12.08 Rock Shots

Rockshots
Mary Ouellette

Following up an eventful Rocktober, November had some serious expectations to live up to and it didn’t disappoint! With the return of Nine Inch Nails to Worcester, the Jagermeister Music Tour, and tour stops from Staind, Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Papa Roach and Dragonforce – November was a contender for one of the hardest rocking months of the year.

Nine Inch Nails Plays the DCU to a rabid crowd

Trent Reznor giving the evil eye

NIN guitarist Robin Fincke summoning the guitar gods

Reznor violates the crowd, much to their delight

Staind played their first show in MA since their release of their new album The Illusion of Progress

Staind’s Mike Mushok gives his “subdued” performance

Hinder headlines The Jagermeister Music Tour at The Palladium

Hinder frontman Austin Winkler hard at work

Seether’s Shaun Morgan gets some air

Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach owns the stage

Puddle of Mudd’s Wes Scantlin gives the photographer some love

I had the opportunity to sit down with Safetysuit before their recent show at The Palladium with Puddle of Mudd,
Meet Safetysuit:

Safetysuit in pre-show mode

For pop rockers Safetysuit, music means nothing without the message. One listen to their major label debut Life Left To Go makes that perfectly clear. With songs that tackle messages from suicide to self-empowerment, this band doesn’t shy away from the things that make us all human. The title track “Life Left to Go” not only tackles the serious subject of suicide, but encourages everyone to take the time to notice others around them who may be in pain. “There’s a lot of crap that happens in life but nothing worth ending it because life is a beautiful thing; even when it’s bad. We just wanted to write a song to speak to anyone that was even letting those thoughts in to develop, to let them know that we see them. For the people that aren’t struggling with it, it’s a good reminder to look around and see the signs. It’s important that nobody goes through life every day feeling alone, it’s not cool,” explains lead singer Doug Brown.

Their new video for their first single “Someone Like You” takes a very literal approach to the song’s message. One of the most powerful parts of the video is when a surfer rolls up to the beach in his wheelchair and is transported to the water by his friends to surf again. This is not an actor. This is an actual pro-surfer who suffered a life-altering accident and now helps others with spinal cord injuries live out their passion for surfing through the non-profit organization Wheels 2 Water (You can find out more about this group at wheels2water.org). This incredible story embodies the entire message of the song, overcoming even the toughest of life’s obstacles by relying on one’s inner strength. Tune in to the VH1 weekly countdown to catch the video and place your vote for Safetysuit!

For more on Safetysuit please visit them at (www.myspace.com/safetysuit )

The onstage metamorphosis of Safetysuit