ShipRocked 2012: Filter's Richard Patrick on Being One with the Public and 10 Years of Sobriety

In terms popular culture relevancy -- which in the '90s, was defined by authoritative standard-bearers, like Casey Kassem and Carson Daly, and populist statistics, like record sales and call-in votes -- Filter peaked early.See alsoP.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval Talks ShipRocked, on Korn and Godsmack: "We're All Friends" Like many rock and...

By Matt Preira

November 5, 2012

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In terms popular culture relevancy -- which in the '90s, was defined by authoritative standard-bearers, like Casey Kassem and Carson Daly, and populist statistics, like record sales and call-in votes -- Filter peaked early.

See also

P.O.D.'s Sonny Sandoval Talks ShipRocked, on Korn and Godsmack: "We're All Friends"

Like many rock and roll bands, this post-grunge, pre-nu-metal "alternative rock" band had a mammoth hit single early in their career with 1995's "Hey Man, Nice Shot." Unlike most of their peers in one-hit-wonderdom, Filter didn't implode or pathetically deflate. Instead, Richard Patrick and an evolving cast of players have chugged along steadily, releasing, on average, an album every three or four years. And now, thanks to contemporary music industry concoctions like concert cruise ShipRocked, Filter is connecting with their devoted audiences with more intimacy than ever before.

We spoke with Patrick about the upcoming 2012 ShipRocked and his ten years of sobriety.

New Times: Is this your first cruise?
Richard Patrick: This is my second time doing ShipRocked. It's old hat to me now.

Had you ever been on a cruise before that?

I had not.

So then, last ShipRocked, did you raid the buffet? Get wasted?

Uhhh, haha. No. I'm celebrating ten years of sobriety.

Oh. Well, congratulations.

We played concerts and hung out with fans, and it was a lot of fun. We went to some made up cruise destination where there's a little mall in Mexico. We went dune buggy riding. You know. Crazy shit. They had a "singers dinner" and we all talked about shit.

Like what?

We talked about warming up and not warming up. Chad from Mudvayne was like, "I DON'T WARM UP!"

So you stay in the same living quarters as the fans, correct?

The minute you walk out of your cabin door, you're one with the public, and they have total access to you. If you're at the gym, they can hang out with you. At the bar, at the casino. I was in the casino and people were talking to me and it messed up my mojo.

I could imagine that getting kind of old.

As a celebrity, or whatever... A well-known musician, you're in the public eye. I'm pretty used to it. You can get pinned in for a little while. Everything in moderation. You can always go back to your cabin and hide. But I prefer to hang out with the fans. That's why we're there. The whole point is to have a good time. It ends up being a vacation for the bands too. You're in the middle of Thanksgiving, fall sadness. Next thing you know you're on a cruise in the Bahamas.

You said you just hit a decade of sobriety. Does the cruise environment make that challenging?
When I walked into sobriety I had done the research. I drank myself into a tailspin. I was committed. I walked into an institution and said, "This is first and last time I'm ever doing this shit." I've just maintained it. Drunk people say the same thing over and over. It's like "OK, dude, just tell me that you love me." Fifteen years ago, I would be like "Thank you so much, man! I love you too!"

Are you always touring?

I also do a lot of movie soundtrack stuff. Song placement stuff. Someone just put, "Hey Man, Nice Shot" in a movie trailer. I always think I'll just go off and write movies or soundtracks. But I get pulled back into Filter, and go on tour with someone I wasn't expecting too. And I have a great time.

Filter with Korn, Godsmack, P.O.D, and others from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 on ShipRocked 2012 at Port Everglades, 1950 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale. Visit getshiprocked.com.

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