HERE WE GO!! ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER STRIKE!!

The video for Seek and Strike was made in the yard of our home we cal The Mountain House. Sean Lennon penned the lyrics to Son Song there, with Max. A track about John Lennon written by his son, written there! I could only dream of something like that! Killer Be Killed was given birth there. Joe Nunez's first show with Soulfly was at Roxanne's Sweet 16 Party at that location. The Mountain House soothed the children's loss of their brother. It gave them adventure romping through the desert and creek bed. When you walk in the front door, on the floor is a giant carved word...CAVALERA. There is a secret Soulfly logo tucked on the tile in a corner of a room. Many many memories there..

When it came time to make the video for Soulfly 3, Max chose the desert location to be in our yard. 6 spacious acres offered all types of terrain. The only problem was the 110 degree heat that decided to smother us that day! Never fear, as we Arizonans are tough stock when it comes to dry heat! We gathered our Tribe and off we went!

For drama, we painted the faces of everyone with Soulfly logos and tribal paint. Our friend, Ray Nugent, has a large Soulfly logo tattooed on his back; perfect for this occasion! Throughout the day, they all ran through the cactus, up the inclines from the creek bed and the band played on!! We even had a visit from a rattlesnake!

The end of the video was the final gift! Everyone perched on the massive bedrock popping through the volcanic rock and a water truck sprayed everyone with the coolness of the tank! Did I tell you that our property and home is smack dab in the middle of an extinct volcano? Located at the foot of Pyramid Mountain, the last house in Unincorporated Phoenix, also a positive vortex location. It has the vibe that caresses your spirituality.

Please don't ask what happened to the snake!

Class dismissed....

20 YEARS AGO....SOULFLY HAS FLOWN FREE!!!

When I think of what we were doing in 1997, I must say, it has been quite a journey since then. The early months were writing and repairing our family's breakdown. The Max and Gloria Cavalera family was one seriously blown up engine!

When Max began coming out of the bedroom with songs like Eye For An Eye, No, Tribe and Primitive, I knew we were going to make it. I secured a killer, 5 record deal for him, and soon he was in the studio. He had a makeshift band, with no band name, and a hell-of-a lot of faith. Boom!

Since it was Max's formula on Roots to use Indigo Ranch Studio to record and Andy Wallace to mix, he felt comfortable using this equation again. This time, however, Max had something he didn't have when he recorded Roots...he had fire burning inside! He was ferocious!

As the recording drew into the final days, we began to notice little Igor changing rapidly. He developed an unquenchable thirst, an appetite loss and lack of energy. It was not gradual. It swept in like the tide on Malibu Beach. In fact, a couple days earlier, we were all playing on the beach. Igor wandered into the midst of these giant rocks. I could see bits of trash had blown into the rocks, along with remnants swept in with the tide. "Get out of there Igor! You are going to catch a disease!" It was only days later that he started changing. When the diagnosis came in that he had Type 1 juvenile diabetes, we all stumbled.

The day after Igor was released from the hospital, it was Roxanne's 14th birthday. We were having a party, Igor was home, but covered in Chicken Pox, and on top of that, we were administering the dreaded finger pokes and shots. I was at the kitchen table, holding my head in my hands. My best friend, Kristen, sat with me. "What can happen, next?" I wailed! As I looked up, our son, Jason, walked past, inhaling the helium from a ballon, with a big smile on his face. In a brief second, he collapsed on the ground, eyes rolled back in his head and body rocking violently on the ground. His little arms were bent like a begging pup! I dialed 911 as fast as I could. And then I realized....all was going to be okay in our Cavaleraland....it was just another day...

Class dismissed......

NAILBOMB... PLANNING THE DAY OF HATE... PART 2

Moving along towards the Dynamo Festival, there was much preparation to do. Choosing the musicians, rehearsals, advancing the show details, flights, gear, you name it, it had to be organized. Nailbomb had never played before so every adjustment had to be carved out. This wasn't goofing off in the nanny's bedroom any more. This was a festival with over 100,000 people! It would be the sum of our achievements!

While I was working on the flights, and preparing the rider, Max and Alex were choosing band members. I would be making laminates for the 2 shows and they were reaching out to musicians. Christina was sorting the merch and show details wth me. It was all unfolding nicely. Because the band was a hate project, we laughed a lot! Seriously! It was all about shock and awe! It was a funny kind of hate, actually. We were disturbed; hate was reality!

Max had a list of musicians compiled. It wasn't the easiest thing to do. Some of the tracks were done on drum machine, so we had to find a drummer who could imitate this precision drumming. We settled on Barry Schneider, a drummer from a South African band named Tribe After Tribe. He was very well known for his click track skills. Peligro from the Dead Kennedys and Iggor Cavalera, would both split drumming on the remaining songs. Dave Edwardson from Neurosis would slam the bass; Rhys Fulbar from Front Line Assembly; would man the keyboards, and Scoot from Doom would add some action!

Next I had to collect the info to send in the rider. For those of you who don't know what that is...it is the list of requirements a band has, to perform a show. It is usually the PA, lights and monitors, security, hotels, things like that. And don't forget the catering info! We have always been pretty simple in our catering. We don't ask for stupid things like a bowl of red M&M's, or round bread. We did have some fun with the Nailbomb catering rider, as you can see. After all, we were in Holland.....

Class dismissed......

NAILBOMB...DAY OF HATE IS BORN

22 years ago, I worked with Andre Verhuysen to bring a band I manage to the Dynamo Festival in Holland. That band was Nailbomb. We never realized or even dreamt that the record, Point Blank, would march through the ages and stay relevant....but it did. In a few months, Max will bring this classic music to the Tribe. The timing is perfect..war, hate, suffering, sorrow. It's all still here, alive and well.

Recently, I found my Nailbomb file from the time of the festival. The next couple weeks, I will show you the behind the scenes, the growth and the reality of the concept of Nailbomb. Here we start off with my schedule that I prepared for the band. It's funny to read the rider and also the rooming list with our fake names! Christina was my partner then and my partner now. Let's time travel, Students!!


Hate is reality!!!

Class dismissed......

HOLD THAT POSE!!!!!

In 1997, we entertained a photographer at our Phoenix home, who had been flown in, courtesy of a guitar magazine. We didn't know it at that time, but in walked Glen LaFerman, one of the hottest rock photographers in the business and soon-to-be-in-the-future-adopted-friend/family-member!! He has our family's life in photos going back to Soulfly 1, and even took my favorite shot ever, of Max and me.

Photo by Glen LaFerman

I will never forget that first day....after the shoot was over, Glen said he wanted too chill in our backyard, by the pool. Of course we were cool with it !! A few minutes later, when I looked out the kitchen window, there was Glen, standing and loving life, but stripped down to his Tidey Whiteys! Max was like "whoa, there are young girls here; can you put your pants on?" We all laughed and said "those Californians!" Jokingly, of course! Glen decided to spend the night, so we offered him a private room at Christina's apartment. When she woke in the morning and couldn't find Glen, she went outside. He was soaking up the Arizona sunshine, drinking a beer and smoking his cig, in his Tidey Whiteys, on her balcony! We still crack up at this!




Glen's history as a rock photographer has been unmatched. From his first band member shoot ever, which was the famous Corky Laing from Mountain, to KISS, to Bob Marlie, he has more notches on his camera strap than any photographer I have had the pleasure of working with! He was the staff photographer for RIP Magazine, all the guitar mags and countless recording sessions. He has shot Eddie Van Halen since the beginning of his career. His photos of Ozzy wearing the maid's dress in his hotel, made me smile! KISS has adorned their tour books, clothing and lunch boxes with Glen's shots. And we all have seen the photos in the Rainbow Bar and Grill on Sunset....all Glen's visions.

Glen was very honored to show Max and me the Max shot, he had placed in the Rainbow. We were surprised to see Max in there with the heavyweights....Slash, Eddie, Gene Simmons, Ginger Baker, Ozzy, Jeff Beck... Unfortunately some time later, a cunning fox made off with all the photos in the room where Max's photo was!




Glen's studio is in his living room. Through the years, he has perfected every shadow in his black and white portfolio, in this very location. His walls are a museum of rock history. One room has so many magazine covers on the wall, you can't even focus on them! They are only a fraction of his work! Recently, Max and I paid Glen a visit. I had Max detain him while I snuck a few shots for the blog, without Glen's knowing! Glen, if you are reading this...it has been an honor to know you, to work with you and to reminisce with you. You have graciously shot our family through time, even capturing Incite through their evolution and Zyon and Igor's Moldbreaker to Lody Kong transition!! Long after we are all gone, your photos will tell our story!

One of our favorite times was going to Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, for a SIT String's shoot. The ballpark was just starting construction and had many photogenic opportunities. Unfortunately, soon after starting the shoot, a foreman walked up and kicked us out. Max said "it's ok. I am going to play here some day when you finish building!" We laughed and snuck around to another corner and did the deal!! Secretly, Glen shot photos of Max and me, and the shots of Max with his guitar. And guess what...on December 31, 1998, Soulfly opened the New Year's Evil Ozzy festival, and became the first Metal band to ever play Bank One Ballpark!




We all have seen your Bob Marlie shots, taken only a couple months before he succumbed to cancer. The expressions and emotions in this shoot are some of the most intense Marlie shots in existence. Recently, Glen was honored with a display and plaque inside the Bob Marlie museum in Jamaica. It is a honor well earned. The music world of business and fans can never thank you enough for the history you have logged and given us!!!! Very proud to be a part of it!!

Class dismissed.....

LET'S GO UNDER THE SUN!

Some years back, we took Zyon and Igor on tour with us, as we left for Europe to play with Black Sabbath. Summer vacation from school....why not?

I admit that some of the Black Sabbath crowds didn't really "get" Soulfly, but the Tribe who piled in early did! The shows were gas!!! Listening to the Black Sabbath set each night was like a dream, to be honest. The clarity of their music, the tightness that can only be brpught on by years of experience....it was surreal!

There was more than just music and concerts on the tour. Family feeling, unity, great venues and delish catering... Sharon, Gloria, and their team know how to throw a party!! You are treated human, you aren't told not to look at them or speak to them, like some of the important Hot Shots in Their Own Minds demand! Black Sabbath is in the catering room, sharing their meal time with you. You are equal and not just a squashed tomato on the road. It's brilliant! Real people!

This photo of the boys with Bill Ward is exactly when he had just given Zyon the MOMENT OF TRUTH talk. I will never forget the trance I went into, when he started talking about some of the greatest musicians of all time... Ginger Baker, Stevie Winwood, Cream, to name a few! He told Zyon to learn from everyone, to never stop learning. To stand with the greats one day! Excuse me, Students, while I catch my breath.... As the Mom of a drummer son, it was a heavy moment.

Zyon and Igor were a bit speechless meeting Tony Iommi. They had spent quite a bit of time with Ozzy and Sharon on Ozzfests and some private gatherings, so they were always super comfortable around all the Osbournes, but Tony was a different matter! They had never met him and they were just at the age of learning what our lives are.

And now they know.... Enjoy the summer!

Class dismissed.....