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| COLD "GONE AWAY" video shoot Jacksonville, Florida 03.25.02 - 03.27.02
The web. The internet has made the world a very small place. As a result, musicians have become accessible in a way few thought possible. Fans now have available to them up-to-the-minute news, Q&A on the message boards, and the ability to chat or e-mail with their favorite bands. Some bands get the importance of this. Some don’t. The band. Earlier this year Cold’s official web site (http://www.coldonline.com) put the word out that Cold would be using images of fan tattoos as part of the artwork on their forthcoming album, "Year of the Spider." Front man Scooter Ward told us he’d noticed their fans were getting everything from song lyrics to band member signatures to their spider logo tattooed on themselves and he thought this would be the best way to thank them. The overwhelming response showed they agreed. The fans. Cold fans are part of a cyber-family. They may differ in opinion, they may bicker a bit, but what they do best is stick together and support Cold. For most bands their web site, chat room, and street team only sees life while the band is touring. This is not the case with Cold. Cold doesn’t just have a street team, they have a Cold Army who take their jobs very seriously. You can’t miss them. Go to any Cold event and they’ll be their; go online and you’ll find them. And while you’re online pay a visit to the message board on Cold’s official site and read topical posts written within the past few hours. Next visit the chat room, featured on fan site www.coldwithin.com, and see where this family really lives. With an eclectic cross section of fans, they have created a microcosm of Cold loyalists right there in cyberspace that grows daily. Good thing cyberspace is a big place. Log on any day or night and you can catch up on Cold chit-chat. More importantly, pick the right day and time and you have a chance to chat with Cold themselves as they answer questions and fill everyone in on what the band is up to. When asked about keeping things personal with his growing fan base Scooter Ward explained the importance of using both the chat room and the message board to stay in touch with the fans. And Cold is all about their fans. Guitarist Kelly Hayes was quick to explain they will never be the kind kind of band that goes on the bus to hide from their fans. After live shows they’ll typically stick around much longer than needed for meet and greets, their interactions with the fans humble, appreciative and, most important, heartfelt. In return, Cold fans are ferociously loyal and protective... When I told Scooter this he smiled and replied, "It’s good ‘cause we are protective of them too. We always watch out for our fans." The video. Next up for Cold fans? An open casting call for fans to be featured in the video for "Gone Away," a new single from WWF soundtrack "Tough Enough 2." And that’s where our story really begins. When I found out that fans were traveling from numerous states to be part of this video casting call I knew I had to go and see what makes Cold fans tick. The casting took place in Jacksonville, Florida where Cold originates from. They had a strong turnout and didn’t... couldn’t turn any fans down. Their supporting roles in the video will be playing themselves, Cold fans. The perfect honor for all of them. A few days later those same fans were treated to a five song acoustic set at The Ritz where additional footage for the video was shot. I arrived in Jacksonville that night and made it to the club just moments before Scooter and guitarist Terry Balsamo took the stage. With an over 21 admittance policy, some of Cold’s younger fans had to settle for watching and listening from outside as Scooter and Terry Balsamo played their set. Scooter made sure to acknowledge them during the filming and, when he and Terry finished, also made sure to go outside to greet and thank them. I’m not sure who the night meant more to. The song. "Gone Away" is a song about being on the road and, more personally, for Scooter it is about being away from his daughter for long periods of time. This song touches anyone who knows what it’s like to be away from someone you love. Scooter’s daughter plays herself in the video. "Raven told her friend she was going to be in a rock video, but they didn’t believe her." Scooter said. "Well I guess there’s a video she can bring for show & tell." The Year of the Spider. What should we expect on the new CD? Jeremy Marshall filled us in... "We’re just trying to take things to the next level. Our music is maturing and we as people are maturing. It just seems that the longer we are together the better our songs get, the more intense our writing style gets. We are always trying to take things to the next level." Scooter added that he is experimenting with new vocal styles to change things up a bit and that the songs are far more orchestral, bigger in sound. He summed it up with "I think it is going to be a big record for us as far as expanding ourselves musically and trying new things." Somewhere in cyberspace the wait has already begun. story by kristina sisti |
