meegs and dez chat transcript from sonicnet.com(thursday, april 29, '99)

this chat is most likely with dez and meegs. i have tried to determine which is which, so in some instances you will see a (m)=meegs or a (d)=dez for who is speaking.


SonicNetHost: Tell me about the new album, what's it called?

Coal Chamber: Called "Chamber Music" and we're still mixing but finished about a month ago. We recorded with Josh Abraham. He did Orgy. Yes. And, "Deadsy" as well.

SonicNetHost: What else can we talk about?

Coal Chamber: Rayna Foss, her new name is Rose, is having a baby. Our bass player, she's five months pregnant, we'll have a fill in. While Rayna goes and has her Chamber baby.

SonicNetHost: There were a lot of rumors that you guys were kicking her out of the band.

Coal Chamber: No. We're family. We're going to support her 100%.

SonicNetHost: So the new bass player is temporary. When is she due?

Coal Chamber: She's due ... in September.

SonicNetHost: What new bands have you been listening to?

Coal Chamber (d): I've been listening to the new Static album and Nick Cave. A lot of rap and radio stations ...I don't really buy CD's anymore ... I just listen to hip hop and rap.

SonicNetHost: What's your favorite place to play?

Coal Chamber: That's kind of a hard one to say. We have fans everywhere.

SonicNetHost: You guys have been around the world.

Coal Chamber: It's all different, but the same. Yeah, I definitely think the European audiences are more crazy.

SonicNetHost: Do you feel the energy levels in Europe or England are different?

Coal Chamber (m): I was going through BC Rich guitars custom made and Marshall heads and cabinets…with Seymour Duncan pick ups SIT custom strings And, pedal wise boss delay reverb and talk box ... and dod envelope filter... I have a bunch of pedals in front of me…and switch and everything.

CoalChamber69: What is the song puto about?

Coal Chamber (m): It's Spanish for calling someone…making fun of someone…calling them sissy…it was all in fun. Me and Jay used to kid around with each other...it means the same thing. Jay Gordon from Orgy who produced our first album.

SonicNetHost: You guys have a lot of silly songs on the first record, do you have any interludes on Chamber Music?

Coal Chamber: Yeah, we've got some interludes on this one, the whole thing will tie together conceptually with small interludes.

SonicNetHost: How many do you have in total?

Coal Chamber: In total? 400,000…(laughs!) We actually took a lot of ours out ...The only ones that stayed are the ones we've had for a pretty long time.

SonicNetHost: Any reason why?

Coal Chamber: It just got to be a little too trendy.

SonicNetHost: When you listen to Orgy. Do you think that's us?

Coal Chamber: Jay Gordon was part of the LA Music scene…we used to go to clubs all the time…he knew what we wanted and was into what we were doing. They were fun to work with.

Coal Chamber: No, I hear it as a different energy. I always separate every band. They have their own style. We never lump people together. That sucks.

Spookycore: How do you feel about the Black Sabbath break up?

Coal Chamber: Break up? I don't think they're breaking up… I just think they're playing their last show ever cause they played for 100 years.

Coal Chamber: I know Ozzy has a new album coming out ... they'll probably play more shows, who knows? You never know. We feel honored that we got to play with them in the first Oz Fest.

SonicNetHost: First Oz Fest, that must've been exciting.

Coal Chamber: It was amazing.

Chinner69: What other bands do you really dig?

Coal Chamber: We listen to so many different bands…it'd be hard to pin it down.

Coal Chamber: I love Nick Cave, Pantera, I listen to everything. The new Ricky Martin (laughs!)

SonicNetHost: Ok. Is any member of Coal Chamber a skate boarder?

Coal Chamber: Mikey used to skate professionally. And, none of us skate anymore we don't have time…I don't think. We'd break our backs…mess our makeup up.

SonicNetHost: Right, that's when you guys get violent. What MIGS guitar amps set up?

Coal Chamber: He just gave it.

SonicNetHost: Are you guys live, do you play a lot of songs you haven't played?

Coal Chamber: We're going to play a mixture of the first and second album. Just an extremely energetic set. Play five or six from the first one and seven or eight from the new one.

Coal Chamber: Yeah, all the new songs on the new album.

SonicNetHost: Are there any songs you haven't played before that that you might play now?

Coalchamber1314: When's the next time you'll be in Detroit?

Coal Chamber: Oh wow. Hopefully soon with ICP. It's a definite co-headlining, co-billing tour. Between our craziness and theirs it'll be quite crazy.

SonicNetHost: That's going to be a crazy show. Do you ever see conflict between the band's fans?

Coal Chamber: No, we share the same fan base, I think. All those kids like rock and rap music, too. I think it will complement each other.

SonicNetHost: Ok. How do you feel about how the Internet has really helped you guys out?

Coal Chamber: Oh yeah. Any way to touch and reach people helps us out. We come from such an underground following with no MTV, not until recently and no radio play or video ... so anything's important to us.

14xnemisisnex: What was your weirdest or funniest experience with you fans or on tour?

Coal Chamber: A guy from Machine Head shoved a pie in my face on my birthday in France!

Coal Chamber: Some are triple XXX ....

SonicNetHost: Especially on tour with Pantera!

Coal Chamber (d): We've had bus drivers die, fall asleep and put us down in the ditch .... We've had so many crazy things happening. Touring with Pantera was a crazy time…they stay up for days drinking and partying…they made our guitar player eat four cigarette butts out of an ashtray and drink hot sauce for $1.

SonicNetHost: Wow. Tell me about the bus driver incident.

Coal Chamber: Well, we drove from LA to Arizona and he said fall asleep and we'll be in Texas in the morning and we woke up and were still in AZ. He had passed away ... it was kind of sad actually.

Migschamber: What kind of advice would you give a kid like me?

Coal Chamber: You have to really bust your butt…not turn back. It's kind of bad to say that you can't go to school and do music…you drop everything ... either you'll be a bum or a musician. Everyone says have something to fall back on but don't. If you want to be a real musician, don't have anything to fall back on.

SonicNetHost: You don't need something to fall back on if you believe in your music? Where did you guys first start out?

SonicNetHost: What do you think of Howard Stern?

Coal Chamber: I think he's funny as hell, I listened to him this morning and was laughing my rear off. Someone's gotta do it.

Organicshinychica: If you could pick any band to tour with alive or dead who would be the lucky band and why?

Coal Chamber: Well, it'd be Black Sabbath and Pantera and we've already done it. I'd pick them because they're the best bands I've ever seen live…ever.

Coalchamberloco: What was your inspiration for the song "Pig"?

Coal Chamber: Thank you. It was definitely not about cops…so nobody think that. It's kind of about sex actually.

SonicNetHost: It definitely kicks ass.

Coal Chamber: Derived from a very pleasurable source. In this case, it wasn't a man.

SonicNetHost: What would you say is the worst rumor you heard about yourselves?

Coal Chamber (d): Somebody said that we were breaking up yesterday and I'm like, "On the heels of the best album? I don't think so!"

Coal Chamber (m): I heard that me and Mikey were boyfriends.

Coal Chamber (d): It's true!

Coal Chamber (m): Yeah, the rumor is true ;)

Angelicassisn: In the circus magazine interview meegs said he was a virgin but has a daughter how is that?

Coal Chamber (m): It's a joke!!!!! Rock-n-Roll has humor. Get it? 25% of Rock-n-Roll is humor. Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here wearing makeup.

Headpvfan: are you guys going to make a home video?

Coal Chamber: We're in the process of negotiating that right now.

SonicNetHost: Do you have any idea what you might call it?

Coal Chamber: Chamber Music home video.

Grungedal79: What do you think of Coal Chamber fans on the net?

Coal Chamber: Grunge Doll! We love it. We watch 'em go. There's so many poppin' up everyday and we love our fans. It's made us what we are. I'm not much of a button pusher, but everytime I get on with someone that's got a computer, I love to watch that stuff. We really respect that.

Coal Chamber: I don't know how to turn on a darn thing!

MisterFarouk: Are you guys gonna guest on Aimee Echo's new album with Hero since she was on yer new one?? That would be real kewl.

Coal Chamber: WE would love to. We help each other out. But, it's her artistic decision to ask us.

TRENCHCOAT_MAFIA_AGENT13: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN COLORADO?

Coal Chamber: I think you need to change your code name first of all! I think it's an atrocity what's happening in America and I hope the youth looks at it closely and does something within themselves to change this.

Coal Chamber: I think it's definitely a nightmare and this generation needs to shape up.

SonicNetHost: How do you feel about, a lot of people are blaming music.

Coal Chamber: I think that's just nonsense. Because ....

Coal Chamber: You can't blame the music. First of all, people should be blaming the parents or the kids. There are kids from white suburbia that are serial killers and grew up in a nice home. They're just messed up in the head. How do you know when evil takes over a human? A human is a spiritual spark. The parents will blame the music cause they don't wanna look at themselves. They used to say that Elvis was bad.

SonicNetHost: Have you guys received any flak for this at all?

Coal Chamber: No, because our message has been really positive and we don't preach the Satanic thing. I think people don't look past things…they wanna tag them as Satanic or the ones responsible for doing this to our kids. We think positively ... believe in yourself, do good things, one hand washes the other, that whole thing.

Locodust1: Dez what happened to the song "ode to poobah" which was supposed to be on the new album way back??-noah

Coal Chamber (d): There would be a black metal song called "Ode to Poobah" I guarantee it.

SonicNetHost: Are you a big black metal fan? Have you ever thought about it, has Phil ever approached you to do music?

Coal Chamber: No, when I go to his house we make music all the time…we go down in the basement and that's all it is…black metal stuff. I have tapes.

SonicNetHost: What are some of the tracks on the album?

Coal Chamber (m): There's one called "Untrue" about a relationship. And, one whose title is Spanish for "Bogeyman." If you grew up in the Mexican culture, which I did, your parents try to scare you if you act bad.

Coal Chamber: And, it's like becoming the monster…it doesn't have to do with killing another human being, but taking those things inside yourself and killing them off.

X_Nemesis_X: what is one of your most memorable experiences from touring on the Ozzfest? with Ozzy or any of the other bands or with fans or something crazy that happened.

Coal Chamber (d): The very first Oz Fest we did, meeting Sharon Osbourne and having her manage us. We flew into London on Meeg's birthday and Ozzy cooked us breakfast.

candyassorgygurl: What is your fave song to perform??

Coal Chamber: It changes. They're our babies, it's hard to say. I love doing a song like "Loco" or "Oddity." The kids just go nuts and makes us get all generalized and feel happy.

SonicNetHost: What was the first song you ever wrote?

Coal Chamber: "Loco" and another one "Mercy" which is on this album…we have orchestra parts on this album and ....

SonicNetHost: Right on. Church bells, violins, etc.?

Coal Chamber: Church bells, violin, organs…this album is a lot more 3-dimensional and landscapey…we touch on a lot more emotions other than anger.

SonicNetHost: You guys call yourselves spookycore - is this one more dark?

Coal Chamber: I think it's way more emotional…depthy…way more depth to things. I think it's more darker…it has a moodier atmosphere to it…like the heavy heavy songs with the breakdowns…it's like an eerie, creepy thing. This is our escape from the whole hip hop thing. Our chance to make our escape.

SonicNetHost: Right on. Now I know you were talking about doing "Shock the Monkey" for a long time. Now the fad with doing covers is happening. How do you feel about everyone doing covers now?

Coal Chamber: It has to become part of you otherwise don't do it. We wanted to do it for so long and Ozzy is a huge Peter Gabriel fan so having him involved made us want to do it.

Soma_Guy: Who would win in a fight between your lovely bassist, Sean Yesult of White Zombie, Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth, and D'arcy Wretzky of the Smashing Pumpkins??

Coal Chamber: I think Darcy cause she's gotta put up with Billy Corgan, which is not a bad thing. Sean, she's pretty crazy. She's much too meek and spiritual ... mild-mannered, Rayna.

SonicNetHost: Would you rather play a big festival or a small club like the Roxy?

Coal Chamber: Something in between. Just play. That's our whole deal. Just play.

SonicNetHost: Are you going to tour with anyone else?

Coal Chamber: There's other things in mind right now, but we don't wanna jinx 'em. Let's see how it all pans out. We'd love to tour with Manson…that's one thing we wanna do.

Coal Chamber: Ricky Martin.

SonicNetHost: He's from Menudo.

Coal Chamber: Oh yeah…Menudo…he's from Menudo right?

SonicNetHost: Were you offered Oz Fest? This year?

Coal Chamber: Yeah, they asked us to headline and we're like "Ya know .... " I think actually a couple years in a row is enough, we don't want to become cheesy. Our fans would go, "Oh! Of course they're going to do it!" That Sharon runs it and we're not doing it is more credible.

Locodust1: DEZ, DO U FEEL THAT NO MATTER HOW BIG CC GETS WILL U STAY DOWN TO EARTH??

Coal Chamber (d): Yeah, I'll always be myself, yeah. I don't like rock star attitudes.

SonicNetHost: Right on. Do you guys always chat with fans at the shows? Or do you avoid them?

Coal Chamber: As much as we can. Some nights it's impossible to go out into the crowd. Yeah, cause bands will create too much chaos for us ... so security doesn't want us to go out there. We've never stopped a show but I've had to say "be cool" a couple of times to kids.

SonicNetHost: Right. Actually speaking of security, I know that they get on the kids sometimes, and they're not cool, has that ever happened to you?

Coal Chamber: But, security knows what they're doing. A lot of times they're doing their jobs, but sometimes they take it too far.

SonicNetHost: How different was the vibe from NRG to Longview?

Coal Chamber: It was extremely isolated, and we didn't have anyone telling us anything ... it was really good.

Coal Chamber (d): LA is a place I don't like too much, I tend to live on the outskirts of it. I came here to write lyrics to give myself a bit of angst…living in a hotel room.

SonicNetHost: Can you see yourself living in Boston or somewhere?

Coal Chamber: Yeah, I can see myself living anywhere…just on the road, wherever I lay my hat is my home.

bass_0101: do you have a personal stylist?

Coal Chamber: Hmmm…each other.

SonicNetHost: Do you do each other's make up?

Coal Chamber (m): We just comment on each other's stuff. We have people doing our makeup and you know ... one of our friends Heather (**meegs' supossed girlfriend**). Usually it depends…photo shoots, we have makeup artists doing our thing.

stp_kick_ass: what do you think of the recent shit in Kosovo??

Coal Chamber: War is a horrible thing. Let's just try to make that a better situation somehow.

SonicNetHost: Do you feel it's hypocritical that Bill Clinton says we shouldn't use violence to solve our problems and then there is Kosovo?

Coal Chamber: I'm not going to get into that right now. It's way too political for us, but everything in this world, there's double standards and hypocrisy and life isn't fair sometimes and it stinks. Everything on government to the music industry to everything.

fieldy1111: Have any of you got meet some of the band that you grew up listening to?

Coal Chamber (m): Yeah, I just talked to Blackie Lawless on the phone the other day…it was a HUGE thing for me! A big deal. We've gotten to meet a lot of people, man. It's been a great ride!

SonicNetHost: What about you?

Coal Chamber (d): Brittney Spears .. Miguel and Brittney went out on a date! Coal Chamber (m): No!

Coal Chamber (m): Hey, but if she wants to go ...

SpokdKlown: Dez, what inspires your songs, everyday life?

Coal Chamber (d): Everyday life. The life I lead, the people around me, the things I, and all of you out there go through.

SonicNetHost: You were a Boy Scout once?

Coal Chamber: I was a Girl Scout actually!

tin_maddog: Didn't Dez thank GOD in the first album?

Coal Chamber (d): Yep.

SonicNetHost: Is God a big force in your life?

Coal Chamber (d): And, on this album I thank a higher entity just to let people know not to get stuck in one thing, whatever makes you not steal, cheat and kill other people, that's God.

SonicNetHost: What is the strangest question a fan has asked you?

Coal Chamber (m): What's your favorite food. Or, how big my genitalia is. I'm telling the truth!

SKATERGRLX182: What is your favorite cartoon to watch on the weekend?

Coal Chamber (d): Batman Beyond. Meegs doesn't watch cartoons.

chinners69 : did mike beat his brother for the drumming position?

Coal Chamber: Yes. But, we love Travis…he's a GREAT drummer.

SonicNetHost: One would roadie for the other? Is that the deal?

Coal Chamber: When they came in, they set each other's drums up, so…

crimsonplague: Hmm...wasn't part of Sway originally from the Bloodhound Gang's FireWaterBurn? And doesn't Shuck do backup singing in the remix of Sway?

Coal Chamber (d): No. Actually, go ahead Meegs, take it out ...

Coal Chamber (m): I was hanging out and was on the bus and I think his name is Matt, he comes on the bus and me and him looked at each other and we started talking about that and, he started talking about how some people tell him how they ripped off our song and vice versa…but in reality it's not our song, it's like a 1972 party anthem. Not sure who did it originally, but it's definitely old. Whoever did Buffalo Gals I think ... I think? Don't quote me.

LattersToFire: How's Sharon Osbourne??

Coal Chamber: Pshew!!! She's like our mom. It's like having a mom. She's definitely the sweetest person we ever met in the industry…high profile and important. She changed our career drastically.

CoalChamberLoco: How has the success of the band affected your lives at home?

Coal Chamber: What lives at home? We've only been home a month and then went to record the new album, so we're waiting to get out on the road.

spookytribe: are you more comfortable on smaller stages?

Coal Chamber: No. We're more comfortable in an arena ... cause in a small club, everyone's in your face and it's really intimidating almost. You almost feel like, "Wow, he can see every little thing I do." In an arena, it's more impersonal.

MeegsRulez: What's Coal Chambers Plans for 2000?!

Coal Chamber: Tour. Touring on this record.

SonicNetHost: Where are you going to be at the millenium?

Coal Chamber (d): Somewhere far away from people.

SonicNetHost: Right on the millenium?

Coal Chamber (m): At a big party, with a bunch of girls getting naked.

Coal Chamber (d): I'll be watching TV like I do every year!

SonicNetHost: Let's talk about "My Mercy", what's that about?

Coal Chamber: It's one of the first songs we wrote.

Coal Chamber: One of my favorite Coal Chamber new songs ... it's so different than what we normally do ... it's got string section. It's about pure love…really loving someone…putting just them first before anything which a lot of people don't do nowadays and if you did that, you'd find true relationships, you know? I just want to say that song has acoustic guitar, a string section, piano…has everything but the kitchen sink.

SKATERGRLX182: If you were not in coal chamber what do think you would be doing?

Coal Chamber: I'd ... I have no other skill but to play music in Coal Chamber.

Coal Chamber (m): I'd probably be working a regular job and have a shot gun stuck to my forehead.

Coal Chamber (d): I'd be a biker, like in "Raising Arizona." I'd be that guy!

SonicNetHost: That's cool. How do your parents feel about all this?

Coal Chamber (d): Very proud of us. I must say this, his parents the Rascon family have probably missed one gig in 4 years…anyone that's close by. His parents came to see us at the Roxy in LA which holds 900 people and we played to 4 people. We were so pissed at the promoter that we got off stage and ran to go kick his whatever and his dad was right there to help us! All my brothers and sisters and his are very proud of us…they've seen how hard we have worked. It feels good to see that come to fruition.

SonicNetHost: That's cool. Do you ever fell like with your success that unknown family members come out of the woodwork?

Coal Chamber: No, it's not that way yet. Not monetarily. I have friends that have come out of the woodwork, but not for anything money-wise. We don't get that.

Zee921: Do yall still have the truck from the loco video?

Coal Chamber: Yes, we do and we're getting ready to give it away in a magazine article.

SonicNetHost: Really, is it like a contest?

Coal Chamber: Yes, a contest and we're going to give it away. What does their code name mean? Zee921?

Loco887: What's gonna be on the front cover of the new album?

Coal Chamber: It's a concept of a girl playing the cello on a tiny tiny island in front of this dead tree. And, basically she's making chamber music on a little island amongst herself, which is what we're saying about Coal Chamber, an island among ourselves.

SonicNetHost: Ok. What kind of mode, as far as writing lyrics, do you sit with a glass of milk with cookies and write?

Coal Chamber (d): I could be eating dinner and grab a napkin and write a lyric on it. I come up with stuff when I'm taking a shower, talking to friends, making love. Lyrics come to me. I piece them together.

SonicNetHost: That must kinda kill things when you're making love.

Coal Chamber (d): No, not at all…it helps me think! I think "baseball! baseball!" I do better.

SonicNetHost: What about the music though, what's your inspiration for it? Is it like a jam? Everyone in the same room, like?

Coal Chamber (d): Yeah, that happens a lot ... we don't go into "let's do a blues jam" we just go in and he may have a guitar part, Rayna may have a bass part, we never know what song we'll make…it sounds cheesy but it's magic. I love it.

SonicNetHost: Do you play any instruments?

Coal Chamber (d): No, no instruments. No. We tried when we're drunk and it doesn't work. Rayna tries to play drums when she gets her hands on them, but she can't! So, I hope she's listening! I think we're going to give the fans something they'll love and call unique and their own, they'll come to see us and dress up and see us and make it into their own world. We're giving them something unique.

SonicNetHost: Ok. That's about it for us. Than you very much Coal Chamber for coming to SonicNet.

Coal Chamber: Thanks for having us. Here come the underdogs!

SonicNetHost: Do you have anything to say in closing?

Coal Chamber: We're coming back out there to tour for a long time because of them. So, thank you very much! We don't have fans, we have friends. We totally bow to them, without them we're nothing. There's a song on the album called "Not Living" and it's about the fans…not living without them.



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Email: MeegsIsMyMercy@aol.com