Static-X open up about using a Wayne Static mask during Anniversary Tour

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Apr 4, 2019

7 min read

The talk/hype for Static-X's upcoming Wisconsin Death Trip Anniversary Tour + Wayne Static Memorial is building and after the last bit of news was revealed (where they unveiled their touring singer wearing a Wayne Static zombified mask), talk turned to why they'd want to go down that path from fans, not only here in Australia but across the globe, so as expected, the band have come out to explain their reasons for the gimmick and, to be honest, it kinda makes sense.

In a lengthy post on Facebook, the band revealed:

"Let us begin by restating the obvious. This is the Wisconsin Death Trip 20th Anniversary Tour, therefore, these events are 100% about nostalgia for everyone involved.. This was not about setting the tone for the future or about putting a new face to the band or establishing a new identity for Static-X..

This is about experiencing the vibes of an old school Static-X show "LIVE & LOUD" 20 years later, while we honor our dear friend Wayne Static. The search for a touring vocalist for Static-X was not an easy one.

Once we found our guy, we began to discuss the stage show and the visual presentation for the tour.. In the end, it was actually our touring vocalist, who suggested that he wear a mask on stage.. Out of respect for Wayne and for the band, he didn’t feel that it would be right for his own image or identity to be placed in the center of something that he had nothing to do with creating…

This struck the 3 of us as an incredibly selfless and humble gesture!

The truth is, he could have been very self serving and looked at this as an opportunity for him to raise his own profile and to put his name and face out there for all of you to see.

Instead, he expressed the exact opposite intentions..

He also explained that the idea of wearing a mask would allow him the freedom to get lost in the vibe of Static-X and to completely disconnect from his own identity and ultimately serve Static-X better.. Further, he expressed that the mask itself, along with his performance each night could act as a unique part of the memorial to Wayne..
A tribute, for lack of better words.

Before we moved forward with any of our creative decisions, we first shared our ideas and designs with Waynes family. They have given us their full support every step of the way."

The band go onto say, as they've said all along, this tour will be about Wayne and his memory, for the fans, to celebrate 20 years of one of their most iconic albums and I get it. If you want to do something to honour your fallen comrade, there's two ways you can go about it... One is to do a very special night like what LinkinPark did for ChesterBennington with a plethora of musicians singing their songs honouring his life, the other is to do a tribute show, with original members and someone representing (as close to the original deal as possible) the lost member, done with courtesy and respect for both the family, fans and band's legacy.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_340zcRUO5g&w=640&h=360]

I've been in two minds about this whole concept, but I think this gets me over the line. As someone who never got to see Static-X live, I'm keen to see what they do to honour the memory of Wayne and the show they put on for him when it finally hits Australia in August.

That's just me, what about you?

https://www.facebook.com/staticx/photos/a.325865640832023/2121116387973597/?type=3&theater