Page 32 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 106

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n ‘Army Of One’ Chris sings ‘This world’s life. And, I think, maybe part of why society does wasn’t because I was mean. It was a lack of un-
Igonna tell you who you should be, what that is out of… I’ve never even thought about it, derstanding. I think the older I get, the more I
you can’t do’. Most of us are told what to do, how but as I’m saying it, it kind of makes sense to me just start to realise that I wasn’t as smart as I
we should be. Anyone with an ambitious mind is that people who maybe have a little bit of regret thought I was. I wish that I had a chance to redo
shot down or ridiculed. People have been con- may not want to see other people succeed and some things. I’ve said things to my bandmates
demned for being themselves. Rich says he has follow their dreams.” and my wife that I wish that I could take back –
been told himself what he can’t do, and not If you’re reading this with hopes and ambi- just out of anger, or frustration.”
taken seriously when it comes to being a musi- tions, Rich definitely thinks you should go for it. A song on ‘Boombox’, ‘What Hell Is Like’,
cian. Don’t give up. Keep on and keep going for your sees Chris sing ‘I’m left staring in disgust, ‘cause
“People told me my whole life, ‘You’re never dreams. my hell lives in the mirror’. We ask Rich who he
going to make it in music.’ It’s like saying ‘I’m “Like I said, I don’t want to feel like Tony sees when he looks in the mirror.
going to be an astronaut. I’m going to go to the Robbins, or some type of self-help guru, but I do “When I look in the mirror, I can see some-
moon’ or something. These are things that hap- think that you’re just going to have to follow your one who was constantly searching to figure out
pen for so few people, but I always told people, own path and if it doesn’t work out, then you’ve who I am,” he replies. “I went through some
‘I don’t care if I’m fa- tried it. crazy phases. I was a heavy metal kid in the
mous. I love playing “I don’t want to be so presumptuous to say Think 80s. In the late 80s, I got really into hip hop and
guitar and I want to be about all I started dressing kind of like a hip hop kid and
in a band.’ People kept that, like Tony Robbins, we can cure the the millions then in the early 90s, I got really into Zakk Wylde
telling me, ‘You’re not world’s ails with some good riffs and some of people and his Pride & Glory album, so I started wear-
going to be able to w h o ing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, and then
make a living doing it.’ I good lyrics, but if it does, then that’s fantastic thought in ’92 I discovered Sepultura and Pantera and I
was like, ‘Well, my goal and it would obviously warm my heart if some they were started wearing camo shorts. It’s just part of
is not to make a living going to growing and being a young person. Searching…
doing it, you don’t un- people got something out of it.” - Rich Ward play for Who is Rich Ward? I didn’t know. I was just in-
derstand. It’s like play- Manches- fluenced by all these incredible musicians and
ing soccer or playing ter United artists and I wanted to be just like them. And
golf, I love this. This is what I want to do’. And or thought they were going to play for the New now I feel like somewhere in my late 20s, I just
‘Well, you’re going to have to have a back-up York Yankees. Or like Tom Cruise. Everybody kind of dialled into ‘Oh, this is who Rich Ward is,’
plan,’ and ‘You’re going to need to figure out how has dreams and you just have to know when it’s and I think part of that is the same thing we all
you’re going to pay your bills,’ and I just said time to pack it in on the dreams. And you can go through. School and then in our early adult-
‘Yeah, everybody does. That’s life. If you’re still do it if you’re passionate about it. You can hood is just that search of finding meaning and
going to go to university to learn how to be an still act, you can still play sports for fun, and purpose and who are we and what are we sup-
engineer, you still have to figure out how to pay maybe you just have a job in the meanwhile, posed to do? And I think that’s an important part
your bills while you’re putting yourself through and on the weekends, you go play shows or pick of our life.
school, and you’re getting a job.’ up an amateur league playing soccer. There’s “And then, I think, the mirror is just telling me
“I think, sometimes, older people and people no reason why you have to quit doing your pas- every day to just be a better version of myself.
in society like to discourage people from doing sion. It just may mean that you can’t do it for a Every day, how can you make those improve-
grand and great things because, I don’t know, living.” ments? There’s a philosopher guru, I’ve been
maybe they look back at their life and think, watching a lot of his videos on YouTube, and he
‘Maybe I should have taken that risk, maybe I s we get older, we also get wiser. We said… it hit me like a bolt of lightning… He said,
should have started my own business instead of Alook back at our life. Some of us have ‘Every morning, wake up, roll to the right, sit up,
doing this, or that.’ Their regret, they are project- regrets, others wish we’d done things a little dif- and say out loud, ‘I’m so thankful and apprecia-
ing on other people. The last thing an unhappy ferently. Others believe that everything in their tive that I woke up this day’, because he gave
person wants to see is somebody else be past helped make them who they are today. an astronomical number of people who don’t
happy! It’s weird how miserable people just like Rich says, “I’ve done a lot of things I’m em- wake up every day. And I just think, wow, what
to be surrounded by other miserable people, barrassed about. I’ve played in bands with peo- an incredible thought – to be appreciative at the
‘cause it makes them feel like it’s normal. That’s ple who were struggling with drugs and alcohol foundation of everything, I made it to another
why people don’t want to drink by themselves. and I didn’t know how to help and I just saw it day, to have another opportunity, to go and live
People like to be around people who are sharing as weakness, so I separated myself from them this incredible gift that we all have, which is life.
similar attributes. Happy people seek other because I wanted to be around people who We ask who the guru was. He says it was
happy people. I think it’s tribal in nature. We could be a part of the strength, be another tent Sadhguru.
seek things that resonate with where we are in post. I wish I could have taken that back. But it “He’s fantastic. He’s great,” he adds.

FOZZY