NEW MUSIC VIDEO – SHINEDOWN – “I’LL FOLLOW YOU”

SHINEDOWN is indisputably one of the most successful rock bands of the past 10+ years, enjoying an unparalleled streak of hits. Read more

LIVE! | Shinedown with Bush and Airbourne

by Jonna Ambur
- Senior Photojournalist –

MAY 3, 2013 at MOHEGAN SUN ARENA in UNCASVILLE, CT.

Shinedown is from Jacksonville Florida. Producing hit albums since 2003, Brent Smith (vocals), Eric Bass (bass/piano), Zach Myers (guitar) and Barry Kerch (drums), rocked the Mohegan Sun Arena. Playing favorites like “Enemies,” “Devour,” “Unity” and “The Crow and the Butterfly” right out of the gate, the band was on point, with the top notch vocals and musicianship that they’ve been known for.

Their current tour is in support of Amaryllis released in 2012 which is preceded by studio albums The Sound of Madness (2008), Us and Them (2005) and Leave a Whisper (2003). With over six million albums sold worldwide this is a band that prides themselves on creating music that is always evolving. Next on their list of accomplishments will be an album that features 10 acoustic covers to be released over 10 days that include songs that were chosen by fans.

Shinedown’s set went on to include “Diamond Eyes,” “45,” “Simple Man,” and “Bully.” It was a night of true, solid rock and roll. A tour to catch for sure!

Bush and Airbourne are currently on tour with Shinedown. After wrapping up in the US this month, they move on to Canada and the UK through October.

Bush is touring in support of their fifth studio album, The Sea of Memories and features Gavin Rossdale (vocals/guitar), Robin Goodridge (drums,) Chris Traynor (guitar) and Corey Britz (bass).

Airbourne is touring in support of their 3rd studio album, Black Dog Barking and features Joel O’Keeffe (vocals/lead guitar), David Roads (guitar), Justin Street (bass), Ryan O’Keeffe (drums).

Shinedown Concert Photo Gallery

[Photos by Jonna Ambur]

LIVE! | Shinedown with Three Days Grace

by Sara J. McCarthy
- Senior Photojournalist –

February 17, 2013 at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. –

Notes from the photo pit: This was my first time seeing Three Days Grace with Matt Walsh from My Darkest Days as lead vocalist and he did a great job, but it wasn’t Adam. Shinedown, of course, were great. This was my third time in the last year shooting them and their set and set list has been changed up each time, which is a wonderful thing to see happen.

Shinedown:
Brent Smith
Zach Myers
Eric Bass
Barry Kerch

Shinedown’s Set List:
1. Enemies
2. Devour
3. Unity
4. The Crow & The Butterfly
5. Save Me
6. I’ll Follow You
7. Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
8. If You Only Knew
9. Amaryllis
10. 45
11. Encore:
11. Sound of Madness
12. Second Chance
13. She Talks To Angels / Over The Hills and Far Away / Smells Like Teen Spirit / Enter Sandman / Stairway to Heaven / Wanted Dead or Alive
14. Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
15. Bully

Three Days Grace:
Barry Stock
Neil Sanderson
Brad Walst
Matt Walst

Three Days Grace Set List:
1. Chalk Outline
2. Just Like You
3. Pain
4. Home
5. The High Road
6. Get Out Alive
7. Break
8. The Good Life
9. Piano and drum solo
10. Misery Loves My Company
11. World So Cold
12. I Hate Everything About You
13. Animal I Have Become
14. Never Too Late
15. Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit cover)
16. Riot

Shinedown with Three Days Grace Concert Photo Gallery

[Photos by Sara J. McCarthy]

Ride For Dime: Nashville Chapter

by Chris A.
- Senior Photojournalist –

The Ride For Dime, an annual event started a few years ago in Dallas Texas to commemorate the life of iconic metal shredder “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott has added another “franchise” location. The Nashville chapter of the Ride For Dime kicks off its inaugural ride on September 22nd. The event will feature a motorcycle ride, live bands including Dime’s friend and fellow “rebel” David Allen Coe. There will also be memorabilia and guitar auctions, plus more than a few surprises. The purpose of ride and concert is to remember the life and music of Darrell Abbott with all funds raised going to support the various Ride For Dime Charities. Read more

LIVE! | Adelitas Way Uproar Festival 2012

by Chris A.
- Senior Photojournalist –

September 8, 2012 at the Uproar Festival in Indianapolis, IN

The 2012 version of the Uproar Festival is currently winding its way around North America with headliners Godsmack and Shinedown reaping the majority of the media reviews. Sharing the main stage with these giants of rock were Adelitas Way, a quintet of talented musicians based in “Sin City” (Vegas) who have been crisscrossing America the past few years turning rock fans onto their brand of “anthemic rock n’ roll.”

Let’s get it over with for those who don’t know the story. Why is the band called “Adelitas Way”? Apparently while touring Southern California, Rick DeJesus and his buddies made a wrong turn and ended up across the boarder in Mexico where they were hoodwinked and robbed by dirty cops. With limited resources they decided to pound a few cold ones and regroup at a Mexican whorehouse called “The Adelita”. So there you go.

They made their mark on the industry with their 2009 self-titled album “Adelitas Way” featuring the single “Invincible”. While filled with heavy guitars and often explosive drums, the band still projects a somewhat radio-friendly “pop” feel that has helped move some of their music to the mainstream. Songs by Adelitas Way have been featured by a number of television productions, sporting events (it was the “official” theme song for the WWE Superstars), and much more.

The band is currently on the Uproar Tour promoting their second disc “Home School Valedictorian,” which was released in 2011. From the live concert perspective, Adelitas Way is a very enjoyable rock n’ roll band with emotive songs. When you see them live, you get the sense that the best is yet to come from this young band. Perhaps the most difficult challenge facing this young band is to distinguish themselves from all the other post-grunge, emotive rock n roll bands.

On stage, the band is powerful, confident and they sounded exceptional. It’s easy to tell that the band loves to perform live. As so often happens, their songs seem less “poppy” when belting them out live in comparison to the album cuts. Frontman, Rick DeJesus is emerging as a vocal force in rock n’ roll and worked the stage and performed the songs with passion. Lead guitarist Robert Zakaryan is nothing short of a world-class shredder as he cut loose on his maple-top Les Paul Custom, tearing it up with licks that Zakk Wylde would find impressive. For fans who have seen Adelitas Way perform over the past few years, it’s obvious that the years of touring are rewarding the band with increased maturity, stage presence, musical skills and confidence.

If you have a chance to see Adelitas Way, do it. Give this band a try and you’ll discover that they are musically sound and have a great potential to make a decisive mark in the diverse world of rock n roll. For more information about Adelitas Way visit http://www.adelitaswaymusic.net for tour information.

Band:
Rick DeJesus – lead vocals
Keith “KWB” Wallen – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Robert “Rahji” Zakaryan lead guitar
Derek “DB8″ Johnston – bass guitar
Trevor “Tre” Stafford – drums, percussion

Adelitas Way Uproar Festival 2012 Photo Gallery

LIVE! | Uproar Festival in Syracuse, NY

by Sara J. McCarthy
- Senior Photojournalist –

Saturday August 25, 2012 held at the New York State Fair Grandstand in Syracuse, NY

The third annual Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival made its sixth stop at the New York State Fair Grandstand in Syracuse, NY.The Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival main stage featured performances from multiplatinum rock bands Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind and Papa Roach, along with breaking band Adelitas Way. In addition, the Ernie Ball Stage and Jagermeister Stage in the festival area will include performances Deuce, Fozzy, Redlight King, Mindset Evolution (winner of the 2011 UPROAR Battle Of the Bands), In This Moment and Candlelight Red.

About Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival:
The Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival is produced by John Reese and John Oakes, of Synergy Global Entertainment; Creative Artists Agency’s Darryl Eaton and Ryan Harlacher and Live Nation’s Perry Lavoisne.

Since its inception in 2010, the touring festival’s attendance continues to grow, with nearly 325,000 in attendance in 2011. SGE is one of the world’s premier music festival production companies. With hundreds of live events worldwide each year, SGE works with agencies, brands and musical talent to produce or coproduce concerts across various genres and interests.

www.RockstarUPROAR.com

Uproar Festival 2012 Concert Photo Gallery

Visit the bands websites:
www.shinedown.com
www.godsmack.com
www.staind.com
www.adelitasway.net
www.facebook.com/officialinthismoment
www.fozzyrock.com
www.facebook.com/candlelightred

LIVE! | KC Rockfest 2012

by Shawna Luehring
Staff Writer –

May 12, 2012 at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, MO

The annual tradition started and carried on by the Kansas City radio station 98.9 the Rock moves into its 20th year. Celebrating the anniversary with 55,000+ fans at this year’s event was featured headliner Shinedown, Slash with Myles Kennedy, Five Finger Death Punch, Hellyeah, Volbeat and many more.

Like past shows, the artists split the time performing on two stages: Monster Energy Stage and the Jeremiah Weed Stage. Fifteen bands performed and delivered 12 hours of music at the largest one-day music festival in the U.S. Except for a little rain during Adelitas Way’s set and a brief power outage that caused Chevell to cut its set short and Slash to perform with no stage lighting, the concert was uneventful when compared with shows from the last few years.

Highlights of the concert included the debut of Denmark’s Volbeat, whose first appearance in Kansas City brought the crowd to their feet, and Hellyeah, dubbed “America’s heavy metal supergroup,” closed out the second stage with some serious hard rock. With such as a large crowd on hand, the promoters added large, enhanced HD video screens on each side of the Monster Energy, and the Jeremiah Weed stage was larger this year, standing a towering 10 feet tall.

Monster Energy Stage (Main):
Adelitas Way
Rev Theory
Theory of a Deadman
Chevelle
Slash (and Myles Kennedy)
Five Finger Death Punch
Shinedown

Jeremiah Weed Stage (Second):
Black Oxygen
New Medicine
Art of Dying
Cavo
Trivium
Black Stone Cherry
Volbeat
Hellyeah

KC Rockfest 2012 Photo Gallery

Photos appear courtesy of Shawna Luehring with www.shawnamchenry.com/

LIVE! | Shinedown with Art of Dying and Adelitas Way

by Sara McCarthy
Staff Writer –

April 22, 2012 at Scranton Cultural Center in Scranton, PA

The Avalanche tour made a stop in Scranton Sunday night, nearing the end of a month-long trek across the country. Shinedown, supporting their latest CD Amaryllis, which was released on March 27, headlined the show.

Art of Dying was the first band to take the stage. Hailing from Canada, this young band was the first act signed by Intoxication, the record label started by Disturbed’s David Draiman and Dan Donegan. Having the support of their label and working with Producer Howard Benson, the band released their second album, Vices and Virtues in 2011. Continuing to tour and promote their album, front-man Johnny Hetherington’s vocals were on fire, while fellow band members tore through their half hour set, giving the audience a great example of the raw energy and talent that they have built a reputation for.

Set List:
Straight Across My Mind
Whole World’s Crazy
Raining
Get Thru This
Sorry
Die trying

After a quick set change, Adelitas Way gave Scranton a taste of their musical offerings from Home School Valedictorian, their second studio release. The CD, still making headway on the charts, has released four singles, the latest being “Alive.” Starting their set off with “The Collapse” got the crowd pumped and ready for “Dirty Little Things” and “Hurt.” Robert Zakaryan showed off his considerable talent and is obviously growing quite comfortable in his role as lead guitarist. This band was able to pack a lot of punch into their seven track set list, ending their time with “Invincible,” which the crowd gladly sang along to.

Set List:
Dirty Little Thing
Hurt
Alive
Cage The Beast
Criticize
Sick
Invincible

Shinedown released their first studio album since 2008 on March 27, 2012, entitled Amaryllis. The tracks contained within are filled with brutal honesty and deal with difficult topics, delivered in a gritty rock-n-roll format. Tonight front-man Brent Smith and band mates delivered a spectacular example of why this band hit the rock scene with a vengeance and hasn’t slowed down since.

The first three songs of their set “Sound of Madness”, “Diamond Eyes” followed by “Enemies” (off their new album) had the crowd wild and surging toward the front barriers to the stage. When you have as many wildly popular singles as Shinedown does it is easy to please the crowd just by playing your old hits. The group did a great job of balancing the desires of the crowd with the band’s need to showcase their new work. Even though it has been less than a month since the release of Amaryllis, when new tracks were played audience members could be seen singing right along to “Enemies” and “Nowhere Kids.” The final song in their full set was “.45” off of their first album Leave a Whisper.

The encore began with “Bully,” a track that has received a lot of media attention recently due to it being the title track for the documentary by the same name. Tackling a serious topic that is pervasive in our society today, the documentary’s distributor has been fighting to have the “R” rating removed from the project. The Motion Picture Association of America assigned the rating due to foul language in the film. All of the controversy surrounding the film and it’s accompanying song has had a positive effect on both sides and at certain times the audience’s voice threatened to overwhelm Smith’s vocals. Following “Bully” was their cover of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Second Chance” and their first single ever “Fly From the Inside.”

Shinedown has continued to demonstrate why they are so popular and able to dominate every show they play. These guys deliver an energy filled, heartfelt, entertaining performance and if you have not had the chance to see them live, I suggest you do your best to make that happen.

Set List:
Sound of Madness
Diamond Eyes
Enemies
If You Only Knew
Save Me
Devour
Nowhere Kids
The Crow and The Butterfly
Unity
Amaryllis
Adrenaline
.45

Encore:
Bully
Simple Man
Second Chance
Fly From the Inside

Shinedown with Art of Dying and Adelitas Way 2012 Photo Gallery

Photos Appear Courtesy of Sara McCarthy

Carnival of Madness Tour LIVE!

August 4, 2010 at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

The Carnival of Madness Tour made a special stop at the Mohegan Sun Arena on August 4th performing to a packed house of fans coming from as far as Massachusetts to see the show. Tonight’s performance included Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years. Chevelle wasn’t on the bill for the Mohegan Sun show.

10 Years opened the show at 6 P.M. with a strong 25-minute set. Having first seen the band before a few years ago before they got signed at The Middle East in Cambridge, it was great to see them progress to the arena setting.

Next up Sevendust hit the stage with a vengeance. Opening with “Splinter” from their latest release Cold Day Memory it didn’t take long for the mosh pits to begin. Singer Lajon Witherspoon took full control of the young audience. Sevendust only slowed things down for a moment with the song “Angels Son” and the frenzy began again with “Unraveling” the first single off of the new album that was very well received. The return of Clint Lowery has made a great impact with the overall sound.

Puddle of Mudd took Chevelle’s spot in this evening lineup. and opened with the song “Control.” The band performed their hits and had fans singing along to songs like “Spaceship,” Psycho,” and “She Hates Me.” Lead singer Wes Scantlin was very entertaining thanking the audience for coming out for the show. Guitarist Paul Phillips shined in an arena setting. Paul has made a great impact with his return showcasing the strength of the band with his songwriting skills on their current release Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate. Bassist Damien Starkey, replacing Doug Ardito, was very energetic onstage. One major highlight of the bands set was the sing along to the song “Blurry.”

The evening went relatively fast and it was time for Florida rock band Shinedown to take the stage at 9 P.M. for an hour and 45 minute set. Singer Brent Smith sporting a Black top hat, cane, and striped shirt played ringleader to a sea of 5000 fans opening with “Sound Of Madness.” Brent’s voice was captivating and the focus of the entire set. His vocal range went from melodic to hard rock adapting to every song in a flawless performance. Brent also dedicated “If You Only Knew” to all the women in the audience. He spoke with much enthusiasm announcing “Diamond Eyes” the song that can be heard in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone movie The Expendables.

Highlight of the set was the compelling, “The Crow and the Butterfly.” Singer Brent Smith proclaimed the Carnival of Madness Tour as the event of the summer. It is always a pleasure to watch a band develop into an arena act and hear their hit songs on radio. Reminiscing about seeing Shinedown for the first time on the Sno-Core Tour a few years back in Worcester at the Palladium, I had a feeling then that Shinedown would be huge musical act.
Shinedown came to play, with their set on the music, the band poured their heart into the evening’s performance.

Every band gave 100 percent. This was the perfect way to spend a summer evening listening to the bands making an impact today.

A Special thank you goes out to Julie Lichtenstein and Amanda Cagan, and Morgan Rose of Sevendust for making this review possible.

Check out our Interview with Morgan Rose of Sevendust right here at Hardrock Haven.

Be sure to catch Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer!

Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Livin’ on Borrowed Time
Spaceship
Stoned
Blurry
T.N.T.
Psycho
She Hates Me

Sevendust Set List:
Splinter
Praise
Denial
Angel’s Son
Black
Driven
Unraveling
Pieces
Face To Face

Shinedown Set List:
Sound Of Madness
Devour
I Dare You
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
If You Only Knew
Diamond Eyes
.45
Call Me
Heroes
The Crow and The Butterfly
Her Name is Alice
Save Me
Son of Sam
Left Out

Encore:
Simple Man
Fly From The Inside
Second Chance

Photos courtesy of Deb Rao

Paul Phillips of Puddle of Mudd

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

One of the top acts in music today Puddle Of Mudd is gearing up for an exciting appearance at Rock On The Range at 2:55P.M on Saturday May 22. Puddle Of Mudd is currently burning up the airwaves with their second hit single “Stoned” off their fourth studio album, Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate.

The band just stormed through New England with near capacity crowds at the Webster Theatre in Connecticut, Hampton Beach Casino, and Higher Ground in Burlington, Vt. Part of the success of the new album and tour is due to the return of guitarist Paul Phillips. I recently had the opportunity to discuss the new Puddle Of Mudd album in-depth with Paul Phillips with a special Track By Track. Plus we discussed the band’s upcoming appearance at Rock On The Range, Carnival Of Madness Tour, guitars, and the passing of the legendary Ronnie James Dio.

HRH: Paul, Thank you so much for checking in with Hardrock Haven. Puddle Of Mudd is currently on the road in support of your latest release Volume 4: Songs In the Key Of Love And Hate. What have some of the highlights of the tour been so far? I know the band performed to great shows this past weekend in New England.

PAUL: I don’t know if there is any one particular one. I just love to play live. Any show has the potential to be the highlight of the tour when you have a good crowd and energy going back and forth. We just had a few in a row that were really good. I just enjoy playing live and having people out there singing the words and having a good time. .

HRH: I was at the show in Hampton Beach and the crowd was very enthusiastic about the new material. I noticed a whole new generation of younger fans at the show. How inspiring is this for you as an artist to see the fan base of the band grow since the Come Clean era?

PAUL: Yes, it is crazy. This year is the tenth Anniversary of Come Clean. So we have people that have kind of grown up with us throughout the years. Luckily, we came to having success with radio with our songs. This brings in a new audience. You will see these younger kids as well. And there are these families. We see people now bringing their kids. Older people bringing their kids. It is kind of cool that we can reach across that whole generation gap. It is pretty neat to have that happen.

HRH: The new single “Stoned” is burning up the airwaves in Boston on radio station WAAF. It also marks the return of you to the band. Do you think the album returns back to your early roots?

PAUL: I think a little more so than the last record. When I left, I left during the writing of the Famous record. We weren’t getting along. We weren’t working together well. Not a whole lot of things were happening. After I left, they kind of went the route of going with different songwriters to kind of help out with the record. It is a good record. But I think it went a little poppy and a little polished than what we have done before. I don’t know if we made a conscious effort to try to strip it down a little bit and be more of ourselves. That is just what happens when we get into a room together. I don’t know if it is anything that we ever discuss. We are not a band that writes in the same room together. We always write separate. We bring our ideas in. This time I was staying up in Wes’s house during the writing and recording. By proximity we had a lot of writing sessions together. We would bring them in to the band the next day and hash them out. Doug wrote some stuff on his own. It was definitely the most collaborative and friendly good vibe that we have had making a record. Which was great compared to what it was before.

HRH: I can see what you mean. Because on the Famous album too, I got that. Maybe it was just a bit too over-polished for then band. But this record has the right amount of elements from the Come Clean era including acoustic and electric. As a guitarist what kind of sounds were you looking to achieve on the new album.

PAUL: Thank you very much I appreciate that. I always wanted to rock. When this nu-metal was going on I tried to lean somewhere between that and a little classic rock. I tried to give it as much punch and clarity out of this as you can. Like you said, the acoustics we have always kind of use a lot of live acoustics a lot on some of the slower melody things. It is a constant battle. I am always trying to find that perfect tone. I think it is something that you can never reach. You always say I can do better if I do this.

HRH: I have seen both tours your headlining one and the recent one with Shinedown. I noticed the band is doing an acoustic portion of at the show. Are you enjoying this part of the show?

PAUL: I enjoy part of it. Because it is just Wes. I get to jump off the stage for a bit and cool down. I get like a little intermission in the middle. I jump around like a monkey so I get to catch my breath, and have a drink and come back up. It is cool to do that. I have always seen bands to that. I have enjoyed it. I have seen bands that actually have a whole change in scenery with a backdrop and all that and do a whole acoustic set. Zeppelin did that back in the day. They’re a lot of bands that have done it. It is just like taking a journey. We come out and rock and then you chill off a bit and bring a different vibe and bring it back up and finish off the show. It is something different to add to the show.

HRH: Tell us about the upcoming Carnival Of Madness Tour with Shinedown. What can the fans expect to see on this tour?

PAUL: Well, it is a little shorter set for us. Because there are so many bands on the bill. Basically, we are going to go out there and rock the hits. Throw in a few songs off of the new record and go out there and do our thing. The whole tour is all great friends of great bands and ours. It is a win win for us, as well for the fans who are buying the ticket. It is a cheap ticket price. It is going to be a great tour.

HRH: I know a lot of fans are really happy that you have returned to the band. There is a really definite impact on this album. What prompted your return to Puddle Of Mudd?

PAUL: I hadn’t talked to the guys since I had quit. I have seen Doug a couple of times. I hadn’t talked to Wes since the day I quit. I live in Jacksonville, Florida and they were part of a big radio show there. It is something like me and my friends go to every year. It is an all day hangout. They were telling me go. I was like I don’t want to go. I don’t want to see Puddle and have to be around all that. But I went to it and ran into everybody. We just hung out and started talking. Wes and me went to a bar later. Oddly, enough we were getting along and not fighting. We just started talking on the phone. It wasn’t even about me coming back to the band. It was like,”Hey how are you doing man?” One day I got a phone call and they said we are playing a show down and we want you to play. Come on back. I was like under those circumstances it would be under a much better vibe. So that is the only way I would have come back. I didn’t want to come back and be miserable again. So it was a much cooler vibe and I came right back in.

HRH: How do you think the band has evolved since the Come Clean release?

PAUL: Everybody is trying to become a better player and songwriter. I think as far as the song writing I don’t think we try to re-invent the wheel. There is a sound that we make and a sound that people like. We are not trying to go in and make some crazy concert record with like 13-minute songs. We keep our lyrics to everyday stuff. Keep it real and stuff like that. I mean hopefully we are evolving as players and in writing great songs. I don’t know if we are really trying to take our song writing somewhere else.

HRH: Tell us about the making of the new video “Stoned.” It is a really fun video to watch.

PAUL: It was fun to make. Sometimes you get those videos that just last all day long. We did this one really quick. We were on a tight schedule. We had a show the day before and after, so we had to cram it in all in one day. They said you got to smash some stuff in our office. I was like cool. I got there and they had a sledgehammer and I was like I definitely have to have that. That has to be mine. I have to use that. They had all the actors do their stuff first. We got in and smashed some stuff and played the song a few times and we were out. It was quick and easy.

HRH: Are you endorsed by PRS guitars?

PAUL: Yes, I am. They have been with me from the very beginning. They came basically the time the first single “Control” came out. I have been with them ever since. They have been good to me.

HRH: Puddle Of Mudd is getting ready for a very important show on Saturday May 22. The band goes on at 2:55 P.M. How important is it for the band to play to the masses your new material at ROTR?

PAUL: It is great when you get to play when you have that many good bands. When you get to play in front of more people than you normally do. You definitely want to have your A game on and put the best show on possible. There may be a lot of fans that haven’t bought the record. It is always an opportunity to get new fans. Our good buddy is the promoter of the show. He started Rock On The Range, so we always want to impress him. He is a hard critic.

HRH: Any bands that you are looking forward to seeing perform at ROTR?

PAUL: It is kind of bittersweet. I am really excited to see The Deftones. You may or may not know their bass player who is a friend of ours that was the first tour that we did with The Deftones got in a car accident. He has been in a coma for over a year now. They went ahead and got another bass player. They are back together. They have been gone for a while. I am super excited because I am a huge fan. They are good friends of mine. It is going to be weird without the original bass player knowing his circumstances. They had to continue on but it is a little weird with him being in a coma. He is on life support and the whole deal. It is terrible.

HRH: What are your thoughts on the passing of Ronnie James Dio? The Metal world was so saddened by this news.

PAUL: It is crazy when you lose anybody like that. Like an icon. It is like when you lost Michael Jackson. Regardless of what your opinions are or what not. I mean he was an icon. He is regarded as one of the best metal singers of all time. He had success with Dio and Rainbow and Black Sabbath. It is just weird when you know he is not doing the Heaven And Hell tour one day and one day he is dying of cancer. When he was doing the Heaven And Hell tour he was out there rocking. It is a sad day anytime when you lose anybody who put great music and art out to the world. He put some great music out in the world and it will live forever.

HRH: What are the future touring plans of the band? I know you have the Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer. Will the band remain on the road throughout the year?

PAUL: I think so. I think we will probably go the end of the year. Depending on the demand at that point, maybe start thinking about another record. I am pretty sure we will definitely be going at least to the end of the year.

HRH: Paul, do you have any advice for aspiring guitarists?

PAUL: Practice, practice, practice! It goes without saying. Practice with a metronome. Get your timing together. If you got friends or whatever that play guitar or drums you got to get out there and jam with them too. It is one thing to sit around and practice scales every day. If you don’t have your feel and your groove locked in that is the most important thing when you get into a band. There are a lot of people that aren’t that technically advanced. When they deal with people and start jamming they just get it. They do it. Most of the best guitar players are just all feel and they don’t know a note. They just know a note and know it sounds good and what feels good.

Hardrock Haven is proud to present a Track By Track Of Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate by Puddle Of Mudd Guitarist Paul Phillips:

l. Stoned -”That is basically a F*U* song. It has a lot to do with major labels. And other bands dealing with major labels. Anybody who is stuck in that corporate world and having to do something that they don’t always want to do. Unfortunately you get pressured into doing some things that you don’t want to do in the music industry as well. So basically it is like hey instead of looking up to you I like to be doing what I like to do. You can probably kind of figure that one out.”

2. Spaceship -”That was one that was at least 3 quarters of the way done when I came back to the band. We added a few extra parts in there to just spice it up a bit. We pretty much knew all of the time it was going to be the first single. It just had kind of that novelty feel that we do a lot. We went up to Vancouver and recorded that with Brian Howes. I am happy with it too. I think the guitars are slammin’ on it.”

3. Keep It Together – “This song is probably the one I am most proud of. That was one that I actually wrote when I was away from the band. It is something that I had sitting around. It was actually a lot slower when I originally wrote it. Then there was a way more difficult more guitar part in just the result of the way Wes was trying to sing and play the guitar. He started playing the way it is now. He played it faster instead of picking out all the crazy notes I had in there. He stripped it down. So that is the way it ended up. It got stripped down a lot and sped up a lot. To me that is our credit achievement on the record. I am really proud of that song.”

4. Out Of My Way -”Me and Wes have a habit of staying up late and drinking and writing songs. We have these little hand held recorders. That is one we wrote on the recorder in Vancouver in a hotel room and listened back to it three months later. Wes is like,” Do you remember writing that?” I am like I don’t remember writing that one either. That was funny. If I didn’t have that little hand held recorder that song would have been lost and it wouldn’t have made it.”

5. Blood On The Table -”This song is fun. I like to turn that into a driving song. When you speed you put on an up tempo song like that. That was a riff and vocals that Wes had sitting around for a while. He started playing. I am like,” What is that?” Wes said I wrote that a long time ago. I like that it is cool. I wrote a chorus to it. It is basically about fighting with people in close proximities. It has a lot to do with band frustrations. Sometimes you give everything you got to each other and you bleed for each other on a daily basis. Sometimes it can get frustrating if it is not returned in the same matter. If you feel like you are doing it more than somebody else. It can apply to any kind of relationship that you have. There has to be that equal thing. ”

6. The Only Reason – That was actually a song that I had nothing to do with. That one was written for Famous. It was recorded for Famous. It ended up not making Famous. But we always thought it was a good song. So we insisted on this record that it get put on the record. I always thought it should have been on the Famous record even though I wasn’t around. I always thought it was a really good song. It has got a cool time change in it. It goes from 3/4 to 4/4 which is pretty cool. So we just re-mixed it, so it is kind of cohesive with this record. So we put it on there.”

7. Pitchin’ A Fit – “That was fun. That is pretty much about me and Wes being up late and doing our thing.”

8. Uno Mas -”That is a Doug track that Doug brought in. It is a little punk rock jammer. When I first came back to play and listened to the demo at his house, I was like that is cool I like that. It has a good up-tempo beat. It never really backs down. It took Wes a while to write lyrics to it. We knocked that one out too.”

9. Better Place -”That about Wes’s cousin who overdosed on drugs. That was basically a letter to him. You are in a better place now. I miss ya. It was a heartfelt goodbye to him.”

10. Hooky -”That was a lot of fun to write. That riff was actually written by Wes’s son who was in the “Blurry” video. He is twelve now. He has started to rock the guitar pretty well. He was staying with Wes for the summer. We were hanging out. He started playing that riff. We were like we should write a song to it. So we started asking him,” What would you rather do today than go to school?” He is like,” I rather do this. I rather so that.” We ended up writing this whole song around him with his guitar riff and vocals. Then Wes changed some of the vocals. Some of the more risqué’ vocals came from Wes and not the twelve year old kid. A lot of them are the exact same thing that he came up with. It was kind of a joke. But then we thought it would totally make his life, if we went in and recorded this song. So we waited till he left and went into the studio and recorded it. Once we got the disc and played it for him, I have never seen anybody smile that way. He couldn’t believe something that he did was on record and we recorded it.”

Puddle of Mudd LIVE!

May 15, 2010 at Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

The summer concert series at Hampton Beach Casino is kicking into full gear featuring some of the hottest acts in music today. Gracing the stage with a near capacity crowd on May 15 was one of rock’s top acts Puddle Of Mudd. Riding high on the success of current album Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate, Puddle of Mudd is currently burning up the radio airwaves with their second hit single” Stoned and headlining tour.”

Part of the success of the new hit Puddle Of Mudd release is due to the return of guitarist Paul Phillips and his catchy pop riffs. Not since their release of Come Clean in 2001 has the band enjoyed the success that is now flourishing with their current release Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate.

Puddle Of Mudd hit the stage at 10:15 P.M. and performed a 90-minute set that featured songs that spanned their extensive career. Opening with:” Control” lead singer Wes Scantlin took full command of the stage. The band then launched into their first hit single from their current release, “Spaceship.” The all ages’ audience could not get enough of the band as Puddle Of Mudd cranked out hit after hit.

One interesting aspect of the headlining show compared to the recent tour with Shinedown is the longer set in which the band put into great use with an added acoustic portion. Wes Scantlin performed on acoustic guitar on the song “Thinking About You” and a few other songs this evening in which the band showcased their melodic side. The slower part of the set really infused the Nirvana ambiance and strong song structure that has made the band famous. It was very refreshing.

The rhythm section featuring bassist Doug Ardito and drummer Ryan Yerdon was pulverizing. One great aspect of attending a Puddle Of Mudd concert is the impromptu sing-along in which were very strong tonight including on the AC/DC cover “TNT” and “Blurry.” Highlight of the night was the medley of “She Hates Me”, and the Grease hit “Summer Lovin.” That song was perfect for the boardwalk crowd attending tonight’s show.

After the show, the band did a meet and greet and stayed into the wee hours of the morning signing autographs. It was great to see the great repoire between the band and fans. Puddle Of Mudd is all about the music and it in for the long haul. Be sure to check out the band on tour this summer and pick up a copy of Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate today.

Puddle Of Mudd is gearing up for an extremely busy summer. Kicking things off with an appearance at one of the most anticipated festivals of the summer Rock On The Range on May 22. Be advised the band is performing at 2:55 P.M. on the main stage at ROTR.

Also, Puddle of Mudd will be appearing on the Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer .For up to the minute news visit sites listed below. See Press Release in News Section at Hardrock Haven.

Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Spaceship
Blurry
Thinking About You
Famous
Livin’ On Borrowed Time
Blood on the Table
Away From Me
Out Of My Head
Stoned
Psycho
TNT (AC/DC cover)
Encore:
She Hates Me/Summer Lovin’/The Joker (Steve Miller Band)

Puddle of Mudd on Tour:
518 S. Burlington, VT @Higher Ground
5/19 Watertown, NY @Exhibition Hall
5/21 Buffalo, NY @Town Ballroom
5/22 Columbus, OH Columbus Crew Stadium “Rock on the Range”
5/24 Aberdeen, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/25 Minot, ND @Minot Municipal Auditorium
5/26 Sioux Falls, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/28 Davenport, IA @Capitol Theatre
5/29 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Center for “X103 Presents May Day”
5/31 Richmond, VA @The National
6/3 Atlanta, GA @The Masquerade
6/30 Milwaukee, WI @Summerfest Grounds for “Summerfest”

Puddle of Mudd on the Carnival of Madness Tour:
7/16 Jacksonville, FL @Jacksonville Arena
7/17 Simpsonville, SC @Heritage Park
7/18 Huntsville, AL @Von Braun Amphitheatre
7/20 Tampa, FL @St. Pete Times Forum
7/ 21 Estero, FL @Germain Arena
7/23 Knoxville, TN @Civic Coliseum
7/24 Charlotte, NC @Verizon Amphitheatre
7/25 Raleigh, NC @Raleigh Boutique Amphitheatre
7/26 Virginia Beach, VA @Virginia Beach Amphitheatre
7/28 Columbia, MD @Merriweather Pavillion
7/30 Philadelphia, PA @Penn’s Landing
8/1 Boston, MA @Comcast Amphitheatre
8/4 Uncasville, CT @Mohegan Sun Arena
8/5 Holmdel, NJ @PNC Amphitheatre
8/6 Canadaguiga, NY @CMAC
8/7 Detroit, MI @DTE Amphitheatre
8/9 Cleveland, OH @Time Warner Amphitheatre
8/10 Pikeville, KY @Eastern Kentucky Expo
8/11 Chicago, IL @Charter One Pavillion
8/17 Southhaven, MS @Snowden Grove Amphitheatre
8/18 Lafayette, LA @Cajun Dome
8/20 Oklahoma City, OK @Zoo Amphitheatre
8/21 Houston, TX @Woodlands Amphitheatre
8/22 Dallas, TX @Nokia Theater
8/24 Casper, WY @Casper Event Center
8/25 Billings, MT @Metropark Center

www.puddleofmudd.com

www.myspace.com/puddleofmudd

www.carnivalofmadness.com

Shinedown Live!

January 26, 2010 at the House Of Bliues in Boston, Mass.

by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

It may be below zero but one tour that is heating up the dead of winter is the Shinedown/Puddle Of Mudd Tour that rolled into Boston at the House Of Bliues on Landsdowne Street across from Fenway Park on Jan. 26.

Puddle Of Mudd, who are riding high with their recent release Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate hit the stage at at 7:30 p.m. Opening with “Control”, Puddle Of Mudd dominated the stage with their post-grunge sound and catchy lyrics for an hour of fun and excitement. Singer Wes Scantlin was in a great mood and commented,”It is great to be playing right across from the Green Monster and Fenway Park.” Puddle of Mudd premiered their new hit single “Spaceship” and had the whole venue rocking and also performed new song “Stoned.”

One of the great aspects of attending a Puddle Of Mudd concert is that the band loves to interact with their fans. Wesley Scantlin entertained the crowd and even played an acoustic song called, “Thinking Of You” and dedicated it to the people of Haiti.

The band sounded tight and played all of their hits including “Famous,” “Psycho,” “She Hates Me,” and even did a spontaneous jam of songs including the AC/DC hit “TNT,” “The Joker” by Steve Miller. and “Summer Nights” from the movie Grease.

At 9:30 P.M. Shinedown hit the stage, opening with “Sound Of Madness” as singer Brent Smith took full control of the audience. Brent has a powerful voice and it roared tonight. Hightlights of the set included “Devour,” their current hit, “If You Only Knew” and ended the set with “Second Chance” which received a huge response. One of the coolest songs of the night was the bluesy version of the Otis Redding song,”Dock Of The Bay.” Great choice and it really showcased Brent’s vocal prowess. Brent Smith commented, “This is the fourth night of the tour and far by this is the best audience yet.” Shinedown is one of the more promising young bands out today. If you have a chance check out this tour when it hits your city, you won’t be disapointed.

Also, I have to add there were no huge video screeens or stage props for both acts. Both bands relied on sheer talent and no gimmicks. The highlight of both bands sets was the acoustic portion of the evening. The songs stood on their own fronted by two of the best showman in the business today.

Photos appear courtesy of Deb Rao

Kansas City Rockfest Live!

May 30, 2009 Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.

by John Kindred
Staff Writer

Main Stage
9:30 p.m. – KoRn
8:00 p.m. – Buckcherry
6:30 p.m. – Shinedown
5:00 p.m. – Corey Taylor & the JBKB
3:50 p.m. – Theory of a Deadman
2:40 p.m. – Saving Abel
1:30 p.m. – Rev Theory

Second Stage
9:00 p.m. – Drowning Pool
7:30 p.m. – Duff McKagan’s Loaded
6:00 p.m. – Dope
4:30 p.m. – Parlor Mob
3:20 p.m. – The Veer Union
2:10 p.m. – Burn Halo
1:00 p.m. – Crooked X
12:00 p.m. – Federation of Horsepower

The Good: Newcomers; Burn Halo and Parlor Mob. The new-old-timers Shinedown. Plenty of porta-potties.

The Bad: Long lines at the concession stands. Over-priced beer, food and bottled water. However you present it, $5 per individual food item sucks … one meal per concertgoer easily could be $20. Free water means waiting in line, missing the concert. Purchased water means waiting in line, missing the concert and paying $3 a bottle. The venue is too small, period for 50,000 people.

The Ugly: I (heart) Vagina merchandise. Scantily clad over-weight individuals. Seeing tattoos in places you never would want to look anyway.

The Inside Skinny:

Kansas City radio station, 98.9 The Rock, dubs the event as the biggest one-day rock festival in North America. Kansas City’s annual Rockfest played host to 15 bands and more than 50,000 spectators. Sponsored by vendors such as Miller Lite and Worth Harley Davidson, 98.9’s one-day festival features new and emerging bands along with modern metal mainstays.

Headliners Korn were joined by fellow rockers Buckcherry and Shinedown. Slipknot’s Corey Taylor brought along his solo band The Junk Beer Kidnap Band and performed Stone Sour and obscure songs.

The second stage featured new talent including youngsters Crooked X, new-comers Burn Halo, Parlor Mob and Veer Union, Duff McKagan’s band Loaded, Dope and Drowning Pool.

Unfortunately, the best place to see any of the bands perform was at the Second Stage. Unless you were within 10-15 feet of the main stage barrier and you were of modest height, there was no way to see any live action. There were two video screens placed a few hundred yards from the stage, but they were stationed to the right of the venue and benefited few.

Observations of the day included bands moving away from Screamo-metal. Almost all the participating bands featured singing vocalists. Guitar solos are slowly creeping back into rock music. Bands continue to show influences from the ‘70s.

Highlights:

Burn Halo, led by vocalist James Hart, launched into their 40-minute set and performed songs from their new self-titled album. They performed their current radio hit “Dirty Little Girl,” “Save Me,” as well as “Gasoline” and “Dead End Roads & Lost Highways.”

Hailing from New Jersey, Parlor Mob’s music features a nostalgic ‘70s-inspired vibe. The band has a vibrant energy that feels raw and spontaneous. Touring in support of the debut album debut album And You Were A Crow on Roadrunner Records, this is a band to keep on eye on.

The Shinedown set included a majority of their hits. Brent Smith and company had the crowd eating out of their hands as they directed fans to the pulsating beat of their music. Performing hit after hit, the band is sure on top of their game. Fans were treated to “Devour,” “Sound of Madness,” “Second Chance,” “.45,” “Fly From the Inside” and “Save Me.”

Crooked X features four youths hailing from Oklahoma. Young, these kids are 15 years old! Their 10-song debut was released on MPM/EMI/Capitol in January, and the band already has opened for Kiss and Ted Nugent. This is another band to keep an eye out for. Crooked X has plenty of energy and talent as well song-writing skills.

Rockfest 2009 Photo Gallery

Photos by John Kindred/Shawna McHenry.