Fresh off a Grammy nomination for best rock performance for their single “Hurl of the Burl,” Mastodon singer and bassist Troy Sanders took time to answer a few questions. The band has reached the end of their American tour and after a month off will be jumping across the Atlantic to rock the bollocks off the Brits and Fins.

Mastodon tried some new things on their latest release “The Hunter.” The band steered off the path of a full concept album and hit the studio with a fresh producer. The album has pleasantly surprised all of their fans and has also received plenty of love from critics.

Mastodon is one of the great bands of our generation, they are full of creativity, and have what it takes to keep this wonderful streak of great music up for many years to come. One thing that can never permanently damage record sales is putting out great music and Mastodon is one of the few bands today that does that and keeps on doing it.

So you are playing at The Tabernacle in your hometown of Atlanta. All bands love playing in their hometown but I hear it can be quite stressful, is that the case for you?

Yeah it’s like a family and high school reunion happening at the same time. There are so many people there that it doesn’t give you much time to talk and catch up, it is ultimately a good thing but it can be overwhelming.

I would like to congratulate you on the Grammy Nomination, any thought or feelings?

Well when we got the call last night it was a big surprise, it’s just cool to know that we are known on such a huge platform like that.

I’m just glad you didn’t say “Well you know it is just an honor to be nominated.”

So you guys are getting ready to head to Europe, what are the some of the differences if any of touring there?

Well there isn’t that much difference the fans there are great and hungry for music. We have a great following in Europe a ton of people show up and drink a lot of beer, it’s great. The only big difference is that it is super cold in winter and that is the only time we can usually tour so we don’t compete with the festivals in the summer. So the only thing I am asking for Christmas is warm clothes. I’m gonna ask for some warm socks, thermals and like a proper fluffy coat.

Mastodon hit the studio with a new producer. What was it like recording with Mike Elizondo and what did he bring out of you in the studio?

Working with Mike was awesome he is very talented and well versed in all musical styles. When we were sending him demos back in March he embraced our hard rock side as much as our funky pshycadelic side just as much as our slower sweeter side and really understood everything we were doing. Ultimately he individually helped each one of us with our tones and made everyone happy on a personal level as well as getting across a collective sound. Looking back working with Mike on “The Hunter,” was probably the best decision we have made.

The first time I listened to “The Hunter” I couldn’t help but make the connection between it and the tone of “Dirt” from Alice in Chains. I know you toured with them last year; did you take any influence from them?

Yeah, we supported them last year on tour and they were coming off losing their singer and it was really inspiring to see them take the stage every night and kill it. They were sort of celebrating in a really triumphant way. So we were really inspired and most of the riffs came from us playing in our little back stage area while on tour with Alice in Chains. So I was actually a very direct correlations and I see how some of the sounds and tones made the connection with an album like “Dirt.”

For more information on Mastodon and to check out upcoming tour dates go to http://www.mastodonrocks.com/.

George Michaels has cancelled the rest of his European Tour after coming down with a severe case of pneumonia. The Symphonica Tour, which features Michaels playing his hits and some popular cover songs with a full orchestra, has now been put on hold with tour dates being rescheduled. The twelve dates were scheduled to take place near his home in England and fans have been advised to hold on to their tickets. Michaels is now in stable condition but is in no shape to take the stage.

The leader of the 2009 sweat lodge ceremony in Prescott, Arizona James Arthur Ray was given two years of jail time after the conviction of 3 cases of negligent homicide.

The sweat lodge ceremony in 2009 ended in tragedy with the deaths of three people and many others became extremely ill when temperatures reached unbearable heights in the lodge made of willows and covered in blankets and tarps.

Hundreds of participants shelled out 10 grand to be part of the ceremony held by the questionable leader, who did not properly monitor temps and supposedly didn’t notice people keeling over from heat-stroke.

Even though the participants signed waivers acknowledging the dangers, the victims’ families and the prosecution sought much more jail time.

Ray tearfully told the court that he has “no excuse” for what happened that October day or since.

“At the end of the day, I lost three friends, and I lost them on my watch,” he said. “And whatever errors in judgment or mistakes I made, I’m going to have to live with those for the rest of my life.”

Ray asked Darrow to sentence him to probation, saying he is no threat to society and promising never to conduct another sweat lodge ceremony again.

“It pains me beyond belief to be here today, with the best of intentions gone wrong,” he said.

Before Darrow announced his judgment, prosecutor Sheila Polk characterized Ray as a dangerous “pretender” who had cast himself as a victim of an overzealous prosecution.

And relatives of the victims told Darrow that Ray has done little to redeem himself and that he deserved the maximum possible sentence of nine years in prison.

A friend of mine, who turns out to be an evil bastard, sent me a link to witness the birth of a new Hollywood MC. Turns out this new rapper/singer/songwriter/actor whose stage name is Chet Haze, is the son of Hollywood legend Tom Hanks. After watching Chet Haze’s “Hollywood” music video, it became apparent that Chet was probably conceived while Tom Hanks was preparing for his role as the “stupid is, stupid does,” Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks got so deep into the film that attributes from his character Forrest leaked out of his body and into the unborn child.

Since I am a glutton for punishment I went ahead and visited Chet Haze’s Facebook page to see what this MC is all about. All impressions lead me to the memory of the Jamie Kennedy character, B-Rad from Malibu’s Most Wanted. A disillusioned kid with an ultra-famous father who truly believes he is a talented rapper. Chet is a student at Northwestern University and of his three songs on Facebook not one is left without mention of either “poppin’ bottles,” “swag,” or the names of three or four high-end clothing designers. I guess all of it is pretty standard for someone whose dad is worth a few hundred million.

There is no reason to break down the music because it doesn’t need to be. It’s pretty obvious that whoever produced the tracks either didn’t know what they were doing in the studio or had to pull out all the stops to make his singing voice tolerable to the human ear. I have heard Tascam Four-Track recordings of tone-deaf singers turn out better than this.

The saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” will always remain the grim truth in Hollywood and Chet Haze is the perfect example.

For all of you out there who can’t help but to give in to your curiosity, here is the Chet Haze video, “Hollywood.” Let us know who is better, Chet or B-Rad?

[jwplayer mediaid="49456"]

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka Slim Shady, aka Eminem, celebrates his 39th birthday today.

Most people know the story of how Eminem went from a trailer park in Detroit to super-stardom; selling millions of hit records, starring in a successful film and becoming one of the world’s most sought after producers. And while his music and lyrics have earned him international fame, they’ve also earned him notoriety. Because the rapper has proven time and time again that nothing, and no one, is safe when it comes to his lyrics.

Slim has been involved in TEN #1 albums, sold 90 million solo records, and has been voted the best rapper of all time in a endless list of polls. His resume of accomplishments are long, too long to list them all, but we’ll give you a few.

1996- Infinite: In 1996, Em released his debut album under independent label Web Entertainment, owned by the Bass Brothers. He also performed with fellow Detroit emcee Royce da 5’9” under the name Bad Meets Evil. In this early stage of his career, Eminem’s rapping delivery was reminiscent of AZ; barely resembling the shocking multi-syllable staccato style he implements today.

1997 – Eminem places second at the Rap Olympics and Jimmy Iovine of Interscope requests a demo. Iovine played the tape for Dr. Dre and they began work on an album.

1998 – Source Magazine features Slim in their “Unsigned Hype” column.

1999 – The Slim Shady LP: Eminem storms on the mainstream scene with his major label debut on Aftermath/Interscope records and shocks the world with his newly refined approach to lyricism. The single “My Name Is,” blows up the charts. The LP reached #2 on the US charts and went 4x Platinum and sold nearly five-million copies. Eminem and manager Paul Rosenberg found Shady Records soon after the release of the LP.

2000 – The Marshall Mathers LP: The second label release shot to the #1 spot on the charts and unlike most artists who have a huge first release, Eminem grew stronger and more polished. The album was certified Diamond and sold 19 million copies worldwide, including nealry 2 million in the first week.

2001 - Eminem produces and collaborates with Jay-Z on the song “Renegade”, off Jay-Z’s sixth album, The Blueprint.

2002 - The Eminem Show: This was the peak of Eminem’s career. He rapped about his troubles in the media, his ex-wife Kim, the law, his daughter Haley and his turmoil dealing with his new found fame. The album debuted at #1 and stayed there. The album was also certified Diamond and sold 19 million albums worldwide for the second time in a row. Eminem also made his debut on the silver screen in 8 Mile and the single “Lose Yourself” from the film’s soundtrack became the first rap song to ever win an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

2004 – Encore: The decline of his career if you can even call it that began with Encore. The album sold half of his previous two. This was also the beginning of Em’s usage of a distinct comical voice in his raps that plagued fans yearning for that original dark lyricist he once was. The album didn’t match his previous releases in content or sales but was still certified 4x Platinum and sold 11 million copies worldwide. It was hardly a failure.

2009 – Relapse: Showing signs of fatigue, battling with drug-addiction and the media, Eminem’s comeback, Relapse continued the slide of sales. The album’s main focus was on Slim’s battle with opiates and other drugs; proving to be one of Eminem’s most dark and abstract albums. The decline in sales didn’t have much to do with the content of the album but mostly because of the recession and music taking on a new form in the digital world. The days of albums going Diamond were over for everyone. Relapse was still certified double-platinum and sold 5 million copies worldwide.

2010 – Recovery: Eminem came back strong in true form with his seventh album and improved in sales from his previous release in a down economy with several chart topping singles. The album was a breath of fresh air from Slim as he celebrated 2 years of being sober and became more of a positive presence in rap music with inspirational songs such as “Not Afraid”. Em would later go on to execute the Home & Home Tour with fellow Hip Hop icon Jay-Z in their respective cities of Detroit and New York.

2011 – Hell: The Sequel: Slim Shady’s most recent project is a collaborative EP with newly signed Shady Records artist and old friend Royce Da 5’9. This EP was met with positive critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200.

This year, Nielsen Sound Scan announced that Eminem has sold 33 million songs downloaded in the U.S. alone and is the only artist in history to have two #1 albums at year-end. All in all the MC has had one hell of a career and he’s done all of this and much more before the age of 40.

Although he’s had a difficult and trying existence in the spotlight he’s managed to change the public’s overall perception of what a rapper should look like, going from a minority to ruling the hip-hop world. There’s no doubt that he’ll only continue to awe the world with his talent.

What’s your favorite Eminem moment? Let us know in the comment section.

TST’s Mark Noisiri and Sindy Lucas contributed to this feature.

Nick Martin of D.R.U.G.S. has started a new clothing line with partners Daniel Rubin, Alex Lopez and Noah Russell with a few different things in mind, one of them of course being rock and roll style. The other things they had in mind are explained by their mascot. Lost & Loveless and their logo and mascot bear goes by the name of “Tag.” According to Lost and Loveless, “He is a rugged misunderstood weary traveler searching for love, wants to remind you that security and love is all around you and wants to know if you have ever been Lost & Loveless?”

The clothing brand is also doing their part to give back to the community. For every five dollar donation they receive in October with orders on their website they will match it and donate it to Toys for Tots.

Every piece in the line features “Tag” the Bear with his sad little face and missing eye. The line features a cool line of T-shirts, long-sleeve Henley’s, tank tops and sweaters for guys and girls. The shirts come in basic black, white and grey colors and are in the medium-high price range, which is the only downer in the clothing line. 25 bucks seems a bit steep for a t-shirt but it will definitely make a statement and get some “aaahhh cutes” from plenty of girls.

The clothing line has been circulating through the music scene and should catch fire with catchy designs and a good message. Check out the complete line at lostandloveless.com and be sure to make a donation of 5 bucks to help out the toys for tots program so that needy kids can have a “TAG” of their own.

Nothing in the world of movies is sacred and it has been that way since the big sign went up in the Hollywood hills. This weekend we get another taste of Hollywood déjà vu with the re-make of the 1984 film, Footloose. Film re-makes have been coming out since films began to tell stories. The Great Train Robbery (1903) is considered by most historians to be the first movie to tell a story. Of course, the original film was a hit, was re-made ONE YEAR after the original release and like the majority of re-makes was a huge disappointment. The list of movies that have been re-made is so extensive that Wikipedia had to split the list into two pages, A-M and N-Z. Movies that start with the letter M have over fifty re-makes alone. Be sure to check out the astonishing list of previous movie re-makes here.

The list of movies that are prepping for release and in pre-production is even more astonishing than the latter. The movies that are being re-made now, are movies that previously starred actors that I watched growing up, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Total Recall, Conan and Commando are all being redone, as well as Judge Dredd, Short Circuit, Porky’s, The Warriors, The Blob, Pet Cemetery, Poltergeist and countless others. The list of these movies is absolutely unbelievable. See a list of FIFTY films that are either already re-made or being re-made here.

With some exceptions, film is art and art is something that should not be re-done, re-invented or re-anything. No one can imagine a painter trying to re-paint the Mona Lisa to spice her up with modern clothing or to fit the new world we live in. My Grandfather once told me, “You can’t polish a turd,” but Hollywood tries pull off this nearly impossible feat all the time (I say nearly because the cast of Mythbusters were able to polish a piece of horse manure). Movie producers have taken some of the world’s worst movies and brought them back to life, only to suck again. A good portion of these movies flopped in their original form and Hollywood is casting today’s popular actors to try and cash in on old shitty ideas.

Movie goers are frustrated with all of this and yet the curiosity of seeing what the new versions will hold, whether good or bad, keeps us going to view these un-original ideas. The big wigs in Hollywood know this fact and use our sheer curiosity to cash in. In many cases movies have been re-made two, three, sometimes four times and when one finally clicks there is sure to be a sequel, whether or not the story even has a place to go…hence the prequel. The best example would have to be the Planet of the Apes franchise. This was the birth of movie franchising and changed the world of movies forever. Charlton Hesston tossed a wrench into things when he didn’t want to be part of the sequel, even though he was talked into being in one scene to help continuity. Now when actors sign on to do a movie they are usually coaxed into signing a contract that binds them to make multiple sequels. The 1963 novel was made into a movie in 1968 and since then has had prequels, sequels, re-makes and re-boots, which brings the grand total to seven movies, and two different TV shows. The total gross of what the seven movies have made in the box office alone is over 860 million dollars. There are going to be countless more Apes movies coming out in the future. There is no way 20th Century Fox isn’t going to cash in, especially with the success of the franchise’s most recent release starring James Franco, which takes the ideas from the previous series and mixes them up to create a modern day plot. The re-boot grossed over 400 million dollars.

The most upsetting thing in the world of movie re-makes is when they redo a classic. The movie could be a perfect piece of art that made a billion dollars, couldn’t have been made any better and someone out there wants to remake it. The reason for this has nothing to do with different angles or modernization; it has to do with one thing and one thing alone…money!

There are many opinions when it comes to movies that should never have been re-made and my vote goes to Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. The 1971 film was an adaptation of the 1964 novel by Roald Dahl and starred the great Gene Wilder. The film was my favorite and I’m sure many others favorite movie growing up. What wasn’t to love, a golden ticket, endless candy, and Oompa Loompas. The film grew into a cult classic that in my opinion was the perfect kid movie and was crudely modernized by Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. The original film didn’t fare so well at the box-office but received an Oscar nomination for original score and Gene Wilder received a Golden Globe nomination for best-actor. Both movies are comparable in nominations for awards and numbers at the box office. The original cost 2 million to make and made over 4 million and the re-make cost nearly 200 million to make and made 400 million.

Some movies don’t gain big followings until five, ten or twenty years after the original release and we are almost guaranteed a sequel or re-make when the popularity of an old movie begins to rise. Some movies get re-made right away or have a string of sequels and prequels followed by a re-make or re-boot. A perfect example is Friday the 13th, a horror movie based on the hockey-masked killer Jason Voorhees that has had TWELVE installments in the past thirty years. Seriously, how many times are they going to put this garbage on to the big screen?

I would be able to write an entire book on the world of movie re-makes re-boots, sequels and prequels and it would be 5,000 pages long. After I wrote the book someone in Hollywood would make it in to a movie and then five years later someone would re-make it and then there would be a sequel to the re-make.

This Déjà vu lifestyle is something that will never go away and being that we as humans are creatures of habit and curiosity, we will never stop going to see the re-makes of our favorite classic movies. After doing the research for this article I am seriously considering never going to see a studio movie ever again, because if it’s a good movie it will be done again and again, and I might as well wait for the final draft of the original idea.

Be sure to check out my reviews of American Pie 17, Scream 12 and the fifteenth installment of Planet of the Apes in the year 2020.

Following suit with Dr. Dre, musicians are hopping on the next money train in the music industry…headphones. Clothing lines, vodka labels and blunt wraps have been the popular items promoted mostly by rap-stars and now that they have witnessed people shelling out upwards of $200 for a pair of Dr. Dre’s Beat headphones, it’s time for everyone else to cash in.

The sound quality of headphones doesn’t seem to be the main focus behind the musician promoted earpieces; the new focus is style. With the now portable world of music and people rarely leaving the house without a music storage device of some type, uncomfortable and unfashionable ear-buds aren’t cutting it. We now have an array of options to not only bump our beats but catch eyes, turn heads and listen for hours without annoying pain.

Jay-Z and Ludacris both have their names on fashionable full enclosure headphones by Skull Candy and Soul by Ludacris. Even artists’ Bob Marley and Miles Davis are promoting headphones from beyond the grave with high-comfort ear-buds. Rasta Colors and wood grain adorn the headphones endorsed by the Marley Family and horn-shaped brass plated buds are offered up by Monster Cable’s Miles Davis Trumpet design.

It may take a couple of weeks or a big-winning scratch off to afford the price tag on these celeb endorsed phones. For the $350 price of the Monster Miles Davis Trumpet ear-buds it almost seems like they should come stock with a brand new iPod attached to them. You can expect to spend at least two hard earned Benjamin’s to get your ears warmed by almost any of these fashion statement phones.

After testing these four sets of headphones in the studio and on the jogging path for a day, I wouldn’t recommend any of these unless your main focus is fashion, especially considering the price. My trusty $50 Studio Monitor’s from Sony exceed them all in comfort, sound and for the baller on a budget, price as well. Of course having a pair of gold-trimmed leather-bound headphones hanging around your neck is cool, but so is a swinging $350 customized CZ chain…right??? Hopefully three question marks properly convey my sarcasm.

I am all for combining music with fashion and anything that will keep people from walking around using their phone like an early 90’s boom box. The new headphones coming out are definitely cool, the prices not so much. But at the very least be sure to get yourself some comfortable ones with good sound. The choice to make a fashion statement with yours is up to you.

Tomorrow is the day for the public to hear the latest offering from the ever growing band Five Finger Death Punch . American Capitalist is sure to live up to the expectations of fans, and exceeded mine. Both of the bands previous releases have been certified gold, which is good considering the plummet in the sales of rock albums in the past seven years. 5FDP teams up again with producer Kevin Churko; a well-known and respected hard rock producer that worked with the band on their previous release in 2009, War is the Answer. The band told me in an interview last month “We can’t imagine doing a record without Kevin; he is a sonic genius and does a good job putting up with our shit.”

American Capitalist starts off with a drum line and riff that hits you right in the chest and lyrics that seem to take a straight-forward shot at the lifestyle of greedy American fat-cats. The title track is heavy-hitting and the band wastes no time getting into face-melting solos and death punching riffs, courtesy of Zoltan Bathory, the long-dreadlocked beast of a guitar player and Jason Hook who joined the band in ’09.

The first single released from the album “Under and Over It,” which is the top-selling rock song on the iTunes charts, is the well written song about Ivan Moody’s backlash at the tabloids articles written about him being dead and the band breaking up, among other stories.

The band described what it’s like recording an album on a deadline, “like throwing darts.” The title American Capitalist is an absolute bull’s-eye in describing the content of the album. The third song “The Pride” is filled with brand names strung together with Moody screaming about not selling out over the top of another hard hitting riff.

The energy of the album seems to slow for a second in the intro of “Coming Down,” but Death Punch kicks the song back into high gear with an amazing solo played in double time. The songs seem to have the perfect mix of melodic singing, powerful singing, and perfectly timed screams used as an emphasis on strong points.

One of my favorite things about metal music are the solos that seem nearly impossible to play for many guitarists and this album has no shortage of them. I remember when Metallica put out St. Anger and sitting there for an hour waiting for Kirk Hammit to kick me in the nuts with one of his world famous solos. It never happened and I haven’t bought a Metallica album since, as a matter of fact I don’t think many people did after that. Like the new bassist for Death Punch, Chris Kael said in our interview when I asked him what we can do to help save the world of rock, “Just be yourself and don’t conform to what everyone else is doing or what seems to be popular.” Metal is supposed to be fast, with heavy drums, powerful lyrics and solos that make you wonder if it’s humanly possible to play that fast. American Capitalist has all these factors in spades.

“Remember Everything,” has more of a slower epic feel to it and is placed well, it almost gives you a bit of a breather from the extremely intense first half of the album. I wouldn’t be surprised if this song is the next single on the album, it has a mainstream appeal that could attract a slightly different type of listener and open them up to listening to the entire album.

The album’s final song “100 Ways to Hate,” leaves you with a hate-fueled staccato string of lyrics aimed at the superficial world we live in and is a great topper for the album.

Overall the album has a rare quality not found in most albums nowadays, the ability to listen to it front to back without skipping through tracks trying to find something that appeals. American Capitalist has powerful lyrics emphasized by Moody’s intense vocals and backed well by bassist Chris Kael, perfectly timed drums that add loads to the album courtesy of Jeremy Spencer, and excellent teamwork from guitarists Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook, who combine great tone and blazing fast solos. Chris Kael’s debut work as the new bassist for Death Punch is a great fit for the band and the fact that he can sing does nothing but help the bands appeal. This is a must buy for Death Punch fans, Metal fans, and people who can appreciate an album that they can listen to front to back.

 ★★★★☆ 

Patty Griffin and Robert Plant perform as part of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Courtesy of Tim Mosenfelder Getty Images

Golden State Park in San Fran held the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. The event that started in 2001 has turned from a three-day bluegrass concert into a wide array of different artists and a ton of music fans enjoying a long weekend of good music and good people. From punk rocker Thurston Moore to Robert Plant and his Band of Joy, the festival has been a wonderful music experience put on by venture capatalist Warren Hellman.

The concert, which is not only free but free from advertisements and sponsors is a gift to the fans. This years fest celebrated the tenth anniversary of the concert and was not only an experience for the fans but the musicians taking in the music as well. “It’s the coolest American festival that I’ve been to,” Elbow’s Guy Garvey told Rolling Stone backstage shortly before the band’s headlining set on Sunday. “It reminds me a bit of Glastonbury – mainly the way Glastonbury used to be, actually. The vibe is really buzzing and really old school and everybody’s really happy.”

The three day festival is the biggest live concert in the US in attendance, drawing in over 600,000 fans. Free concerts in the bay area have been going on since the sixties and Warren Hellman’s festival is something every billionaire should think about doing.

The White Wale of Music

The days of multiple artists going platinum are long gone and going triple or quadruple platinum seems to be extinct. So far this year only three albums have reached the 1 million mark, Lil’ Wheezy with the newest Carter, Miss Gaga who sold over a mil in the first week then puttered out and the top dog of the year so far is Adele with the album “21″ which is still around one million copies short of last year’s top seller Eminem’s “Recovery.” Jay-z and Kanye had to team up to make sure they reach Plat.

There are many things that can be blamed for the drop in record sales and the fact that sales have all but bottomed out is undeniable. In 2002 Eminem sold over 7 million copies of “The Eminem Show,” and the question is, “Will we ever see anything like that again?”

The top ten selling albums of 2010 all sold over one million copies and with only three months left in 2011 there are currently only two albums with over a million copies sold and only one other that has a realistic chance of getting there.

In the crumbling world of rock music selling fifty thousand copies is like hitting the lotto. The Foo Fighters are the only rock band in 2011 to break into the top 20 with over 400,000 albums sold.

The music business has been in a free-fall since the early 2000′s and who knows how soon it will recover and many people are wondering if songs that aren’t about clubbing, tossing money around, and all the different ways to shake it will ever make it back into the mainstream. If we want music to remain an art form instead of purely a vessel for advertisement something needs to change. As a music lover of all kinds I am just waiting for the next big thing that will change the music world for the better. I just hope that the rumors floating around about giving albums out for free but filled with ads is just that…a rumor.

Watto Iron Cross Buckle signed by Five Finger Death Punch

Welcome to the first episode of Life Backstage, featuring Five Finger Death Punch at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ. The full-length episode is split into two parts and written below is what you can expect from our little show.

Part I: Features the exclusive interview with 5FDP and the band signing a handmade work of art courtesy of www.WattoOnline.com to be given to The National Fallen Firefighters Association. The item will be auctioned off at the Stop, Drop, Rock & Roll Charity Auction, held by the Firefighters to benefit the families of some of our nation’s heroes.

Part II: 5FDP pulls off an excellent performance. We bring you the exclusive look at the high energy show in the desert. 15,000 fans braved 100 plus degree temperatures, which turned into a desert monsoon to see the band take stage at midnight on September 11th.

Life Backstage gets up close with your favorite bands with compelling interviews, in your face live footage, the show experience and all things music. Over the months I will be taking a journey through the endless world of music, from the fans in the stands to backstage with the bands. We will be asking YOUR unique questions, going to YOUR local spots, showing YOUR favorite acts and helping the development of music by teaming up with bands, fans, and charities to light this decade on fire.

Regular concert goers, groupies and music lovers everywhere have tons of stories (some true, some bullshit) of getting to go back stage and have an experience with the band. These stories can range from a head-nod and autograph all the way to things that only rock stars and select groupies know about. It’s sort of a right place right time or right face, fine dime sort of thing. For those of us who can’t use tits to get backstage, we have to resort to much craftier tactics, like becoming a journalist, tech or roadie.

Going to see a live show is by far the best way anyone can experience music and the easiest way to tell the difference between a good band and a great band. Much like your first love or kiss, you will never forget the first live show you see. With 15 years of memorable shows, writing, recording, playing, and losing myself in the world of music; I want to share the experience from every perspective and possible angle.

Five Finger Death Punch is one of the most successful rock bands we have seen in the past six years. Since they stepped on the scene in 2005, 5FDP has grown into a full-fledged rock band that people can actually count on to bring it onstage and in the studio; which is rare form for any band these days. Take a debut self-produced, self-recorded LP that went Gold, a follow up that went Gold, a front-man more energetic than a lightning bolt, seasoned instrumentation and an obvious love for music and you get Death Punch.

Months after Charlie Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men, Chuck Lorree and Warner Bros. have decided to settle the 100 million dollar lawsuit filed by Sheen in March.Charlie was the highest paid actor on television, receiving 2 million dollars for every episode of Two and a Half Men, including the back-end. The settlement for the back end from the show was a reported 25 million dollars, which is not a bad severance package for calling your boss the C-word.

Ashton Kutcher is the new star of the show that according to Charlie turned it’s jokes from a tin cans into gold. Only time will tell if the show will hold up and Charlie Sheen as well. Sheen has been cordial of late wishing ‘all the best’ for the cast of the show. The premier of the new season reached nearly 28 million people, all wanting to see how they killed Charlie’s character off. The only thing left up in the air now is whether or not people will tune in to see the same jokes and virtually a carbon copy of the show without the rock star from Mars.

Johnny Depp is taking another wierd journey while playing disillusioned journalist Paul Kemp in The Rum Diary created by Hunter S. Thompson. Depp previously took Thompson’s alter ego Raoul Duke to the silver screen in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in 1998 and submerged himself in the role. Depp and Hunter became good friends while corresponding in preparation for the “The Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream,” which Depp nailed.

The Rum Diary is written in the classic style of Thompson, fast-paced, filled with chaos and plenty of self-medication, but is different in the sense that the story has romance and a high-rolling spirit. Depp’s character falls for a spoken-for vixen played by Amber Heard. The original novel was written at the age of 22 by Thompson and was released nearly forty years after it was written and is based on his time spent as a journalist for a paper in San Jaun, Puerto Rico.

The film adaptation of the book has been waiting to be made since early 2000 and wasn’t able to get past development stages until Depp’s production company took on the project in 2009. Bruce Robinson took on the task of writing the story for the screen and it proved to knock him off the wagon…twice. After a serious case of writers block Robinson broke his six-year streak of sobriety, finished the screenplay and took part in savage drinking until the film wrapped.

There is no better person to play one of Thompson’s characters than Depp, with the exception of Bill Murray who played an excellent version of Thompson in Where the Buffalo Roam. Both actors knew the legend personally before he commited suicide in 2005.

I doubt The Rum Diary will blow up the box office but it will give Gonzo fans another savage journey from the mind of a legendary American journalist. Personally, I can’t wait. The movie opens October 28th.

The pictures of the glowing band, Lost in Atlantis are courtesy of Tall Cat Studios. Check out their blog and site for even more pictures and videos. www.tallcatstudios.com/blog.

Five Finger Death Punch

Fresh off the success of Five Finger Death Punches’ latest single, Under and Over It, they have hit the road with Anthrax and are hitting Firebird International Raceway in the valley of the sun September 10th. Under and Over It, was the most added song on Active Rock Radio in its first week and is the #1 best-selling song on the iTunes Rock chart, and also hit #1 on Amazonmp3.com’s Hard Rock/ Metal charts. The single was released on iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers August 3rd and instantly shot up to the top spot. The track burst into the #33 spot on the overall top songs iTunes chart on August 4th making it the only hard rock/metal song in the Top 40. “UNDER AND OVER IT” is the first single from 5FDP’s forthcoming album, American Capitalist, releasing on October 11, 2011. The new album was recorded at “The Hideout” in Las Vegas, NV with producer Kevin Churko.

The band has a sound that has been a huge deal in the world of rock and they have built a hardcore group of devoted fans. With record temps all summer long the venue in Chandler, AZ is not ideal but I have been a witness to the resolve of Valley fans when it comes to their favorite bands and the heat does not seem affect their experience.

The band is featured on the cover of Revolver Magazine with the band dressed in camo and delivering a salute to the troops. They are getting play on Rock Band 2 with the song, Burn it Down, from War is the Answer. They will be headlining the “Share the Welt” tour along with Hatebreed, All That Remains, and Rev Theory.

The Silver Tongue will be bringing you coverage of the show at Firebird Raceway and an exclusive interview with Five Finger Death Punch. Check out the band’s tour schedule and latest news at

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Watto custom metal wear and Got Evil Clothes have been getting plenty of attention from some big names in rock with their custom hand-made clothes and accessories. Both companies are based in Arizona and each of their designs are unique and made with creative passion.

Watto and Godsmack

Coming in first contact with Mary Watson of Watto, was a welcoming experience as an offer was extended for a complimentary pick necklace. Being a guitarist the offer was accepted, graciously. After further inquiry and inspection, the findings were intriguing and interesting. Mary introduced me to her husband and business partner Jon Watson and they told me about how each one of their many unique pieces are handmade, in Tucson, AZ. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of them. This lent excitement because all the rock stars had been browsing through the different accessories and taking pictures with whatever pieces they took to their liking. Why wouldn’t this attract my attention? Metal artists taking sweet pictures with this hand-made metal wear was definitely sweet.

The combined talents of Mary and Jon make for a creative team that produces fashionable, handmade metal wearable art in the form of belt-buckles, accessories and custom pieces that have been worn by rock stars and famous names across the country. Jon had been a graphic designer for fifteen years until he got tired of sitting behind a desk. He began sculpting metal and started the “Metal Gardener” making sculptures for home design. After Mary was laid off in 2009 they decided to join design forces and started Watto, a nickname given to Jon by his friends. Their business has been steadily growing since then and their unique designs have become a hit in Hollywood.

Kingdom of Sorrow and Got Evil

Sarah Elizabeth from The Backstage Artist Lounge was as helpful as she was cute. She introduced me to Marco Farella and Tamera Ingram of Got Evil Clothes. Marco is the man behind the most popular shirt at The Mayhem Festival, called The F-Bomb. The hand designed shirt with what looks like a little-boy nuclear warhead with an F inscribed on it has been a hot item among all the rock stars.

In Flames and Got Evil

After seeing the designs I had to talk to the people responsible for these sick threads. Marco and his wife started Got Evil and has been around for a year and is also based Arizona. Marco has taken a page from the old school way of designing clothes. He says, “Everything I do goes from my head onto paper then into a shirt design. I’m getting away from all the Affliction type clothes because they are all just busy, intricate clothes with a bunch of clip art. We keep our designs simple but unique and that goes perfect with the rock, skate, and sort of punk fashion.”  I have massive respect with the way Got Evil is doing their designs, like Watto they are true artists that realize sometimes less is more. Simple designs with flair and street style are what’s hot and people from Hollywood and rock stars are taking notice in companies like Watto and Got Evil. Marco’s simple but creative designs along with a kick-ass personality make Got Evil an up and coming force in the clothing industry. The exclusive limited feel of the designs gives people clothes that other people talk about.

Megadeth and Watto

Watto and Got Evil Clothes both believe the sky is the limit especially when you do what you love. These would have been two local companies that I would have no idea about without the help of my new friend Sarah Elizabeth. She and the rest of the girls of the Backstage Artist Lounge have been rocking out, having a blast traveling with different tours and bands to bring unique, artistic businesses to the attention of rock stars and beyond. Cute girls, heavy metal, fresh gear and Sully Erna of Godsmack, trying to take my head off with an axe given to him by Sarah, made for an awesome time at the Rockstar Mayhem Festival.

Check out www.wattoonline.com and search Watto on Facebook for rocker pics and hand-made metal accessories.

Check out www.gotevilclothes.com and search Got Evil Clothes on Facebook to get your hands on these hot clothes.

8/24/11, Phoenix, AZ- Rapper DMX barely out of his most recent stint in tent city was arrested again Wednesday night. With a suspended license and on probation, Earl Simmons was caught speeding on the US-60 in Mesa doing over 100MPH. He was arrested and later bonded out.

This being his 26th arrest nationwide, it seems that the talented rapper cannot find a way to stay out of trouble. After his release in June for refusing to submit to mandatory drug testing as a condition of his parole, X’s manager told Reuters he would be headed to the studio to begin work on a new album.

DMX has many fans all over the country and with another arrest has yet again disappointed them. The 40-year-old Simmons seems to have troubles that require help from someone other than friends or family. The questions on his fan’s minds are, “will the talent of this once great rapper remain incarcerated, or will he bounce back and surprise us all.”

As a life-long fan, I hope that DMX can focus on staying out of trouble whether or not he puts out any music and that his fans will not give up on him.

The Vans Warped Tour has traditionally been a breeding ground for up and coming new bands in the ska-punk world. This year’s stop in Phoenix wasn’t just filled with hot new bands from nearly every genre but also was jam-packed with sweaty fans trying to stay on their feet long enough to see their favorite set. With over forty acts, it is tough to get a taste of everything this tour has to offer. The few sets I got to enjoy encompassed what Vans Warped Tour has become over its long lifespan.

And here they come right out of the gates, 110 degrees and the bands are bringing it. Larry and His Flask, bearded up, playing something new and refreshing was getting the dehydrated crowd involved with a circle pit moving quickly around the lead guitarist. A stand-up bass, acoustic guitars, banjos, and fiddles are not things normally seen with such a young crowd embracing it so wildly. The only way to describe this energetic performance is Appalachian mayhem. Larry and His Flask have a sound so gritty and down to earth, yet so fresh and new.

The Expendables an entrepreneurial mix band from Santa Cruz came on stage to an excited crowd and braved the heat like the rest of us. The Expendables have been in the game for almost fifteen years and have done it all; from hosting their own radio show, having their hit song A Bowl for Two played on Guitar Hero 5, funding their own headlining tours and production of the independent film XXX: A Year in the Life of a Santa Cruz Phenomenon. Geoff Weers, lead singer and guitarist brings charisma to the mic and is backed by the energy of his band mates. The Expendables are the kind of band that the Vans Warped Tour started out to expose. They brought the seemingly long lost California sound to the desert and the crowd loved it.

Dehydrated and worn out after spending hours in the blazing hot weather I began to feel rejuvenated by the energy of The Black Pacific. Led by two experienced, well-known rockers, The Black Pacific is playing their first Warped Tour. Lead-singer Jim Lindberg, former front-man of Pennywise and Marc Orrell, formerly of Dropkick Murphys are not strangers to the Warped Tour and are seasoned veterans in the rock game. The fast-paced rock combined with the energy and stage presence of experienced rockers gave the sweaty, tired fans a reason not to pass out due to heat stroke. Marc hopped around on stage swinging his guitar around while playing blazing fast riffs and drummer Alan Vega kept perfect time pounding it out on the drums. The band had no trouble coming up with material for their self-titled debut album and is working on a follow up album expected to drop before the end of this year.

The tour has been evolving over the years and now features everything from pop to screamo music. Despite the unbearable heat fans won’t ever miss the opportunity to check out the bulky line-ups brought to fans across the country. This tour has a huge history with plenty success and will hopefully be going strong forever.

Make sure to check out my video interview with The Black Pacific and stay tuned for interviews with Geoff Weers of The Expendables and Matt Good of D.R.U.G.S. We will also be featuring a compilation video of backstage interviews and performances from the Vans Warped Tour stop in Phoenix, AZ.