DOWN has postponed its scheduled concert in Mescalero, New Mexico, due to two rapidly growing wildfires that are converging on a village within a tribal reservation in the state.
The long-standing heavy metal supergroup was set to perform on Thursday, June 20, at the Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And Casino in Mescalero, New Mexico.
Band said in a statement: “The entirety of the DOWN camp wish for the safety of everyone in the Mescalero Apache reservation, Ruidoso, and surrounding areas. Everyone in DOWN & Inn of the Mountain Gods is in agreement that we will reschedule the show ASAP. Sending best of vibes, hope, & love to everyone affected. @down_nola @innofthemountaingods”.
The South Fork Fire ignited on Monday on the Mescalero Apache Reservation, prompting President Thora Walsh Padilla to declare a state of emergency.
DOWN‘s most recent performance occurred in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia.
During a recent interview conducted by Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, DOWN drummer Jimmy Bower confirmed that he and his fellow band members have begun the process of composing new music for an upcoming release.
He said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “We got together about a month or two ago, and we were practicing with just me, Pat [Bruders, bass], Kirk [Windstein, guitar] and Pepper [Keenan, guitar]. Phil [Anselmo, vocals] lives on the other side of the lake [in Louisiana]. We got together over at his house for a weekend, and we have seven songs, man. We’re supposed to get together again in April, and then talk about recording, trying to get this thing out.”
Asked about whether Anselmo, who has been extensively touring with the reformed PANTERA over the past year and a half, arrives with a collection of lyrical concepts when they collaborate on music, Bower remarked: “He’s got notebooks and stuff that he definitely writes and keeps stuff for, but he’s generally a writes-for-the-song kind of thing.
“Phil‘s amazing to write with because he’s really good with arranging, and he’s just really witty with his arrangements and bridges and stuff like that, that, I’d be, like, ‘Damn, I would have never thought of that.’ And that’s the beautiful thing about DOWN — it’s a room filled with dudes that are witty with their songwriting and stuff like that. We can write all day without Phil, but when he’s there, it’s that much better. It really is. ‘Cause he’d be, like, ‘Do this four times. Go into the bridge, then go back to the verse, and then we’ll do a pre-chorus, and next thing you know, you’ve got a killer song.”“He’s such a songwriter, it’s ridiculous,” Jimmy continued. “And he’s super, super f**king talented. Sometimes I read comments about people’s misconceptions, and I just hold my tongue. ‘Cause I know the truth. The dude can jam his a*s off. It’s just really fun to write with Phil. He’s always in a killer mood, especially when we’re being creative. We’ve been in so many bands together.”
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