Neither
rain nor sleet nor blown sound systems can stop Collective Soul. Their show at the
Universal Amphitheater in Los
Angeles on September 16, 1999 featured not one, but two stoppages due to technical issues.
After getting the crowd fully pumped early on, the sound suddenly died midway through song
three. Determined to please their fans, the band reemerged after a short hiatus to rip
through an amazing rendition of the Ozzy Ozbourne anthem, "Crazy Train." Within
seconds, the crowd was back into its frenzy and Universal was once again rocking.Unfortunately, not for very long. After a few more tunes, the sound was, once again, gone. At this juncture, most bands would have given
up on the soundmen and roadies, regardless of how feverishly they were working, and called
it a night, simply from the frustration or because of ego. But this, after all, is
Collective Lead singer Ed Roland led the crowd on a trip through Collective Soul's hits, while effectively mixing in songs from their latest release, Dosage (Atlantic Records). Ed, along with guitarist/brother Dean Roland, lead guitarist Ross Childress, drummer Shane Evans and bassist Will Turpin, seemed to be feeding off of the raucous crowd as much as the crowd was feeding off the music pumping out of the shaky sound system. Tunes such as the massive radio hits "Heavy" and "Shine" had the fans roaring their approval, and
they easily accepted the next single to be released, "Tremble For My Beloved."
The fans sincerely appreciated Collective Soul's unwillingness to give up on the night's
purpose.
Not long after, VOX had the opportunity to chat with
bassist Will Turpin while Collective Soul prepared for their show in Portland. It's
important to note that it's Portland, Oregon, not Portland, Maine. Will is a geography
buff, and has earned the nickname "Scout" within the group. He doesn't loose his
sense of direction and keeps the other guys moving the in the right direction, whether
it's driving the bus or leading on one their mountain biking expeditions. Click below to
check out more of our interview… |
Soul. After a ten-minute break, they once again reemerged, much to the
adulation of the sell-out crowd. Collective Soul was determined to finish the show and
give the fans what they came for: balls-out rock.