SAVATAGE / DOCTOR BUTCHER / TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA guitarist Chris Caffery is currently on a promo trip in Europe to support his new solo album, Pins And Needles. He has issued the following update:

"Hallo!

OK...now I have no frickin' clue where I am!

We left Frankfurt last night to get to the hotel that the bands are staying in for the show. It is in the middle if Bum Fuck German Egypt!

Nice place...I am on the wireless connection that is not strong enough to work in my room. So, I am sitting on a couch in the hall, by the stairs!

Just had my typical Euro-breakfast....cereal, bread, cheese, medium boiled egg, multi vitamin juice, coffee...the smaller hotels all pretty much have the same thing. I just try to always make some sort of sandwich.

Got the posters for the tour last night, the picture I have on my My Space is not the final version. They are really cool.

I am not sure exactly but I think I have to go to the venue at like 2:30 for a rehearsal/soundcheck. I am only playing 4 songs so I think I will be fine. Both shows are sold out at 2,000 tickets I believe.

More reviews and interviews all the time for Pins. A certain magazine over here did not get it. I translated the review and I think the guy said it was a bad business move because it did not sound like a JOP or Savatage CD. I guess you are not a smart businessman if your music is different.

Then I did an interview with a gentleman in Belgium that said the CD was very facinating and every time he listens to it he likes it more and more. Likened it in some ways to a heavy metal Frank Zappa. I never thought of it that way, but I can see it if you really listen to it that way. He caught the sense of humor in the heaviness. It is nice when someone actually takes the time to listen to your music before they decide to write their opinion. Funny thing is I actually had a song called 'The Ink' that was more bizarre than anything on this CD. I was going to record it but had no time. It is written about the critics and their words. Kinda inspired when people were bitching about the amount of music on Faces/WARPED. Really bothered me that giving extra music was something that jarred criticism...

So far there are four pretty consistent things: 'Very heavy', 'Very different', 'After listening to it more than once they really loved it', and 'It does not sound like Savatage.' Obviously these people did not read the studio reports or they would have heard me say most of this all along!

Like I said, thanks...all of this just inspires me to make the next CD really fucked up!

I am going to try to get some more sleep..."

Peace!

C