Lions at the Gate, God Forbid, Lacuna Coil: Leones en la puerta, Dios no lo quiera, Lacuna Coil

Warning: this here review is about to take quite a few tangents, so you might as well grab a cup of tea, a beer, or whatever you're into, as you just might want to settle in for this one before we even get started.  On the surface, it's a lovely concert review about Lions at the Gate, God Forbid and Lacuna Coil playing at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, Florida, which happened to be the last stop at the end of their tour.  In reality, we are about to throw back a few things, and in order to understand one thing, I will have to explain another, which is where those tangents come in at, so don't say that I didn't warn you.

Advertencia: esta reseña está a punto de tomar bastantes tangentes, por lo que también podría tomar una taza de té, una cerveza o lo que sea que le guste, ya que es posible que desee instalarse en esta antes de que comencemos.  En la superficie, es una hermosa reseña del concierto de Lions at the Gate, God Forbid y Lacuna Coil tocando en Janus Live en St. Petersburg, Florida, que resultó ser la última parada al final de su gira.  En realidad, estamos a punto de retroceder algunas cosas, y para entender una cosa, tendré que explicar otra, que es donde entran esas tangentes, así que no digas que no te lo advertí.

With the Day of the Dead nearly upon us, and the veil between the worlds getting thinner each moment, I have to start with mentioning the dead.  A former student of mine had asked me not too long ago if I ever felt the spirits when I write, and tonight, I feel as if Tony could be whispering in my ear to get this done.  By Tony, I am referring to Tony Costanza, who was the original drummer of Maching Head, also known for being in Crisis, Crowbar, Papsmear and so many other random things it's hard to list them all.

Con el Día de los Muertos casi a la vuelta de la esquina, y el velo entre los mundos haciéndose más delgado a cada momento, tengo que empezar mencionando a los muertos.  Un antiguo alumno mío me había preguntado no hace mucho tiempo si alguna vez había sentido el espíritu cuando escribo, y esta noche, siento como si Tony pudiera estar susurrándome al oído para que lo hiciera.  Por Tony, me refiero a Tony Costanza, quien fue el baterista original de Maching Head, también conocido por estar en Crisis, Crowbar, Papsmear y tantas otras cosas al azar que es difícil enumerarlas todas.

Even though Tony died a few years ago, it was really because of him that I was at the show.  He was like my emotional support dog for the last 16 years of his life, one of my very best friends and "lover," as he liked to say, even though most often we were many miles apart, like opposite sides of the country type of apart, and since someone at the show asked me how he died, let me clarify.  For those who didn't know, he had some health problems, and I remember him visiting in January before he died, hearing him while he slept, telling him that he had sleep apnea and that he needed to have it checked out, and like a good boy, he did, but they didn't have it under control, resulting in him dying in his sleep, his mother walking out and finding her only child dead on the sofa in her living room.

A pesar de que Tony murió hace unos años, fue realmente por él que estuve en el show.  Fue como mi perro de apoyo emocional durante los últimos 16 años de su vida, uno de mis mejores amigos y "amante", como a él le gustaba decir, a pesar de que la mayoría de las veces estábamos a muchos kilómetros de distancia, como lados opuestos del campo, y como alguien en el espectáculo me preguntó cómo murió,  Permítanme aclarar.  Para los que no lo sabían, tenía algunos problemas de salud, y recuerdo que lo visitó en enero Antes de morir, escuchándolo mientras dormía, diciéndole que tenía apnea del sueño y que necesitaba que lo revisaran, y como buen chico, lo hizo, pero no lo tenían controlado, lo que resultó en que muriera mientras dormía, su madre salió y encontró a su único hijo muerto en el sofá de su sala de estar.

Now, most people might not know a whole lot about his personal life, including that his dad was a Las Vegas mafioso type who knew about the shady things to do to get some money that's fairly legal but not exactly kosher if you know what I mean.  He told me one particular story about how his father gave Ahrue Luster a nickname that is not exactly politically correct these days to put in print.  Full circle back to the concert here, Ahrue is the dude who plays in Lions at the Gate, the opening band, and I had not met Ahrue before Tony died, simply heard about him, so after his death, I reached out to Ahrue to fact check some of what I had been told by Tony for this book we had worked on nearly a couple decades ago at this point, and yes, we finished it before he died, and yes, I've just been sitting on it.

Ahora, es posible que la mayoría de la gente no sepa mucho sobre su vida personal, incluido que su padre era un tipo mafioso de Las Vegas que sabía sobre las cosas turbias que hacer para obtener algo de dinero que es bastante legal pero no exactamente kosher, si sabes a lo que me refiero.  Me contó una historia en particular sobre cómo su padre le dio a Ahrue Luster un apodo que no es exactamente políticamente correcto en estos días para ponerlo en la imprenta.  Cerrando el círculo de vuelta al concierto aquí, Ahrue es el tipo que toca en Lions at the Gate, la banda de apertura, y no había conocido a Ahrue antes de que Tony muriera, simplemente escuché sobre él, así que después de su muerte, me comuniqué con Ahrue para verificar algo de lo que Tony me había dicho para este libro en el que habíamos trabajado hace casi un par de décadas en este punto,  y sí, lo terminamos antes de que muriera, y sí, he estado sentado en él.

Long story short, I went to the concert to meet Ahrue in person for the first time after talking to him online after all these years.  So, that's why it's because of Tony that I was at the concert.  It was to meet one of his best friend that appears in the book, which might be just made into a movie, as I think Tony always saw it that way, saying that people will cry watching it, and no, it's not about Machine Head.

En pocas palabras, fui al concierto para conocer a Ahrue en persona por primera vez después de hablar con él en línea después de todos estos años.  Entonces, es por eso que es por Tony que estuve en el concierto.  Fue para conocer a uno de sus mejores amigos que aparece en el libro, que podría convertirse en una película, ya que creo que Tony siempre lo vio de esa manera, diciendo que la gente llorará viéndola, y no, no se trata de Machine Head.

The funny thing is that I thought I had met Ahrue, and when Tony first talked about him, I thought I must have met him, as he played in this band called Ill Nino, and I toured with them on Ozzfest in 2002.  It took a minute before realizing that Ahrue joined the band just after that particular tour.  Thus, I met his bandmates from Lions at the Gate a couple decades ago when they were in Ill Nino, and we toured around the country together, with me not on the stage, but signing more autographs than most as a "Harley Girl," as they called us back in the day, though not affiliated with the brand at all in any way.

Lo curioso es que pensé que había conocido a Ahrue, y cuando Tony habló por primera vez de él, pensé que debía haberlo conocido, ya que tocaba en una banda llamada Ill Nino, y estuve de gira con ellos en el Ozzfest en 2002.  Pasó un minuto antes de darse cuenta de que Ahrue se unió a la banda justo después de esa gira en particular.  Por lo tanto, conocí a sus compañeros de banda de Lions at the Gate hace un par de décadas cuando estaban en Ill Nino, y giramos juntos por todo el país, conmigo no en el escenario, pero firmando más autógrafos que la mayoría como una "Harley Girl", como nos llamaban en el pasado, aunque no estaba afiliado a la marca de ninguna manera.

Now, I have to mention that tour, as that's where I met the guy who told me about this particular tour.  That'd be my buddy Marco Zambrano, a name that the general public might not immediately recognize, but if you've been around a lot of touring bands, then you just might know him as a drum tech, even though he does has music of his own, as he's a drummer.  His name has come up in previous interviews, such as in one with Hatebreed, but he's one of those cross-over types who not only dabbles in the metal industry, but tiptoes over into the rap world, touring the Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and so many others over the years that I cannot even possibly list them, as it's constantly changing with demand.

Ahora, tengo que mencionar esa gira, ya que ahí es donde conocí al tipo que me habló de esta gira en particular.  Ese sería mi amigo Marco Zambrano, un nombre que el público en general podría no reconocer de inmediato, pero si has estado cerca de muchas bandas de gira, es posible que lo conozcas como técnico de batería, a pesar de que tiene música propia, ya que es baterista.  Su nombre ha aparecido en entrevistas anteriores, como en una con Hatebreed, pero es uno de esos tipos cruzados que no solo incursiona en la industria del metal, sino que se mete de puntillas en el mundo del rap, haciendo giras con Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige y tantos otros a lo largo de los años que ni siquiera puedo enumerarlos.  ya que cambia constantemente con la demanda.

Before the tour was announced, Marco slipped and told me who he would be working with next.  When I got all excited upon hearing that Lions at the Gate was on the tour, I had already started texting Ahrue before Marco told me not to tell him, that he wanted it to be a surprise, as Marco had toured with Ill Nino previously, and he hadn't seen the guys in a few years.  He wanted to surprise them the first day.

Antes de que se anunciara la gira, Marco se deslizó y me dijo con quién trabajaría a continuación.  Cuando me emocioné al enterarme de que Lions at the Gate estaba en la gira, ya había comenzado a enviarle mensajes de texto a Ahrue antes de que Marco me dijera que no se lo dijera, que quería que fuera una sorpresa, ya que Marco había estado de gira con Ill Nino anteriormente y no había visto a los chicos en algunos años.  Quería sorprenderlos el primer día.

I totally killed that surprise.  Sorry.  I did tell Ahrue not to mention it to the others though.

Maté totalmente esa sorpresa.  Arrepentido.  Sin embargo, le dije a Ahrue que no se lo mencionara a los demás.

See, Marco was not working with them on this tour.  He was working with Lacuna Coil, as this guy gets around the music scene, having compiled a killer resume over the years of who he was worked with, and I mention it, only because techs never seen to get much mention in music coverage.  That's something we actually talked about in the Hatebreed interview if you watched it.

Mira, Marco no estaba trabajando con ellos en esta gira.  Estaba trabajando con Lacuna Coil, ya que este tipo se mueve por la escena musical, habiendo compilado un currículum increíble a lo largo de los años de con quién trabajó, y lo menciono, solo porque nunca se vio que los técnicos recibieran mucha mención en la cobertura musical.  Eso es algo de lo que hablamos en la entrevista de Hatebreed si la viste.

Now that we're caught up on what brought me to the show in the first place, let's birdwalk over into the actual show segment.  First, you have to picture me actually dressed up for once, and by dressed up, I thought I might come in character from my latest horror movie that is nearing completion of filming.  For those who don't know, my character is a demon, picture like Lucifer taking over a female's body.

Ahora que nos hemos puesto al día con lo que me trajo al programa en primer lugar, caminemos hacia el segmento real del programa.  Primero, tienes que imaginarme realmente vestida por una vez, y al vestirme, pensé que podría venir en el personaje de mi última película de terror que está a punto de terminar la filmación.  Para aquellos que no lo saben, mi personaje es un demonio, imagen como Lucifer apoderándose del cuerpo de una mujer.

Visualize white contacts with a short wet-look dress, complete with fishnets.  Of course, the skirt is like too short, and it was probably a full moon in more than one way that night if you know what I mean.  That's exactly how you want to be dressed when you run into one of your former students you say?

Visualiza lentes de contacto blancas con un vestido corto de aspecto mojado, completo con medias de red.  Por supuesto, la falda es demasiado corta, y probablemente fue luna llena en más de un sentido esa noche, si sabes a lo que me refiero.  ¿Así es exactamente como quieres vestirte cuando te encuentres con uno de tus antiguos alumnos, dices?

Luckily, I'm probably a little too open with my students about stuff I've done, so she was not even surprised to see me.  I was more surprised to hear it's been like half a dozen years since she graduated the college I was teaching at, making me feel that stab of old age.  Catching up, she told me she had returned home after her brother died, and since her brother originally got her into Lacuna Coil, she wanted to come to her very first concert to see that band that her brother introduced her to long ago.

Afortunadamente, probablemente soy demasiado abierta con mis estudiantes sobre las cosas que he hecho, así que ni siquiera se sorprendió al verme.  Me sorprendió más escuchar que habían pasado como media docena de años desde que se graduó de la universidad en la que yo enseñaba, lo que me hizo sentir esa puñalada de la vejez.  Al ponerme al día, me dijo que había regresado a casa después de la muerte de su hermano, y como su hermano originalmente la metió en Lacuna Coil, quería ir a su primer concierto para ver a esa banda que su hermano le presentó.

We talked about Tony and how I believe that angels watch over, discussing signs that just might be from the other world at times.  I asked her why she had waited to go to a concert, and she said she had a little social anxiety that she was trying to overcome, which made me think of the last heartfelt conversation that Tony and I had, even though I did not mention it to her at the moment.  Instead, I'll write it here now, and she can maybe read this later, but I will rip my heart open, fight back tears, because I think it's that important to get out to all the people who might need to hear it.

Hablamos de Tony y de cómo creo que los ángeles vigilan, discutiendo señales que a veces podrían ser del otro mundo.  Le pregunté por qué había esperado para ir a un concierto, y me dijo que tenía un poco de ansiedad social que estaba tratando de superar, lo que me hizo pensar en la última conversación sincera que Tony y yo tuvimos, aunque no se lo mencioné en ese momento.  En lugar de eso, lo escribiré aquí ahora, y ella tal vez pueda leerlo más tarde, pero me abriré el corazón, lucharé por contener las lágrimas, porque creo que es muy importante llegar a todas las personas que puedan necesitar escucharlo.

Okay, wiped the tears and sniffled, but let's try to relive that moment yet again.  It wasn't our last conversation, because our last conversation was one of two times that Tony hung up on me, and it was only because I was so weak, not knowing I likely had COVID, that he couldn't hear me talk.  I've always been told by Johns Hopkins University that if it brings you to tears as you write, it must be good, so I will share that the only other time was when he found out I had been physically assaulted on Facebook Live with people sitting back and audibly talking smack about me instead of intervening, as they didn't know the guy assaulting me was on the zombi drug and would soon take out many others.

Está bien, me secé las lágrimas y sollocé, pero tratemos de revivir ese momento una vez más.  No fue nuestra última conversación, porque nuestra última conversación fue una de las dos veces que Tony me colgó, y fue solo porque estaba tan débil, sin saber que probablemente tenía COVID, que no podía escucharme hablar.  La Universidad Johns Hopkins siempre me ha dicho que si te hace llorar mientras escribes, debe ser bueno, así que compartiré que la única otra vez fue cuando se enteró de que había sido agredida físicamente en Facebook Live con personas sentadas y hablando audiblemente mal de mí en lugar de intervenir.  Como no sabían, el tipo que me estaba agrediendo estaba tomando la droga zombi y pronto eliminaría a muchos otros.

I was going to go into more drama and detail, but you can read that in some of my books later maybe.  Bottom line is that our second to the last conversation was our real closure conversation, where he reassured me what I already knew, that he was always there for me and actually cared about me, which honestly is what I miss so much about him, as genuine caring is so rare to find these days it seems.  Here comes the tears and the sniffles again, so let me blow the London bridges real quick here...

Iba a entrar en más drama y detalles, pero tal vez puedas leer eso en algunos de mis libros más adelante.  La conclusión es que nuestra penúltima conversación fue nuestra verdadera conversación de cierre, donde me aseguró lo que ya sabía, que siempre estuvo ahí para mí y que realmente se preocupaba por mí, que honestamente es lo que extraño tanto de él, ya que parece que el cuidado genuino es tan raro de encontrar en estos días.  Aquí vienen las lágrimas y los resfriados de nuevo, así que déjame volar los puentes de Londres muy rápido aquí.

Ahrue, I'm still not over it.  Never know what you have, until you try to call his phone, and he's not calling you back, and you don't know why, until his mom texts, asking why you're so silent.  You're trying to explain that you've been in the hospital with a surprise hernia operation after puking so much, and she's texting you how she found her best friend and only child dead on her living room sofa.

Ahrue, todavía no lo he superado.  Nunca sabes lo que tienes, hasta que intentas llamar a su teléfono, y él no te devuelve la llamada, y no sabes por qué, hasta que su madre te envía un mensaje de texto, preguntándote por qué estás tan callada.  Estás tratando de explicarle que has estado en el hospital con una operación de hernia sorpresa después de vomitar tanto, y ella te está enviando un mensaje de texto sobre cómo encontró a su mejor amiga y a su única hija muerta en el sofá de su sala de estar.

Meanwhile, none of his friends know who the hell you are.  You supply the funeral photo, but nobody knows you.  That's when you have to tiptoe to his friends like Ahrue and ask if what he said was true.

Mientras tanto, ninguno de sus amigos sabe quién demonios eres.  Proporcionas la foto del funeral, pero nadie te conoce.  Es entonces cuando tienes que pasar de puntillas por sus amigos como Ahrue y preguntarle si lo que dijo era cierto.

I'm not going to retype my first interview with Ahrue.  Or his best friend Mitch's interview, which is here, as Mitch is in this band called Napalm Death.  Can you picture the three of them as kids?

No voy a volver a escribir mi primera entrevista con Ahrue.  O la entrevista de su mejor amigo Mitch, que está aquí, ya que Mitch está en esta banda llamada Napalm Death.  ¿Te los imaginas a los tres cuando eran niños?

Okay, enough avoiding the topic of our last conversation, as I think it's a serious matter worth mentioning.  Whenever somebody says those words to me, it boils my blood ever since hearing him say it.  It made me so sad to hear him say, "my biggest regret in life was thinking I was not good enough."

Bien, basta de evitar el tema de nuestra última conversación, ya que creo que es un asunto serio que vale la pena mencionar.  Cada vez que alguien me dice esas palabras, me hierve la sangre desde que lo escuché decirlo.  Me entristeció mucho escucharlo decir: "mi mayor arrepentimiento en la vida fue pensar que no era lo suficientemente bueno".

I met a talented guitar player, asked him to play a gig with me, and he refused for that exact reason.  I met a talented tattoo artist, asked him to set up a booth at a convention, and he refused, same reason.  As a teacher, I think it's important to tell people to stop using this as an excuse before you die.

Conocí a un guitarrista talentoso, le pedí que tocara conmigo y se negó por esa misma razón.  Conocí a un tatuador talentoso, le pedí que montara un stand en una convención y se negó, por la misma razón.  Como profesora, creo que es importante decirle a la gente que deje de usar esto como excusa antes de morir.

If there's one thing that I can hammer home, it's stop worrying about other people's reactions to things like art, music, writing and whatever else might be an outlet for you.  If it's something you like, it doesn't matter what others think.  You never know, unless you try, so never be afraid to try your best.

Si hay algo que puedo recalcar, es dejar de preocuparme por las reacciones de otras personas a cosas como el arte, la música, la escritura y cualquier otra cosa que pueda ser una salida para ti.  Si es algo que te gusta, no importa lo que piensen los demás.  Nunca se sabe, a menos que lo intentes, así que nunca tengas miedo de dar lo mejor de ti.

Enough PSA for today.  Let's get back to the music.  God Forbid that I forget to mention God Forbid.

Suficiente anuncio de servicio público por hoy.  Volvamos a la música.  Dios no quiera que me olvide de mencionar Dios no lo quiera.

The band took a little bit of a hiatus in 2013, and while they might have only returned last year or so, it's like they never left, sounding heavier than ever, which is only enhanced by the lead singer's powerful demeanor on stage.  What surprised me the most was hearing him utter a bad Jamaican word on stage.  Considering that an old, nearly blind, Jamaican rasta was the one who saved me from being attacked, literally sacrificing himself to save me, all on Facebook Live, I might have learned that slang from him, a guy who jammed with some of the original Wailers back in the day, enough to know that if some older, proper Jamaicans would've heard him say that word, they'd be taken aback to say the least.

La banda se tomó un pequeño descanso en 2013, y aunque es posible que solo hayan regresado el año pasado más o menos, es como si nunca se hubieran ido, sonando más pesados que nunca, lo que solo se ve reforzado por el poderoso comportamiento del cantante principal en el escenario.  Lo que más me sorprendió fue escucharlo pronunciar una mala palabra jamaicana en el escenario.  Teniendo en cuenta que un rasta jamaiquino viejo, casi ciego, fue el que me salvó de ser atacado, literalmente sacrificándose para salvarme, todo en Facebook Live, podría haber aprendido esa jerga de él, un tipo que tocó con algunos de los Wailers originales en su día, lo suficiente como para saber que si algún mayor,  Los jamaiquinos de verdad lo habrían escuchado decir esa palabra, se habrían sorprendido por decir lo menos.

That's the teacher in me.  Calling it out.  Calling a queen what now, mister???

Ese es el maestro que hay en mí.  Llamarlo.  ¿Llamando a una reina, señor???

Of course, that did not stop me from getting a picture with him after the show.  He was just there, ripe for the picking, ready to be photobombed.  I really should have called out his language at that point...

Por supuesto, eso no me impidió hacerme una foto con él después del show.  Estaba allí, listo para ser recolector, listo para ser bombardeado.  Realmente debería haber llamado su lenguaje en ese momento...

Honestly, God Forbid brought the biggest mosh pit.  It's like Lions at the Gate just warmed everyone up.  God Forbid had them spinning, then it just kind of mellowed into a more chill vibe.

Honestamente, God Forbid trajo el mosh pit más grande.  Es como si Leones en la Puerta acabara de calentar a todos.  God Forbid los hizo girar, luego se suavizó en una vibra más relajada.

Lacuna Coil gets the fans into it, but not by inciting mosh pits necessarily.  There was still moshing happening, don't get me wrong, but it was more chill than violent.  Lacuna Coil invited the crowd to break out their phones and lighters in the dark to light the place up in a different sort of ambiance.

Lacuna Coil hace que los ventiladores entren en él, pero no necesariamente incitando mosh pits.  Todavía había moshing, no me malinterpreten, pero era más relajado que violento.  Lacuna Coil invitó a la multitud a sacar sus teléfonos y encendedores en la oscuridad para iluminar el lugar en un ambiente diferente.

I would say Lions at the Gate were heavier, but with former Ill Nino guys at the helm, what would you expect?  If you've not checked them out yet, what are you waiting for?  You'll probably love it.

Diría que Lions at the Gate era más pesado, pero con los ex chicos de Ill Nino al mando, ¿qué esperarías?  Si aún no los has visto, ¿a qué esperas?  Probablemente te encantará.

Just to clarify, Ill Nino is still around; in fact, they just played Tampa.  Lions at the Gate is a completely different sound that will amp you up like you're ready to tear into some flesh as the king of the jungle.  Compare and contrast the former Ill Nino with the current Ill Nino versus Lions at the Gate, and get back to me on your assessment, as mine was pleasantly shocked to say the least, as I got into it.

Solo para aclarar, Ill Nino todavía está por aquí; de hecho, acaban de tocar en Tampa.  Lions at the Gate es un sonido completamente diferente que te animará como si estuvieras listo para destrozar la carne como el rey de la jungla.  Compara y contrasta el antiguo Ill Nino con el actual Ill Nino contra Lions at the Gate, y vuelve a mí sobre tu evaluación, ya que la mía se sorprendió gratamente, por decir lo menos, cuando me metí en ella.

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Rock USA Oshkosh

Rock USA is getting ready to take place with another heart pounding rock and roll lineup that includes Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Breaking Benjamin, Queensryche, Warrant, Avenged Sevenfold, Def Leppard, Jackyl, Styx, Tesla, Dellacoma, Wysteria, Pop Evil, Papa Roach, Dokken, Road Trip, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Vixen, Whitesnake, and Wayland on July 15 – 18 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. For those of you who missed last year's lineup, it was even more hardcore with acts that included Slayer, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Three Day's Grace, Skid Row, Korn, Seether, Megadeth, Theory of a Deadman, All That Remains, Machine Head, Black Label Society, Halestorm, Hell Yeah, Black Stone Cherry, Like A Storm, Wayland, Beyond Threshold, Jackyl and Almost Kings. This is a festival worth camping at, as there is enough time between bands to go back to camp and prepare for the next round.

Wisconsin in the summer is beautiful to begin with, but you throw in a bunch of killer bands, and friendly people that want nothing more than to have a good time, compound that with some carnival rides, games, ziplining and more, and you have one heck of a swell show over the course of a few days. It's not out in the middle of nowhere, as Oshkosh is a fairly good sized city, with conveniences like shopping, restaurants and more; in fact, the concert is held at Ford Festival Park, which is right by an outlet mall. Other attractions include the EAA Museum, which is located directly across the highway.

Of course, the EAA also hosts their Airventure from July 20 – 26, so if you plan your trip right, you could also camp out with your plane for that. Even if you don't own a plane, you can still watch a series of planes overhead. Experimental Aviation has some really cool stuff to check out there.

Bottom line is if you've never been to Wisconsin, or Oshkosh, there's plenty of stuff to do and see. Rock USA, also known as RUSA, is just the perfect excuse to check out the Midwest and Lake Winnebago. Oshkosh is a college town, so there's plenty of people who are up for having fun.

The music is really worth the visit. There's so many cool things from last year, it's hard to list it all. First of all, there's all kinds of vendors, from Wisconsin cheese to gemstones and freebies, but there's definitely alcohol, and a fabulous lineup of music that will keep you head knocking as you swerve on.

If rock music is not your thing, there's CUSA, or Country USA, held at the same venue. That takes place June 23 – 27 and includes Miranda Lambert, Lee Brice, Eli Young Band, Eric Church, Tim McGraw and a slew of others, as this is the 20^th anniversary of the annual concert. Last year, CUSA was more congested than RUSA, but I have to admit, I loved the hardcore that RUSA had to offer.

I dare say that if RUSA had been a touring festival, it would have had one of the best lineups in the country. It was one of the the top shows that I attended last year, and would highly recommend it. Whether you're daring enough to camp, or if you'd rather chillax in a hotel or stay with friends, it is an awesome atmosphere, and walking around by myself, as a single female, not knowing too many people, I felt safe, didn't get swept away by a moshpit unexpectedly, and I had a ton of fun, too.

I would recommend signing up for the VIP experience, as it not only provides bathrooms with running water, which is nice when you're camping, but there's also food. The catering is great. It's not some cafeteria style slop, but a nice catered buffet with sliced meats, desserts and the whole shebang.

Of course, there's plenty of food vendors, including awesome jerky, so it's not like you're going to starve if you don't do the VIP experience, but the VIP does provide closer seating than normal tickets. It's nice to sprawl out, have a seat to sit down in, and be able to get up close and personal. Still, even with a normal ticket, just grab a pop-up chair with a cup holder and take it all in, or dance around.

I cannot say enough great things about last year's lineup. Rob Zombie, you know I'm going to like, as he was responsible for me getting the chance to tour on Ozzfest in 2002 after he pulled me up on stage, so you know I'm going to like him, as he always puts on a great show with a touch of his horror movie influence thrown into the stage setup. Slayer, classic metal, phenomenal, need I say more?

Three Days Grace was the band that took my by surprise. I had seen their former lead singer Adam Gontier at Dirtfest, and I though he had put on a good show, but when I saw the whole band, wow. They had this serious military-like stage show that just commanded your attention from the start.

Five Finger Death Punch I had seen many times before, so I knew they always put on an awesome act that is full of life with Ivan also being a commanding presence on stage. I had met Ivan at DTE the year before, actually with his daughter, as Battlecross had been barbecuing after a show, and he was down to earth enough, and definitely protective of his daughter. Still, I will say, at RUSA, he was the only one that I noted going out to the crowd before his show to sign autographs to whoever wanted it.

Machine Head's lead singer celebrated his birthday at the show, so there were all kinds of people lurking around at the back of the stage as they played. Even though they played earlier in the day, they cranked those guitars up a notch and really gave it their all. You could tell they were having fun.

Black Label Society is another band I have a lot of history with, as I not only toured with them on Ozzfest, but have seen them a number of times since. Probably what stands out the most is seeing them at the House of Blues in New Orleans, hanging out backstage with the guys from Valume Knob, which included Kirk Windstein from Crowbar and Down. They invited me back to a balcony party that Black Label Society was hosting, and I was sworn to secrecy on the detail that happened at that party...

Another band I toured with on Ozzfest was Seether, and I loved watching the South African guys come up through the ranks over the years. On Ozzfest, they were an opening band, and I remember interviewing them, back in my younger, sexier years, dressed in what I was wearing while working as a Harley Girl on the tour, which basically included a bikini top. Back then, they were blushing, but now, they're at the top of the lineup, with a slew of hits to their credit, and their show is even better with age.

Megadeth brought the fire like they always do. They've been one of my favorites since way back, and with as many years as they have under their belt, their stage show was pretty fun. They highlighted all the times they were mentioned in TV shows like Beavis and Butthead, as well as movies like Wayne's World, showing clips of when the band was mentioned as they played, an appreciation homage.

One band I have always appreciated was Skid Row, and I will admit, their former lead singer was the first person I have ever been starstruck by when I was first starting out in journalism. Even though their lead singer has changed, the music is just as good as ever, and before I even went to RUSA, I had to interview them. After coming back from sound check, dinner and a photo shoot, Dave “Snake” Sabo of Skid Row called from York, England, to talk about the key qualities of a lead singer, the difference between writing for Skid Row and writing for movies, and personal injuries.

Author Marisa Williams: You grew up in Sayreville, NJ, but is that where you live now?

Dave “Snake” Sabo of Skid Row: No, I lived Sayreville into my 20s. After that, I lived in Holmdel, NJ, then I lived in Los Angeles for 12 or 13 years, and now I live in Long Island, New York.

Marisa: Were you impacted by Sandy?

Skid Row: We had a little impact from Sandy, but not as much as you would've thought. My family and myself were really lucky. There was a lot of damage in surrounding areas, but we walked out virtually unscathed.

Marisa: Promotions are calling Skid Row a New Jersey-based band, but didn't Sebastian Bach, who replaced Matt Fallon in the original Skid Row lineup, have ties to Canada and Detroit?

Skid Row: He grew up in that area, yeah. When we found him and contacted him though, he was in Toronto. Rachel and I started the band in '86, and we were based out of New Jersey all those years.

Marisa: When you were looking for a new voice for the band, what were some of the key qualities you were looking for, how did the selection take place and how did things vary musically from when Sebastian Bach joined the band versus when your current lead singer joined?

Skid Row: A person has to have a great range and a great tonality to their voice. They also have to be able to do the songs justice and also have their own personality when they sing those songs. They also have to be a dynamic stage performer as well. Most important is having fun, an unstoppable desire to be successful and perform great music. You have to be able to get along, travel around the world with them, and get used to that, hopefully becoming closer friends as time goes on. The selection was all word of mouth. I remember we had mentioned in Metal Edge, in an article that Jamba Joey had done, we mentioned that we were looking for a singer, but it was word of mouth. Friends of friends got in contact with Sebastian and Johnny, basically, and we flew them to New Jersey, jammed with them, felt everything out. In both instances, it was the right choice. Both have amazing ranges, can sing with a great amount of passion and range. That was big, because the songs on the first Skid Row album and Subhuman Race are not easy songs to sing, and when people came in, you have to do those songs and be respectful of the notes and melodies. Johnny has all those qualities but his own tonality to his voice; obviously, we made a decision years ago that he's the guy, and he still is.

Marisa: How do you go about writing music? What comes first for you: drums, guitars, vocals or something else? Has the process of writing changed for you over the years at all?

Skid Row: No, it's never been by design in any way. It's basically, Rachel and I get together and show each other the different riffs we came up with, lyric ideas, melody ideas, fly back and forth with it, start discussing what we like and don't like. For us, that's way it worked from day one, and still is today. We could be at sound check, play a riff, and someone will ask, “is that yours?” Okay, cool. We'll put on the Dictaphone, and when we start to write songs, we'll go through riffs. It inspires something. That's the way it always works, not okay, you do lyrics and I'll do music; it's mutual contribution from both of us.

Marisa: How does writing and performing for Skid Row vary from music for films like The Still Life?

Skid Row: There's a huge difference. One is that you're writing for yourself. Skid Row is a selfish process. It's songs we want to love, sit there and be proud of, live with for the rest of our lives. Once we accomplish that, we believe it's ready for the people of the world to hear, but it's selfish. Film and television is different, because you're helping to have someone find their vision, not your vision. You just help facilitate it. You write what you can to bring a scene or sequence to life - even more than director or music supervisor is thinking - and then let go of it. You get so used to everything being your own, and you have to let go and move on. It's an interesting feeling, and it goes completely against what happens when write for your own band.

Marisa: I was looking online, and what the hell did you do to your ankle on the 2000 KISS Tour?

Skid Row: Truth be told, I was walking across a floor in the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas. There was a spill there, and I didn't see it. I fell in a certain way, and my left foot bent exactly backwards. It broke every bone in my ankle. There are three major bones, and I broke all of them. I had to have 9 screws and a metal plate inserted into me, and I was in a cast for quite some time. Unfortunately, I still do have problems, but I can walk and do what I need to do.

Marisa: How did you get started in music? Did you come from a musical family? What were your biggest musical influences?

Skid Row: I'm the youngest of five boys. In that household, there was an unbelievable amount of music being played everyday, from R and B, soul, pop, surf music, beginnings of heavy metal, Elvis, Beach Boys, Otis Redding, first Black Sabbath album, Jimmy Hendrix, the Doors, Janis Joplin... As a child at five-years-old, I always loved music; it affected me in such a beautiful way, influence number one. As I got older, I indulged myself in music 24/7, and I discovered other bands. At 13, I went to see KISS at Madison Square Garden and came home a changed boy. It took me a while to figure it out, but I knew I wanted to perform music. Nobody else in my family had been a performer, or musician, or anything like that. It was out of the blue, but it was the best decision I ever made. After that, I grew up in a town with Jon Bon Jovi; he and I were best friends. He was a mentor and still is to a certain degree. Having that influence as well, music surrounded me and engulfed me completely.

Marisa: What instruments do you play, and how old were you when you learned to play them?

Skid Row: I like to play guitar. I figured it out that I'm the worst bass player in the history of life. That's just the way life is sometimes. I'm just a guitar player. I don't pretend or play keyboards; at least, nothing substantial. I don't sing very well, so that's it. I started at 14 and a half with a cheap acoustic guitar my brother attempted to play and threw in a corner with no desire, but I picked it up and started playing.

Marisa: What's the coolest thing about your latest project?

Skid Row: The coolest thing, number one, is that we are going about it in a different way. We will be releasing three EPs over the course of 12 months, nailing it back to five or six songs. It doesn't get old quick with an audience. Well, it still might, but we really wanted to have more content in a quicker fashion. We will never write 12 to 14 songs every six months; over saturation is problematic. Five to seven songs, three times, fans have music over the course of the next year. When you go on tour, you have to have intentions. We have 20 seconds to get someone's attention, and once it's gone, you're done; you've lost them. Release it. People have it in their minds for four to six months. Move on. It's an exciting process. Writing these songs has been a blast. There's no pressure to write 14 songs, attempt a tour, and if the record flops, you gotta come up with 14 more and another tour. This is more conducive way to create quality music and tour without killing ourselves and being redundant.

Marisa: What is the scariest thing about being on the road?

Skid Row: I've had plenty of stitches and broken bones, so I'm not scared of that. The scariest thing is nobody shows up to one of your shows.

Marisa: What do you consider to be your career highs and lows?

Skid Row: Career high: our second record debuted at number one. All records are a labor of love, but Slave to the Grind was really. So much of everything I had went into that record. There were so many sacrifices made by everyone in the band to make that record, and to see that all pay off as number one was something else. I've been to so many shows, touring with KISS was a dream come true. For me, the bottom was shortly after the KISS tour, around 2001 to 2002. I had an illnesses. What I was going through was different. It was a difficult time physically, mentally and emotionally. For a while, I couldn't play guitar for a year or so. That was the low point; you're in such a space that you want to drink yourself to sleep. When the one thing you always relied on, when you can't do that any more, and luckily, I could rehab back, but that's a huge bite out of your soul.

Marisa: What's your favorite way to travel and why?

Skid Row: I do like flying. Everyone has their issues, one way or another, with fear, but I love flying. It's fast, but I love taking the train, too. Where I live, I'll take the train from Long Island to Manhattan, and I love it, so...

Marisa: What's your favorite place to travel to, and is there anywhere you have not been to that you would like to go to?

Skid Row: My favorite place... I have so many favorites, but New York, traveling back home. I love Tokyo, Prague, London, Brussels, South America, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Chicago, the Midwest, but I'd say it's coming home to New York. There is one place I've never been. I've never been to Alaska. I find it so amazing, because we've been to Iceland, but not Alaska. I would love to add that to a tour.

Marisa: What's your biggest musical fantasy?

Skid Row: To sit in a room and get guitar lessons from Randy Rhodes.

Marisa: If you were an unicorn, and you could be any color but white, what color would you be and why? Would you have any special powers?

Skid Row: I would be black and red. My body would be black, and my horn would be red. My horn could dispense beer upon the masses. On the ground, my horn would be like a tap, where you could pull it, and beer would come out for all my friends. I would be able to fly from pub to pub, from town to town, to dispense my own beer to my friends and family.

Marisa: If you were yogurt, would you be mixed fruit, fruit on the bottom, what flavor and why?

Skid Row: I would be a fusion of vodka. Greek yogurt with vodka and moonshine soaked blueberries.

Marisa: Closing thoughts and additional comments?

Skid Row: We will tour the world like the crazy idiots we've always been. We've always been thankful for the support. It has always been humbling and means the world to us.

The author of 100 books, Marisa Williams earned her Master's in Writing from the Johns Hopkins University; for more on Marisa, visit www.lulu.com/spotlight/thorisaz, www.facebook.com/booksnbling, www.twitter.com/booksnbling, and www.wix.com/thorisaz/photography.