DISTURBED, DAZED AND STUPIFIED...

- David, before Disturbed started, you had a very well paid job : why did you leave it for music ? - David Draiman : I was working up until June 1999 and I quit when we got our first deal. - Between one and two million copies of the album sold in USA : how do you live this success ? - David D: We're still working on success, you know. I think it's just the beginning. It's obviously a lot more success than lots of other bands get, but we have lots of work ahead of us, a lot more to do. - What are your main influences ? - David D : Each other. No other bands really. We didn't sit down and started to think we'd like to take a bit of this band or that… We just got together and improvised, this is what came out. - Dan Donegan : We all listen to different things. When we were jamming, it brought all these elements out of us. Among the more recent stuff that we listen to, we like The Perfect Circle, the Deftones album, Incubus, Godsmack. But all over, I've been into Black Sabbath, Metallica, Soundgarden, Faith No More, David was into some punk bands, new wave. Our bass player was into Rush, our drummer was more into Pantera. There's a wide range of bands we grew up listening to. - Chicago : is it an important place to come from (Ministry, house music...)? - David D : It makes no difference. It makes a difference in terms of the crowd, the hometown support that we've received. I think Chicago is one of those cities that is very strong in terms of its rock following. It's certainly one of the better places for us to play, not just because it's our hometown. Any band will tell you, that, touring the US, it's their favourite location to play. But in terms of any influence on the sound, it has nothing to do with it. - In a way, did Ministry help you to create your sound ? - David D: No, nothing to do with them. But we like them. - Dan D : We started in the South suburbs, there was really no scene at all, the whole Ministry thing was more downtown, in the North. It's a different neighbourhood. We don't really know that scene, we weren't part of it. - David D : It was way before our time. - Why did you cover Tears for Fears' "Shout" ? - David D : We didn't play it in the beginning, because we didn't want to come out with everyone being just interested in that song. We're very proud of it, we just didn't want it to be the focus of attention. "Stupefy" as done really really well in the US and I don't think "Shout" is the focus of anybody's attention. It's a song we were doing before we were signed, in the clubs. We just wanted to take something that was the exact opposite, sonically, of what we do and make it our own. - The use of an electric chair live, is it a way to talk about death penalty, which is always a controversial subject ? - David D : No, it has nothing to do with it. The chair and the other ways that I come out during the introduction (editor's note : strapped in a straight jacket and wearing a "Hannibal Lecter"-type mask) are symbolic. "The sickness", which is the title of the album, also represents a philosophy of the band, which is one of individuality, development of self, finding those things in life that you can be passionate about. When you do distinguish yourself as an individual in society, you're different from everyone else, people think there's something wrong with you. I sometimes come out in a cage, or restrained, and it's symbolic of what society does to people who are different. They try to keep you away from everyone else, they try to emprison you or to wipe you out entirely. But there are differences, I break free from the restrains and I don't die from the execution. It's symbolic of that struggle. - Your cover sleeve, the electric chair : is it essential for your show and a kind of "global art" ? - David D : Everything is essential. We don't need to have this, we don't need to have the chair, it's something that draws your attention right from the beginning of the show. It also tries to bring home that message. The cover has nothing really to do with the same kind of thing as the chair, but it's the same philosophy. What you see is a head being born, it peeks between vaginal lips. It's the monster that society has created by trying to subjugate the individual. Instead of creating another perfect carbon-copy type of human being, they've created a monster. But the only thing really essential about the show is the music. Everything else is added tools to help bring the message home. - You participated recently to two soundtracks : "Little Nicky" and "Dracula 2OOO" : are they just exercices of style for you or are you really interested in doing songs for soundtracks ? - David D : We're interested in doing anything. I mean, for the "Little Nicky" soundtrack in particular, we were approched and asked if we wanted to be on it. They did a remix of "Stupefy" and it came out great. We kept 2 tracks off of the album specifically for things like soudtracks opportunities and things like that. We want to be a part of anything that comes our way, if it's within the message and the ideals that the band tries to portray. - In " Stupify ", is it just a character you created who sings, or is it your own self ? - David D : It's me. It's about a relationship I had with a young Latino girl, whose parents were against us being together because of our different ethnicities. They drove us apart, so the song is against racism and prejudice. That's me. - Did your very strict religious education influence a lot on your writings and on the life of the band ? - David D : You know, all of life experience affects how you write. I'm sure that's a part of it. It's a combination of everything. My lyrical approach is not necessarily from my spiritual upbringing, which obviously didn't take very good with me. (laughs) It's more a reflection of elements of human behaviour, that we view to be negative and counter-productive in society and expose them for what they are. - What do you think about the American elections right now ? - David D : I think it's a fucking joke. I think it's ridiculous, they're both shit, I wouldn't vote for any of them. And nobody in the band voted for either one of them. Just give it to one of the idiots, it really doesn't matter who gets it. They're not that different from one another. There's no tangible difference between the Democrats and Republicans anymore. - In the USA, you play in stadiums and big venues, and clubs and small venues in Europe : how do you feel about it, and do you see it as a teaser of a bigger tour later ? - Dan D : We prefer playing in the smaller clubs, it's more personal, we like when people are tight up against the stage. We like the closeness, we like seeing faces and identifying people. It's harder to do in arenas. It's good to mix it up. We did the Ozzfest festival, then the arena show with Stone Temple Pilots and Godsmack, which was great as well, but you have barricades 10 feet away from you and the lights and it's hard to make out people. - Ozzfest was it a good experience ? - David D : Oh yeah, a wonderful experience. The Ozzfest is like summer camp, you get to hang out with your buddies, drink, have sex and play music. It's wonderful. - Five lp's which changed your life ? - David D : Personally, Tool's album "Undertow" did a lot for me, as well as Korn's first album. These are the 2 albums that convinced me that maybe I would be able to do this kind of music. Because I never sang anything like this before, I was never as aggressive as this. I had to learn how to sing this way through playing with the guys. A friend of mine who unfortunately passed away about a year and a half ago really introduced me to this "genre" and gave me the encouragement I needed to join the band. I was very intimidated when I went to audition, they were all playing really aggressive like Pantera, their previous singer had been that kind of a style. Those 2 albums in particular made me feel I was able to do it. - Dan D : I think Soundgarden's "Bad Motorfinger" is a great album. It's aggressive, but still melodic. It opened my eyes a lot when it came out. - David D : NIN's "Pretty Hate Machine" is a living, breathing testament to the passion being in a horrible relationship with a woman can inspire. (laughs) Obviously, Trent was tormented by somebody. I'd actually like to meet the woman who caused him to have that kind of inspiration. I think it's a wonderful album for that reason. - Dan D: Metallica's "Ride the Lightning". The first time I heard that album, it was so different from anything I'd ever heard. It was such a strange thing to hear for the first time, great lyrics and such a different sound. - How do you see the future for Disturbed ? - David D: Hopefully we continue touring and come back to Europe, do a little more work here. Put out another 10 albums. We love what we do, nothing makes us happier than being able to play. Interview by JP Coillard, Mr. X and Marie Lecocq Official site Back to table of contents