AMERICA PREPARES TO ‘GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS’; DISTURBED SET TO LAUNCH THEIR FIRST MAJOR HEADLINING TOUR OF U.S. VENUES

FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/LATHUM NELSON/MITCH SCHNEIDER/MARIE REMELIUS

AMERICA PREPARES TO
‘GET DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS’

DISTURBED SET TO LAUNCH
THEIR FIRST MAJOR HEADLINING TOUR OF
U.S. VENUES

“No one will be selling you candy on this tour…nothing is sugar coated.” –David Draiman, DISTURBED

DISTURBED–who have spent the majority of the past year on the road in support of their platinum THE SICKNESS (Giant)–are gearing up for their much-anticipated first major headlining tour of U.S. venues. The trek kicks off at the American Theatre in St. Louis March 16 and covers both coasts before wrapping up in mid-to-late May. The opening acts–Mudvayne, Spineshank, Godhead, Skrape and Nothingface–were all hand picked by the band and will appear on various portions of the trek. “All the bands are real, and they all have something genuine to offer,” said vocalist DAVID DRAIMAN of the chosen openers after an appearance (March 7) in Los Angeles on ABC-TV’s “Politically Incorrect.” “For our first bout as a headliner, we wanted the bill to represent exactly what Disturbed is all about. It’s uncompromising, in your face, and unrelenting.”

Coming off a successful European trek opening for Marilyn Manson, DISTURBED—DRAIMAN, guitarist DAN DONEGAN, bassist FUZZ and drummer/programmer MIKE WENGREN–plan to take their own highly visual stage show to a new dramatic peak. “We’re working with a true lighting designer who knows how to create drama during the set and can really bring out certain aspects of the songs,” says DAVID. “The set is more elaborate and a lot darker. It’s going to be light years ahead of what we’ve been doing.”

In other words, hang on to your seats, because DISTURBED‘s presence has been explosive already. Or, in the words of Kerrang! after the band’s recent show at London’s Astoria: “F**kin’ awesome with a capital ‘F’ and a capital ‘A.’ It doesn’t so much come at you in waves as surround you like a solid pulsating mass of energy, [from] the crunch and groove of the near-religious ‘Down With THE SICKNESS‘ to the kick and roll of ‘Violence Fetish’ and the chug and pummel of ‘Voices’.”

In addition to the revamped light show, the band have retired DAVID‘s well-known electric chair in favor of a cage for the singer. While DISTURBED understandably want other elements of their visual presentation to be a surprise, the band do promise a new sonic experience for fans as well. “We’ll have new segues, different adaptations of songs, maybe even some new songs and an additional cover or two,” says DAVID. “We’ve got a track on the upcoming Faith No More tribute album–“Mid-Life Crisis”–that we plan on playing.”

With the continued success of THE SICKNESS–and its intensely rhythmic songs about conflict, paranoia and inner turmoil–DISTURBED expect an even stronger response from fans as they take their show to a larger scale. “We can add more crowd participation spots to the songs,” says guitarist DAN. “We’re seeing more and more people familiar with the overall album, and not just one song. It’s a great feeling to know we have that connection with the audience.”

That connection is reflected in Hit Parader magazine’s readers’ poll, where DISTURBED was recently named Best New Band. Meanwhile, the group’s current single “Voices” maintains its strong presence at radio, and the video for “Voices” (directed by Gregory Dark) can be seen on MTV. At the same time, the album’s long-running first radio track “Stupify” has achieved a noteworthy distinction on the Radio & Records Active Rock chart: only DISTURBED‘s “Stupify” and Godsmack’s “Whatever” have charted for a record-setting 45 consecutive weeks. At the same time, THE SICKNESS continues to receive critical acclaim, as noted in the band’s February 12 Pollstar cover story. Writer Martin Reed lauded: “Mind, body, and soul–Disturbed is 127 percent rock ‘n’ roll. Fueled by an unyielding passion for nonconformity, the group’s immediate result is found on its platinum-selling Giant Records debut bursting with distortion-heavy grooves and singer David Draiman’s unique vocals.”

After wrapping up their first headlining jaunt, look for DISTURBED to return to the familiar stomping grounds of the Ozzfest second stage in June. While last year’s Ozzfest helped propel the band to stardom, the 2001 edition finds them in an entirely different position. Rather than accept the slot offered to them on the festival’s main stage with reserved seating, the band chose to headline the newly revamped second stage, which maintains its general admission setting and has been expanded this year to accommodate over 15,000 fans. The expanded stage will also allow DISTURBED the freedom to use more of their stage production at each venue. “We don’t want to play to people in seats. It’s that simple,” says DAVID. “The whole vibe of the side stage is a hundred times cooler.” He adds: “This is a full contact sport. This is not something where you sit by the sidelines and watch. You have to be involved in it.”

Confirmed dates for DISTURBED‘s headlining tour are as follows, with more to be announced soon. Fans can also keep up with the band at www.disturbed1.com.

* Radio show with varied line-up.

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