In a recent interview with Riff Magazine, MUDVAYNE frontman Chad Gray opened up about his one-of-a-kind “pre-show makeup experience” — a $3,000 VIP package that gives one fan per city unprecedented access to his personal pre-show ritual during the band’s ongoing “L.D. 50 25th Anniversary” tour.
Unlike the usual meet-and-greet photo ops, Gray’s package allows fans to step inside his creative process and watch him transform into his onstage persona. The experience also includes a rare collectible: a solid silver Mudagram necklace from Room101, personally signed by Gray and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
“It’s part of the process, man, and that process happens every single night,” he said. “It takes three hours every single night… I don’t think this has ever been done before, like somebody giving to somebody this much of their time. I think that’s the difference. I know there are people that do guitar giveaways and bass giveaways and stuff like that, but you probably just hand off the guitar, take a picture and that’s it. This is, actually, I get to sit and talk with them.”
Reflecting on his first fan session, Gray said: “It was so great. The dude was funny. We listened some of his music and did a bit of a Q&A. They get to see the process about getting those appliances on that I wear on my face and just getting it all going. But I was actually really surprised at how far along I got in the makeup in the time that they were there. But they had a really great time, man. It was really, really cool. And, yeah, they were just great people. And that’s what I’m excited about. For me, if you’re a really big MUDVAYNE fan, I’m hopefully gonna create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This will never happen again.”
As for the Mudagram necklace, Gray emphasized its exclusivity: “I’ve been wearing that necklace — it’s sterling silver — I’ve been wearing that necklace since we came back. And I’m offering those in the meet-and-greet, and that is the only place you will get it. I will never release them. They will never be sold after this. The only way you can get one of these is in the meet-and-greet. So if all the meet-and-greets sell out — it’s not totally sold out yet — you’ll have one of 32 in the world.”
What’s Included in MUDVAYNE’s $3,000 “Pre-Show Makeup Experience”
According to the official announcement, fans who purchase the package will receive:
- Two general admission tickets to that night’s show
- One-hour backstage hangout with Gray during his makeup process
- A prosthetic bullet hole, matching the signature effect Gray wears onstage
- A custom Mudvayne necklace
- Signed setlist from the performance
- Signed 8×10 photo of Chad Gray
- Photo with Gray backstage
- Early entry to the venue
MUDVAYNE have historically avoided offering meet-and-greet sessions, largely due to the time it takes Gray to get into character. He made it clear that this experience is an exception, available only once per city.
“Most of you know that we don’t do meet and greets,” Gray previously wrote. “So I’m personally going to change that. But on a very limited basis. I’m only going to do one meet and greet with you and your guest per town.”
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