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Friday, August 23, 2019

GROWING UP GREEN! Wake up Wake up! Poland is Europe’s Texas for Metal!!

Back in the dark days of the Revolution and Lech Walesa, I was prying my way into the badlands of Poland. It was a different time in the ‘80’s. Tight borders, police with machine guns, and white nunchucks, very little food and all grey buildings. War torn. Poor. But Poland was on the edge, with the door to the modern world opening slowly. Today it is a modern, beautiful country, ripe with tourist trade and a choice of historic cities to vacation in. In25 years I saw the county explode into the scene like a ripe volcano! On the last tour, one of the festivals fell out and I was left with 4 days off in a row. What did I do? I decided to take the Metal to Poland!!.


I hit up our agent in London and asked him to please get the open dates filled with Polish dates. He was skeptical but I knew it would rock hard! I messaged Ania Janiak to find a club in Plock and I would make one of the dates a show for her and her city. Yes, I made a show for Ania Janiak... for her dedicated, loyal friendship and her hours of support to all Cavalera acts. She works tirelessly, for the love of Metal.


Ania found a club that was available and also interested, so I sent the info to our agent. He landed 3 other gigs, Warsaw, Poznan and Wroclaw. The dates were filled! By the time they were announced, we had 2 weeks to sell tickets! Plock sold out in 20 minutes, and the others took only a couple days. It was revolutionary to sell tickets so quickly, in the heat of the summer, with no advance notice! Our Tribe stayed true.


When we got to Plock, our Arena bus parking happened to be near Ania’s family’s apartment, so Max, Jadore and I went there for lunch with Ania and her parents. We had a fun time and ate delicious food! For her parents’ privacy, I won’t share any personal photos.




The venue was intimate!! Our sound maestro had to sit outside the venue to run sound, because the venue was so crammed with fans!



The shows were rowdy! The Tribe was hungry and they ravaged their fill till the next visit! Thanks to all the many cities that rock with Metal fans!!! Poland has the fervor and gnashing of the crowds in Texas!! Never underestimate Metal fans!! And thank you Ania, for always believing!

Class dismissed...

Friday, August 9, 2019

Growing up Green! Wake up! Wake up!! Let’s ferry the English Channel!

I have been crossing the English Channel with an assortment of my bands since 1989, when I first ferried with Sacred Reich. Since then I have lost track of the many ferry crossings and Chunnel crossings. The Chunnel is the railroad tube under the Channel. I admit once our bus was too big to get in and we accidentally shut down the Chunnel and made the CNN News!

We always look forward to the food, the money exchange and seeing the white cliffs of Dover at the end of the journey! England knows how to throw down to music! They also love a good pint and rain does not ruin their day! And they accept all people, Mohawks, piercings, orca suit and tie, it’s all business as usual. Let’s check out the ferry!




No journey is complete without the fish and chips!








And when the white cliffs appear you know you’re done! It’s amazing that people swim this waterway! Rough seas and freezing cold! On to Bloodstock!





Class dismissed....



Thursday, August 1, 2019

GROWING UP GREEN! Wake up! Wake up! Happy birthday, Marc Rip and Shred Rizzo!

Today we will be celebrating Marc Rizzo’s birthday in Slovakia! One half of my Lennon and McCartney, one of our frontline, loyal to family and friends, super self disciplined and full on New Jersey! I am blessed to walk through Metal during the era of Marc Rizzo!


When a vacancy opened up for Soulfly’s lead guitarist, I was talking to Monte Conner, who had mentioned that Marc was recently available. It took me two seconds to set my sight on him! His superb skills and that emotional flamenco driven Metal was a perfect fit for Soulfly! I swear his guitar is part of his torso!! He arrived with his backpack stuffed with magical mojo and a ninja kick that could knock the teeth out of Bigfoot! Soulfly was complete!


Marc has a sense of humor that fluctuates from dry to dark to a rant! Myself being super trusting, he has tricked me a few times lol!! Talking about rants....let’s go to Russia, on the plane with KORN. Marc was in top rant formation one night as we travelled in a private plane across the Russian tundra. He left us all breathless, with guts so sore from laughing! It was a night to remember and we do! I won’t go into the gory details but when we walked off the plane, KORN’S ashen faced crew dude looked at Max and said “you guys like to keep it real!”





We have shared 15 years together, with Marc releasing the Kraken on stage. He wears many hats, like Max, being in Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy and the Return To...tours. We have shared happy times, frantic times and sad times. And we look to the future! After all, who can forget the soulful solo on Mars? I can’t! It’s timeless like a fine Italian wine! Let’s toast Marc today! Tougher than 20 Chechnyans! Just ask him.....



Class dismissed.....