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Old 09-26-2004, 07:27 AM   #1
TremontiRx
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Here is an article that gives a little insight on Stapp

Flip recently gave this interview with the Ohio Freetimes Weekly and gave some rather good insight on the breakup and Stapp's role in it. Good article: CLICK HERE

Here's the article:


Quote: New Day Rising : Creed's Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips carry on in Alter Bridge
By Ed Condran Wednesday, September 22, 2004


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ALTER BRIDGE
Out to prove itself.
WHEN THE OVERLY EARNEST, mega-popular Creed splintered ten months ago, word was there was considerable friction among singer Scott Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremonti and drummer Scott Phillips. That reportedly was why Tremonti and Phillips left Creed behind to form Alter Bridge.

“I don't want to say that Scott was necessarily hard to deal with,” Phillips says, calling from Jacksonville. “But there was not a lot of compromising from his side. I don't want to say it was his way or the highway, but you had to explain your side several times if you were in disagreeance with him. I don't want to say he was a control freak, but he wanted to be in command of a situation.”

It's not hard to read between Phillips' lines. Stapp was overbearing, and his former bandmates aren't shedding any tears over his departure. Phillips apparently feels uncomfortable venting about Stapp, who was rumored to be about as cuddly as a cactus, but it's obvious he's relieved to be no longer keeping time for rock's next David Lee Roth.

“The situation between the guys and Stapp was pretty bad,” comedian Larry the Cable Guy told me in a separate interview. “I'm very good friends with Mark and told him they should dump the guy. I guess I'm the person who broke up Creed.”

The anecdote cracks up Phillips, who would not confirm that Larry the Cable Guy is responsible for the dissolution of Creed.

“I don't think that's so,” Phillips says. “Let's just say we ran our course. It was time to move on for everybody. I'm not going to run my mouth at Scott and say all these bad things about him. Let's just say we had our differences and leave it at that.”

Alter Bridge, which also includes bassist Brian Marshall, tabbed former Mayfield Four vocalist Myles Kennedy, who's a better fit for Tremonti's sonic vision. Kennedy's tenor better suits the group's alt-rock attack. At times Stapp's baritone pushed Creed toward musical theater. And yet the Alter Bridge debut, One Day Remains , is an uneven project. However, the disc is better than any of the Creed releases. Stapp's bombastic vocals are hardly missed. It helps that his replacement is more than capable. Kennedy's Chris Cornell-esque wail and Tremonti's powerful riffs are the band's strength, though at times the material is just too ponderous and serious. However, Creed fans will love the religious imagery and the relentlessly catchy “Open Your Eyes” and the melodic “Shed My Skin.”

“We just tried to be true to ourselves and be consistent when we were making this album,” Phillips says. “We did whatever we felt was right. If we wanted to put a three-minute drum solo in a radio single, we would have done it. We didn't let the process become a burden. We did what we needed to do, but we also had fun with this album.”

Is Phillips implying there was no fun in the studio as a member of Creed? “I wouldn't say that,” he says. “It was just different. We're having so much fun with Myles. It's a completely different situation. But we wanted a different situation this time. It didn't make sense to work with a guy who sings just like Scott. Myles is more of a rock singer than Scott. Myles is a passionate vocalist who is also subtle. Myles is every bit as charismatic as Scott, but he brings something different to us. We're in a very exciting situation. We're all on the same page, and I can't tell you how good of a thing that is. It just makes everything that much easier.”

Don't count on the members of Alter Bridge tapping Stapp as tour support. There has been no contact between Stapp and his former bandmates since the breakup. When asked if Phillips would call Stapp a friend, he chuckles, “I would use the term loosely.”

Alter Bridge has an obvious advantage over other new bands, courtesy of Creed's platinum-plus success. However, most rock fans are fickle and suffer from short-term memory, so Alter Bridge, which makes its Cleveland debut Saturday at the Odeon, will have to make its mark soon.

“We're ready for that,” Phillips says. “We're going to have to make it as Alter Bridge. Creed is over. We're not playing arenas now, and that's all right. We're going out now and proving ourselves. We just want to go out and play the music we believe in and let everything take care of itself.”

It'll be interesting to see how well Alter Bridge does commercially. Much of Creed's success came courtesy of Stapp's rock-star appeal.

“Scott does have a big personality,” Phillips says. “There's no doubt about that. But when you get down to it with Creed, I really believe it was the band that made Creed what it was. There is no doubt that Scott was a big part of that. But now Myles is a big part of this band, and we're more than willing to take our chances with him. I'm really confident with what we have here. We're going to go out and just see what happens. The chemistry is totally there in the studio and onstage. We have a very special thing here.”
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