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The Tool Page: An Article

Publication: The Daily Telegraph

Date: July, 2001

Transcribed by
Kris (sic6sic_6@hotmail.com)


  page: 19
 title: It's Tool Time Again
author: Matt Sun

Kris's Note: This is proof of more shows in Australia


The article:
It's a cold, rainy day in Auckland as the four members of 
Tool arrive at their hotel, tired and jet-lagged by a long flight.


But there's only one thing Danny Carey, drummer in the 
distinguished rock group, wants to know right now: are there 
any Wagner concerts playing at Sydney Opera House?


"It's always great coming over to Australia," Carey 
says. "We're always so well received - and it's good timing for 
the Aussies because we've got about a month of touring 
under our belts and we're just getting comfortable. We're not 
tired of playing yet."


Tool's new album Lateralus, released five years after their 
last album Ænima, has already topped the local charts and is 
making a similar impression around the world.


Carey says it's a reflection that everything is right in Tool at 
the moment. "We really like what we're doing and we're 
happy with what we're playing," he says. "I really believe in 
that - and it can't help but be contagious."


Why does he think Lateralus is being so well received so 
widely? Carey pauses and considers his answer.


"There's a lack of sincerity in bands right now. They're trying 
to fit into a formula and people see through it. People are 
starved for something with a real quality to it.


"It's just a pleasant relief to take a bit of a journey again 
when they listen to a nine minute song that takes them to a 
new place, something different from other music."


Carey says the album is also improved by singer Maynard 
James Keenan's time fronting A Perfect Circle. "He's definitely 
become a better singer. You learn a lot when you play with 
different groups of people; we've all done that over the 
years."


The music industry, says Carey, needs a shake-up. "It needs 
bands that won't go belly-up and bow to record executives' 
whims.


"It's all the musicians' fault. They sell out, they don't do what 
they believe in, so you can't expect it to get any better.


"Bands are formed now for the wrong reasons: to make 
money - at least that's the wait it is in LA.


"They all sounds the same, they're going for a formula 
playing three-minute pop songs that go verse, verse, chorus, 
bridge, chorus, out.


"Their goals should be to make good music, to express 
yourself, to be true to your heart, and who cares if you make 
money if you're happy with what you're doing and not trying 
to live up to someone else's dreams."


This three-show Australian stop-over, which Carey calls 
a "teaser tour", is the band's third trip here but won't be their 
last.


Carey says the band is planning to return for a proper tour 
next year. "There's a good chance we'll come back in January 
or February and do our real tour," he says.


"These were kind of teaser shows, but we don't want to 
neglect the rest of the country.


"When we come back, we'll most likely do ten or twelve shows 
all up, probably another two or three in Sydney.


"It'll be a live-music ritual, that's for sure. We have some 
good visual reinforcement this time and I think people will 
really enjoy it. It's more satisfying to play live, and as you 
keep playing live, the songs begin to develop their own life 
and character.


"Back in 1993, the first time we were here, we were relatively 
unknown, but we got to do some good gigs on a smaller 
scale and it started the whole word-of-mouth thing.


"By the time we came back in 1996, the foundation was 
made, we had a couple of bigger shows, and it kept growing.


"We were out at a festival at Eastern Creek, where it was real 
muddy . . . it put a dampener on a few things but that's part 
of it.


"Before you go on stage you think about the vibe of a rainy 
day, but when we start playing, it's all about the 
communication between the four of us and the crowd."


As well as touring, the band keeps in touch with its fans via e-
mail. But carey says it's getting harder and harder to keep up 
with all the mail.


"I'm still at the point where I can read them all but it's 
impossible to answer all of them."


On the downside of living in the internet age, Carey says he 
believes the medium is harming the music industry in 
general.


"I think everyone needs to be wary of it," he says. "It's a 
tough thing, creating something and putting it out there, and 
payment is a reward for that.


"Bootlegging is people not really paying respect to the person 
who created the music - but I'm hopeful the mindfullness of 
people will prevail.


"There are major changes going on for the record industry, 
technology and downloading is not going to go away, and 
maybe it will make a lot strong shift towards live 
performance."


Posted to t.d.n: 10/25/01 03:00:07