When I
first visited Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1990, the band and I had a discussion about
the upcoming Rock in Rio, which would be held the following year, in January of
1991. This was huge!! Something to really look forward
to! Much bigger than the festivals
going on in Europe or the US at the time.
We all knew this was going to be a rager in every respect!
 |
| Copacabana Beach |
 |
| Rio Palace Hotel |
Arriving
at the Rio Palace Hotel for press was action packed! Artists, crew, organizers, press and fans everywhere! My hair was pink and everywhere I went
I heard, "It's Dee-Lite!"
Funny, actually..a couple times I had to run from the fans!
 |
| Dee-Lite |
 |
| Press Conference |
The air
reeked of party atmosphere, crawling into your bloodstream! Laughter, cheers, and beers! Press people and photographers all clamoring to get that one big
story, that one world changer photo!
And the parties....
Roadrunner
Records Brazil was a force to be
reckoned with. Strong and hard
working, organized. We were busy
non-stop with photo and interviews.
We even took the gondola ride to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain to
conduct press conferences and photo shoots. Roadrunner Holland sent many of their key people to Rio for
the event, effectively setting up the Sep's next release. In the 90's when fans strongly
supported Metal by buying cds, many promotions were consistently
available. It made a huge
difference. Things like in-stores,
Metal TV and radio shows, were all common tools for music sales.
 |
| Interview |
 |
| Max at coconut bar |
At night
we partied our butts off! The bars
were all stuffed with fans, artists and press. Caipirinhas were icy cold, a sweet/sour concoction. The plates of steamy grilled chicken
hearts and oil covered green olives kept you real. Pop music blaring completed
the mix. You could even walk on
the beach and not get mugged! The
biggest crime was the taxi drivers and their obscene rates!
The big
day came and we all prepped in the dressing room. Wandered around and scoped out Guns 'n Roses dressing room
for a bit, and Megadeth's. All
good in our hood. Excitement that built for days was finally able to escape in
our breaths!
 |
| Add caption |
And then
it was time...the Seps aired on the side of the stage...
 |
| Sepultura waiting at side stage |
Class
dismissed....