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Rockonline Chat Transcript
April 18th
Rayna and Dez
ROL_guest: Hey CC fans, I'll be typing for Dez and Rayna
ROL_guest: you will see a Dez:
ROL_guest: when Dez is chatting
ROL_guest: and Rayna: when Rayna is chatting
ROL_guest: Please keep the questions coming and hold on for CC
ROL_guest: Dez: Live From Vegas
ROL_guest: How is everyone
ROL_guest: Come on board with your questions its me you're talking to
dannymarkov55 asks: What is your opinion on the bnad kittie and are those comments you made about them true?
ROL_guest: my drummer made those commetns
ROL_guest: I don't know enough to comment on the band
ROL_guest: but I love the fact that they're doing Rockn Roll
andy_london_00 asks: do u consider yourself as a major influence in the late 90s revive of heavy metal?
ROL_guest: I would consider us one and I'm proud to be part of a beautiful subculture
angel_fuker asks: whats your favorite part of live concerts?
ROL_guest: I never remember my live shows, that's the whole fun of it
ROL_guest: I totally blank out on that
pink_star_3 asks: who was your favourite band to tour with, and if you could erase one moment in your career what would it be?
ROL_guest: One band is Metallica
ROL_guest: and Manson
ROL_guest: DEZ HERE
ROL_guest: the worst moment, the Roxy in front of 10 people
stere0typemc asks: whats your biggest inspiration?
ROL_guest: Baohaus and Motley Crue
cc2k_y2k asks: "What is tha most meanigfull song you've ever wrote?"
ROL_guest: Dez: anything but you off the second album
ROL_guest: It just sums up my whole personality
coalprimerkornsoulflyfear asks: what was it like working with ozzy?
ROL_guest: Dez: he's a pro, humble and a legend
ROL_guest: and i'm overwhelmed he was on our album
ROL_guest: The video was amazing
ROL_guest: he did his shots seperate
gerl_us asks: also how come you fall out with other bands and people aka sharon osborne all the time??
ROL_guest: Dez: we don't have any fall outs or enemies
ROL_guest: and the fallout with Sharon was more of an amicable split
ROL_guest: Dez: we appreciate her help
ROL_guest: ICP did fuck us up and we're suing them for 200k, but that's not a band
ROL_guest: But more hands on type of management, but we're not in bed with any one yet
yes_you_gonna_burn asks: What do You guys think about MTV?
ROL_guest: Dez: I think that they have , they're trying to bring back RocknRoll, but I applaud it
ROL_guest: the days of MTV bashing may be over with the string of bands that are being played..
yes_you_gonna_burn asks: Will I see Coal Chamber & Sepultura together in concert?
ROL_guest: Dez: no but that would be great
ROL_guest: Roots is one of my fav albums
visionhead420 asks: Dez, is your throat peircing real? And if so, how'd you get it done without killing yourself?
ROL_guest: Dez: i don't have any throat peircings but I like the name 420
ROL_guest: it's a tattoo, not a piercing
stere0typemc asks: any plans of a new album or more touring??
ROL_guest: coming off the road for 5 weeks
ROL_guest: Dez: Tattoo The Earth in July with some of my fav bands, Slipknot, Sevendust, plus a bunch of major headliners
slipknot_69_31705 asks: WHEN DO U THINK THE NEW ALBUM WOULD BE OUT
ROL_guest: I'm hoping the first of next year but we will write in October
y2danny913 asks: what is your favorite song to perform?
ROL_guest: right now Anything But You, because its opposite of the angry thing everyone else is doing
skaterwanted2000 asks: What was the first time you did, when you heard your song on the radio?
ROL_guest: I was smoking a joint in a car when we heard it, they were playing Big Truck
ROL_guest: it was unbelievable
ROL_guest: that moment and getting our gold album was surreal
aksoccer10g asks: where do you get your ideas?
ROL_guest: Everything from film to the isolation of my daily life
ROL_guest: makes me think of things normally people wouldn't think
ROL_guest: Before Christmas is my biggest inspiration, that and the EXORCIST
kris_p_99_99 asks: what do you do after shows
ROL_guest: drink wine
ROL_guest: smoke weed
ROL_guest: and try to surround myself with close friends
ROL_guest: Stay tuned for Rayna
veronica_wild asks: YOUR FAN BASE IS MADE UP OF KIDS FROM ALL DIFFERENT SCENES.TELL ME A BIT ABOUT NOW THE SCENE SURRONDING COAL CHAMBER BUILT.
ROL_guest: the scene is very varied, its every age
ROL_guest: it's every kind of genre
ROL_guest: which is what we want
ROL_guest: I think kids can identify with every member of the band
fulldeviljacket_chic asks: what is big truck about?
ROL_guest: it's about Rayna big fear of big trucks
ROL_guest: on the highway
ROL_guest: Dez: eVERYBODY THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WE'RE COMING WITH ANOTHER GREAT ALBUM IN THE FIRST OF THE YEAR
ROL_guest: Thank you so much here's Rayna
ROL_guest: Rayna: umm I'd like to say thanks for evereyones support and this is my first tour back
ROL_guest: so thanks everyone
fulldeviljacket_chic asks: Rayna, im a 16yr old chic bassist, what advice do you have for me to get a decent band going?
ROL_guest: Ryna: look for people who you get along with and have musical interests
ROL_guest: Rayna: Dez and Meegs met through an ad
ROL_guest: and I auditioned and from there it happened really quick
wildone_987 asks: Again I ask...Does Rayna know how hot she is?
ROL_guest: My husband tells me
ROL_guest: my mother and father watch my child while on tour
pink_star_3 asks: how important do you think music videos are in converying the messages of the music as well as presenting the band to those who have never heard of coal chamber
ROL_guest: Rayna: now in this day and age its important
ROL_guest: but we are a live band
ROL_guest: as ar as MTV we don't get alot of coverage but we sell/get the word out through live touring
andy_london_00 asks: how are you feeling now, reyna? Do u think u r really to kick start with the band again?
ROL_guest: Rayna: i never met Nadja and i've been along this whole tour and here i am
ROL_guest: happiness to be
ROL_guest: Rayna: i actually tried to see Coal Chamber but I missed opportunities when I was in labor
Butterfly941 asks: whats the most famous person u've met and still can't believe that u actually met them
ROL_guest: Rayna: I would say OZZY
ROL_guest: it was a plain honor a once in a lifetime opportunity the same track
dannymarkov55 asks: What is your response to the comments you made about the band kittie?
ROL_guest: Rayna: I have no idea, i think they are a great band
freak_46115 asks: you should go on ozfest again
ROL_guest: No I don't think we will, we are no longer with Sharon
wildone_987 asks: Has having A baby changed the touring at all?
ROL_guest: Rayna: my child is not on tour and I fly home to visit her alot
ROL_guest: we work the baby thing around the tour , we make it work
acid_girl_666 asks: Before I leave please let me know how is Miguel (Meegs) doing?
ROL_guest: he's doing great
slip_6sic6_knot asks: what's your favorite coal chamber album
ROL_guest: Rayna: mine is Chamber Music
ROL_guest: i like Tradegy
ROL_guest: Unture is really fun to play live and Loco
veronica_wild asks: RAYNA,B+HOW IS THE LIFE ON THE ROAD WITH 3 GUYS?
ROL_guest: you know what
ROL_guest: i don't give it a second look
ROL_guest: we used to live together
ROL_guest: its like my family
ROL_guest: we all lived off of Melrose for awhile
ROL_guest: when we first got signed we all lived with Dez
ROL_guest: so they're like big brothers
jijhd asks: My girlfriend said shes "loco" what does she mean?
ROL_guest: Rayna: she's a little bit crazy, maybe a lot
ROL_guest: That song is actually all the craziness being signed out of the local scene
ROL_guest: all the competition
ROL_guest: alot of the bands that were on our local scene has come up with us and they are all signed
nin_erase_me asks: what is the best bass to buy because i want to get one
ROL_guest: i've always plaed Ibanez and I always will
ROL_guest: You know what I like the way it sounds
ROL_guest: and live its very comfortable cause I jump around
slipknot_kabuki_mask01 asks: Rayna What is the name of your child? And is it a boy or a girl?
ROL_guest: Kaylamoray Rose
evilfireprincess asks: How old were you when you started playing a bass guitar?
ROL_guest: Rayna: i was 20 when I first started to play and i thought that was late
ROL_guest: Rayna: i was going to college and someone gave me a bass
ROL_guest: I was never in search of a band and Coal Chamber is my first band
ROL_guest: Rayna: it was one of my best friends boss to hang out and his roomate just moved out
ROL_guest: and he left some stuff and a bass was handed to me
ROL_guest: i didn't even know the dude
sick_n_twisted_korn asks: what is it like to play "Loco" on stage in front of thousands of people and to see the energy from the crowd??
ROL_guest: Rayna: its awesome we totally feed off the energy
ROL_guest: Rayna: i alsways like playing new stuff and we added Wishes which is only available off Heavy Metal 2000
ROL_guest: Loco is always cool
fab1_77 asks: why dont u get meegs to switch over to ibanez??
ROL_guest: cause he's happy with what he uses
dj_silence_2000 asks: How would you suggest a new band getting started?
ROL_guest: just play as much as you can
ROL_guest: that's what we did
ROL_guest: if you believe in yourself it will happen for you
hot_gurl_4386 asks: WHERE DID U COME UP WITH THE NAME COAL CHAMBER?
ROL_guest: Rayna: right before i joined it was called Coal
ROL_guest: and someone had it
ROL_guest: so we added chamber and became Coal Chamber
fulldeviljacket_chic asks: rayna, thanks so much you have really inspired me to become a bassist and not feel lame cause im a chic!
sparklingfire asks: What are some of your favorite bands?
ROL_guest: rayna: i like the dead lites
ROL_guest: ummm i listen to Cure
ROL_guest: Crazy Town
ROL_guest: Sevendust
ROL_guest: Full Devil Jacket
ROL_guest: Rayna: I just want to tahnk everyones support
ROL_guest: see us we will be out on tour all summer
ROL_guest: thanks
ROL_guest: Coal CHamber wants to thank everyones support
ROL_guest: See ya..
ROL_guest: goto
ROL_guest: and for photos goto
ROL_guest: this has been another RockOnline.com Chat Event
ROL_guest: Join us May 11th when we bring you Tommy Lee!!!
ROL_guest: for a copy of this transcript, please log on to  and check back
ROL_guest: see ya!!!


Having a Word with Dez
Kerrang
Who would you least like to end up shipwrecked with on a desert island?
"I'm pretty easy going and I get along with most people, so it would probably have to be someone who was a real fucker. How about Charles Manson? I wouldn't be too happy about spending the rest of my days with him!"
Having smoked 'but not inhaled' in the past, did President Clinton have his special friend down on her knees?
"I think definitely so! C'mon, it's human nature to abuse others, and when you're the most powerful man on the planet, what's a little oral sex between friends? Power corrupts absolutely, and this President's smoking gun is definitely in his pants!"
Whick rock personality do you think would make the best President?
"Phil Anselmo. I'm being serious! Phil has a lot of views on just about everything going and he has the strength of character to see them all through, which is what politicians seem to lack."
What's the best trick that you've managed to teach Poobah (Dez's dog)
"To not indulge his favourite pastime, 'chomp the postman'! Poobah used to be so aggressive that I daren't take him outside because he'd try to attack all the other dogs in the neighbourhood. It took a while, but I managed to train that out of him."
Rumour has it that you used to date a porn star. Is that true?
"Yes, that's true, I did date a well-known porn star for a while. But before you ask, it was no good; it was dirty. You could never get personal, and it's one of the worst things that I've ever done. She's a really great person, she was cool to the band and supported us for quite a while when we really needed the money, but I couldn't keep doing it because basically, her job was screwing other people."
Have you ever been to a drag show?
"Sure have, and it was a lot of fun too. Have I ever taken part in a drag show? No, never, but I don't have to because we look like we're in a drag show every time we go onstage! The drag show was in LA and I went with about 15 other people, and we had a killer time-I'd recommend it to anyone!"
Have you ever taken part in exhibitionist sex?
"Yes I have. There were six or seven of us at a friend's house-two guys and five girls-and we basically enjoyed the girls' company to the fullest extent! It was very interesting to see what shapes I could get bent into in order to maximise all potential."
Have you seen the Tommy and Pammy home video show?
"I have my own copy! I think it's fantastic-it gets 12 out of 10! Tommy Lee must have the biggest dick I've ever seen in my life! It's hard to watch it after a while, cos they start saying how much they love each other and it get too personal."
Have you ever stolen food so that you could eat?
"We used to steal pork chops regularly. In fact we used to steal food all the time when we were starting out. When you're hungry you'll do anything."
Have you ever had a near-death experience?
"When I was 14 I had my tonsils taken out. You're supposed to be kept in overnight for observation, but I ended up being in hospital for a month and a half because something went wrong. They had to operate on my repeatedly, and I was very ill. That's the nearest I ever came to checking out. It was a close one."
One of Ozzy's daughters developes a crush on you-how do you handle it?
"Noooo! If Sharon (Osbourne, Coal Chamber manager) rang up and told me I'ld broken her daughter's heart, I'd shoot myself through the head! "I hope to God it never happens."
Who is your favorite Teletubby?
"Po! And I'd love to help 'em out on their next single, too!"


Circus Interview with Rayna
Rayna Foss-Rose has the immediate glow that only pregnancy can produce as she chills on her husband's (Sevendust's Morgan Rose) tour bus. The time was the pre-fall months prior the birth of the couples daughter. Visibly content and on maternity leave from Team Coal Chamber, the bassist gave her take on the band's sophomore album Chamber Music, life pre-motherhood and her personal approach to the music game and life on the whole. Rayna and Morgan's baby girl named Kayla Morray Rose was born October 4, 1999.
CIRCUS: First off, what are your feelings on the new LP?
RAYNA: I love it, I don't think we would put out some thing that we didn't like. If you ask all of us you'll get four different ways of saying that we've taken some huge leaps forward with our sound. We really got over being compared to other bands out there and we made a record that really breaks the mold of what's expected from a band like us.
Think we fused the more theatrical elements of what we do and created something that we are very happy with. All of us totally took a good look at what we could do to make this the best record possible.
I'm a fan of this album and I'm a fan of the band, so I think looking at it that way, I'm really about to step back and say `wow this is really good.' We're all blown away with what we have.
I noticed that it sounds very dense and thick.
Yeah, I can see what you mean. It's very bottom heavy, we took so much time on it to make sure it was right. I see what you're saying. It's a really good sounding record that uses the grooves that we've become known for a while letting us grow into what we are capable of. The rap/metal thing is gone now but it still sounds like us.
How did you guys respond to the hype that surrounds the project?
We just phased it out. We've always been that band that nobody supported anyway, so it was easy for us to block that out. Plus, it's not like the whole world is waiting on our new record.
We're certainly still underdogs for all intensive purposes. The only difference is that our record company believes in us a lot more now and we have great management (Sharon Osbourne).
Everyone seems to be rallying around the underdog thing. . .
Yes, it's our calling card I guess. That's just how we feel, you know we have our families our fans and ourselves. We're not one of those bands that are universally loved by everybody on the planet.
I personally think this record will do very well sales wise. What happens when you guys are removed from the underdog position?
That's a good question, I guess we'll just have to deal wit it. Don't get me wrong, that won't be a bad thing. We'd love to sell a lot of records. I don't think that we're the type of band that could sell records based on anything but the music. We're very visual but I think our fans use that as one part of the experience.
Hmm. . . we'll have to see what happens, you know I think we'll treat people the same. We're all the type of people that are really down to earth so I don't think any of us would get a major attitude.
I think we'll just continue to make music that we really, really like. We're heavy in our way and that will continue to grow. We're discovering our own sound something that's just ours. So, if that were to put us in a certain place, I don't see where we would feel unnatural. Yes, we're used to being the underdog, but if we're not then we'll be just as happy.
I know you're very spiritual, does that above sort of fall into your personal belief system?
I like to treat people the way that I like to be treated. That's pretty much how I view the world. If people treated each other better, I don't think we'd have the problems that we do.
That's the sort of energy that I like to put forth. Anything other than that would go directly against what I believe in.
How do you respond to the folks who call you guys evil?
That really bothers me because we are such positive people. I think people have a tendency to get wrapped up in what you look like and what they think that represents.
Look at the new album, you know Dez wrote "Tyler's Song" for his son. How much more positive can you be than that? I guess maybe it's easier to go with stereotypes than it is to take a second to figure out what's really there.
If anything, what we do gives kids a chance to let go and be themselves. If there's one thing that this band stands for is be yourself. There's so many kids that have come up to us and told us how they got into us because we do our own thing.
That really is an important lesson to learn and to be in position to put that out there is ver special to all of us.
As a soon to be parent, has your perspective changed on why these people may or may not get the wrong idea about you guys?
No, not really because I don't believe in judging people for any reason. I can't say that I would ever raise my child to do anything but get the whole story before she formed an opinion on a situation.
So, when do you return to the band?
Hopefully, before the year's up. After the baby's born, I'm going to take some time to spend with her and then get back out there. The album's out in September, so it shouldn't be that much longer before I'm back out there.
Has your absence derailed the band in anyway?
No, I finished the record a long, long time ago. There's a lot that goes into setting up an album so we've been doing all of that sort of stuff. So no, not all because they got another bass player named Nadia to fill my spot until I get back.
Switching gears, have you found that you've become something of an inspiration to younger girls looking to get into the music business?
If that's the case then I'm very, very flattered. Whether it's a guy or a girl for someone to hold you in that regard it very heavy because I can still remember what the feels like.


Kerrang Confindental with Dez
What is your nickname and why?
"My nickname, since I was a kid, has always been Dez. It's after Dez Cadena from Black Flag. I was a huge fan of theirs and the other LA punk bands of that time, like X and The Germs. I used to go to all the shows - this little kid with his shaved head trying his hardest to look very punk rock. It was a great time"
At school, were you a dunce of a teacher's pet?
"I was a little guy with a big mouth. I used to get into trouble all the time. It wasn't so much that I was disobedient, I was just extremely hyperactive as a child. I was prescribed Ritalin, which didn't help much. I think the teachers at my school spent most of their time asking my parents what was wrong with me."
What was your first shag like?
"It was with my babysitter when I was 13 years old. And it was great!"
Who's your best friend?
"My mom. She's the greatest. She accepts me for what I am and I can tell her everything."
What's the best pet you've ever had?
"Dogs. I have three pitbulls at home, though I don't get to see them very often what with being on the road so much. Because of this I might ever have to find new homes for them, which is very upsetting. I miss them a lot whenever I'm away."
Have you ever been nicked?
"About six years ago - and yes I was put in jail. It was for possession of a large quantity of marijuana."
What would you be if you weren't a rock star?
"Am I considered a rock star? Wow! I'd find some other way to convey myself to people somehow. I'd probably paint, or be doing hair. I can do quite a lot of things - I was once a bricklayer! Yes, I was a brickie. I had those jeans hanging off the back of my ass and everything."
How would you describe yourself on a blind date form?
"I don't know... Er, let's see - down to earth, semi-attractive, cute guy. Does that sound silly?"
What's the most extravagant thing you've ever bought?
"A Harley Davidson motorbike. It wasn't recently, though, so it's not as if I'm throwing rock star money around or anything. Hell, it's not like we're making any rock star money yet."
Who's gagging for a shagging?
"It'd have to be Scary Spice! Why? It's obvious. Where? Anywhere! The place wouldn't really matter!"
Who's gagging for a smacking?
"Nobody. I don't have any enemies. And I don't want to hit anyone: I'm not a violent person at all."
Who would you least like to see naked?
"President Clinton. And fortunately, as I don't work for him there's little chance of it ever happening."
What's the best rumour you've ever heard about yourself?
"I really haven't heard any, I don't think anyone has ever started any rumours about me. I think it's because I'm so honest with the press all the time and I'll tell them exactly like it is. Because I feel like people go through my life with me, see me change girlfriends, do this and that, and they feel like I'm honest with them and they know me. So there's no need for rumours, because I'll always say whether something is true or not."
What's in your wallet?
"Two American dollars and a credit cars with a lot more that that on it. Also, a small statue of Christ with my old wedding ring on the bottom of it that I keep with me all the time."
What's your favourite joke?
"I don't think I know any...Honestly, I don't think I know any jokes that the moment. I forget them straight away anyway."
If you were marooned on a desert island without food, which member if Coal Chamber would you choose to eat first?
"I wouldn't eat any of them. I think I'd let them eat me - I'd be charitable about it!"
Which Coal Chamber song would you donate to a compilation entitled 'Crap Songs Of Our Time'?
" 'Dreamtime', from our album."
What's your drug of choice?
"Marijuana. I'm a huge advocate. I want to get in 'High Times'. Did you see that pictures-only issue - they've got buds in there that look like the New York skyline and famous monuments. Excellent!"
What does God look like?
"She's a female. That's about all I know."
When you die, how do you want to go?
"Alone. I don't want a bunch of people around me freaking out."



NY Rock Interview  with Rayna
August 1999
Coal Chamber's long awaited sophomore release, Chamber Music, had its share of setbacks during the production stages. The band had finished recording the music last winter, but ran into some glitches in the spring while mixing the tracks.  
RAYNA: We've had a few delays. The guy who was working with us up in Boston, who was going to mix our record, Chad Frederiqué, died in a car accident a couple days before we were supposed to start mixing. A terrible misfortune. So we got a second guy to start doing it and he didn't work out. Then we hired a third guy [Josh Abraham (Orgy)].     

ROCK:Tell me about the final product. It seems to continue down a rather spooky trail. This time around I hear some eerie keyboards and a string orchestra. What else about it differs from your debut album, Coal Chamber [1997]?             
RAYNA: It differs a lot, but it is also a continuation. It is still definitely Coal Chamber. This record defines our sound. It's still a very dark emotional record. It's still very heavy. Even heavy emotionally verses heavy aggressive in some songs.             
ROCK: The band has been together for five years now. Hard to believe. How did it all get started?             
RAYNA: We all met in LA. That's where we were living at the time and that's where the band is based. Right now, our drummer Mikey [Cox] lives up in New York. I just got married, so I'm living in Atlanta with my husband. The other guys [vocalist Dez Fafara and guitarist Meegs Rascon] live in Los Angeles.             
ROCK: Congratulations on your marriage. How did you meet your husband?             
RAYNA:We met touring. He's in a band too. He's in Sevendust the drummer, Morgan Rose. So we're in the same boat.             
ROCK  The obligatory question: What's it like being the lone female in the band?             
RAYNA: It's cool! I don't really think about it too much actually because I've been in the band for five years now. It just comes natural. It's a part of my life.             
ROCK  Do you think there's more of an attraction to the band because of you?             
RAYNA: I've heard people say that.             
ROCK    How's your label Roadrunner treating you?             
RAYNA: They're great. I like them a lot. Being on an indie is more personal. A little more freedom. A little bit more in touch with you. They give you more personal attention whereas with a conglomerate you can't even get a phone call in there to get anything accomplished. A big label, a lot of times they'll take seven bands and throw them up against a wall, and whichever one hits, you know, the other six get dropped. If you're on a small label and you only sell 300,000 or 100,000 copies of your first record, the small label is going to give you another record, another chance to get back out there. A big label is going to drop you and not going to give you anything else. Or they're going to pull you off the road and make you make your second record and are not going to push that first record as much as an indie label would.             
ROCK:Is there as much pressure for a hit single?             
RAYNA:The big labels have more of the radio connections and can throw a million dollars out their way... But we don't write for the radio... We did do a cover song with this record, "Shock the Monkey." Ozzy is on it too, so it sounds really good. We've shot the video for it with Ozzy too.             
ROCK: Do you have difficulty with protests at shows or censorship? Sometimes it comes with the territory of heavy metal music.             
RAYNA: No, not at shows. We have had to edit some stuff for radio, but not really that much. Like a word here or a word there. We write about our everyday real-life emotions. We don't write political lyrics - by choice. I don't think we ever have. We're just not that kind of band.  I think it's a little absurd, people who blame [violence] on rock music. It's pretty pathetic. They're just looking for a scapegoat. I think they need to look a little deeper inside.   

NY ROCK interview with Dez
May 1998
When Coal Chamber emerged with their eponymously titled debut album in 1997, many critics accused the LA-based quartet of mimicking Korn. Tired of defending themselves, Coal Chamber said "just see us live." Well, it appears many people have. The band has toured throughout 1997, giving many members of the press the opportunity to reassess the band and formulate a much higher opinion.  Singer Dez Fafara was a bit tired "from touring and a touch of the flu," as he explained between coughs, but nevertheless he managed to divulge what's been happening since last summer's legendary Ozz-fest...     
rock:  You've won the much sought after Kerrang! Award for Best International Act of 1997. That's quite an achievement…     
Dez:  It's great. Wow, yeah, that award was so mind blowing, especially because we had such great competition. It's not that we've won. It's also that we've won against acts like Korn,  and No Doubt. They're great established bands, really high class, and we came from out of nowhere and won.     
Rock: You sound as if you're still surprised about it. Obviously you must have deserved it...     Dez:  I think the explanation for it is pretty simple. We're touring a lot. We're always on stage, and on stage we try to give it our all. Even if we might not feel like it. Even if we're having a low, or one of us is not in top shape.     
Rock: You've toured extensively in '97 and it doesn't look like you plan to slow down in '98. How do you manage?     
Dez:  We were so busy. You know sometimes it's pretty hard not to lose track. Basically, we're on stage every evening. I'm trying hard to remember when our last day off was....I can't really remember...I think we had a day off....Oh well, it doesn't matter.   You lose perspective on the road. I think every band who tours a lot can tell you about that. Last year we spent six days at home, the rest on the road. Even our "Loco" video was recorded while we were touring with Pantera.   Being on the road so much has a very surreal character, the feeling you get from it. It's pretty strange but I don't want to complain. After all we were on tour with great bands. We were touring with Pantera [at the personal request of Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul then with Megadeth, and then Pantera again. [They've also toured with Type O Negative.] It was really fantastic because they're cool bands, you know. If you like the bands you're touring with, then it's easier to take the strain.     
Rock:  Don't you miss home?    
Dez:  Of course I'm missing home, my friends, my dogs, everything and the others feel the same, but we made a decision and we're gonna stick to our guns. We all decided it. We all agreed on the fact that the band is going to be the most important thing, that the band comes first, that for a while the success of the band is an absolute priority. Being on tour so much and missing home and all that are the consequences, but if you make a decision you have to face the consequences. There's no way around that. Another thing is that it's going better and better. That's what we wanted in the first place and because we want it still we can't slack. We have to continue.     
Rock:   Can you write songs while you're on the road?     
Dez:  We really wrote a hell of a lot of songs [on the road]. One of them is called "Anxiety" and we already played it a couple of times live. We have about 80 new songs as material for the new album. So, I don't think we have to worry about not being able to make a new album...     
Rock:  80 new songs? Did I hear that right? Was it really 80 and not maybe something like 18?     
Dez:   Nope, 80 new songs. We have a lot of material to chose from... or maybe we'll record all of them and make a 5-CD box-set. Ha! Ha! Ha!     
Rock:   So when can we expect a new album?     
Dez:  At the moment we don't really care about recording a new album. We don't even think about it yet. We just keep writing new songs. The most important thing for us right now is touring and I don't think that's going to change anytime in the near future.     
Rock:  You left Coal Chamber for a while...     
Dez:   It was a mistake to leave Coal Chamber, but I came back, didn't I? I accepted that fact that touring and a lot of hard work is required and I'm doing my best.     
Rock:   A lot of people compare you to Korn and even go as far as calling you imitators. How do you feel about that?     
Dez:  We like the same music. We had the same influences. We're friends with them. Big deal. The critics didn't know all that much. They just thought they knew. They heard certain similarities and that was it. When they saw us playing live, they noticed that we're not a weak copy, but that we're a good band who can hold up their own.     
Rock:  You're still pretty close to your fan base...     
Dez:   We're not trying to play the big rock stars and pose and try to act different than we are. That's not our thing, not our cup of tea at all. We're trying to be as real and personal as possible. The whole rock star attitude makes me sick. We all hate it. You know the bodyguards and the musicians sheltered like the Queen of England.   We're playing for our fans. We want to be in touch with them. I think it's important for a band to be in touch with the audience, to have contact with the fans. We're playing for them, so it's important to interact with them. I think in that respect we're just like Korn; they're also down to earth and not stuck up. They like being close to the audience.     
Rock:  What was the story about your bus driver? I heard he died during the tour...     
Dez:   That was something that shocked us. It was so unexpected and tragic. You know the guy just went to have a shower and died in the shower. Bang. Heart attack. It was crazy. We woke up in the morning and wondered why the bus was still in the same place as the night before, but we didn't think all that much about it. We were waiting in the bus and all of a sudden the cops showed up and told us our driver died and how it happened. We were really shocked.     
Rock:  Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager, manages you too, how did that come about?
Dez:   It was pretty easy. We used to hang out at the Ozz-fest and we met Sharon and got to know each other. She liked us and we always respected her work, so we decided to work together. It's really great. I mean she's a real force in the biz and she helps us a lot, makes contacts and all that. We visited her in London, that was cool. Ozzy and I were riding a motorbike in his garden. That was great. I loved it.  


KindaMuzik Interview with Mike
by lonneke de bruin
Although Coal Chamber was mentioned as a Korn-clone before, their latest recording 'Chamber Music' definitely proves their own unique sound and style. KindaMuzik.net recently hopped on the Type O Negative / Coal Chamber bandwagon cruising through Holland. We had a little chat with 22 year old Chamber drummer Michael 'Bugs' Cox. It's 5:15 PM and Mike just woke up 20 minutes ago...Good Morning Mike!
How is the tour going so far?
"Very good, it's almost over. We have two shows left, this one tonight and one in France. We've done Germany for a long time, we were there for ten days. And we did the U.K. which is always good for us. We wanted to do a tour with someone with a different style of music. And Type O were going on tour and they asked us."
Was this double-tour only for overseas gigs?
"Yeah it was, but now we're gonna do it in the States, starting in January the 21st. Because we had so much fun and we want to mix the two styles of kids together. So we're co-headlining because we are both at the same level over there."
Is playing live the best thing of being in a band?
"Yeah, I think it is. We're a live band. We're not a MTV or a radioband. If you want to know Coal Chamber I think you'll have to see a live show. Most of the time I still enjoy playing live very much. When you're far away from home it can feel like a job sometimes, but it's been fun on this tour. Some tours suck, it's boring to do the same thing every day but this tour has been fun."
Can you tell us something about the influences Coal Chamber had for making this album 'Chamber Music'?
"With the last album we wanted to step away from all the new music coming out, you know, like Limp Bizkit, Korn or Static X. Every new band is getting clumped on this new metal thing. We wanted to get away from it. So we made a new album and we wanted to write more than just about anger and to be not so aggressive all the time. So we put keyboards and string sections on it and Dez is singing more melodic. We look at this one as our first album."
But you're still proud of the first one (Coal Chamber), right?
"Yeah sure. The new one is the first one but it has more texture to it. We're very proud of the first one, we gained a lot of fans with it in the States and over here. We just wanted to step up and push ourselves to see if we could be mature musicians. We wanted more melody and a more universal sound to reach more people. As far as underground audience goes, I think we're probably as big as you can get, before you touch the mainstream. And we aren't afraid to say we want to touch the mainstream. Every band wants to be huge, but we're doing it the slow way. We're not going to write a one-hit, like an overnight type of thing."
What's your favorite song on 'Chamber Music'?
"I like 'Untrue' the best. Because it's pretty personal and it's the first song where Dez actually sang a chorus. It was crazy when we recorded it. And I like 'My Mercy' because it's so different. With the string section in it, it makes the song so different from what we usually write. And that song was supposed to be on the first album. But it was so different, we thought people are gonna say: 'What the hell is this?'. But with this album we weren't afraid to do anything.
I think this album has more emotions, it has anger on it, it has love and hate, it has everything. It's more universal. Even 'Tyler's Song' is pretty positive, and some people didn't expect that. They were thinking that we were supposed to be angry and we're all devil worshippers and stuff like that."
How important is image to Coal Chamber as a band?
"The image didn't come with the band, I mean, like I was kicked out of school for the way I dressed, even before I was in the band. It's definitely something we're not trying to sell records with. Our image changes just like our music changes. But sure it is important, I kind of look at it as 50 percent of everything. It's not just music, this is an entertainment business. People want to be entertained. You can see a normal looking band standing on stage anywhere."
Do you notice that a lot of fans want to look like you?
"Yeah, that's the part of it. These kids can come to the show and kind of live through us for that one day. They can dress like us and wear make-up for that night but they can't do that normally. It's like Halloween for one night."
What kind of music do you listen to?
"I like The Cure. I like dark stuff. I listen to Enigma and mellow stuff. I never listen to anything heavy."
And what do you guys play in the tourbus?
"We all play different things and I wear headphones and go off on my own. They play anything, like rap and Dez plays death metal crap that I can't stand. I play darker stuff. I like being depressed. I don't know why, but I'm really happy or really depressed, there's no in between."
So how are you feeling now?
"I'm happy right now. If I was depressed I wouldn't say one word."
Mikey laughs and I'm glad he's not depressed.
"I get like that before I play. You can't talk to me."
Are you still nervous before a show?
"Yes, but it's not as bad as it was. When I first got in the band I was 19, and when we got onstage I was so nervous my arms just wouldn't move! Now it's more like anxious, I get butterflies and stuff. When we did the Ozzfest in London two years ago, there were like 67.000 people, and I looked out and thought 'Oh my god!'. That was the last time I was really nervous. I get more nervous when no one is at the show. We used to play shows where were like ten people, that sucked! When there are a lot of people you can't individually pick out a face."
Are those the gigs you will always remember?
"Yes, that Ozzfest one. And the ones I remember the most are the bad ones. We were opening up for Ozzy in Germany, and they were throwing money at us, telling us to stop and holding up their tickets. I will never forget that one. But we just played there and it was good. I remember the bad ones, I'm negative like that."
Do you like the Internet?
"I don't go on it. I never have time. We just got our website put up and I'm gonna start doing a diary every other day. But the website we had before was made by a fan of ours who became a friend. And we got bigger in America and he just took the name and wouldn't give it to us. We had to buy our own name back from one of our fans, it was like $7000. So he's obviously not our friend anymore. So now we've got this new one put up, but I haven't even seen it yet. So with that diary I want to get involved more."
Mike finished the given sentence: My prediction for the next ten years in rock is... "hopefully I'll be the richest, famous person in the world, hahaha! No ehmm, I think it's getting better, like in the States MTV is starting to play heavy music and they're starting to play us, Korn and Limp Bizkit, which is good. I think music is growing and I think techno is gonna be the hugest thing in the world pretty soon. Hopefully music will grow."
What question would you ask yourself, what would fans like to know about you or the band?
"They know it all. Especially through the internet, they know too much! We don't hide anything. So there's nothing to reveal, really."
Then Dez walks in and gives Mike a hint by picking up a banana. "We have nothing to reveal, except that Meegs has a very big..."
The two go on about the size and the shape of Meegs genital part and Dez is telling me that I've got the big news and that I should put it everywhere


DEZ AND RAYNA ON COAL CHAMBER
(circus Feb. 2000)
BY: GABRIELLA

(typed by Michelle.. thanks!)

Bassist Rayna Foss Rose from Coal Chamber grins when she talks about the band and how they got started in LA, but now seem to be spread all over the continent. "It all started in Los Angeles, we all met in LA. That's where we werel iving at the time and that's where the band is based. Right now, our drummer Mikey lives in New York with his girlfriend. I'm living in Atlanta with my husband, Dez lives in Santa Barbara, a two hour drive away from LA, and Meegs is the only one who still lives in Los Angeles. It's pretty good, it gives us more breathing space and we still see each other a lot. We're really good friends, but still, we all have lives outside of the band. "We're together for over five years now, that's a lot. Five years with the same people in a band, you really need a good relationship or else the whole thing would just explode! Can you imagine it? I couldn't be in a band with people I don't like, let alone five years. Agony, five years would belike 100 years of purgatory!"
Dez agrees and confirms that they really needed a little break from each other, but that doesn't mean that they're not friends anymore, he hastens to dispell any rumors on that front. "We were on the road for something like 18 months with our first album Coal Chamber, before that we shared a little house together, sometimes you just need privacy. I think it's better that we take the privacy while we can instead of waiting until we really get fed up with each other. Coal Chamberis a great band and we want to keep it this way, so a little break from each other was in order. After being together for so long, we needed a bit of a cut." But the break wasn't for too long.
After the release of their second album Chamber Music, The band once again packed their bags and headed outwith label-mates Slipknot, Machine Head and Amen on the "Livin' La Vida Loco"tour. The only difference this time was their bassist, Nadja Puelen, who covered Rayna's position while she enjoyed the first few months of motherhood. But touring seems part of the course to Dez and the gang who contribute their success to their nomadic lifestyle for the past few years. "We definitely made it through playing live, you know, I think our restless touring and playing got us a very solid fan base, and I know we wouldn't have sold as many albums as we did without playing like we did. But being on tour for so long is definitely a strain, God, we really did feel homeless." Rayna married Morgan Rose, the drummer from Sevendust, last year, but laughs off all expectations and rumors that they might form a band together.
Rayna and Morgan had a baby girl on October 4, 1999, and named her Kayla Morray Rose. Rayna, a former fitness instructor and former Miss Foss now Mrs. Rose seems to be very happy with her husband and spills the beans on how they met and how it is to have a relationship with someone who basically works in the same business you do. "We met touring, that's how it always seems to be, that's how musician sstart relationships." She giggles, "He's in a band too. So we're in the same boat." Rayna confesses that a musician dating another musician has a lot of advantages but also some disadvantages. "You know where the other person comes from, what kind of stress he has to put up with, what it's like to be under pressure or what's it like to be on tour. There's a lot of common ground and that's really great. I can imagine that somebody form outside the biz would have a hard time understanding what's going on, but since we both make the same experiences,we have plenty of common ground."
Rayna plans to return to Coal Chamber this year, but the rest of the gang swung through Europe on a 15 show stint in December with Type O Negative andStatic X which finished off in Paris on the 22nd. After a string of bad luck, finally all the Coal Chamber members seem tolive in happy relationships. Dez, who is remarkably quiet, pipes up and confesses that his girlfriend was the reason why he moved from LA to Santa Barbara. Quite a surprise, because songs like "Untrue" and "Burgundy" give the impression that Dez is still suffering from his tragic last relationship that also resulted in him dropping out of Coal Chamber for a while. "No, not really. I'm in a very happy relationship with a very sweet girl and we live together in Santa Barbara. What can I say? I'm really happy with her."
Coal Chamber is signed with Roadrunner and Rayna confesses that she likes being with an indie label because it gives her and the band more freedom and a better support than a major label would. "They're great. I like them a lot. Personally, I think being on an indie label is more personal. A little more freedom. A little bit more in touchwith you. They give you more personal attention where as with a conglomerate you can't even get a phone call in there to get anything accomplished.They're just big firms who see you as a product while small labels just seem to care a bit more, they give you more support. "A big label, a lot of the times (will) take seven bands and throw them up against a wall, and whichever one hits, you know, the other six get dropped. I've heard it all before and I don't really want to mention names,but I'm sure everybody knows what I'm talking about and which labels are famous for their practices. If you're on a small label and you only sell 300,000 or 100,000 copies of your first record, the small label is going to give you another record, another chance to get back out there. A big label is going to drop you and not going to give you anything else. Or they're going to pull you off the road and make you make your second record and are not going to push that first record as much as an indie label would."
Dez agrees and confesses that the band really feels at home with Roadrunner. "It's almost like a family there, they believed in us and didn't drop us when it didn't work out at first. That gave us the courage to go on a tour and it definitely paid out in the end, it paid out for all of us, the band and the label." "But even with the happy relationships in the band, there always seems tobe a stroke of bad luck following Coal Chamber. During their tour for their self-titled debut, their bus driver died of a sudden heart attack one morning while he was about to take a shower. The whole band waited in the bus for him to show up, just to be informed by the police what happened, and it was a pretty tragic experience for the band. With their new album, Chamber Music,Chad Fridiricci died in a car accident a couple of days before they were supposed to start mixing. But overall, the new album has been a success for the band, debuting at #22 on the Billboard chart and selling 48,000 copies inits first week of sales. In addition, their first release "Shock the Monkey" hit the Top 20 and received heavy rotation on America's rock radio stations.The video for their next single "Tyler's Song" is shooting in January and with Rayna back on board, things can only get better.


The New Fight
(Circus November 1999)
by: Adrian Gregory Glover

(typed by Michelle.. Thanks!)

"Man, Chamber Music is such a great album. I wish that you could have it with you right there, I can't wait for everyone to hear it. I'm here to say,'here come the underdogs.' Because we are about to work our asses off to make big things happen for us." Coal Chamber's Dez Fafara is in an extremely good mood as we chat transcontinental on his band's sophomore LP. As a matter of fact, he's downright gregarious as he preps me to prep the world of what's next in CC's phase two.
"We've really been stressing the underdog thing because that's what we're and we like it. Our whole career we've been in the position of where people sort of took us seriously but not all the way. With this album, we dropped the rock/rap thing and went out on a total ledge. Our old fans will like it because there are some killer heavy songs on it, but we'll pick up alot of new fans as well."
Drastic style changes are against the grain moves in the era of "stick to the plan" cookie cutter acts squeaking out as much dollars as possible. But anyone who knows anything about this man's history knows that he's never been the sort to shy away from change. Long before the band was chilling on tour buses, relishing a two year road swing supporting their immensely popular debut, he was facing the same problem that befalls most starving artists with significant others. The story of how he left the band, was constantly reminded of his mistake by his Coal Chamber tattoo and how his return to the band killed the relationship is pretty much legendary. "Unspoiled" from their debut allegedly documents the events that say a lot about his commitment to his craft and his personal beliefs. As many fans know, he has this way of making the strangest stranger feel like they've known him for years. It believes his menacing appearance but more importantly it backs up the fact that here's a guy that's laying himself, hisfeelings, and his art open for all to witness. "I don't mind opening up to people at all, if the vibe is right.
"Most times it is because our fans are good people. They're really loyal to us and in most cases these are people that I've been able to learn from. "That's part of the difference between us and these bands that everyone says is king right now. I'm not going to name any names because I don't believe in that, but there are a lot of guys that just think they are the shit right now. Not everybody is like that though. The guys in Pantera are great friends and Phil (Ansemelo, vocals) just played me some of their new tracks over the phone. Dude, they are about to come back in a big way. It's funny because they have more to be cocky about than most of the band's out there. "We don't believe in treating people like crap and we don't have an attitude problem. All I'm saying is that mark my words, we're going to come up and bite a lot of people in the ass. I'll say it again, here come the underdogs."
The wait between finishing a record and when it's actually released can often be miles apart. One can only imagine what that's like when you hold inyour hands a product that you feel can set the world on its ass. "You're right, I do feel that this record will be a huge turning point for us. Like right now I feel the wind starting t stir since I'm doing this interview. I can feel that things are about to kick in again and this time it will be even better. There's so many reasons why but to us the most important is that we have such a good team behind us. We have the most amazing manager,Sharon Osbourne (yes, Ozzy's wife) who has taken us under her wing and really made a life for us. What's cool about her is that she did it because she loved the music. Lord knows she has enough money. Shit, she can buy us and sell us in a second, so she's doing it for the right reasons. That whole family is so awesome. "I remember when we went to London to visit their home. It was so crazy because Ozzy made us breakfast. Sharon was going to, but Ozzy was like, 'no,let me do it. "I'm freaking right because there's Ozzy making me food. It's so funny because he doesn't even care that he's this rock God. He is so down to earth and later that day he takes me motorcycle racing. It felt like a dream, you know, us at Ozzy's house with his dogs everywhere. "Oh, but anyway, our label is crucial too. Roadrunner is the fastest rising label in the world and we've always said that we wanted to be theirpremiere band. Well, now we are and they gave us as much time and as much money as we needed to do something special. There was never even a question about how much pressure we were under. It was a matter of reinventing ourselves into something that we could be proud of. "This album has so much to offer, its got darkness, light, crunch and very, very dramatic moments. There's even some dark pop type shit on it and I can't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces when we get back out there and play this shit. "That brings us to our road crew, which is absolutely awesome. Jed,Wookie, all of those guys are our family. You got to put their names in this because it would thrill the shit out of them to see their names in print. Besides, they are as much a part of Coal Chamber as me, Rayna (Foss-Rose, bass) (Miguel) "Meegs" (Rascon, guitar) and Mike (Cox, drums) are."

The whole band of merry men hit the road as a part of an extensive tour with hard-core thrill rappers the Insane Clown Posse early this summer. If the pairing seems unusual it was meant to be, but due to unreconcilable differences, the tour only consisted of two shows and was then canceled. The band later started their "Livin' La Vida Loco" tour with MachineHead, Slipknot and Amen, all of which share the Roadrunner label. This tour ran through late September and guested bassist Nadja Puelen in place of the then pregnant Rayna who was taking a small break from the band for her new experience as a mom. "We wanted to avoid doing something like Ozzfest because that would have been the obvious thing to do. We might pop in for a date or two but for the most part, we are sticking to this plan. We think the record is that diverse where we can add something to the bill and take away some new fans." Diversity in sound and in life seems to be another Dez hallmark. When our conversation turns towards the unfortunate incident where he and his then girlfriend were confronted because she was of different color, his tone turns not somuch bitter as it does saddened.
"You know, when things like that happen, you have to let it go or it will eat you up. That whole thing got blown way out of proportion but the fact there was even something to blow up sucks really bad. I know that not everybody thinks or looks the same, but it would be nice if people could get over some of their messed up ideals that do more harm than good. "I have kids and it does bug me a bit to think that as I raise them to think for themselves and to accept people for what's inside that all over the world even, there's other kids being raised to hate. "People judge me by my appearance and I don't like it, it doesn't make me feel good. A lot of them would have you think that somebody like me is full of hate. You know what, though? Hate has no place in my life. At least not like that. That's one thing about our fans that I have the utmost respect for is that they are good, open minded people who aren't afraid to express themselves. That's another reason why I'm so excited to get back out there and do it all over again."
Based in Los Angeles, a land not known for down-to-earth, egoless types,Coal Chamber as a unit has carved out a niche as leaders of a fast risings act of metallic acts. Wayne X , of the just introduced Static X, recently told me that a large part of their Wisconsin Death Trip has a lot to do with the breaks that came from growing up in that scene. "System of a Down, Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, we're all really good friends. (Especially) Coal Chamber and Snot, they helped us out immensely.They let us open shows for them and build our following." The props seem to go both ways as today's interview subject is equally proud of the group's roots. "Right now, things are prime again out here. There's a lot of killerbands making a lot of great music. We certainly got our fair share of breaks,but we also earned every single one of them. "Before we were really known, we were starving, just looking for somewhere to play. Even when we started touring it was a shitty RV (bus). We had another management situation at the time that wasn't exactly doing right by us financially and we learned a lot from them. Whatever, that's something everybody goes through." When I wonder out loud if there would be any poetic justice in watching Chamber Music blow up as the ultimatum delivering ex-wife, former managementand peers who discounted them would certainly be privy to the status of theband, Dez just shrugs it off. "Well, I'm human inside, so...yeah, there would be some of that. What I'd like to think that I would try to do is remember that negative energy only breeds more negative energy. "See, it wouldn't do me any good at all to become an asshole like that because you meet the same people on the way down as you do on the way up. I'm not the type of person to give anyone, especially them, the last laugh, if you know what I'm saying. I'm more interested in what I would be able to do formy mom..."
As for some of the new LP's highlights, Dez feels there are plenty but elaborates mostly on his cover duet of Peter Gabriel's "Shock the Monkey"with Ozzy. "Please don't think I'm a hypocrite, but I've never really been able to stand it when a band covers somebody else's song. This was a situation where we sort of had an obligation to do it and I think it came out fucking awesome. "You know, Ozzy listens to Peter Gabriel every night before he goes onstage so he was really into it and when I heard that he wanted in, I knew it would be killer. "See, the overall goal of this record is to take it all the way. What I'm talking about is longevity, a career. We've busted our ass to give 110% to our audience and they've always given that back. "The direction of the new record is different in a three dimensional sort of way. That's alright because I believe deep in my heart that our fans will grow along with us. We owe them the opportunity not to hear the same record over again." When I mention that the last sentiment sounds a bit like the strategy that Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd applied to their albums, I'm not met with the "say what?" reaction that's expected. "I just bought both of their back catalogs the other day! We're not trying to cop from them, but I have so much respect for them because of that exact same reason. "God, it would be so cocky for me to say that 'oh we're going to last that long.' But think about it man, all of the bands that lasted forever never gave a shit about what was selling at that time or what had sold for them before. They prided themselves on evolving. We plan to do the samething." Yup, here come the underdogs...


At home with Coal Chamber
Metal Hammer
There's never a dull moment at Coal Chamber vocalist Dez's house, what with two band members, his girlfriend and a few friends sharing it with him - not forgetting Poobah the pitbull. Still, when it all gets a bit too much, Dez can always pop down the road to see his mate, Dino Cazares...
POOBAH
"Poobah is an American pitbull, which is a larger dog than the straight pitbull. His daddy is a huge dog, something like 110 Ibs or thereabouts, so i figure he'll turn out to be equally as huge.
"Looking after a pitbull is like looking after a kid, because they need so much attention and stimulation, so, in effect, Poobah is my baby.
"When we go out on tour, I get my friends to move in and make sure he's okay, and I usually end up talking to him down the phone, cos I miss him.
"I love cats too, but now I've got Poobah, there's no way l can have both, because he'll probably eat 'em. There's this big cat that lives up the street and he walks pass the door real slow, taunting him all the way, whilst Poobah's going crazy at the door. I have to sit there and calm him down, like, 'Kitty's not on the menu today, Poobah.' I'm gonna get him 'fixed' one day, but when rve got a backyard, I hope to breed him.
"As pitbulls go, he's pretty trained, but l can't get rid of that natural aggression toward other dogs. And if anyone were to be foolish enough to break into my home, he'd probably eat them."
HOUSEMATES AND HOBBIES
"At any one time, there's usually five or six people sleeping at my place on a regular basis. At the moment. there's me, my girl Plum, Meegs (Coal Chamber guitarist) and Rayna (bass), plus a couple of friends hanging out, because we're only just back from tour and we're off to Europe soon. Mikey (drums) is only 18, so he still lives with his folks.
"There's never a dull moment we'll go out to clubs or we'll go to rehearsal. Any spare time I have is usually taken up with either Poobah or rehearsals and when I'm not doing that, then I'll take myself off to a quiet corner and write some lyrics or do some painting. I write lyrics all the time; in fact, just last night I wrote two sets of lyrics straight out
"We work really hard in rehearsals, not only to keep doing new stuff, but also to work on the actual performance too. We've just added 'Pig' and 'Unspoiled' into the set, so we'll be working out some new stuff for them.
"I wasn't going to play 'Unspoiled' for a long time, because it was such a heavy deal for me (the song is about the day that Dez's former wife left him), but you can't hold on to negativity forever. We've all learned how to turn negative bullshit into positivity and, y'know, it's a great song, so why not?"
RELIGIOUS ICONOGRAPHY
"One of my favourite pictures is an old one of the Virgin Mary and I love it. I was raised very religiously, my Mom and Grandma are Christian Science and my stepfather is Roman Catholic. I went to a Baptist high school for four years and a lot of Christian churches when I was younger.
"I've had a lot of crazy shit in my life happen to me and maybe religion gives me a little reassurance. My stepfather put a shotgun in his mouth and blew his head off in front of me, and everything got fucked up for a while. I have my own personal beliefs and I do believe there is a God.
"Christian Science is a very powerful religion. They don't believe in using medical treatment, because they believe that the power of the spirit will overcome. My Grandad died because he wouldn't go to hospital, so go figure.
"I've never believed in any one religion and I take from all of them for my own."
MOM
"l love this picture of me and my mom on the wall. It was taken when I was about five or six years old. She raised me pretty much by herself after my stepfather committed suicide. We got lucky third time out with my second stepfather, who is a very nice guy.
"The song 'Bradley' is written about my mom; she always calls me by my first name, which is Bradley. The song is about how, at Christmas time, she always writes letters to the rest of the family, saying how well everyone apart from me is doing. It's the usual stuff, like my sister got herself a good job or my brother is doing real well in high school, but Bradley, well, he's still trying to make it in his band. I saw one of these letters and I was like, 'Fuck you! I'm trying my best here and it's real important to me.'
"My mom is my best friend, but I had to get it out: 'Sue, you're driving me crazy with these letters.' This Christmas, she didn't write any letters, so maybe I ought to feel bad!"
AUTO FEAR
"We had a concussion tour, while we were playing with Danzig in the States recently! The night before we went off the road, we were onstage and Rayna hit me on the head with the stock of her bass and it almost knocked me out.
"We were signing posters and stuff after the show and I started to get the shakes and hot flushes, so I went back to the RV to lie down. Glenn (Danzip) even came in to check on me, while I was wandering around in my pyjamas! He took a flashlight and checked out my eyes, and told me that he had been hit by so many basses over the years, he'd grown used to concussion. Then, I'll never forget this, he said, 'By the way - cool pyjamas, man!'
"Danzig's a cool guy and I'll kick anyone's ass who says otherwise."
IN BED WITH DRACULA, BUG AND EVIL ELVIS
"Bed is my favourite place to be. I painted a load of stars and planets on the ceiling above my bed in fluorescent paint and I love to sit on the bed at night and look up at the stars glowing on the ceiling. I'm a Monster Magnet fan, ha ha!
"I painted the Dracula picture which is on the wall behind the bed. The writing is in French and it says: 'Okay, tomorrow I'll quit.' I always picture Dracula coming home from 'work' in the morning and shaking his head, thinking, 'Oh, man, what a job - I really should stop this shit.' It took about two or three days to finish.
"The Coal Chamber 'bug' face came from Meegs. He was looking to do a logo for us and this was the first thing he drew. Next day, he had it tattooed on his arm!
"I have a sprinkling of Elvis memorabilia, because he is the undisputed heavy weight champion, but I also like Danzig too, so maybe they should share it?
"One of the coolest presents I ever got is this handwritten scroll which one of my sisters (Dez has three sisters and a brother) did for me one Christmas. It has loads of sayings that I love on it, like, 'Dreams do come true for those who work while they dream' and 'A friend is a person who knows all about you, but likes you anyway'. It's way cool."
MATERIAL THINGS
"If my house was on fire, the first thing I would save would be my band, and then my dog. If you're talking possessions, then I think it would have to be the picture of me and my mom.
"I'm not into material collections as much as other people seem to be. I've learned that in life, things always go away, so just be happy with what you have got while you've still got it
"Actually, I'd probably have to go and save my neighbour, cos it's Dino (Cazares), and if I didn't, he'd probably come back and haunt me: 'You burned me to death, you fuck!'
"We hang out with Dino all the time. Last night, Rayna slept over at his place on the floor and we're always going around to use his shower. He'll stand there and go, "Oh, no, not again', and then he lets us in anyway.
"I had a lot of good friends from this neighbourhood, who have all contributed furniture to my house in one way or another. I bought two urns for $30 from next door, because they needed the money and I was minding them anyway.
"I've also got a face sculpture from an old friend who's now living in Pennsylvania. She said it reminded her of me, so I have it to remind me of her now."


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