08/08/08… what a date! 36 Crazyfists finally returned to Toronto, Canada and put on an extreme performance at Downsview Park for the 2008 Rockstar Mayhem Tour. In between sets, madness, and beers we caught up with 36 Crazyfists lead vocalist Brock Lindow, coincidentally, just steps away from the Slipknot, Disturbed, and Dragonforce dressing rooms. Despite the distractions, here’s what Brock had to say…
Tour, with Slipknot! How the hell is that going?
Brock: Yea it’s going great man, everyday I’m like this is a BIG deal so it’s pretty cool man… I’m having a good time.
Any dates that stick out in your mind?
Brock: Well, we don’t ever really get to come to Canada very often and today has been pretty dang awesome but all of the days have been pretty sweet, you know it’s like there are so many people, the mosh pits are huge blah, blah, blah, but I was not expecting to get the response that we got today. I was stoked, I was like “this is bad-ass!”
I was out there watching you guys, you diffidently put on a fucking sweet show. When was the last time you were here anyways…It must have been about 4 years ago?
Brock: Yea man, we cancelled a couple of times for some RV issues and things of that nature.
No doubt, I remember my cousin being disappointed…
Brock: Man, we were getting hate mail on the old MySpace and you know we felt bad because we don’t like to let anybody down but sometimes shit happens I guess. Anyways the last time we were here I think was with Candiria and Twelve Tribes. That had to of been 2005…so three years ago.
Aren’t you guys coming back soon?
Brock: We get some opportunities to play some shows in Canada before Christmas so yea, In Flames has like 7 Canadian shows and I didn’t think that the Trivium and All That Remains tour had any but someone just told me they bought their ticket to the London, Ontario show and I didn’t even see that on the list so I guess there is… which is great, there may even be more then that, I haven’t really looked.
I wouldn’t doubt it; there is a pretty big Southern Ontario music scene…
Brock: We’ve played London with Killswitch and it was killer.
Being on the “Rockstar Mayhem” energy drink tour, what does it take to be a Rockstar?
Brock: I’m no rockstar… I guess drink a lot of whiskey and doing something stupid at night probably is what gets you to be rockstar status. We’ve had these things at night, they call them the metal mixers. After Slipknot is done they have like a free booze, free BBQ, for all the bands and their friends but it’s not every night, but a lot of the nights and I’ve seen some people do some ridiculous shit. Like tip over a fucking vending machine, PSSHT, break it and then just scream “YEA, YEA!”
Sounds like fun… What’s the response been like, from your point of view, on your most recent album?
Brock: Oh man it’s been great. This is our best-selling album so far and people have been really, really cool to us. You know, the funny thing is… and this is good I think because all of the records we’ve had, as far as most of the press like the big American magazines or the European ones, we’ve never really had bad press on the other albums. But now since the new record came out, the press has kind of slagged it off and I think that was the formula we needed for the press to hate it and for the real people to really get back into it so the crowd response and the fan response have been better than ever.
Being on the road must take its toll on a touring band once in a while, is there anything your missing back at home?
Brock: Well I’m married; I’ve got a nice house and my whole family out back in Alaska, so it’s not easy to be gone all the time like this, it’s actually really ridiculous. I don’t know anybody besides people who are in the army or military that have to do things like this. So it’s a stressful thing when people are just sitting at home while we’re on the road playing rockstar. It’s not exactly what everybody thinks it is… when I was younger it seemed like the greatest thing ever and now I don’t enjoy the touring as much as I use to although this tour… you don’t pass up anything like this.
Life is about experience right? You’d be kicking yourself if you passed up a tour like this…
Brock: [laughs] No, no there is none of that… the wife and the family knows the drill.
What has the transition been like going from Roadrunner to Ferret?
Brock: It has been great. You know nothing against Roadrunner but as the years were going on we were getting lost in the shuffle and there wasn’t a lot of belief in the band I know that for a fact, so when we got to go to Ferret It was just amazing. We have been friends with them for years… the owner of the label actually sang on our first record. It’s just nice to be in a smaller place where I feel that there is genuine belief in the band by the people who are working the records, whereas in Roadrunner I know people who didn’t even like the band so it’s hard to work in a situation like that.
At least you’re in good hands. Over the years you guys have independently released some EP’s and a CD… is that something you could see yourselves doing in the future, releasing your work independently?
Brock: We have always enjoyed our acoustic… I thought it would be cool, instead of an EP to release a DVD that goes along with 3 or 4 songs but you know, not to get anybody scared we are not going to put out a full length of acoustic songs, but I do enjoy that part of music. Our band isn’t just this metal/rock thing, there are dynamics and we tiptoe into different genres. We are not a death metal band by any means, or a rap group but we do tiptoe into metal, screamo, rock and to have a folky, Johnny Cash moment is also excepted for us as well.
Last words for Torontonian fans?
Brock: GO LEAFS!!! No haha…
Haha! You like the Leafs?
Brock: No, I’m a flyers fan… I don’t mind the Leafs… I’m a huge hockey fan. I hate the Rangers and that’s the only team in the NHL that I despise. I love hockey in general, my life revolves around it when it’s hockey season…. But I’d just like to say thank you to everyone in Canada in general and I’m sorry we haven’t been here more often, but thank you for all the support we’ve been given!
