San Antonians who caught Creed's headlining reunion concert with Staind on Sept. 24 at the AT&T Center missed being part of the Guinness World Records by just one loud evening.
On tour for the first time since 2003 after a bitter breakup, singer Scott Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips released Creed Live on Dec. 8. The high-impact DVD was filmed Sept. 25 before 18,000 fans at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands and set a record for most cameras used at a concert with 239, smashing Justin Timberlake's mark of 47. Two hundred of those cameras were used to create a "Big Freeze" effect popularized in "The Matrix" which will be included on the deluxe edition of the DVD in early 2010.
But hardly outdone is Alter Bridge.
The band formed by Tremonti, Marshall and Phillips with Johnny Depp-esque singer Myles Kennedy after Creed disbanded has put out its own killer concert DVD, Live From Amsterdam, available at Amazon.com.
Alter Bridge rocks and rolls to 18 incredible songs before 8,000 followers in the Dutch capital. That includes final encore "Rise Today," a song used on the initial trailers of Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which featured San Antonio actress Summer Glau.
And that's not the only connection Alter Bridge has to pop culture on or off the stage.
Today I phoned Tremonti, a 35-year-old three-time Guitar World Guitarist of the Year, to discuss everything going on with both of his bands:
Q: Why did you guys choose the Houston area to film Creed Live?
A: Houston was always our largest fan base. San Antonio is real close behind Houston, and we had one of the most memorable shows with Alter Bridge in San Antonio a few years back at the Oyster Bake. We were still relatively unknown at the time, and it was basically a headlining show.
Q: How was it decided to use the exact number of 239 cameras, as well as screening the DVD in theaters nationwide?
A: Our director, Daniel Catullo III (Rush, Nickelback, Smashing Pumpkins, Godsmack) got together with the company Big Freeze. They put one around the stage, one around the drums, and they had cameras that would go 40 mph out from the back of the stage. They did every angle you could think of. It was pretty much him being a mad scientist.
Q: What is unique and special for you about each of these DVDs?
A: Well, for the Alter Bridge DVD, the stage was taller, so it had a height to the shots that I really like. The performance in Amsterdam and the crowd were amazing. In Houston, just the sheer numbers were amazing, and the options we had, and the fact that we were playing for all the troops (on a Webcast) made it even more special.
Q: What sparked the idea of putting Creed back together, and what was it like for the three of you to be making music again with Scott?
A: Scott had called our manager to put together a meeting to maybe discuss a summer tour. Once we had a few meetings, we booked a tour. After the fact, we decided to put out an album, Full Circle (released Oct. 27). We already booked the tour, so we gave up 2 1/2 months to write the record and from that moment, we were just under the gun. A lot of stuff happened the first six months. It was just a big fire drill, so there were no real big roadblocks. Just a lot of hard work in a short amount of time.
Q: When you formed Alter Bridge, how challenging was it to have a band that didn't sound like Creed given that it was keeping 75 percent of the same musicians?
A: That's always been the biggest challenge, and that's why we went with Myles as a singer. You can't get a much more different singer than Scott, who is baritone. Another factor was adding Myles on guitar in Alter Bridge, which is dynamically different than Creed. Then when we were going with (Creed's) Full Circle, the challenge was not to sound like Alter Bridge.
Q: When you had 8,000 fans singing the lyrics to a song ("In Loving Memory") you penned about your mom's passing (from a brain tumor), how were you able to hold it together?
A: Yeah, that beat me up. When I was watching the playback on the DVD, I could see it in myself, just holding it together. Most nights when you're doing a show, I can play a song and make sure I don't make mistakes, and I can get through it. Other nights, when you have an emotional show, it's harder to get through.
Q: Alter Bridge has had a huge sports connection, particularly in the WWE with songs being used for pay-per-view promos, plus your work with Chris Jericho's band Fozzy, and with "Metalingus" being Edge's theme song. What did that type of exposure do for the band?
A: Between albums especially, with all the exposure we got on WWE, you could see it on MySpace. Our online awareness went way up. It was the perfect thing to keep us relevant. I think it's great for blue-collar America, anytime you can make yourself aware to others like that. We got to know each other years ago, and we got an invite to go on the show and do a skit with Adam (Copeland, Edge's real name), and we sat down and played a song with him. The skit was that we got interrupted while playing, and he got up and got tough.
And you played "Open Your Eyes" at the 2005 Home Run Derby in Detroit, where Johnny Damon, who's hosting "Raw" this Monday night, and Mike Piazza joined you onstage. That must have been a thrill.
Yeah, I saw Johnny yesterday. He lives just down the street from me. He's a good guy and a music fan. I've become a little detached from sports the past few years because I've been so busy with the music.
Q: How was it for you and Myles to appear on Sevendust's last album (Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow)?
A: Oh, it was great. They're some of our best friends in the business. We've played more shows with them than any other band. Mine and (Sevendust guitarist) John Connolly's kids are real close and went to school together. Our wives are close. Whenever we're on the bus, Sevendust is on.
Q: How difficult is it to find balance when keeping two bands going and making sure you don't get burned out from recording, traveling and being around one another?
A: Just stay inspired and make sure there's enough alone time in the middle of it all. It's one of those things where you get burned out at the end of the cycle, but then you're off for five days, and you can't wait to get back to it.
Q: Five days? That's all it takes for you? A: Yeah, I can't sit idle. I'm an antsy person. I like to get things done.
Q: How is it having your brother Michael as Alter Bridge's publicist?
A: We hired him years ago to pretty much be the guy online. We call him our fan liason. He's the one giving fans all the new information, and people know that if it comes from him, then it's true. He's pretty much the pied piper among the fans. He really keeps us connected with them.
Q: Why did you bring in the guitarists that you did on your instructional DVD (Mark Tremonti: The Sound and The Story).
A: I just wanted to make a real comprehensive DVD in the areas that I'm well versed at. I had friends of mine like Bill Peck . Michael Angelo (Batio) is regarded as the fastest player who ever lived. Rusty Cooley is another one. Of course Myles is a great player. He breaks down the "Blackbird" solo. I just wanted to show my little circle of guitar friends.
Q: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask what do you think of Weird Al Yankovic's "With Legs Wide Open?"
A: I didn't even know he did that, but I'm real psyched to hear that. I heard someone (reportedly Coolio) got upset a long time ago that he did one of their songs, but you can't take yourself too seriously. I heard he's got a pretty banging band.
Maybe he can open for you guys on tour and play it.
That would be cool.
Comments
That isn't a weird Al song.
Yeah, that's not a Weird Al song. Maybe you should call Mark back with more accurate information.
Mark=Living Legend
I was expecting last year the new Alter Bridge Album,
but i didn´t expect that Creed Returns, i guess friends are for ever, and Scott Stap is welcome back to heavy Rock.
Personnaly to me Alter Bridge is the future and Creed is the sucess chicks band of the past, have a space in the Rock but i sincerely hope that Scott arranje new musicians with the agreament from the rest of the Band who is in Alter Bridge project, because Creed in this moment are delaing Alter Bridge music.
Tnx to all Creed Alter Bridge staff
I am the artist who wrote the song With Legs Wide Open. I wrote this song for a Howard Stern Parody contest and somehow the song has leaked onto the internet under Weird Als name 9 years later. I am a 35 year old musician that would just like to be credited for something even if it is this horrible song everyone credits to him. I would be willing to discus a opening slot for "Alterbridge". Interested in hearing some of my more serious original music please check out AuenRocks.
Dave, I sincerely thank you for clearing things up for me, and thanks to the previous folks who commented long ago that it wasn't Weird Al but didn't state specifically who it was.
Please accept my apologies. I have been checking out your YouTube channel and am enjoying your music -- particularly "My Ways." I don't know where you're from, but if you're ever in the San Antonio or Austin area -- performing or otherwise -- please let me know. I'd be happy to interview you and help the masses out there become more familiar with your music.
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