"LIVE YOUR LIFE, NOT THE WAY THEY TAUGHT YOU...DO WHAT YOU FEEL..."

The years flew by...the children grew up, the tiny band I had taken was growing too. We were traveling the world, bringing Metal to the masses, inch by inch, gaining popularity. I was working 24/7 and loving it! Keeping in touch with new music was never a problem; with so many children, our home was always full of all ages of friends. We lived street-level with our fans and loved it!

D-Low

On a hiatus to wait for the arrival of Zyon, Max began work on Nailbomb with Alex Newport (ex-Fudge Tunnel), who also was living in our home with Christina. Dana was videoing one day, walking through the house when he cruised into the nanny's bedroom just as I was explaining my new idea...a punk rock Metal extravaganza. He always had a camera nearby and we all agreed Dana would record the birth and growth our our new bastard child, Nailbomb. It wasn't easy but he plowed his way through to the end, gathering up fantastic, bombastic footage. He even went to some gun shops and took kickass photos for us, of Max and Alex.

Dana was a Metal enthusiast from the early days. He lived, breathed and existed for Metal. He became very close to Max because of their shared cravings for music. When Zyon came along, Dana had a new partner, spotting Zyon's drumming ability from the start. Many times we caught Dana, hiding with his video camera, filming Zyon rocking out to the Deftones, Fear Factory or KORN. They were inseparable.

Alex Newport and Dana

baby Z

Fancy moshpit!

Dana w/Igor

Dana w/Zyon

After Zyon was born, we moved to a bigger house with our growing tribe. It was here that Max and I were married and Nailbomb began to take serious shape. Max was writing Chaos at the kitchen table and doing photos and fun stuff with Nailbomb at the same time. We were basically having a blast with life in general.

When Andreas and Patricia decided to get married, we took the family on one of the most fun vacations ever!! We went to many cities in Brazil for 3 weeks prior to the wedding. Max had a strong desire to take the family around his beloved country and we were all thrilled ! The vacation ended in Sao Paulo at one of the most gangster weddings ever!! We had so much fun..Richie and Jason rocked the dance floor. They had more chicks lined up to dance than Elvis!! Beautiful Brazilian hotties, please keep in mind!!

at the zoo...

w/Z

Choas brought chaos....endless tours, interviews, photos. It never stopped growing! The band went home, looking for a much needed break. What did Max do? He went to his warmed up chair at the kitchen table and put his Madman Hat on. In no time at all, I was holding 4 track tapes of songs, Roots, Straighthate, more tapes every day. When Attitude was born, Dana handed me some lyrics, written on a scrap of paper. I suggested he show Max since I didn't have a clue as to what lyrics Max was adding to some of the music he had written. They sat at the kitchen table and gave birth to Attitude. I still remember the look on their Creator Faces...

The label chose Attitude for the single, which meant they would need a video to go along with it. We tossed a bunch of ideas around. We were in Europe on the road in May 1996. Dana's birthday was creeping closer. He would be 21 this year and we wanted to do something special. Max and I called Dana and said "Go to the airport tomorrow. You are flying to Amsterdam for your birthday!" Dana was so shocked he did not believe us at first. It was in Amsterdam at night that he called us in our room and laid down the plot for the Attitude video. The Gracies' involved!!! Holy shizzle! This was going to be badass!!

Richie, Dana, and Kristen. Last Family Photo of Dana.

The tour wrapped up, the video was birthing in LA and we were all super hyped to get the show on the road. Dana was even in the video, swinging a backpack at a jock. The war of Metal vs. mainstream never ending! What no one knew was, Dana had a quarter pound of weed in his backpack...he said the part had to be REAL!!!

Dana reflecting...

The Sepultura/Far tour was scheduled and we were about to dash out the door. We had a problem in our family at the time. Zyon wanted off the road, at the age of 3. He wanted to go to preschool, which made sense, since he taught himself to read and write at a super early age. I called Dana and his girl to watch our house. We scooped little Igor up and left, and Dana and Kristen walked into our shoes. Yes dear students; we were living the dream.

And then....he was gone....

Class dismissed....

Dana D-LOW...Growing Up Metal

Many of you know the name and the face of D-LOW. His name spread around the Metal World like fire on that August 16 morning in 1996. Donington would not be the same that year; it would be marked with a moshpit of sorrow, whose arms would spread through the ages. When the wave of bodies held their lighters in the air, this time...this time it was truly a connection of the fan's love of and the darkest moment yet for our Cavalera family. Max and I couldn't look into a crystal ball and see the dominoes falling in front of us; we could only live and breathe each second by second. We could not see the beginning of the end of the biggest split in Metal History. Tunnelvision crept in and we could only live and breathe through life, second by second. But that is another story...let's travel back in time...

Dana started out his life in Colorado with a hippie mom who loved music. Fishing, skiiing and just being a kid was life for Dana...until he turned 5. The release of The Cars first album hit Dana like a sledgehammer and overnight he was consumed by music. He began to live, breathe, eat and sleep music. When The Cars came to Denver, he had to go; he just HAD to go! Rocking the night away made him realize concerts were his new addiction and rock music his best friend. Fisherman Dana morphed into a teeny tiny rock music fan and we spent many afternoons going shop to shop looking for small band shirts, patches and stickers for his wardrobe.

When Uncle Paul convinced Hippie Mom to move to Phoenix and run a bar, Dana had no idea of what road he was about to exit on! Walking into the redneck Bootleggers, no one could see the future with the walls stuffed with black shirt Headbangers and the mighty Flots Nazi flag burning on the stage! There was only beer drinkers and lover's fighting in view. Could we see Metal in the Friday Fish Fry?

The Bootlegger's introduction of garage band St. James was an event that would open the floodgate, allowing the river of Metal to fill to the brim, never to hit a drought in Dana's lifetime. Bands poured through everyday and soon the Bootlegger's became a haven for thrash Metal and a playground for a young music lover. His mom was his hero and best friend. Why go hang out with friends after school when you could dash to the Bootleggers and chill with people who understood you, and who looked like you?

One day, Dana said he had an idea for a haircut and took off across the parking lot to Hair Blazers. When he returned, we all had heart attacks! The right side of his hair was shaved, leaving the rest in a sideways sweep. It was shaved off about the size of a grapefruit, while the rest of his hair was shoulder-length. I called the hairdresser and asked what the heck she did to my son and she insisted Dana wanted it that way, so I accepted it. With all the bands coming and going from LA, the haircut spread around the world. When it became a trend, Dana went in and shaved the other side too. In no time, that cut was a fad. When it became too popular for Dana's liking, he turned it into a foot and half tall mohawk, which he spiked up every day for school with Elmer's glue. One day he came home from school and said he was in love with Miss Arizona, who had visited his elementary school and singled him out for a photo.

Dana's drumming on Poison's drumkit was the catalyst for the downfall of the Bootlegger's and the introduction of Mom into band management. Dana was right by my side when I asked Sacred Reich if they needed a manager. He was with me booking shows, going to shows and planning tours. His life was exploding and soon he was meeting all his heroes. When his friend Jason Newsted filled in after Cliff Burton's untimely death, Dana's dreams became true and he got to chill with Metallica backstage.

Metallica

One day, Dana was 13 at the time, he approached Metal Mom and handed her a cassette tape of Sepultura. Monte Conner of Roadrunner Records had asked Mom to manage this new band from Brazil and consequently, Dana had recently been given the band's cassette tape by friend, Danny Lilker. The long ride was about to begin, but that's next week's class....!!

Class dismissed...

SHOT OF SNAKE BLOOD, ANYONE?

Months before we arrived in Indonesia, we received an invitation to a party at a fan's home. We did not realize at the time, but this was no ordinary fan and this would be no ordinary party. The fan was Setiwan Djody, a Metal fan in the same league as David Bowie and Mick Jagger, his friends and also occasional houseguests! It was rumored he had a room in his palace with a stage, gear and even a replica of Eddie Van Halen's stage gear! His family owned a tankard-as in frikken-big ships-company and was very influential. Could it be true?? He was having a party for us?

We drove through Jakarta at night, into the neighborhoods of private, small homes, turning this way and that, weaving through the little streets. We came to stop at the entrance of the Djody home, in the midst of the neighborhoods...we were not expecting to walk into a palace, but that is what awaited us! We passed giant stone panthers, saw a zoo and carved wooden furniture. It was amazing and we felt very honored to be invited into Mr. Djody's private home.

Stone Panther

Receiving a warm welcome, we were relaxing with good food and drink. Action was everywhere and we were like children at Disneyland! The band was invited into the private, mini-venue for a jam session. It was true! Eddie Van Halen's exact rack and and all the trimmings lay at the mercy of Sepultura! They rocked the kazbah with their Brasilian Metal!!

After the jam , we were lead outside for some entertainment. I heard someone say there was a drink going around that was good for your lungs. Being asthmatic since the age of 3 months, I decided this was right up my alley, so the guys and me headed for the magic drink.

We approached a table set up near a young girl. She had a bag on the ground that was squirming and we were curious as to what could be inside. She soon pulled out an albino cobra and we got our answer!

She carefully but comfortably pulled the snakes one by one, cut their heads off on a cutting board and squeezed their blood into a glass that had a dark liquid in it. I was game, as was Andreas and Nino, our wild sound man. The drink did not have the best flavor, but we all got it down. As soon as we drank it, Andreas and I looked at each other and at the same time said "do snakes have AIDS?" We decided they didn't and laughed it off. A woman came up to me and said "only men drink that." I was like "oh thanks for letting me know!" I had only drank it because of my lungs! Also, I was holding a secret, I was 4 months pregnant with Zyon! I decided the snake would do no harm and we went on to the next festivity!

Next up was a Debus presentation, for our entertainment. We had never heard of it before. It was basically an Indonesian ancient way of possession and miracles we witnessed before our eyes. A group of men with a small boy were brought in. We sat on chairs and they were on the stairs and marble porch in front of us. We could actually see their transformation into other people...a man became possessed by a woman's spirit and believe me, we could watch her climb into his being!

We were speechless except for some squeamish "oh's" and "ah's" that escaped our lips. The men cooked an egg on the young boy's head; they peeled coconuts with their teeth! They punctured and pierced themselves. Razor blade after razor blade slid down their throats, along with numerous glass shards! We were cringing in imagined pain! It was the reality that these were men like us who were so much more in tune with their minds and bodies, it was amazing to think about!

We left the party feeling fantastic! We had been treated so lovingly and tried to let our host know how much his hospitality meant to us, but our words seemed meager to the experience we had enjoyed!

And the snake blood? It came back to haunt me in the form of the worst heartburn ever!! haha!! Now that's a party!!

Class dismissed...

Jakarta or Bust!!!

When our agent called me and said we were going to Jakarta, Indonesia, I was shocked! It had been over 10 years since any rock band had been allowed into the country and they were opening their virgin doors to Metal! This was truly going to be an adventure!

Max

Paulo in the cockpit

A couple months before the concerts, I received a schedule to confirm, from the promoter. It was very thorough and included where we would have lunches, meetings, dinners, parties. I thought it was a bit strange, but when we arrived, I realized why they wanted it! The schedule was printed in the biggest music magazine and everyone knew where we would be, every minute of the day!

We had some surprises coming. First, the band had to appear in front of a panel of men who determined the logistics of the live performance...men from the church, government and generals. Andreas had to air-headbang to demonstrate the motion on stage. The band was told they had to wear  long sleeve shirts and cover their tattoos. After all was agreed, they let us enter the country for the shows.

We were not prepared for the popularity of Sepultura in Indonesia. We knew the band had gotten a platinum award for sales, but we didn't know about the promotion that had accompanied our shows. A clove cigarette company was the sponsor and adds were everywhere! Gigantic billboards, posters, banners on overpasses, magazine adds, you name it...Sep was in it! We even drove past an elderly woman who pointed at us and yelled "Sepultura!!"

The days were filled with interviews and appearances. The band was presented their platinum award in front of thousands of starved fans. We were treated to the finest food, traditionally served in large bowls that we al ate from. The freshest fish, rice and vegetables were prepared for us wherever we went.

Kids storming the stage!

Live in Jakarta!

The show was pure insanity! 40,000 people stuffed the outdoor stadium, with even more people outside! So many people climbed on housetop roofs that many houses caved in! Fires were surrounding the stadium and we learned that frantic fans were lighting buses, cars and motorcycles on fire!! Once, they stormed the backstage entrance and flooded in like a wave!

The crowd got so wild the police stopped the show and made everyone sit down!! 40,000 people thrashing and ordered to sit down! We were amazed but they did it! When the authorities felt they had settled down, they allowed the concert to resume! We heard one person got fatal injuries, but for all the commotion going on, it could have been much worse. The fans were so overjoyed to have their music finally allowed in the country, they went wild!

Max and Me at an artist shop

Creativity hard at work!

We all enjoyed many sight-seeing trips around Jakarta. Our friends took us to artist areas where rooms were filled with craftsmen and their creations. We even went to Bali for a day! It was fascinating to see the temples and amazing island! I took many photos of the guys here.

Sepultura at a Temple in Jakarta

We did 2 shows in Indonesia...one in Jakarta and one in Surabaya. They were amazing! Everywhere we went, chaos and adoration followed us! We had a great time and felt like the Beatles!! We also had the coolest party ever, thrown for us! But that is next week's class....

Me and dude

Class dismissed.....

The Sepul-est Place on Earth...

... is the Sepultura Official Fan Club Shop in the heart of Sao Paulo, Brazil! It is located in the Galleria Do Rock, a mini-mall of music stores. Many of you know Toninho AKA Tony Iron, the founder. He has worked tirelessly for years for the band, entirely for his deep-rooted love of Sepultura and Metal.

I met Toninho many years ago, in the early 90's, when I made my first visits to Brazil. There was never a time we wouldn't go visit Tony and pay our respect to him. It was exciting to go to a store that was Sepultura from head to toe! I had never seen a shop that was dedicated to one band only and I thought Tony was a real pioneer. We have stayed friends with Tony even through years of confusion, nothing has changed the love of music we all share. Tony is a man with a big heart that fiercely beats for Metal.

When Zyon was 2, our family travelled to Brazil for a vacation. In Sao Paulo we went sightseeing, and, of course, they had to see the shop. They were all amazed at the Sepultura Official Shop. The colors draw your eyes to a 100 things at once, and there is no end to the Sepultura items displayed! I recommend any travelers to Sao Paulo pay a visit to the Sepultura Official Fan Club Store!!

Me and Max and kids and Tony

Class dismissed...