thePULSEOn playing this year’s Locobazooka, the release
of their new album, and being back on the road
September 2005 – From a hotel room in Portland, OR., Dan Donegan,
lead guitarist of nu metal band Disturbed, says he couldn’t be more excited
to be back on the road. It feels good to be back out,” Donegan said.
“Being offstage and missing it gave us new excitement and really
lit a fire under us.”
The band’s current tour will take them to the Worcester area for Sept.
18, when they headline WAAF’s Locobazooka Festival, an all-day rock
music festival featuring over 40 local and national artists. This year
will be the third time Disturbed has played the festival, and Donegan
described it as a “great experience” not just for the band,
but for local artists as well. “I like seeing new talent come up
and set the bar, raise the bar for the day,” he said. “I’m interested
in seeing a lot of new talent and [seeing] who might be the next thing
to hit or have something exciting to offer.”
Also on the Locobazooka bill is the band Ten Years, currently playing
with Disturbed on the west coast. The group’s current tour is its first
since 2003, but with the upcoming releases of its new album “Ten
Thousand Fists” in September, the boys of Disturbed are taking their
new material on the road once again.
We toured 22 months behind [our first album] ‘The Sickness,’
playing the same 12 songs and it got tiring,” Donegan said. “Now
with 12 songs on ‘The Sickness,’ 12 songs on [our second album]
‘Believe’ and 14 on this album, it gives us a lot of material
to keep things exciting and change it up.” Donegan said two of the
first tracks the band worked on for the new album – “Guarded”
and “Decadence” – set the tone for a “more aggressive”
sound. Now, the band has integrated the songs “Stricken” and
the album’s title track, as well as “Guarded,” into their performance
to give audiences a taste of what’s to come.
And so far, crowds have liked what they’ve heard. “It’s surprising
to see them singing the songs already,” Donegan said. “They
know it word for word; the response is great.” Disturbed’s shows,
however, aren’t just for the diehard fans. The band’s intense live performance
is complemented by lead singer Dave Draiman’s stage presence. “David’s
very good at not only being a good vocalist; he’s a great frontman,”
Donegan said. “There are not many singers with that power and control
over the audience. It’s a powerful moment for us to watch him take charge
of it.”
It’s a sense of power Donegan said he hopes his highenergy shows
will give the audience as well. “It’s a chance to get away
from the real world and have a great experience,” he said. “You
should walk away feeling good about yourself.”
The Locobazooka Festival takes place Sept. 18 at the Fitchburg Airport.
Tickets are $39.95 and are available at Strawberries locations, Next Ticketing
or by calling 617-423-6000. For more information, visit locobazooka.com.
