A FIRE EATER ON STAGE AND 3 PUPS BORN IN THE BUS!!

In 2004, Max and I decided to get a family bus on the US tour. It was a run right before school started and the kids were hyped to go. We decided to take our newly pregnant Silkie Terrier, Sofia, and her rambunctious boyfriend, Spanky, with us. Moses and Christina were also with us. One big family...... We had taken Sofy to the vet and he assured us there was no way she would give birth before we got home.

The first gig was Las Vegas, only a short run from Phoenix. Early in the morning, I was awaken by Sofy squealing nervously next to me. I turned my head to the left and next to my ear was a tiny, black, 4 inch long, shiny furball! It took me a second to register...I let out a call to Roxanne, in the bunk right past our room. Like a bolt of lightening, she unzipped a bag and out popped a huge leopard designed St Bernard bed! WTF? I guess she scored an A on disaster planning!

Two more furballs made their entrance, and we were springing into action. We could see Sofia was trying to keep Spanky away, so we hooked her up with a private area in a lower bunk, and confined Spanky to the front room. I admit he gnawed at a few visitors and barked like he was a watchdog! It took quite a bit of action to get through this first few days, until we got a routine down. When the dogs got a bit bigger, we got a plastic tub and kept them in the front lounge. Spanky was hiding and lurking around because Sofia was keeping her eye on him as much as she was watching her babies.

These were the early days of Chunk, Rick James and Ciquita, sharing their newfound existence with Marc Rizzo joining Soulfly. He was still ninja kicking with his backpack full of mojo! I admit, I snuck it on once, and rocked some air guitar in the bus! Right after the fire eater spewed his gas fueled flames in the air on stage! Tour life!


Class dismissed....

SOULFLY'S POINT BLANK C'EST LA VIE!!!!

As we near the final North American finale of the Soulfly Point Blank Tour, i wanna give a shout out to the Tribe who came to the show, walked out all sweaty, wearing the Nailbomb hoody and knew they had just witnessed a Metal Rarity!! We all know how underground Nailbomb is and the impossibility of getting your hands on some official cloth! The cds have long since disappeared and only never, do items pop up online for collectors.

With the absence of Alex Newport, Igor took the responsibility and the pressure of the press comparing this and that, and pulled it off!! Since Nailbomb was so embedded in the family, it wasn't like just anyone could fill Alex's shoes. Since Igor was at Nailbomb's 2 historic shows, however in vitro, it all made sense. When we did the shows eons ago, we had to utilize 3 drummers to make it all work, but now there was Zyon, blasting the entire set away.

We knew that the fans at the shows were true fans. They weren't waiting for the Soulfly/Nile tour. They all knew that this was soon to be obsolete and if they wanted to see it, they had better get their torsos in the club. I decided to concentrate on 300 seaters, and keep the shows as raw and in your face as possible. Canada was an experience! 3 weeks crossing Canada had been a dream that I can now cross off my list! Of course it was February and we may as well have toured the North Pole with all the snow and minus temps!

There are a few more territories outside the US that may get a taste, as I am silently planning our future surprises!! Coming up this week...Memphis, Oklahoma City and Gallup, New Mexico!! See you in the pit! Keep it RAW!!

Class dismissed......

THE NAVAJO NATION, A COUNTRY WITHIN A COUNTRY

Several years ago I did my first show at the Navajo Nation, in Tuba City, Arizona at the Warrior Pavilion. It was during the Navajo Fair. I recall in those days the advertising was spray painted on a sheet and hung on a fence on the side of the road! The town was small, with no fast food restaurants and tiny motels. It’s come a long way.

Since then, I have returned many times. I even met the Navajo Codetalkers at a show! Max has appeared at the Toys For Tots event at the high school, sang with a Navajo band at the Rock the Canyon weekend, done a meet and greet with our son, Igor, to raise money for medical bills of a local family and we were even blessed with a Navajo blessing!! That night Igor sang Roots with his Pops,a super memorable evening!

We have made it a point to take our grandkids to the Nation. I am a firm believer in knowing the world’s history and America’s is a complicated past. It’s easy to weave fun with education and I am always trying to leave the young minds full of information. Good Life Decisions blend hand in hand with knowledge and experience, so I try to provide as much interaction as I can and still keep things fun!

We call the Navajo Vice President Johnathan Nez a friend. He has made it a point to reach out and often pays a visit to us when we are in Tuba City. I have a hope to work with him in the next couple years on a project that as yet is still a dream in planning. When Max recently recorded percussion with some locals, the VP stopped by. You guessed it!! There will be some Navajo surprises on the upcoming Soulfly 11!!

If you get the chance to travel to the Grand Canyon or Monument Valley, don’t forget Tuba City! Fry bread, local souvenirs and T Rex tracks await you!!!!

Class dismissed......

ZYON PLAYS THEM, MAX PAINTS THEM!!

Last year, Max started painting Zyon's used drumheads in the back lounge of the bus. I am not sure if you all know, but Max is a talented artist in many ways, at painting,as well as riffing, and lyrically. He is a rarity in music with a slew of reputable bands under his wing...the originator and writer of the original Sepultura, Nailbomb, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy and Killer Be Killed. Not many artists with such a roster!!! A couple years ago when he started painting his jackets, I asked him to paint baby onesies. They flew out of the merch booth as fast as he could paint them. Next he graduated to the very limited line of Buffalo leather vests. If you were lucky enough to grab one of those, many have been framed by now and occasionally someone wears them to the show and gets Max's attention.

Last year in the back lounge of the bus, Max started painting Zyon's used drumheads. I am not sure if the Tribe knows, but besides being a talented riff creator, and a lyrical genius, Max is a fantastic illustrator!! He is a rarity as an artist, and if I asked him for a riff right now, I would have one before my rusty fingers finish this blog! I mean, just look his roster....the originator and writer for the Sepultura era in the '80's and '90's, one half of the politically charged Nailbomb, the creator and writer of Soulfly, writer of all the Cavalera Conspiracy riffs and lyrics and let's not forget Killer Be Killed!! No artist has a lineup like Max's! I'm not bragging, just stating facts..But back to the painting!

A couple of years ago, he began painting his jackets and shirts. This morfed into baby onesies. So many people asked for baby clothes, I bought a bunch of onesies and stuck them under his nose and they basically flew out of Max's painting fingers, into Metal parent's hands! Next was the Buffalo leather vests....They were so hot we couldn't keep them in stock! And now we approach the drumhead stage in Max's artistic life!! These are super exciting for him because he is painting on a drum skin that his son played his heart out on!! It's a connection that only a parent or fan can feel! If you want to get one of these one of a kind heads, you may be lucky to find one at the merch booth on our tour......bashed by Zyon and slathered by Max!!

Class dismissed.....

IT SEEMS SO FAR AWAY

Dana often introduced new bands to us. He went to the small clubs and parties and always came home pumped with fresh music on his mind! He was the first person who turned us onto bands like Korn, the Deftones, Unwritten Law, Downset and Far.

In mid 1996, Max and I were somewhere on the planet and the kids decided to road trip to Flagstaff, Arizona to see the Deftones and a new band called Far. They had heard about them from the Deftones.. They had a new record out called Tin Cans With Strings For You.

Roxanne, Richie, Dana, Kristen and Co. chilled all day, slamming through Far and encoring with the Deftones. If you are lucky enough to be an owner of one of the rare 45 vinyls of Attitude, you will see Dana and Joey’s classic stagedive, seared forever on the back cover. It would be the last concert he would ever see, and the Final Launch.

Next up for Far was a Sepultura club tour. I always preferred taking new bands and giving them a push. New bands are full of fire! I still use the same formula, 22 years later. Stay true to Metal and not the politics of music!!!

Class dismissed......