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Old 08-19-2010, 03:43 AM   #239
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Re: The Official Creed Press/TV Thread

Creed to come 'Full Circle' at SPAC

http://saratogian.com/articles/2010/...3355500614.txt

Quote: Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010

By DEANNA AMORE
For The Saratogian

For those of you who may have doubts about Creed’s ability to bounce back, singer Scott Stapp says just listen to them now.

The band is in the middle of a rebirth of sorts, out on the road in support of its newest release, “Full Circle.” The “20-10 Tour” comes to Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Aug. 25.

“We did progress our sound dramatically,” the singer says of the new album.

It hasn’t been an easy road, as Stapp can certainly attest.

A very ugly, very public split — one the band even refers to as acrimonious — in 2004 made Creed’s critics rejoice and forced fans to choose sides as Stapp went solo and the remaining members moved on to form Alter Bridge.

The group went from topping the charts to becoming fodder for tabloids, especially Stapp, who wrestled with his demons under the harsh spotlight that many celebrities prefer to avoid.

“Some of my missteps were a reflection of what I went through,” Stapp says of the time. “It was a tough period.”

Fast forward five years to 2009 and the band found itself reunited and back on tour, including a stop at SPAC last summer. It was more like a trial run before they hit the studio.

“We didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t want to be in the past,” Stapp says of the need to put out a new album. He says the process was “a little backward” given that the band toured first then recorded. He calls their albums the chapters of their lives, which makes “Full Circle” an apropos title.

Songs such as “Overcome,” “On My Sleeve” and “Away in Silence” help tell the story behind the struggle.

This year’s tour is also helping the band get over what animosity there may have been.

“It’s amazing. The band is really coming together,” he says. “It’s been a humbling and exciting time. We’re having fun.”

While he doesn’t want to live in the past, Stapp certainly can’t forget it. In fact, the singer is writing a book about it, sort of like a message for the younger generation of musicians out there. His advice? “Treasure what you have. Don’t get caught up in the whole rock star thing. Keep yourself healthy,” he says. “We did fit into a rock ‘n’ roll cliché – the one we wish we didn’t fit in.”

For Stapp, it’s the fans who have hung on through thick and thin that help keep him grounded.

“We’ve been fortunate. We’ve never been the cookie-cutter band. Our music stands the test of time,” he says.

He is hoping a new generation of fans comes out to see the band perform.

“It’s a rock family affair,” says the father of three, urging parents to bring their kids with them to the show.

When this tour ends in September, the singer will head out on a solo tour. It will be in more intimate venues, but Stapp says with “a lot of energy.” He says he plans sing his solo stuff, as well as Creed songs in a way fans have never heard.

As for Creed, Stapp says “Full Circle” is just the “tip of the iceberg.” Right now, they are focusing on the present, with an eye to the future and perhaps a return to the studio sometime next year.

Stapp knows it is up to the fans to keep them going. One way to they are giving back to them is by keeping this year’s ticket prices low. Inside seating at SPAC is $26, with lawn seats going for $16.

“We’ve been blown away by our fans,” Stapp says. “It quickly heals old wounds. We’re back and we’re better.”


Creed accepts its spiritual destiny

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_ente...l_destiny.html

Quote: Creed to perform at Saturday night in Holmdel

Thursday, August 19, 2010
BY MIKE KERWICK

His first instinct is to make the wrong choice. He believes this because in the past, when given multiple options, Scott Stapp has often wandered down the darkest road he could find.

"I can't do it my way," the Creed frontman said during a recent phone interview, " 'cause my way leads to death. My way has only brought pain and hurt to those I love and myself."

Years ago, it bothered Stapp when music fans assumed Creed was willing to carry the banner for the Christian faith. It wasn't so much the label. It was the pressure of living up to that label.

"We got that banner and we totally were like, 'Wait a minute. We're four dudes in a rock band for all the classic reasons, not the Christian reasons,' " Stapp said. "Go back and listen to the interviews. You'll hear it over and over again. 'No, we're not a Christian band.' We were deathly afraid of that, 'cause we didn't want to be hypocrites. We were trying to dispel that because we didn't want to be called that."

Now he doesn't mind carrying the banner. He doesn't mind using part of this phone interview to confirm his Christianity, to illustrate how it has enriched his life.

But back in Creed's heyday, when the group was pumping out one platinum record after another, he was confused. "And I thought that that was kind of clear in the music and in the songs that I had no agenda to promote Christ and salvation," Stapp said. "I was actually conflicted about the whole thing."

The band called it quits in 2004. Stapp said it was a mutual decision, but his actions definitely helped pave the way. His bizarre performance during a Chicago concert that winter actually inspired four fans to file a lawsuit against the band.

The group reunited last spring, touring for a few months and releasing a new album ("Full Circle") last fall. Stapp compared the band's breakup to walking in on your girlfriend and learning she's cheating on you.

"That's a deep wound, kind of a traumatic visual image to see," Stapp said. "When you get back with that person, that's going to be a hard scar, a hard scab to heal. And it's going to take time. … You don't just jump back in."

And he thinks most fans will notice the difference on "Full Circle." Of the group's four albums, Stapp thinks this one is the most powerful, but has the least synergy.

"On our first three albums, you could put your headphones on and every song is connected," Stapp said. "It's almost like the first song never stopped. This new album, you get a song and you get a vibe and then it stops. And then you get another one. I think what that shows is we really didn't know how to communicate with each other, except through the music, when we wrote this album."

It takes time. Six years after Creed's first breakup, Stapp doesn't mind waiting, at least until the road looks safe.

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