STATIC-X Bassist TONY CAMPOS On New Vocalist XER0 Wearing WAYNE STATIC Mask - "Something Wayne Would Have Been Cool With"
May 7, 2019, 5 years ago
Static-X recently dropped a special video in which fans can see and hear the band's mysterious new vocalist Xer0 performing the band's cult classic, "Bled For Days", along with the original Wisconsin Death Trip band lineup of Tony Campos, Ken Jay and Koichi Fukuda. Speaking with Ultimate Guitar, Campos commented on Xer0 wearing a mask to resemble late frontman, Wayne Static, for the upcoming tour:
"I think it just adds another visual element that will help bring things back to that vibe of when people first saw the band. At the same time, it keeps the focus on the band and Wayne rather than it just being like, 'Here’s Static-X with a new singer.' We didn’t want a Van Hagar sort of situation where the focus is on the new singer, that’s not what this is about; that’s not why we’re doing this. So I think the mask accomplishes a couple of different things. (As for where it came from), a friend of ours that does masks for several artists including Slipknot and John 5 and a couple of other higher profile artists, she created that for us. I think it looks killer.
You know, a lot of people don’t know Wayne had a really dark sense of humor. Like all those merchandising images with the skulls with Wayne’s hair and beard, that was all his idea. So he was into the dark stuff like that and he would have totally loved the mask. Again, the mask accomplishes a couple of different things for us and knowing that’s something Wayne would have been cool with makes us feel good about everything."
Read the complete interview here.
The "Bled For Days" clip below showcases the band's stage production for their upcoming US tour, and teases a brand new song from their upcoming album, Project Regeneration.
"Everyone wants to know who will be singing and how we will be pulling off the material live," says Tony Campos. "Well, here it is. Watch this video and you will see and hear exactly what we will be doing on the tour."
Since the announcement of their upcoming Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary Tour dates in the US, based on incredible demand, Static-X has confirmed shows in 10 more countries as part of their world domination! The tour will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's platinum selling debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, and serve as a touring memorial for their late lead singer, Wayne Static.
In addition, Static-X have announced the beginnings of a second US leg to take place in December.
North American meet & greets are available now via www.static-X.org (and www.DevilDriver.com for their performance dates). Tickets are available now via individual venues and their websites. See below for a full list of dates and individual support artists.
Static-X is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their seventh studio album, entitled Project Regeneration. The album will feature 12 brand new Static-X tracks and contains several vocal performances and musical compositions by Wayne Static, along with a handful of high-profile guest vocal contributions.
"We are incredibly excited to announce that we will be taking the Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary Tour around the world," says drummer Ken Jay. "The fans have shown so much love for the band and for Wayne and we couldn't be more pumped for the rest of 2019. Thank you all for the encouragement and support!"
Ken Jay adds about the addition of the new vocalist, "For us, the goal was 100% about recapturing the vibe and the spirit of Static-X. We were never interested in using a hologram or using Wayne's pre-recorded vocals. It has to be real and it has to have a soul and a pulse. Static-X has always been four guys. Two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. We didn't want to mess with that formula. This is the most electric version of Wisconsin Death Trip 2.0 that we can imagine, without actually having Wayne here with us."
"At first, I was actually a little skeptical of how we could do all of this," says Koichi Fukuda. "But, after I heard him sing, I was sold! I am so impressed with how far it has come in a short amount of time. We are working very hard to bring something very special to you all. I know that Wayne would be very proud of how much heart and effort has been put into this. It is truly an honor."
"We were very lucky to find somebody who could fill such a unique role," says Tony Campos. "We've all toured together and our bands came up together back in the day. This is just as special for him as it is for us. He was never interested in trying to make this about him and he was actually the one who suggested that the mask be the face of the memorial."
Tour dates:
June (Static-X, DevilDriver co-headlining with support from Dope)
18 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater
19 - Albuquerque, NM - El Rey Theater
21 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
22 - Houston, TX - The Warehouse
23 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater
25 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
26 - Greenville, SC - The Firmament
28 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
29 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
30 - Scranton, PA - Levels
July (Static-X, DevilDriver co-headlining with support from Dope)
2 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
3 - London, ON - London Music Hall
4 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
5 - Hampton Beach, NH - Wally's
6 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
7 - Reading, PA - Reverb
9 - Pittsburgh, PA - Jergel's
10 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
11 - Indianapolis, IN - The Citadel
12 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Clyde Theatre
13 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
14 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
16 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
18 - Cadott, WI - Cadott Rockfest
19 - Sioux City, IA - Anthem - Hard Rock Casino
20 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
21 - Belvidere, IL - Apollo Theater
23 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
25 - Santa Ana, CA - Observatory
26 - Los Angeles, CA - Catch One
27 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
August (with support from Wednesday 13 and Dope)
22 - Brisbane, Australia - Eaton Hill
23 - Melbourne, Australia - Croxton
24 - Sydney, Australia - Metro
26 - Adelaide, Australia - The Gov
27 - Perth, Australia - Rock Rover
September
20 - St Petersburg, Russia - Cosmonavt Club
21 - Moscow, Russia - Giavclub
September (with Soil, Wednesday 13 and Dope)
24 - Bristol, England - SWX
25 - Cardiff, Wales - Tramshed
26 - London, England - Electric Ballroom<
27 - Nottingham, England - Rock City
28 - Leeds, England - Stylus
29 - Southampton, England - Engine Room
October with Soil, Wednesday 13 and Dope
1 - Newcastle, England - Northumbria Institute
2 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage
3 - Manchester, England - The Ritz
4 - Birmingham, England - 02 Institute
5 - Paris, France - File 7
6 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix Club
7 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
9 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
10 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connex
11 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo
12 - Pinarella di Cervia, Italy - Rock Planet
13 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
December
10 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Royal Bar
11 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
12 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
13 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
14 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
15 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
As announced, the original Static-X lineup introduced on their 1999 platinum-selling debut full-length album, Wisconsin Death Trip - bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and drummer Ken Jay - have joined forces once again to release a new album, Project Regeneration. The band has cultivated a treasure chest of vocal performances and musical compositions left behind by Wayne. Along with the help of Static-X's long-time producer Ulrich Wild, the band is in the process of completing the album now.
A new teaser featuring clips from a brand new music video, as well as five new Static-X tracks - "Road To Hell", "Something Of My Own", "Terminator Oscillator", "Hollow" and "Disco Otsego" - along with a personal message from bassist Tony Campos about the inspiration behind Project Regeneration, is available to view now at www.Static-X.org.
For the unfinished tracks, the band is inviting several of their friends to lend their voices for the completion of this very personal project. The guest vocalist curation process is being led by none other than SiriusXM programming pioneer Jose Mangin, who is working alongside the band as one of the executive producers for Project Regeneration.
Static-X has created a pre-order campaign allowing fans who purchase Project Regenerationin advance to have their name appear in the liner notes of the new album. Additional special pre-order package options are also available, including Project Regeneration merch bundles and several old school Static-X merch items to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip. Pre-orders are available via www.Static-X.org.