So now for the moment you have all been waiting for…
Ok, maybe not. But I have some important news.
As most of you are aware, Chris left the band two months ago. Many of you have been wondering what would happen next. As Rachel and I did most of the keyboard playing in the recordings, we struggled with the idea of whether or not to add anyone at all as a replacement. But I am happy to tell you that Trevor Brown, CXS keyboard player from 1997-1999, has decided to fill the keyboarder position during 2005. We are not sure how long beyond that he will remain with us, but we have a great deal of confidence in his abilities and would like to hold onto him as long as possible. In addition to being a great keyboardist, he is one of the most genuine and sincere people i know. And I think that CXS would not have survived that 1997-98 period without him.
Many of you have asked for it. I keep saying “no”. But I have finally capitulated. In a few months we will make available “NIGHT CRAWLS IN…” re-mastered on CD. It was the first commercially available recording that CXS ever made (c.1993). We will not release it to stores. Instead it will be a direct sale item, meaning either for sale at shows or through select online sources. But warning: This recording is recommended for people who are fans of the band and want to explore the history of the band. It was created by a very young CXS, and while it is interesting, it is hardly representative of the Cruxshadows body of work.
The US tour in 2005 will be shorter than in the past. We are tentatively planning a 6 week tour in North America. We are hoping that many of our fans who are used to us coming to their town will be willing to travel regionally to see CXS. It was a hard decision to make, but the toll that 3- 4 months of touring in North America takes was growing too great. Many of our fans have urged us to take more time off, I just hope that they will continue to support us and our concerts. We are hoping the result of this will be bigger, better shows for everyone. We ARE confirmed for Dragoncon 2005, and we hope that many of you will come out and support us there in atlanta for America’s largest, multi-media, popular arts convention—focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film.
Our European Tour in 2005 will start in May and end in August. We will be heading to even more new countries this year, and playing a number of festivals… More news on that in my next few posts.
Currently we are hard at work on the next CD and our first DVD. No release dates yet, but take it from me that some exciting new things are in the works.
On a sad note:
I received an email from a girl in Israel recently. Apparently there was a CXS tribute band there, until two of its members were killed in a terrorist attack. We hear about things on the news, and they seem meaningless, distant, & unreal. For some reason this is real to me. it is terrible, horrific, and it hurts. i have always wanted to change the world with my music, and to give hope to people through lyrics and melodies… I guess it is painful to know that someone whose life was touched by you, in whatever way, fell victim to such stupid and narrow-minded extremism. I guess if their deaths lead to awareness that saves even a single life, then even a seemingly meaningless death is not without positive impact. May it be so. My prayers will find you present. Never lose hope.
Live, Love, Be, Believe
Rogue