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

Bleed for Me...I'll Bleed for YOU

WOO HOO Shirts are on order!! Hellz to the yeah...take a Gander:



Can't wait to get all this together...I've been working this album for close to a year now...from the first time I stepped foot in Sugar Hill last September to re-record Rock N Roll Pain Train:



To the writing of the new music, to producing the funding for the album to go back to Sugar Hill to record the rest of the album :



Upon returning to then get the artwork laid out:





Then traveling to Dallas to create our first music video:



WOW...alot has happened over the past year...and it's just getting started. I remember telling my Dad, "I have a plan...somewhat...but it's a start." My Dad then responds, "Just don't let 'em see you sweat...and hand me another High Life."

I'm very excited for this album to drop, video to air, and shirts to scatter. I made a statement to a very good friend earlier today and I thought I would share it. Every now and then, I have my moments where I say something that makes sense...the remaining part of the time I write Lyrics :)....

I was talking about how pumped I am to get this thing rolling, get this train finally moving in one solid direction with all the parts of the puzzle in place and said,

"I feel like a dog...waiting for the gate to open...so I can run a race I'm going to win...I just can't wait for the gate to open...a race I know I'm going to win, it reminds me of playing weaker opponents in football, I couldn't wait to play them so I could toy with them and see how bad I could destroy them..."

Is that cocky?? I dunno, I don't believe so, I believe it's confidence.

So to all those that have helped with this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart, we really have a chance here to do something Immaculate, and to those of you that didn't believe...buy a CD and be somebody.

I shall leave you with the ever inspiring words:

"Cocky will get you killed, Confidence will get you paid..." - Dave Ballengee

Come to The SHOW
\m/

It's Evolution Baby!!

Bigger Faster Stronger...

That was my first title for the new album. I remember when I was younger and was introduced to the workout program BFS, in which each week you added a little more and a little more, slowly but steadily building your body: bigger...faster...stronger.

I learned a lot in the various weight rooms of WV, most importantly, if you work hard and concentrate on each individual repetition the result is always there.

The same can be applied in life in general. Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "If you take a 10 horsepower motor and apply a 12 horsepower load, the motor will eventually burn out. However if you take a 10 horsepower human and apply a 12 horsepower load, they will grow into a 12 horsepower human. Now GET TO THE CHOPPER!!"

LOL...had to put that in there.

Either way, that's exactly right, sink or swim. I took a leap off the deep end 3 years ago when coming down here, and with all my eggs in one basket have only managed to break a few, but for the majority they are still intact.

Snake Skin Prison is constantly getting the load applied, and with a little bit of luck, a whole lot of Blessing, and a charming smile; we continue to grow.

Shows are growing, the New Album is HOT, the Video puts chills where I didn't know they existed.

This Friday we travel to Scout Bar for a show with Cowboys from Hell Paso, and Saturday back @ Gold Crown in San Marcos. Gonna be a busy weekend, but then again...that in itself is the Load that must be applied.

Bigger...Faster...Stronger...

"The main thing to do, is act like you know what you're doing...never let 'em see you sweat." -Dave Ballengee

Come see SSP this weekend!!

Love ya!




And Don't forget!!

Stronger than Death

So my piece of advice to you, do not eat an entire thing of peanuts...I'm not saying a $.50 bag from the Stop and Rob it...I'm talking the glass jars from HEB (that's the grocery store here in TX...if you didn't know)...and eat the entire thing...then go to sleep. Now, I'll be the first to admit, I love me some peanuts...and peanut butter...but I don't like waking up to a stomach that feels like there's a Slipknot Concert going on...and still have to go to work!! So...as with all things in life, moderation is key, even with peanuts.

SSP played a show in North Houston Saturday night and it was a blast. We had a killer crowd, and drank some killer hooch!! Here's a couple pics for ya:







Always havin fun...with SSP you never walk away empty handed.

This Saturday Night we play @ Red Eyed Fly, looking to be a killer show, we headline so get there early and stay there late.



On a very serious and POSTIVE note, we just booked a benefit concert @ The Nutty Brown Cafe. The proceeds go to those that have been affect by this Oil ClusterF*ck that has happened...so I urge you to check out the following link, the line-up is killer...Help US Help You...HELP others. We're all in this crazy world together, and I don't know about you, but I'd rather lend a helping hand than not.
Rockin 4 The Gulf

Alright...well Live the Live you were born to live!!

Kill the Sunshine

"Kill the Sunshine, Cause I'm King of the Nighttime!"

Well...howdy stranger!! Long time no blog :). I have been up to my ears in Rock n Roll as well as life in general. Dean Martin said it best when he said, 'Life's a Kick in the Head' cause believe you me at times it is. A roller coaster of decisions, speculations, memories, and mistakes. However, just when you think things are pretty dismal...bleak and gray...this ol' crazy game called life rears it's ever changing head and says, "How about a Phone call to mix the madness"....my phone call went as follows:

"Matt, this is *** from Jagermeister, and I'd like to offer Snake Skin Prison a spot on the Rockstar Energy Drink UPRoar Festival playing with Disturbed, Stone Sour, Avenged Sevenfold, and Hell Yeah."



So...sometimes life is a kick in the head...a kick in the ass...maybe a kick in the balls. And as a good friend told me this week, it's better than the alternative...and I respond, "what's that?" he said, "No kicks at all!"

I def like my Kicks now that I think about it.

So, regardless, the show must go on, and onward we go!!

ALBUM Release...

Man this is close..so close it spills out of my mouth when I've had too much Love Juice!! I can't wait to drop the dates and other info...

I picked up the Album itself, this week, our first 1000 copies and man did that feel good. After all the hard work, preparation, and determination that went into this. I can remember talking with my Ol' Man in WV, sippin High Life, watching the snow flakes (Last December) and he said, "Son...do you even have a plan??" I replied, 'Oh, I got a plan...not only do I have a plan, I have a good plan...the variable is are the cards going to fall in the manner that I need them..."

That plan is almost completed...it's close...but thus far, everything has fallen into place, and thanks to The Man Upstairs, SSP, family and friends....I can quote my Non-Mentor, Hannibal Lecter:

"I love it when a plan comes together"

I'll leave you with the words of my High School Football Coach, Donnie Football:

"When you play hard, you make your own luck...keep your eyes wide open and your ears peeled back, this is gonna be the biggest game of your life."

TAG...I'm in!

\m/
MB