Post by Matt - Eoattc on Aug 11, 2006 8:44:55 GMT -5
Maybe you have been reading it before but I didn't and someone sure didn't too so im giving it to ya!
It was one of Indiana’s cold nights. A night when the wind went right thru your skin and then thru your bones and out the other side, leaving you numb and miserable. Some MUDVAYNE and Sevendust fans had waited outside four to five hours just to secure their prime real estate spot in front of the stage. The fans were painted, pierced and mohawked; very creative and very entertaining.
As I entered the MUDVAYNE dressing room I was pleasantly surprised to see Chad Gray waiting for me. That was not the original plan. He was dressed casually in jeans, a Coors Light NFL sweatshirt and a dark scarf wrapped around his neck to keep the vocal cords warm and protected. He feverishly popped peppermints into his mouth, and offered as many to me as we began to talk. Chad was gracious, polite, dedicated to his art and definitely ‘a man with a plan’.
LMI: “I really like the song Rain. Sun. Gone.”
CG: “It’s about a long time friend of ours from Peoria. He was murdered two years ago. This is a living tribute to him. He was a great friend to the band.”
LMI: “This is your third release, right? You made a comment about how you grew from the first CD to the second and now to the third. How the first CD was basically a demo.”
CG: “We grew as a family over the last six years. It almost felt easier to write this time. We refined our craft.”
LMI: “I saw you and shot you at Ozzfest this summer. How did you feel about being picked for that tour?”
CG: “We were really excited. We were the ‘mystery’ band, the band they waited to tell everybody about.” “It’s a very HOT tour.”
LMI: “How do you keep that much charisma going on when you are hot and miserable?”
CG: “We’ve subjected ourselves to the most miserable situations.”
LMI: “What happened to the makeup?”
CG: “We’re artists. We naturally evolve; you can’t do the same thing all the time…”
LMI: “Was it your goal to become a national touring act? Everybody wants that, but was it your goal, what did you do?”
CG: “It’s always our goal to make a point. We traveled, we competed in battles of bands, we showcased.” “We started meeting people and we played regionally.” “Then we showcased in Chicago and Clown (Shawn from Slipknot) saw us. He wanted to make sure we not trying to rip off his own band, instead he liked us and helped us.” “That is how we toured with Slipknot.”
LMI: “How has all of this changed you?”
CG: “It’s notoriety, you learn to keep your feet on the ground. You just have to be respectful and appreciate your roots.” “It’s hard being on the road. It’s hard being healthy; we basically all sleep together…” “We all cram ourselves on the bus.”
LMI: “Who are your mentors, what bands do you like?”
CG: “Metallica, Pantera, Elvis, LZ, Beatles, definitely Ozzy.”
LMI: “Who writes your lyrics? You?”
CG: “Me.” “We have conversations though about where we’re going and we have a theme.” “We grid the map.”
LMI: “Who named the band?”
CG: “Me.”
LMI: “In closing, what is your purpose as a band?”
CG: “To move forward. Not all of the emphasis on one facet or on part of the band.” “For people to say – ‘they’re honest, they’re real’.”
It was one of Indiana’s cold nights. A night when the wind went right thru your skin and then thru your bones and out the other side, leaving you numb and miserable. Some MUDVAYNE and Sevendust fans had waited outside four to five hours just to secure their prime real estate spot in front of the stage. The fans were painted, pierced and mohawked; very creative and very entertaining.
As I entered the MUDVAYNE dressing room I was pleasantly surprised to see Chad Gray waiting for me. That was not the original plan. He was dressed casually in jeans, a Coors Light NFL sweatshirt and a dark scarf wrapped around his neck to keep the vocal cords warm and protected. He feverishly popped peppermints into his mouth, and offered as many to me as we began to talk. Chad was gracious, polite, dedicated to his art and definitely ‘a man with a plan’.
LMI: “I really like the song Rain. Sun. Gone.”
CG: “It’s about a long time friend of ours from Peoria. He was murdered two years ago. This is a living tribute to him. He was a great friend to the band.”
LMI: “This is your third release, right? You made a comment about how you grew from the first CD to the second and now to the third. How the first CD was basically a demo.”
CG: “We grew as a family over the last six years. It almost felt easier to write this time. We refined our craft.”
LMI: “I saw you and shot you at Ozzfest this summer. How did you feel about being picked for that tour?”
CG: “We were really excited. We were the ‘mystery’ band, the band they waited to tell everybody about.” “It’s a very HOT tour.”
LMI: “How do you keep that much charisma going on when you are hot and miserable?”
CG: “We’ve subjected ourselves to the most miserable situations.”
LMI: “What happened to the makeup?”
CG: “We’re artists. We naturally evolve; you can’t do the same thing all the time…”
LMI: “Was it your goal to become a national touring act? Everybody wants that, but was it your goal, what did you do?”
CG: “It’s always our goal to make a point. We traveled, we competed in battles of bands, we showcased.” “We started meeting people and we played regionally.” “Then we showcased in Chicago and Clown (Shawn from Slipknot) saw us. He wanted to make sure we not trying to rip off his own band, instead he liked us and helped us.” “That is how we toured with Slipknot.”
LMI: “How has all of this changed you?”
CG: “It’s notoriety, you learn to keep your feet on the ground. You just have to be respectful and appreciate your roots.” “It’s hard being on the road. It’s hard being healthy; we basically all sleep together…” “We all cram ourselves on the bus.”
LMI: “Who are your mentors, what bands do you like?”
CG: “Metallica, Pantera, Elvis, LZ, Beatles, definitely Ozzy.”
LMI: “Who writes your lyrics? You?”
CG: “Me.” “We have conversations though about where we’re going and we have a theme.” “We grid the map.”
LMI: “Who named the band?”
CG: “Me.”
LMI: “In closing, what is your purpose as a band?”
CG: “To move forward. Not all of the emphasis on one facet or on part of the band.” “For people to say – ‘they’re honest, they’re real’.”
for the great interview! You'd think all interviews would be basicly the same, but I learn something new every time I read one~I didn't know that about Rain.Sun.Gone!
Nice interview btw.
Chad's a fucking genius ^^,
. Would anyone be nice enough to provide me with the link to it or something please?