as a guy known for metal, how did you wind up teaming up with David Allen Coe for Rebel Meets Rebel, and what is your opinion on crossing musical genres?

Rex: That was purely a Dime thing. We had gone up to Billy Bob's, and you gotta understand, we are fans of outlaw country. We're from Texas. If you don't know about outlaw country, you don't know spit. Dimebag had called me up and said he had David Allen Coe at his house. I didn't believe him. “You don't have David Allen Coe at your house,” but I went over, and sure enough, he was sitting there. They were just sitting around and playing songs. That was a big passion of his. That was his side project. Philip was out in '98 writing this Down record, but Dime's thing was with David Allen Coe. It's funny, because they may have been 30 years apart, but it's like they were the same crazy mutherfucker. It was like they bridged the gap with metal, and having the songwriting of a country singer. It was basically just for fun, nothing premeditated. It was Dime's entertainment to the world, which I think was really cool, and it was something Dime was really proud of, too. Even though it was not out to every major market, it was underground, but pretty cool.


Marisa: Coming up, Kill Devil Hill will be playing Rock on the Range. Are there any bands you're especially looking forward to seeing there?

Rex: There's only like 150 bands playing there. I'm looking forward to a bunch of people, a bunch of friends. I think we're going on in the early afternoon, which is better than seeing someone after they've been drinking all day in the heat. Shit, we'll just get up there and do what we do, throw down. Being on a show like that, it can be fun to see friends that you haven't seen in a while, catch up on good times, and try to have a good time.


Marisa: You have a signature bass through Spector guitars. I love the black holoflash, but I was curious, what input did you have on the design, and how did that come about?

Rex: I had that 14 years. They're releasing an anniversary model. Through the company, I have five different designs, or flavors. One design is for a bass, then another bass, the tele bass, and another is a guitar that looks like the Spector. Back in day, they asked me to come up with a design. I drew them up a sketch, sent it over to an artist for another sketch. They rolled it around, until we finally agreed on a design. That being said, we sold a butt load of them. Not just like 10 or 20, but 10 or 20 thousand. It's just one of those kinda things. I would draw a piece. He'd send it back, and I'd say I like it like this, instead of that. It still does well. Chris Kael of Five Finger Death Punch basically hot rodded mine up a bit, and that's what he plays.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Rex: First concert was the Texas Jam, which was a bunch of bands, in '78. Van Halen was there, and I think Sammy Hagar was on there, too. It was a ton of bands, kinda like Rock on the Range, or like a California Jam. My first experience was breathtaking. I wish I could go back to that scene, instead of taking pictures and playing on their phones. Leave the phones at home. I'm not one to hop on a bandwagon, but it's a totally different deal these days. People on phones are not into performances as much; it takes away from vibe. Playing shows, I started when I was 15 or 16. We're not talking big big shows, not like Monsters of Rock, where you're playing in front of over a million people. That's another experience. It's like jumping off a cliff without a parachute and hoping someone catches you on way down.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Rex: Ever purchased or stole? I probably would have to say my sister, who was older than me, left me all the stuff like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and everything in between. My music goes from Slayer to Sinatra. The first one that really – well, back in day, it was 8-track tapes – but I would say it was probably either Tres Hombres, or Vol. 4 by Black Sabbath. Once I found Led Zeppelin, it was all over. You gotta remember, I was a child of 70's. It's all about rock, not a bunch of guys all dressed up. Of course, there was KISS and Van Halen, but it was a different climate than it is today. Like the first Mantras records, put that on the LP and give it a spin. See what you think. Hell, I've been around, and I'm still doing it ha ha ha.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all with different bands?

Rex: Sure, depending on who I'm recording with. I might get in a room, plug up, and be sitting there. You gotta think how many songs I've played on and been a part of the writing process. Somebody comes with an initial idea, and we run from there. The drummer might have a drum beat, like Vinny Paul. He had some crazy, over the top stuff, like on “Primal Concrete Sledge,” or “Becoming,” which started with that drum beat. It depends on the situation, and with technology these days... I usually have a guitar sitting here. I'll reach over, grab the phone and sing into it. There's the technology to do that without having to get up and plug in Pro Tools. The next day, get up and make a riff. With recording, I can send it to Mark. I'll have a riff, and he'll change it around. That's how the process goes. Whoever starts it, and it kinda blossoms as everybody puts their two cents in. You'll have a colorful piece of music to call your own. That's how I've always done it, but back in day, you'd have to plug everything in, and during that lapse in recording time, you can lose some of the magic, so technology is great in that way.

For more information on Kill Devil Hill, visit www.killdevilhillmusic.com and www.facebook.com/killdevilhillmusic. Find out the latest on Rex Brown at www.facebook.com/rexbrown. The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University; for more on Marisa, visit www.twitter.com/booksnbling and www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz.

Mayhem with Mushroomhead

The DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI, will be rockin' on July 17th. The Mayhem Tour will be a tornado of awesome bands like Cannibal Corpse, Body Count with Ice-T, Emmure, Ill Nino, Upon A Burning Body, Miss May I, Texas Hippie Coalition, Korn, Asking Alexandria, Avenged Sevenfold, Trivium and many more. With Mushroomhead being one Mayhem band that you don't want to miss, we caught up with drummer Skinny to get the inside scoop on touring and 20 years of Mushroomhead.

Author Marisa Williams: You are one of the staple members of the band. Mushroomhead has undergone many lineup changes over the years. How do you deal with the change in members?

Mushroomhead: There's something to be said for change. We had so many members over the years. It's inevitable over 20 years. People come and go. Embrace it as a wonder what's next. I'd rather not know what's coming up than go and punch the clock every 8 hours, then go back to doing what I want to do. It's difficult with 8 or 9 people in the band. You try to make space. Let everyone's voice be heard to make a decision. Either way, it's definitely a challenge with all the people.


Marisa: I first saw you guys when a band I was managing at the time played a show with you at Harpo's in 2001. Then, we toured on Ozzfest together in 2002, but I wasn't in a band; I was a Harley Girl. Since that time, what are some of the highlights from the past decade; did I miss anything good?

Mushroomhead: This last year has been pretty fucking cool. We started in September to kick off the 20-year anniversary in October, on the 23rd actually, so this whole year is our anniversary year. A new album is important. We did Soundwave in Australia, and we did some off dates with Zombie and Korn, but the festival was amazing. Being from Cleveland, our winter is their summer. This winter was horrible for snow, as you well know.

Marisa: Actually, I headed south this winter, migrated down to Florida and New Orleans. I wasn't about to stick around for the snow. I know better.

Mushroomhead: Yeah, it's always nice to get away from it. That's part of why this year was so nice, being able to miss some of that snow, but there were also some really big highlights. There was the Soundwave Festival, and we just did a few days in Russia. We went there for first time ever, headlined a festival, just one show, but we were gone for a few days. After coming home, we are starting another tour on Friday. There's another album release, and here we go. It's our 7th album coming out Tuesday.


Marisa: What was your reaction when “Come On” was censored, and what are your thoughts on censorship?

Mushroomhead: Obviously, there needs to be some sort of standard set. You can't please every age bracket, but you're looking for it when you're watching MTV at 3 in the morning. If it's not on in the background, you're looking for the extreme, the heavy. So, I understand certain aspects of business, what you do, and how you try not to exploit individuals. That being said, I didn't think the video was that bad. Isn't Teen Mom worse? Really, I would censor that first. I guess, there ya go. That's the best I got with that one. Start there before you worry about a lil Mushroomhead video. I'm glad somebody watched it and noticed, but there's better stuff to take off MTV.


Marisa: I would imagine that having a band member pass away unexpectedly would be a very hard thing to deal with. With JJ Righteous, the original guitar player, passing in 2010, I was curious if the name of the new album, “The Righteous & The Butterfly,” was sort of a nod to him?

Mushroomhead: Absolutely, 100%; well 50%, half to John John and half to Solowiow. She was Russian. She was our photographer, layout person, around for everything, from the double X video, to being the girl speaking Russian on our song, with John John playing guitar on that whole album. Still really tight with everyone that way. It's a direct dedication to both of them.


Marisa: You were able to tour Australia; what was that like, and how does the Australian music scene differ from here in the States?

Mushroomhead: Well, on that particular festival, for 70 something bands, a lot of them were from the States. They had Alice In Chains, Clutch, GWAR, Five Finger Death Punch, Amon Amarthe... I didn't get to check out too many local bands, because it was such a large festival, but all the fans and people there really appreciated the heavy metal scene. It was great to watch Down everyday. With the pits, there's the Braveheart thing, where the crowd splits to two sides and crash in middle, or they get the whirlpool thing going. There's nothing better than 2000 kids in a circle pit while crushing a tune; it feels amazing.


Marisa: When reaching the level of big tours like Ozzfest and touring internationally, what are the not so glamorous things that people would not expect about touring?

Mushroomhead: The whole hurry up and wait game. You're either siting in a parking lot or an airport, more than being at a festival or up on stage. Sometimes, you're in the air more than on the ground. On the international end of it, there's a lot of hustle and bustle. Get to this train, this car service, the airport shuttle; get from gate A to 97 in three minutes. There's a lot of stuff. If you're Elton John, maybe it's easy, but when you're flying coach, squeezing into seats when you're 6 foot 2 and 200 pounds... Airport food, you don't want to go there. Everything's expensive in airports, as they have you held captive. The sitting around and waiting, and the travel is not... I like traveling to a destination, the actual movement part, but 16 hour layovers in JFK... That's what we had this last time, but we just checked our bags and went downtown. It wasn't that bad. When you have a 10-hour flight and a 16-hour layover, you go downtown and get pizza. Russia was rough on the food. Don't get me wrong, the food was very good, but you can't read the menu, so it's hit and miss, but you gotta eat it, because you just spent 30 bucks. I'd never been there before. Language barriers are an issue, too. I shoulda brushed up on a couple Russian things. I knew I was coming, but instead, I just point at menu like a dog.


Marisa: I know before, people have said there was a thing between Mushroomhead and Slipknot when it came to the masks and stuff, and I know you've long since tried to bury the hatchet on that whole thing, but I have to ask, when it comes to the water drumming, who came up with that idea?

Mushroomhead: I gotta give credit to our lighting and set designer Dave Brooks. Back in 2003, maybe 2002, was when we started it, but he had the idea for a long time. It was originally a much smaller design for just me to get out from behind drum set, to go along with electronic stuff. He had come up with the idea, like a heavy metal Blue Man with our own twist. We tried it outside one night, and it was so cool, we needed it going on the whole time. We never even did the one I was going to do, because I wanted it in the show so much. We tried to do our own twist on extra percussion. We're big fans of Slipknot though. We actually have a side project, called 10,000 Cadillacs with J-Mann and Jus Mic, Mikel Mahoney, so we had been working on that. Sid Wilson from Slipknot does a DJ set, and we got to know him pretty well. We asked if he'd be interested in being in it, because we like same hip hop, and other musical interests. About a month later, he did a DJ set in Toledo, and he had the next day off. He came to Cleveland, did some scratching, so he's a guest on one of my side projects. The whole feud was media created; it's all entertainment.


Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

Mushroomhead: Not really at all. I was a late bloomer, started at 16. I had been into metal, bands like Slayer and Exodus. Back then, I wanted to try to play as fast as I thought I could, not that I feel that way anymore, but when you're 16, you want to take over the world. It was not just so much that I wanted to be a drummer; I wanted to create shit everyday, make it up, and here we go.


Marisa: Do you play any instruments besides drums, and how old were you when you learned to play them?

Mushroomhead: I started at 16. I play around with a lot of keyboards, a lot of producing, engineering, recording, so I'm more that side of it. We have a little studio, mini notes, I'm one of the nerds on that end of the music.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Mushroomhead: The first one that mattered was Detroit, at that place with the ski lift, Pine Knob. It was Iron Maiden and Accept. It was killer: monster production and monster songs. I loved both bands at the time. This was before I played drums, so I seen the big picture of it. I saw the whole production and presenting of a band, that was way for me. The big difference between that and my first show is there were people at the Pine Knob show. I think I made $60 my first show, and it went right into band.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Mushroomhead: KISS Love Gun. That's one I remember. I definitely remember the little Love Gun that you fold and bang.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? With all the people, has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Mushroomhead: The writing style and processing never change. You make it up as you go. There's no set formula. I can hear a rhythm in a washing machine and come up with a melody, a turn signal in a car. It's not chords or vocal lines. I find inspiration in everyday life. The fun of it is the obscurity. Why the hell did you come up with that? Working on stuff, come in with a monkey wrench. What the hell's that? But it breaks you out of your mold. I can go on and on.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Mushroomhead: That's a tough one. There's so many things you want to incorporate all the time without sounding the same. It's not the same song over and over. I think ultimately the best technique is diversity. Don't repeat yourself too much - even if it's stylistic, the style you wrote - but be mindful of it. You don't want to pigeonhole yourself. Stay open minded. Experiment.


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique on your latest project, or what is something that people might not expect?

Mushroomhead: On the new Mushroomhead, the last song is a cover song. We covered Adele, “Rumor Has It.” We definitely made our own version of it, without a doubt, and even I wasn't expecting it. We might do a cover song in practice now and again, just to see how snare drum hits. So, this stuck, and the middle is real creeped out, like Mushroomhead, but you can sing it. You know the lyrics, know what it is, but then it's Adele. It's surprising how much her song speeded up sounds like Metallica. You won't see that one coming. Now that I told you, you'll look for it, but we didn't disgrace it. I would hope she would like it. We just made it heavy and creepy.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Mushroomhead: More layovers, be it 18 hours, or 16 hours. I like it when you can just go. I'll give it to Soundwave in Australia, their logistics were spot on. The sheer amount of travelers, figure ten people per band, times 70 bands, and you gotta get gear organized in every city... It was pretty cool. I don't mind the traveling, or the destination, just the hurry up and wait, sitting and doing nothing. Such a waste of time. If it was a big layover in Denver, I wouldn't mind, if you know what I mean.


Marisa: Oh, I do know what you mean, as Michigan legalized it for medical at least. I'm not sure if Ohio will though; guess we shall see. Getting back to the music though, can you share either your best or worst tour moment?

Mushroomhead: I'm going to go with my last one was the best one, doing Moscow went over really well. We got to meet some really cool people. It's scary to go half a world away, meet someone you've only Skyped with, but then you go there, and they really pull it off. It's pretty cool where I'm at with my career. I've met some really professional people. I'm really thankful where my career takes me. International touring as a whole now, that's the main goal of this album. Obviously, we're going to rip up the stage, but international is the push right now. There's a whole world out there. Some of the best touring moments been Moscow, awesome.


Marisa: What's your favorite way to travel and why?

Mushroomhead: Bus. I'm comfortable on the bus. I have my own bunk, can shut the curtain and sleep for 16 hours. I'm a sleeper. If it's cold, I'll sleep. Tour bus bunk, sleeping 16 hours a day; it's not enough unfortunately, but that's the ultimate dream, one day...


Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

Mushroomhead: We're trying to get around. I'd love to be back to Europe, haven't been there since 2002 or 2003. I really want to see some more of that. When touring sometimes, I like to see the cities and stuff like that. Jim from Kanarium said Dubai was an awesome place for them. He said that was one of the coolest places for them, so I'd like to go there, as apparently they have a really good metal scene.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Mushroomhead: Hell, I duno. Come into work, have a kickass song written without having to do anything. How about that? It's a fantasy. It ain't guna happen. Wish list it. Honest answer, for sure.


Marisa: If you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Mushroomhead: I guess blood red, and I would have super cunting ability, to really aggravate people and piss them off. If you see the red coming, just walk away. I know a bunch of cunts, a bunch.


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

Mushroomhead: I'd taste like Jagermeister, green Monster Energy drink and butane touch I guess. Don't go nowhere near it. It's more of a cooked cream, a caramelized shot if you will.


Marisa: Describe yourself as either a dog, a cat or a cartoon.

Mushroomhead: I'm definitely a loyal little mut dog, two different colored eyes, tail bit off, a half torn ear, just looking for a warm spot on the sidewalk. That's me.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Mushroomhead: Hobbies: juggling chainsaws and unicycling. I collect bad habits, employees, aggravation points if that counts in life, and more debt than anyone. I have a house full of it, rooms full of debt, I promise you.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Mushroomhead: Weed.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Mushroomhead: I don't sleep much. I can function pretty good after 72 hours of no sleep, if that counts, and juggling chainsaws and unicycles, like I said earlier. Nah, I'm boring as fuck.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

Mushroomhead: I guess your address; no wait, the color wheel.


Marisa: What has been your most influential moment?

Mushroomhead: I guess this interview. I just want to go jam, rock out and make sure what I said matters.


Marisa: If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

Mushroomhead: I have no answer for that. That's a trick question. I don't know. I wouldn't be here, I guess. There'd be no reason for me to be here.


Marisa: What are three things you must have with you when you are on the road?

Mushroomhead: I have kids, so I need a phone. My Converse tennis shoes, the only shoes I wear anyways, and... uh, hell... and a fucking toothbrush. I'll take a whore bath, but I need toothbrush and toothpaste, combo. Absolute necessities.


Marisa: Any advice for musicians starting out?

Mushroomhead: Don't. Don't. Really. Really. Sure. Careful what you wish for, seriously, and if you get it, you better be ready. There's a false sense of security if you get signed, like everything will be taken care of, and if you do get signed, don't fuck around, because somebody believes in you, for sure. If someone takes an interest, don't shy away. There's a lot of bands that feel like, “it's my art, and I don't want anyone manipulating it.” Fuck man, if someone wants to invest time and money, it's just art, just a song. You can make ten more if you're that good. Get over yourself.


Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

Mushroomhead: Well, the album comes out Tuesday. Very proud of it. Anyone who grabs it, I hope they like it. Had an awesome interview, thank you.


For more information on Mushroomhead, www.mushroomhead.com, www.facebook.com/mushroomheadofficial, and www.myspace.com/mushroomhead. The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. For more on Marisa, visit www.twitter.com/booksnbling and www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz.

Mayhem: Upon A Burning Body

Upon A Burning Body will ravage the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI, on July 17th while touring on the Mayhem Tour. Mayhem will also feature bands Cannibal Corpse, Emmure, Ill Nino, Mushroomhead, Miss May I, Texas Hippie Coalition, Korn, Asking Alexandria, Avenged Sevenfold, Trivium and many more. In eager anticipation of the show, Danny Leal, lead singer of Upon A Burning Body, opens up about himself, the band, Mayhem and their new album in the works.


Author Marisa Williams: I read that San Antonio is your hometown. Is that where you live now, and if you were a tourist in your hometown, what would be worth seeing?

Upon A Burning Body: I do still live here, and if I was a tourist, there's the River Walk, that's really nice. There's the Hemisphere, Tower of America; you go up to Observation Deck and see the whole city. There's a bunch of parks and stuff around here. Whatever. It's pretty sweet. You gotta see the Alamo, definitely.


Marisa: Last time we talked, I asked you about unicorns and yogurt, so this time, I would like to know about Tito. Seems like you had a bit of a lineup change since the last time I saw you guys egging on crowd surfers and moshers, so tell me about these changes and how you decided upon Tito for drums.

Upon A Burning Body: We were having problems with drummers. Ruben found Tito on internet, as we had been looking for drummers. He came and practiced, and he's been with us. We're still working out with him, so we'll see how it goes, hopefully. The bass position in our band is funny, too. Chris quit the band. Ruben moved to guitar from bass, as he wrote a lot of that anyways. We had to quickly get a bass player, so we had Seth for Europe. When we got back, we got Rey. The funny thing is, before we got signed, he was the original guitar player for the band, the guitar player before we landed the deal. Not many people know of him, as we had parted ways, but we gave him a call and worked it out.


Marisa: You guys look so innocent in vests, button down shirts and ties, but when you get down to business, it's like a bomb goes off in the music venue, and bodies start flying around uncontrollably. How did you guys decide on the innocent, business-like image to portray yourselves, when it contrasts against the moshing and craziness that you guys have come to be known for?

Upon A Burning Body: It was something we thought was different, just something to catch attention in the metal world, because it's different. We've been doing it since. Sometimes it's annoying, because suits are not made to be thrashed around in, but we make it work and do the best we can with them.


Marisa: Any new body art since we talked last time, or are you starting to run out of room yet?

Upon A Burning Body: No, I think I may have gotten one or two, but I'm pretty sure a few have been added. The neck is still the most symbolic though.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Upon A Burning Body: First concert was Alice Cooper and Scorpions. I was a lil guy then. The first one I played was the White Rabbit back room, and I guess, how does it compare? I was a lot more nervous playing than watching, that's definitely an obvious. I just kinda hoped to do good though.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Upon A Burning Body: I can remember Coal Chamber, their self titled CD.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Upon A Burning Body: We just try to do the best we can with the songs that we make.


Marisa: What's the coolest musical technique in your latest project?

Upon A Burning Body: I don't want to give anything away, but I feel it has a lot of one liners. There's things I say that I couldn't say on last albums, as some of the themes were from movie themes, but I am confident that people will enjoy and connect with it.


Marisa: So, as you mentioned, some of your previous albums had themes, specifically movie themes and Al Pacino, but your new album that you're working on is not going to follow that same theme idea?

Upon A Burning Body: We're just coming up with our own thing. There will be a theme, but it's unique, something organic that we create. We're still working on that part of it. We don't even have a release date yet, as we're just getting it mixed still. It's up to our label when it will be out.


Marisa: Besides the Mayhem tour, what do you have happening in the near future?

Upon A Burning Body: We have a small run that starts in a few days. We'll be going into Canada with Emmure, doing some festivals, and a little bit after that. We're working on other tours, but I can't say which one it will be or whatever.


Marisa: Last time we talked, you were looking forward to being on a big tour. Now that you've done Mayhem and Vans Warped Tour, do you have a different perspective on the music industry at all? Has your view on things changed at all, or are you becoming more confident on being a household name?

Upon A Burning Body: I'm definitely trying to get a grasp on being more comfortable as a household name, trying to get longevity and diehard fans. There's still a lot of work to do to reach that point, I believe. You try to do the best you can with everything that goes into records. Everything about a band is business. It's a lot more than people think. There's a lot of details that go into stuff. You learn. It's not a different outlook; you just learn new ways to play the game and be more successful.


Marisa: Before you said your biggest musical fantasy was to be part of a big tour, and now that you've done that, what's your new biggest musical fantasy?

Upon A Burning Body: I think to be on a big tour is great, but a musical fantasy would be to headline and be the bigger dog in a situation like that.


Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Upon A Burning Body: There's so many. You just never know. You hope to do the best you can, and stay all right. You want to play shows that are sold out - and it's hard to do - but if you can pack the club out, then you should feel better about being out there, which is away from home and away from loved ones. It's great when a lot of people see you play.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Upon A Burning Body: No, I don't think so.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Upon A Burning Body: I just try to be myself. I don't do anything that I'm embarrassed by. I like all kinds of weird music, things people think I wouldn't like. There's things I like to wear that not everybody agrees with, but I don't really hide any clothes I wear or anything. I can't really say I have a guilty pleasure, as I don't hide. I'm just trying to be me.


Marisa: Do you have any hidden talents or special skills?

Upon A Burning Body: I'd like to think that I do. I guess if they were hidden, they would only be hidden to certain people. Different people have skills that I would do with them, like I like to play golf. Not a lot of people know that, and I'm not the best, but a lot of people don't know that I do that. I don't have a lot of time to get practice in, but that could be one.


Marisa: What was your most influential moment?

Upon A Burning Body: There's been so many, like touring with Slipknot on Mayhem. Meeting Phil Anselmo on Soundwave was huge. Touring with Five Finger Death Punch, all these things, and I'm just trying to be as successful as those people are.


Marisa: If you were not doing music, what would you be doing?

Upon A Burning Body: I enjoy cooking, so maybe I'd try to do something like that. Other than that, I'm not really too sure. I make things like BBQ chicken, which is a Texas thing, along with jalapeno bombers. It's easy, just cut up fresh jalapenos, take most of the seeds out, fill it cream cheese and bacon, and let it cook really slow. It's pretty standard in Texas, but when we BBQ in other places on tour, people freak out. It's a really simple thing, but people appreciate it.


Marisa: What are you looking forward to the most about Mayhem this year?

Upon A Burning Body: I'm just trying to get as many fans as we can this year, trying to be successful and do the best we can to build a successful career, hopefully.


Marisa: What's your biggest piece of advice?

Upon A Burning Body: Stay focused, do the best you can with what you got. Follow your heart. Do what you set out to do and hope for the best. Not everybody gets to be successful. There's bands out there that don't get that recognition. They might writer better songs or look cooler, but you just try to do the best you can.


Marisa: Any last thoughts?

Upon A Burning Body: Remind people to take a look at the new record when it comes out soon. Come to the shows. Hopefully, we'll see some old faces and a bunch of new ones.

For more information on Upon a Burning Body, visit www.facebook.com/uponaburningbody and www.myspace.com/uponaburningbody, www.twitter.com/UABB. Marisa Williams is the author of more than 100 books; she received her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University and toured on Ozzfest in 2002. For more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz , www.wix.com/thorisaz/photography and www.twitter.com/booksnbling.

Goo Goo Dolls on tour with Plain White T's and Daughtry

This summer, Goo Goo Dolls are teaming up with Daughtry and Plain White T's for a tour. With Plain White T's doing an acoustic set, and with new albums from Goo Goo Dolls and Daughtry, this is a concert you will want to catch. Robby Takac of Goo Goo Dolls discusses the upcoming tour and more.

Author Marisa Williams: Can you describe the transition from studying radio and working at radio stations to being in a band that became a force to be reckoned with on the radio?

Goo Goo Dolls: I went to school for broadcasting, and it was sort of a bridge to knowledge of the music industry and how it works. Things have changed dramatically actually. In the 90s, when the band first tried to get played, radio was a driving business, but as the internet gets popular, there's more and more options. Radio has to transform itself from how it was. I think it's a full circle.


Marisa: I was reading on the upcoming tour that Plain White T's will be doing an acoustic set. I think that's an interesting combination with Goo Goo Dolls and Daughtry. How did you decide on them?

Goo Goo Dolls: We had talked with Daughtry camp about putting a summer tour together, and it never came to fruition, but this year, we were both in right place in our records. We were looking for a third band, and I was honestly blown away with Plain White T's. It makes for a pretty strong package. I'm pretty excited about it. It's going to be a great summer.


Marisa: Does the name Goo Goo Dolls have any correlation the candy Goo Goo Clusters, or has anyone given you a huge box of those candies because of the band name?

Goo Goo Dolls: Especially in the early days, when we were at clubs and stuff, we used to get hit with them all the time, so that's how my relationship is basically. It's less these days than 20 years ago, but yes, we do know of them. At one point, in Tennessee I think, they sent us some complimentary boxes.


Marisa: Also on the topic of name, the band had changed names early on, and looking back, could you have pictured your hits belonging to the original band name, or do you ever look back and wonder what if you wouldn't have changed the name?

Goo Goo Dolls: If we hadn't changed it, we probably wouldn't have had a first hit. The current name of the band is sort of odd for the body of work we have, but the beauty is it's real, and that's what we were born as. We are still going through life as that, so that's pretty cool.


Marisa: What do you feel is the key to the band's longevity in the music industry?

Goo Goo Dolls: I think it's a combination of wanting it, the people who are involved wanting to see it happen, willing to make sacrifices, and other side is that people have to be interested. They have to want to see us. We can't do it if nobody's buying the music, so it's a combination of those. Also, there's the chemistry that has to be able to happen within a band. I think we've been really lucky in that way to find that chemistry and make changes to move forward.


Marisa: With everything you've done, is there anything left on your bucketlist?

Goo Goo Dolls: My wife and I had our first child, so that's pretty awesome. Life opened up in a lot of ways. There's lots of things I want to do with a daughter in my life that I haven't done yet. Musically, I've done so many things, I can't begin to list them. I think just being lucky enough to get opportunities to come about, take advantage of them and hope there's going to be more - not limited, just happy


Marisa: I was reading that your label, Good Charamel Records, has some female fronted Japanese acts. How did you go about discovering them?

Goo Goo Dolls: My wife and I, we used to work with a Buffalo band. We took The Juliet Dagger to Tokyo to do shows and record. Shonen Knife, who's been around for 30 years, we got to be friends, and they asked us to release an album in States for them. Other bands asked us if we were interested in releasing records, so we went over to see bands. We released a lot of bands over here, and we actually just had three recent releases.


Marisa: What was your first concert that you attended, and how did that compare to the first concert that you played?

Goo Goo Dolls: Very first concert I purposely attended - because I was at places for other things that had bands, and I happened to be there, didn't meant to be there - first concert was Emerson Lake and Palmer, in Buffalo, in an arena. It's funny, because when our band started, arenas and things were the last things we were thinking about. All the bands we loved, at most, were playing in a college gym somewhere. They were not big bands, but you know as a band sort of matures and grows and gets bigger, those concerts I went to as a kid are things I feed off when playing a theatre or arena. As we were growing, we didn't consider those things. We didn't think we'd play those places, but looking back, it's awesome we did triumph. Those were great shows; seeing bands like the Kinks was great.


Marisa: What was the first album you purchased?

Goo Goo Dolls: First album was Through the Past Darkly by Rolling Stones, a greatest hits record.


Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Goo Goo Dolls: Personally, I can't really start with music, just chord changes and such. I make unbelievable horrible demos. I'm not paying attention to how it sounds. It's drum machines. I write over the top, and I might use a portion, and start again, and refine it down to the point where I have a song. I'll bring it into the producer, and it changes even more when I bring it in.


Marisa: What is your favorite musical technique?

Goo Goo Dolls: I think being able to use space is something that is a cool thing. I don't do it too often, but the use of space and silence in music is something that is very unique.


Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Goo Goo Dolls: My biggest is that I can totally shred guitar and could like pull off shredder guitar solos. I'm always jealous when I watch people do that. Also, I would go back in time, and squash Ted Nugent's musical career. I actually like his songs; I just don't think he should be on radio right now.


Marisa: If you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and would you have any special powers?

Goo Goo Dolls: I tend to lean towards black, but if I could have a silver horn. Special powers, I would just be a generic magic to be able to do anything; don't limit yourself.


Marisa: If you were yogurt, what flavor would you be (feel free to be creative, as this does not have to be a traditional flavor) and how would you be served?

Goo Goo Dolls: I would be a Pez flavor, cherry Pez, and I would be served in a half coconut, because everything is always fun in a half coconut.


Marisa: Do you collect anything?

Goo Goo Dolls: I collect Pez. I have many. I have some amazing stuff, Swarovski covered Pez, Japanese Pez, a 1950's vending machine, 1950's Casper the Friendly Ghost, and a 1950's Mickey Mouse. I am close with the company, so they often fill me in on stuff. I'm not even close to being as geeky as some. I take them out of packages and set them out. Some collectors have five or six versions of each. One of my favorites is Badtz Maru, the Hello Kitty character. My daughter, she's 2-years-old, and we have a room downstairs in basement. Instead of a man cave, it's filled with toys that I'm sure she will want, but she can't have them, not right now, maybe someday though.


Marisa: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?

Goo Goo Dolls: I like watching Japanese television programs that I can barely understand. I watch them often actually, shows and things like that.


Marisa: What's the most important thing to remember?

Goo Goo Dolls: Wallet, phone, keys.

For more on the Goo Goo Dolls, visit www.googoodolls.com, www.facebook.com/googoodolls, www.twitter.com/googoodolls, and www.myspace.com/googoodolls. The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University. For more on Marisa, go to www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz.

Alice Cooper is Super Duper!

Although the start of Alice was not created in malice, would time turn the personality callous?

Super Duper Alice Cooper begins with a straight laced preacher's son, almost a party pooper.

The young Vince had music that could hardly convince the hippies; they would run away or wince.

It wasn't until they left L.A. that people supported their style of play and they started to make way.

They traveled the nation seeking a standing ovation, and Detroit proved worthy of a migration.

In Toronto, a dead chicken left many fans stricken, and word of the Alice Cooper band would thicken.

Next, they needed a chart topping hit, like lickety split, and “Eighteen” was the one to finally make it.

Due to the frontman centrality, Vince was becoming a personality, distinguishing the individuality.

Though Alice Cooper was the band, and musicians had not planned, the Alice persona took command.

With decorated eyes winking, there was excessive drinking, and soon a divided line of thinking.

There's band members this affects, which led to solo projects, and Alice amped up his stage effects.

It's scary stepping out alone, but the Alice personality shone, continually ruffling feathers in the zone.

The show has a theatrical aspect that is deserving of respect; influential, yet wild and unchecked.

Chop off his head. Cut up baby dolls instead, symbolizing babies that are supposed to be dead.

Set the scene with shock for bands that play rock; create enough ruckus to make mothers squawk.

Create shock on a grand scale, and set sail to blaze a trail with guitars that wail. Try to prevail.

A chart topping record and a personality that can't be ignored, all from a name on an Ouija board.

By golly, he was a holographic model for Salvador Dali and more feared than a pirate that's Somali.

There's much more to say, but I don't want to give it all away, so go see it on a local screening day.

If you're an Alice Cooper fan, or want to know more about the man, this will hold your attention span.

If you'd rather see him on tour, he's playing the Bay City River Roar, so that's one show not to ignore.

Though Fuel and Theory of a Deadman will play the night before, Alice Cooper will play the River Roar on June 28th; for more information on the Bay City River Roar, visit www.riverroar.com, and for more on Alice Cooper, www.alicecooper.com and www.nightswithalicecooper.com. For more on the Super Duper Alice Cooper documentary and for a full list of screening dates, go to http://www.superduperalicecooper.com/. Local screenings on April 30th are at the Fashion Square Cinema in Saginaw, Birchwood Cinema in Fort Gratiot and Celebration! Lansing & IMAX; on May 2nd, it will show in Detroit at Cinema Detroit – Burton Theatre.

The author of more than 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing at the Johns Hopkins University. For more by Marisa, check out www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz. Follow Marisa at www.twitter.com/booksnbling.