Stevie Benton

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by Deb Rao
Staff Writer

Drowning Pool is deemed by Motley Crue bassist NIKKI SIXX, as one of the top survival stories in Rock and Roll. They say third time is the charm, and if that theory holds true Drowning Pool are in for the best year of their career.

Currently on third singer Ryan McCombs and third album, Drowning Pool has landed in the Top 10 Active Rock Charts with their current hit “37 Stitches”. Also NIKKI SIXX has asked Drowning Pool to join Crue Fest 2 this summer. The band will open a new door to their career, and hopefully leave the rocky climb to the top behind them once and for all.

Drowning Pool bassist Stevie Benton has checked with Hardrock Haven to discuss the upcoming Crue Fest Tour and their latest live album Loudest Common Denominator.

HRH: Stevie, Thank you for checking in with Hardrock Haven. Drowning Pool is getting set to embark on the Crue Fest 2 Tour this summer. How important is it for the band to showcase the re-birth of the band in front of a whole new audience this summer?

STEVIE: I mean it is huge. It is make it or break it at this point. It is kind of like a crescendo of two and a half years of hard work and a lot of playing every little bar and club coast to coast supporting this record. Finally, it has all come together at once. We have a single, it is Top 5 at radio now. We have this awesome huge tour coming up. It means everything to us to show in front of that audience that has never seen us before to show that the band is still around and we are not going anywhere.

HRH: In a recent press release, NIKKI SIXX deemed the band as one of the greatest rock and roll stories in metal today. As you mentioned Drowning Pool has a new single,”37 Stitches” it is in the Top 5 on the Active Rock Charts. You are on your third singer, which is Ryan. What is the motivation to keep going at the endless speed? I know the band has had some ups and down but have seemed to overcome them all miraculously.

STEVIE: It is finally good to see a lot of years paying off. It is unfortunate that we had to have three singers. We basically had to start over and rebuild every time. It is not something that we ever anticipated. It is not something that we ever wanted to do. It is just kind of the way it is played out. We hope that now have things have turned around for us that we will be able to go on for a long time. Hopefully having Ryan in the band will remain an established cohesive unit for a long time and we will do a lot of records together.

HRH: Drowning Pool recently released your first live album ever Loudest Common Denominator. Tell us the meaning of the title behind this album.

STEVIE: The title is supposed to mean big rock show that brings everybody together. It is like the Common Denominator that everyone can relate to. Going out and rocking out and having a good time. The title is as simple as that really.

HRH: What inspired the band to release a live album? It showcases your strength with the acoustic songs and you’re hard hitting songs like “Soldiers and “Bodies”.

STEVIE: Kind of the motivation behind it was the fact that people that come out to our show we hear so many comments how different the songs sound live as opposed how they come across on record. We always hear oh you guys are so much heavier. People always take away something that they didn’t expect. We wanted to give them a little piece of that to take home with them. They can have the big rock show in their living room or cars whatever now.

HRH: It is good that some of the fans attending Crue fest this summer who have never heard of Drowning Pool can go buy the album and experience the band live this summer.

STEVIE: Absolutely, that is the motivation for doing it. Getting an opportunity to get in from of those people every night that is the payoff for all the hard work and traveling and all the other BS that you have to deal with being on the road. That 30 minutes or an hour whatever it is in front of a crowd is what makes it all worth it.

HRH: Drowning Pool recently wrapped up This IS For The Soldiers Tour last year. How inspiring was it to give back to Troops and do this tour for them?

STEVIE: After we went to Iraq and Kuwait and that stuff and meant so many people that put their lives on hold and put their lives on the line most days and then go over there and spend 15 to 18 months at a time away form their families. It was really inspiring to see people being so selfless like that and doing so much for the country. We wanted to do anything we could to help them. We did the tour and worked on the Lane Evans Bill just seemed like the very least we could do for those that do sop much for all of us.

HRH: Do you think that the band accomplished all of your goals? I know you went to Capital Hill to push the Lane Evans Bill.

STEVIE: The goals that we had set for that time, we certainly did. They were able to create a lot of funding to do the mental healthcare for the returning Troops to help them get back into their civilian lives once they come home. It was awesome to see that all come together. But as far as being done with that type of work, I don’t ever see that happening. Hopefully, the IAVA or USO, they are always welcome to call us and we will be there to do whatever we can for any cause that benefits the Troops in any way we can.

HRH: How did performing in Baghdad on the fifth Anniversary of 9/11 forever change your lives?

STEVIE: That is where the title Full Circle came from. It was devastating for the band when 9/11 happened. It was a terrible tragedy for the country. Secondly, a lot of people kind of associated “Bodies” with that. It was pulled off the radio for a while. Which yeah know I can understand and it didn’t really bother me. If hearing that song upset people. I understand pulling it. The only thing I didn’t like about it that it kind of put that connection forever to that song and 9/11. It was rewarding having that song bring us Full Circle where The Troops taking that song in and making it their own. It gave the song all new meaning and all new life for us in the band. To be there in Baghdad, five years later was when you look back on it and how everything unfolded during those five years it was overwhelming.

HRH: Is Drowning Pool in the studio recording a new album?

STEVIE: Actually, we are in the studio doing demos for a new record. But we are popping out and doing shows. Tonight was our last night, we are driving back now. Last night we just finished doing a week with Korn. We are just kind of doing little shows here and there. To kind of keep our chops up.

HRH: What inspired you to do acoustic versions of “37” Stitches”, and “Shame” on your live album?

STEVIE: When the record was put together we just wanted to pop in and try our hand of doing a couple of acoustic songs. We kind have done it before but never recorded it and put it out there before. It was something different. One thing we always strive to do. It would be easy to sit home and re-write “Bodies” for us but that would get really boring for us. It would be kind of cheating other people out of their money. We are always looking to try something new and out something different out there.

HRH: Stevie, is their anything else that you want to say about the upcoming Cruefest Tour kicking off July 19th?

STEVIE: It is going to be awesome. It is a dream come true for us to be out there on a tour. As a kid I had pictures of Motley Crue all over the place. I worshiped NIKKI SIXX. I still do actually. To be able to spend the summer with those guys is unbelievable. We are honored and we cannot wait.

www.myspace.com/drowningpool