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Drowning Pool shows true colors in Kuwait

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Debralee Lutgen | Drowning Pool lead vocalist Ryan McCombs lets the rough energetic lyrics engulf the...... read more read more

ARJIFAN, KUWAIT

11.17.2005

Courtesy Story

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By: Spc. Debralee P. Crankshaw, CFLCC PAO/11th PAD

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait " The group jumped around and Soldiers were lifted on shoulders and passed through the crowd taking photographs from their vantage point.

The band continued to belt out rough energetic music with a passion embraced by the crowd.

Drowning Pool, a Dallas-based rock/metal band, visited and performed for troops at Camps Virginia, Buehring and Arifjan Nov. 1 - 3.

The band is most famous for its single "Bodies" which was performed at the end of every show as the crowd chanted its title in anticipation.

"They put on an awesome show," said Spc. Matt Marcott, Morale Welfare and Recreation representative. "They had lots of energy. The show was just as intense on the last night as on the first."

They visited as part of a United Service Organizations tour in partnership with Armed Forces Entertainment, accompanied by Dallas afternoon radio station disc jockey Jessie Jessup from KDGE's "The Edge."

While the band performed, Jessup interviewed servicemembers and hosted her radio program during the tour.

Drummer Mike Luce said the band was fortunate to be performing for the troops because they weren't originally slated for the tour.

"There was another band set up to do it " whether they couldn't make it or didn't want to I'm not sure, but it worked out in our favor," Luce shrugged.

"About the time we made the radio announcement of Ryan joining the band was when the other band said they couldn't do it. We were like, "Yeah, we're on,"" he gushed as excitement spread through his face.

The band members said they were thrilled when D.J. Jessie asked them to join her.

"We were hoping to do something like this so we kind of put the word out that we support the troops," Guitarist C.J. Pierce said. "We're too old and out of shape to join, so we decided to play music for them."

The group said the timing was a little off but they were excited to come.

"The first time we heard about it, it was supposed to be around Christmas so we said, "Okay." For all the times we get to sit around in America and make up music and are afforded the luxuries that we have, this will be our Christmas present back," Luce said.

"We just happened to come a little bit earlier."

The troops said they felt just as elated.

"I was really excited to see a well-known alternative rock/heavy metal band," Marcott said. "I was surprised and happy to see them come."

The band joked that it felt slightly intimidated playing in front of the troops, but otherwise it was just an everyday rock show without the alcohol.

"We're sober and they're sober " usually at a rock show everybody has a few drinks but by the end of the show it's just like any normal show. Everyone loosens up and has a good time " everyone feels it and it gets their minds off what's happening," Pierce said.

The band said it had a great time on the tour. Luce and new lead vocalist Ryan

McCombs said they liked receiving patches from the troops and they all enjoyed hearing the servicemembers" stories.

"Ryan and I have been having a competition to see who can collect the most patches," Luce said while giving McCombs a challenging look. "When the Soldiers first started giving them to us we were afraid they"d get in trouble."

They also said they saw more of the positive aspects of the mission.

"I've learned about the assistance the country of Kuwait has given, just little things like that," McCombs said. "I've been hearing more of a reality that you don't necessarily get on the news. All my knowledge came from what I've seen on TV, coming into Kuwait I found out it wasn't such a bad place."

"The media likes to play up the train wrecks so you can't look away," Luce added. "You won't hear about the good things or the positive efforts made through all of this."

The band said it would like to tour for the troops every six months to a year. They said the USO really made its stay a success.

"The USO made things a lot easier. We thought we"d have more problems " the flight, the hotel, the travel to the bases " everything has been so breezy," Pierce said. "I expected it to be more of a hassle."

At all three shows McCombs told the troops this was the band's best tour.

"It's because of you all that we can sit at home and write this music," he said into the microphone before singing the lyrics of the next song to the frenzied crowd. "You give us the freedoms and liberties we enjoy."