Interview with Dez of Devil Driver
HOB - Las Vegas - August 1, 2004
Phil: Thanks for taking the time out with closedcoffin.com, I really appreciate that. Here in Las Vegas...
Dez: How do you straighten up now? (wife Anastasia laughs) All of a sudden you just got straight. Just plugged it in and got straight!
Phil: Well, thank you, thank you for that. *laughs*
(Dez laughs)
Phil: I'm sitting here with Dez Fafara, is that how you pronounce....
Dez: Fafara, yes.
Phil: Fafara, thank you. Right on, I appreciate you sitting down and taking the time with us because I know you're very busy with Ozzfest. How's that goin' by the way?
Dez: Great man, great bands and we're just honored to be there. I love the Osbourne Family and they've done me a good turn by giving me a second chance out there with my new band. It's been great, havin' a great time!
Phil: Now you've been touring almost non stop since you've started this Devil Driver tour, you haven't really had a break at all!
Dez: Right!
Phil: How's it been going for the band? How's been life on the road?
Dez: We love it man! My life's been on the road for 9 years already, but these guys are really taking to it. You kinda know within the first couple months if someones gonna hang or not and they love the road. The road's been treating us good. Ozzfest has been killer, we've been doing off shows with Super Joint Ritual, Hatebreed, you know, God Forbid, a bunch of great bands! It's awesome, just a good time, it's summer camp and we're having fun.
Phil: Now this is your 5th Ozzfest. Is the excitement gone away? Is it not as exciting as the first time with Coal Chamber?
Dez: Actually, for me, it's more exciting, because this thing all rests on me, I feel. So, the excitement is there, ten fold, I feel like I'm 12 years right now.
Phil: To still be involved in Ozzfest.
Dez: To be involved with Ozzfest, to be doin' what I'm doin', to be at that point where I'm starting over. It feels great! I love that whole fresh start thing. I think it's a great place to be. It's like when you walk out of your job and you quit your job and you lose your girlfriend and you get rid of your house and you sell your car and you move to some place different. Often time that feeling is the best and that's what I've captured in Devil Driver and my feelings are great right now.
Phil: Very cool. What are you favorite cities or clubs in Las...in ahhh...
Dez: *laughs* in Las Vegas you almost said Las Vegas. *laughs*
Phil: I know, I'm all messed up...that's what editing is for, I love editing. This thing plugs right into the computer. I love you babe, 'cause we can edit this son of a bitch like a mother fucker. But anyway...
(Dez is cracking up laughing)
Dez: Here's the thing, here's the thing. I couldn't, it's like saying what's your favorite song? I couldn't do it.
Phil: Right. Do you have a favorite city though, that you enjoy going to? Like, Oh Los Angeles, we love you!
Dez: Los Angeles, 'cause my home town. I love Las Vegas, not just 'cause we're here. I love Las Vegas, for everything that it is. I like playing New York, man, I like playin' London, I like playin' everywhere! Everywhere there's a gig and people come out, I'm having a good time!
Phil: So, who is replacing Evan this evening for the show, for this tour and is he going to be a permanent member of the band?
Dez: Ahhh, we don't know. Evan is getting married we wish him the best of luck, he's a great guy. We just don't know. Mike is filling in for him, he came in, did the In Flames tour with us in Europe. We said you want to do Ozzfest with us and he said sure! He's a great kid, his family is all here tonight in Vegas and we're hanging out with 'em. His brother is drinking with us, he seems like a great kid. We'd like to see him become a member of the full, but it's really up to him. Does he want to do the touring live? 'Cause I'm not stopping for the next fifteen years, I mean straight! Actually we're getting ready to come off and do an album in like 3 months. Then we're going to try and make 330 days out of 365 next year.
Phil: So you're going to come right off of Ozzfest and go into the Blackest of the Black Tour with Danzig?
Dez: Right, and then we're coming off, doing an album, and getting right back on the road in February. And trying to hit it real hard, like blast it out, 6 days a week go!
Phil: Awesome! I'd like to get an interview with you when you come back around with the Blackest of the Black Tour. Is that ok?
Dez: No problem, man. I love Glen too, Glen helped me start my own career, man.
Phil: Glen Danzig?
Dez: Danzig took Coal Chamber on it's first tour, ever! So, I've been friends with him a long time and I relish that friendship.
Phil: Now your self entitled album, Devil Driver, was recorded in 2 different studios with 2 different producers. What was the reasoning for that?
Dez: Two reasons. One Ross Ogarth had to leave to go do Melissa Etheridge. He had a prior engagement. Then it wound up to work really good because I kinda suffer from hyper activity, man. I need somebody that can track me quick. I'm not the kind of guy that wants to sing a song 30 times, you know, 'cause the soul won't be there. And this guy we got Dan...huh...yea, Dan...he was incredible man. He just, he tracked me so quick.
Phil: How's Road Runner been doing? How have they been doing with promotion and taking care of you guys?
Dez: They've been alright. I kinda think they threw us out there, you know, to see what we would do. Now that it's doin' something, I think that they're getting excited. Obviously, I've been with them for a long time. Right now I'm happy, otherwise I'd let you know for fuckin' sure.
Phil: You've been recording a video for Nothing's Wrong. How's that going so far?
Dez: Great!
Phil: I know the video is already done.
Dez: Yea, you should be seeing it in a couple of weeks.
Phil: On MTV?
Dez: Right, hopefully, if they accept it. It's us jammin' in our rehearsal room and it's real raw footage. It's not all doctored up, you know, it's not a $300,000 video. It's us in our rehearsal room. So, if they're interested, there ya go. But I know Jamie, so I'll be like Jamie play it. *laughs*
Phil: *laughs* There ya go! So the Blackest of the Black Tour is coming to Las Vegas. I'd appreciate it if I could get another interview. If that's ok with you.
Dez: No problem, come drink. You gotta talk to all the rest of the guys though. 'Cause you got to get their points of view.
Phil: Absolutely. When I had talked to Dan he said to meet up with you originally.
Dez: Next time we'll talk to all boys, you can get the whole bands point of view.
Phil: Absolutely, sir! Coal Chamber, can I ask you some questions about that?
Dez: Go ahead man!
Phil: Now, I saw Coal Chamber open up for Megadeath at The Joint, way back when
Dez: Right.
Phil: Obviously you know when.
Dez: Right.
Phil: Now the PA system, I want to see if you remember this. The PA system went down.
Dez: What happened?
Phil: There was nothing coming out of the PA an the crowd picked up the song
Dez: And sang the song.
Phil: Yes, you remember that?
Dez: I do remember that! It happened about a week ago with Hatebreed as well. With the song, I Could Care Less, I guess, I mean you could call it our single because it was our first video so...and it went out on me and the whole crowd finished the song. I just...
Phil: How does that feel when a crowd picks up the slack?
Dez: There's nothing better than that! 'Cause what I am, I'm a lyricist. I don't play music, I sing and write. So to hear people singing the lyrics is the most ultimate high for me. There's only 2 things better than that, and that's my woman's pussy and weed. So I'm sorry...
Phil: *laughs* Sorry babe, I just ahh...
Dez: This is my wife Anastasia, by the way. But anyway, it would be 1, 2 and 3 in that order. But to hear your vocals sung, it's an amazing thing. You know what, any artist will tell you that. Listen to Johnny Cash interviews, he'll tell you the same thing.
Phil: Right on! So does Coal Chamber have any plans for the future?
Dez: No, we're done, man.
Phil: You're done.
Dez: I had a great run with them. They're great guys, but the time in the sun has been spent. It's time for me to do my own thing.
Phil: Basically, you've moved on to Devil Driver and this is what you're concentrating on.
Dez: This is what I'm concentrating on, I'm not saying I won't do side projects with people. But Devil Driver is my heart right now, my soul. We've all got the Devil Driver tattoo on us and we're rolling forward.
Phil: Sweet, very cool! Devil Driver was together about a year before they started going out on the road touring.
Dez: True.
Phil: To make sure they could get along and so forth.
Dez: True. You want to hear a story that I never gave anybody.
Phil: Yes!
Dez: When we were making the album, we were living in a place called The Sportsmens, it's really a kind of cool little hotel, over in Hollywood, Studio City. We could have got everybody having their own room and this and that. I stuck everybody in 1 room. Six dudes, 5 dudes plus our band assistant and my bestfriend Frankenstein. Who Phil Anselmo gave him his name, so...and I stuck everybody in one hotel room. Everybody traded off, I slept on the floor the first night, I said this is how it starts. Just to get to know who the fuck everybody was. You know what I mean? And it worked, man! It really created a bond and something incredible between friends and it made us feel like we were runnin'! Running with the Devil! You know, and I suggest that to everybody! If you don't know who your friends are, put them all in a car and take a long drive.
Phil: So, you got Evans number on a napkin. What made you finally give him a call?
Dez: I thought he had balls, so I called him. But the band really started coming together when we all got together at my house. Started barbequing and writing songs as a whole. You know, Evan would tinker toy around with the guitar. I would give him kind of ideas and stuff, but until the band got together as a whole. It really didn't gist. You didn't get songs like The Mountain, you know what I mean, the meat, the heart, the core.
Phil: By the way, I love the album.
Dez: Thank you man!
Phil: It's great!
Dez: Thank you, thank you very much!
Phil: About some of your tattoos, Fred Durst gave you a tattoo on you neck. How'd that come about?
Dez: He did, he did. That was about 1998. He was backstage tattooing...look everybody gives fuckin' Fred a hard time...everybody wants to be hard time on that guy. But I'll tell you, he's been nothing but a gentleman to me and like we never hung out, but on the Ozzfest we were walkin' by, past each other or whatever. He was tattooing, he said what do you want? I was in an incubator for the first five months of my live, so my mom named me peanut. I got it tattooed on my neck, Fred did it. I went on stage actually about 10 minutes later. He's a good artist and I think he's a good guy. He gets a fuckin' bad rap. It is what it is though. Anybody who says anything to me about that they can go fuck themselves.
Phil: I saw Limp Bizkit at The Joint in Las Vegas...
Dez: I don't know if I'm a fan of the music.
Phil: I like their music.
Dez: I don't know if I'm a fan of their music. I'm a big fan of Wes their guitar player, I think he's a fucking genius. Wes, call me, I lost your number!
Phil: He's gone now!
Dez: I know, but ahhh...Wes call me, I lost your number. (Anastasia laughs) Fred has always been a gentleman. I remember when he first met my wife, Anastasia, he was just a total gentleman. Shook her hand and bowed in front of her, he's just a really good guy, you know.
Phil: Well, I really appreciate you taking the time out with closedcoffin.com.
Dez: No man, we appreciate it! 'cause we're not getting tons of support from the radio.
Phil: Really?
Dez: And that's fine. You know, I said fuck the money, fuck the radio and fuck everything. Let's go do something that's from the heart.
Phil: Something that we enjoy.
Dez: Something that we enjoy, so thank you for your support.
Phil: Once again, you can check us out at closedcoffin.com
Dez: I love the name! I need a shirt!
Phil: *laughs* Anytime you want anything, just let us know!
Dez: I need a shirt!
Phil: As far as photos, shirts...
Dez: Black, black medium maybe large after I get off Ozzfest.
Phil: Absolutely!
Dez: Extra medium!
Phil: Yes. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this, 'cause I know you're very busy...
Dez: Ahhhh, cool man! Not really tonight! I'm gonna go gamble, I'm gonna see my wife off she's gonna go fly on a private jet home.
Anastasia: And he's gonna go gamble and drink.
Dez: I'm go gamble and drink whiskey.
Phil: Well, thank you Dez, I appreciate it.
Dez: Thank you, man.
For more information on Devil Driver visit them online at...
http://devildriver.com
or at their label...
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com