Hola!

I would like to apologize on behalf of everyone in the Alter Bridge camp for the delayed release of "Live in Amsterdam."

 

 

Many of you are wondering how this Creed reunion tour will affect the future of Alter Bridge.  No worries, it won’t.  I can assure you that as soon as they finish in October we will move forward. 

 

Contrary to false statements that might lead you to believe otherwise, Alter Bridge continues to be paramount to the four of us.

 

The guys have my full support.  It’s a very complex situation to say the least.  It had to be done.

 

I appreciate the fact that so many of you are concerned about our future.  With that said, everything is going to be all right.  Alter Bridge’s third record is well on it’s way. The guys will embark on their reunion tour, I will make my record, and then we will carry on.

 

 

"Don’t forget we’re here to stay"

 

 

All the best

 

 

mk  

Today was supposed to be a day off. Little did we know that when we left Bilbao last evening it would be a 16 hour bus ride to our next destination. By the time we arrived in Brussels it was already dinner time and I thought the day was lost.
I tried to burn off steam in the gym and then decided to find something to eat. Being that I am the most indecisive person ever, I walked around forever trying to find dinner. It's almost like this game that I play where I find a restaurant that will suffice but continue to march on thinking "I will find something better on the next block." I finally gave up and settled for some Asian fare.
After finishing dinner I start my journey back to the Hotel. To be perfectly honest, I was feeling a bit melancholy as I took to the cold and damp streets feeling out of place and lonely. I haven't seen my Wife and family in six weeks.
Then I heard a familiar sound in the distance. At first I couldn't make out what it was, but it was haunting and it drew me in. I desperately wanted to find where it was coming from because it was as if everything I felt inside was resonating and calling back to me.
Finally, I turned a corner and realized the sound was the old familiar moan of a blues harp. The man playing it was rocking back and forth and was totally lost in the moment. Just thinking about it makes my hair stand on end. He was the real deal. It was unbelievable. Who'd have thought that I would find the solace of the blues in the heart of Brussels.
At this moment everything faded. It reaffirmed my love for music. It reminded me of why I do what I do. It was perfect.
Unfortunately, he stopped playing and took his hat full of change and his
Pignose amp and started walking. I followed him for a while like some strange "Blues Stalker" trying to get another fix, but he retired for the evening.
Though I never did hear him play again, he did end up leading me to the central part of town which I never would have found. It was teeming with life. Downtown Brussels is stunning this time of year. Picture perfect for sure.
I took in the sights and sounds. I had a Belgian Waffle and something that resembled very hot apple cider (but definitely a big boy drink if you know what I mean). I took some pictures for my Wife and walked back to the Hotel.
Any ache that had been in my heart a few hours before had been replaced by music and beauty that I had no intentions of finding.

Instead, it found me and served as a reminder that it is good to be alive.

Howdy


I just wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who voted for Watch Over You on VH1.com. Not only did it make it into the top 20, it went straight to number 10! The fact that so many of you took the time to show your support for this song blows my mind. You never cease to amaze me.


All the best


mk

Hello fellow myspacers.

I'm just dropping by to let you all know that I am alive and well. I hope you are enjoying the month of October thus far. I have to admit that this might be my favorite time of the year. If you live where the seasons change, the month of October can be breathtaking. Autumn has always been inspiring for me creatively. I don't know what it is about the Fall that tends to trigger a harvest (no pun intended) of ideas both musically and lyrically. Maybe it's the fact that cold forces me to stay inside more. Then again, I don't get outside much during the summer anyways which can be verified by the fact that my pale skin tends to blind most everyone.

My routine is pretty redundant at this point. Get up, let the dog out, eat my bowl of whatever and disappear into my Lair (studio) where I spend the rest of the day writing. It amazes me how the human mind loses track of time when a person is doing what he or she loves to do. That definitely is not the case every day. The days that aren't as fun for me are the ones I spend chasing a concept down until I've beaten it to a pulp and stripped it of the spark that made it special in the first place. Fortunately, I have learned to step back and gain perspective quicker than I used to.

Some of the ideas are definite contenders for the "Alter Bridge Filtration System." That is humbling process of taking tunes or parts to your band mates and having them exclaim with glee "that is great" or the opposite response, "…uhh, that kind of sucks." Either way, you come to appreciate a fresh perspective.

Some of the material is hard to describe. Some of it is moody and dark (for some reason this comes easiest to me). Some very singer/songwriter based (ala Watch Over You). Then there are the bluesy numbers, which a few of you have mentioned that you would enjoy hearing.
I have no idea what I plan to do with a lot the tunes that don't make it into AB world. I am going to do my best to find a home for them. All I know is that I am having a good time and have no intention of letting up until we return to the UK and Europe for the next tour.

On another note, the band and I are very honored that our friends at VH1 have decided to use "Watch Over You" in conjunction with Celebrity Rehab this season. I am so happy that this song is finally going to be put to good use.

Take care,

mk

Hello friends


As some of you might have noticed, I have been away for a few weeks in Europe. Sorry I couldn't keep up on all of my messages. It was a great tour, but it left me little time to maintain my page. I guess this proves that I run this thing after all. I don't have some "ghost" writer doing this for me.

I just want to thank everyone overseas for making it such a memorable 3 weeks. I also would like to thank all the bands we met along the way at the festivals. We were very honored (to say the least) to have the opportunity to share the stage with so many great artists.

The other night at the Nova Rock Festival in Austria, a bunch of us were watching Rage Against the Machine from the stage. It was unbelievable. During the show David from Disturbed leaned over to me and said "school is now in session." Those words certainly rang true. Watching RATM rock 60,000 people like that was such an inspiration. Moments like that make me realize just how powerful music can be.

I would like to thank the people of Italy for making the show at the Fillmore so special. It was a great way to end the tour. I would also like to apologize to those that waited for me to sign after the show. Though I couldn't make it out, I will make it up to you when we return in November. Ciao!

All the best


mk

Hello friends


So the word is out. It is official. The Watch Over You duet with Cristina Scabbia has been on line for a few days and I am very pleased to hear that you all seem to be down with the cause. It was completed a few months ago and we have all waited patiently for it to drop for your listening enjoyment.

If my recollection serves me correctly, Cristina completed her vocal in Manhattan in January. Since Alter Bridge was about to tour the UK and Europe at the same time, I had the opportunity to speak with her over the phone about the studio game plan. Since it’s kind of a leap of faith to turn a song over to another artist, I was relieved to find that she seemed very professional and extremely cool.

When we received the MP3 of the rough mixes a few weeks later we were blown away. Not only did she sound beautiful, but she brought some great ideas to the vocal arrangement. Especially on the last chorus. She hit it out of the park.

I spoke with our manager today and he informed me that this version of the song should be available internationally on itunes in the coming week. We are still waiting to find how long until it will be available in the US. It should be soon.

I can’t thank Cristina enough for taking the time to bring so much to this song.



mk