Drowning Pool

Bands talk about loss and struggle all the time, but how many have lost their front man (and best friend) and still managed to carry on?

Drummer Mike speaks about tequila, southern fried metal and hard work...

By Cameron Chambers

Can you please state your name,

what you do in Drowning Pool and your drink of choice.

I’m Mike  “Nacho” Luce. 

I play drums/sing back-ups, and my favorite drink is cold tequila!

Drowning Pool is a band that hasn’t

really received much press here in Australia, apart from the band’s

performances here as part of the Big Day Out. What’s been keeping

you guys busy over the last five or so years?

Well, the band has had plenty

that has happened in the years since we have been down under…We lost

Davey in August of ’02.  I could go into All the things that

have happened to DP since then but that might require the time it would

take to write a novel! I’m not sure you have that kind of time on

your hands… With that I’ll just say… between being with our 3^rd

singer in as few as 3 records/changing record labels/changing management

(and all that comes with both of those glorious processes) all the meanwhile

being sued by people who have no conscious… we’ve had plenty to

keep us busy… We have been actively involved with The USO, MWR and

IAVA here in the states and abroad for the entertaining of  men

and woman in uniform… These have been some of the most rewarding things

anyone in this band has done!! Be it band, personal or otherwise!!!

That’s been good stuff… 

As a lot of our readers would

be aware, your original vocalist Dave passed away in 2002, what kept

you motivated to keep pushing forward with the band?

After losing Davey,  the

last thing that CJ,  Stevie,  and I wanted to do was go separate

ways. To lose your brother like that was devastating. We just banded

together and figured it was us against the world at that time… 

Are you of the opinion that if

your band can survive something like that then you guys can handle anything?

You could say that… to a degree

we do feel that we’ve been thru just about anything that can and will

happen…

With the way musical trends come

and go do you think Drowning Pool has something fresh to offer music

fans in 2008?

I would say just by default we stay fresh!! Ha,ha I mean

we haven’t had a record sound compteley the same yet…ok that was

a lil harsh but its true 

Your most recent full length “Full

Circle” is your first studio album to feature Ryan McCombs on vocals.

Obviously Ryan has been singing with the band for a while now but how

was it working with him in a studio environment?

Ryan brought back that

brotherly vibe that we were missing since Dave passed. It was real difficult

working with Jason in the studio. Jason has an amazing voice but not

the greatest work ethic in the world…Ryan was a workhorse in the fact

that no matter how many different ideas we threw at him, he went for

it! 

The most successful record Drowning

Pool has released was back in 2001 (Sinner). Do you think the band will

ever attain that kind of success again?

The thing with that record was

timing, and with that comes relativity…that record was released by

four lucky guys in the right place at the right time!  I consider

us successful just in the fact that we are still here after everything

that has happened! When we record the 2^nd record with Ryan!?

THAT’S WHEN I WILL CONSIDER US SUCCESFUL! 2 records man. That’s

it! I want 2 records with the same line-up…Now as far as monetary

success goes, with the current trends in  music and advances in

music mediums…Dpool, and a lot of other successful acts won’t experience

another TIME like that…relatively speaking of course. 

Do you guys still play any of

the songs off “Sinner” and if so, how does Ryan feel about singing

Dave’s vocal parts?

We do play some of the songs! Davey was a fan

of Ryan’s long before they met and vice versa… As Ryan has said

in the past…”in DP’s perfect world, Davey would have never passed

and Ryan would be doing whatever…” Well, we all know that wasn’t

up to us. Once Davey’s parents said to Ryan…”If its going to be

someone, don’t you think Dave would want it to be you?” …after

that we were all good to go… 

June sees Drowning Pool returning

to Australia for the first time since 2001. What are your memories of

your last trip down under?

I remember wanting to pack everything 

and move there!!! WE all loved it! I’m so glad that we get the opportunity

to return…thank you. Memories with Davey are cherished and the times

together in Australia were some of the best times we all had together… 

What can punters expect from a

Drowning Pool live show these days?

Punters? Not sure I get your meaning>

You mean like “one-timers”? Well, if indeed that is what you mean…I’d

say you are gonna see and hear a band that’s a cross between Motley

Crue and Pantera. In that I mean, musically we sound closer to Motley(?)

but we probably carry ourselves like fello Texans Pantera did?! Loud,

dirty, southern fried and booze soaked…(I’d like to hope so anyway)

What were your top 3 heavy records

of 2007?

Stone Sour, Hell Yeah and Miley Sirus…(kidding) 

Who do you rate more, The Veronicas

or the Olsen Twins?

Who are the Veronicas?  Sorry

if that offends but I’m not privy…

What’s one record that you would

have loved to have played on?

Wow, one record huh? That itself

is too hard to answer…Maybe Appetite for Destruction/G’NR?!

Any final words?

I would just like to say thank

you on behalf of the band for you guys giving us a 3^rd chance

to keep playing music. It really is a blessing that you have and continue

to support this band after all the changes, both to the band and the

music world. TRUELY, THANK YOU!!! See ya in a month!!!