Money Talks

Friday November 19th, I plan to spew hillibilly venom all over Ausitn Tx and the rest of America. Do you know how long I have been holding that date...in my brain, just itching, busting, biting my tongue until the time is EXACTLY Right...

11.19.10

The biggest show SSP has ever played, this is where we show everyone out there that I ain't going home, that we mean bidness, cause darlin, I got the skillz to pay the billz and you can take that to bank cause it won't bounce...not yet anyways.



11.19.10

To Quote My ol Man, "Son, this'll be one for the books!"

Indeed...indeed it will.

Piece of my Heart

Surreal: Having an oddly dreamlike quality


So, I'm sitting back stage in Corpus Christi, people are piling into the venue as if someone left a faucet on, thinking about the set list, stretching my hands out, and they start playing "Welcome to the Jungle" over the PA.

Instantly I'm taken back to high school in southern WV. When I was in High School, I played Football every year, and basketball up until my Junior year. When our basketball team would come out onto the court, they would enter to that very same song, "Welcome to the Jungle"

I smell the smells, experience the same emotions, and even see some old familiar faces. Then I'm snapped back to reality with Marc holding his Iphone filming, "What are we about to do Matt?!?!?!" I was out of it, and for a moment almost started stuttering LOL. However, Ol' Matt is never at a loss for words, and at the dismay of my mother, dropped the F-Bomb like a sailor...er...or...Rockstar ;).



I turned up the volume on my guitar, and hit the first power chord and the entire venue shook with my guitar...I thought to myself, "This ol' Jackson flying V, has played to crowds less then 5 people..." and couldn't help but smile and think of my Lyric in Alcohol of Fame, 'Sometimes my only friend is this beat up ol' guitar'. Not so beat up now are we :).

We parked beside Vinnie Paul and Hell Yeah's bus:



Actually, we parked IN Vinnie Paul's spot and had to move LMAO...only SSP, never a dull moment.

Marc actually go to meet Vinnie Paul, one of his Idols, and Keith was johnny on the spot when asked to give Big Vin a CD:



SSP played a great set, and the crowd was diggin it for real. I really had no doubt, I feel very strongly that this band is ready for the next level, it's just about taking the steps to get there.



All and all it was a team effort and this SSP team is meaner than a striped snake and hungry...real hungry. I love the team concept, a group of people, with one goal in mind willing to do whatever it takes, sacrifice anything, stop at nothing, bleed for me and I'll bleed for you.

But here's the catch, it's more than me...Marc..and Keith. It's everyone involved, pushing and pumping Snake Skin Prison. From our Fabulous Merch Boss Panda:



who worked her A$$ off selling merch in that hot, humid, Corpus Weather

to our family and friends, management, counsel, etc...the list goes on and on. We're all in this together now, it's too far to turn back, I'll drive this Train straight to the Gates of Hell and burn them down when I get there if I have to. My mother tells me, "Matthew just don't get your hopes up..." my hopes were up when I left WV, for it was hope for a better future that put myself in that vehicle and drove 1200 miles to Austin TX. Hope is all we have, for if you can't hope for a better future then, let's just meet at the pool and drink Love Juice!!

More importantly, when hope becomes belief, and when you believe in something, there's nothing that can stop you. And I believe in Snake Skin Prison, I believe in Snake Skin Prison because I believe in my team. And the main reason I believe in my team...in SSP....



Because this many people can't be wrong...

Man in Black

I love to wear black, I feel like it brings out the color of my eyes. Or maybe it's because you don't have to worry about matching...black goes with anything. Like my new Jeep...solid black...like my coffee...strong and black...similar to my wom...well let's move on shall we??

Big Doin's (that's straight from Dave Ballengee)...

Big Doin's is Hillbilly/Redneck for "Big Things". So if my Dad was in SSP and I said, 'Dad...what's up for the weekend and ol' SSP??" He'd reply, "Big Doin's...son....Big Doin's!!"

And you know, I couldn't agree with him more!!

This Saturday we travel to Corpus Christi to play the Jager Mobile Stage on the Rockstar Uproar Festival. Not only that, we will have our New Album and New Shirts Available, so I'm excited to see how well that does. We'll document the entire trip...so you'll all get to see the Pain Train in action!!

Someone asked me, "Matt will you be nervous playing in front of Thousands of people??"

I had to quote Willie Nelson with my response of, "Nope, after the first 10 rows you can't see them anyways..." However, I honestly don't get that nervous on stage. I worry about things that I can't control, like a failure of equipment, weather, a drunk girl throwing her panties on Keef's face during his solo causing him to mess up. But after I think about it a little more I realize it does you no good to worry about things out of your control. Life isn't about dodging all the bullets, it's about reacting to the ones that hit you, and moving forward, staying positive and getting back up.

Speaking of Quoting musicians...I finished my Steve Earle biography, definitely one to read. Honestly I haven't found one that wasn't interesting. So...off to Half Priced books (on South Lamar) I go to see who's life I will infiltrate next. It's exciting to me to do it at Half Price books because, if I bought the book online I can get whatever I want, so I myself decide. However when I go to Half Price, I have to pick from their selection, so it's like opening an Easter Egg, it could have $20 in it (if from My PawPaw), a piece of candy (if from my mom), or a beer cap (if from my Dad...LMAO)...

sorry sometimes I digress

So...going through the selection I found one that I couldn't quit thinking about:



I'm excited to read about Bob Marley, I know some of his music and a little about him, but not that much. I have been to Jamaica, but there's always more to learn.

My friend had a pet snake, Red Tailed Boa, and he would power feed it...more mice then normally would be eaten. That's my theory with SSP...I'm power feeding it..more..more...more and if it works out to the level I'm aiming for...then one day people may read a book about me and/or SSP. And what's cool...you as a reader of this blog...have already started reading it.

Put that in your Hash Pipe and Smoke it!!

I'm out!!!
Next blog will be After the Corpus show..get excited cause I am!!
love ya bye
mb