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(originally printed in Modern Fix Magazine issue #3)<\/em><\/p>\n by michael bushman<\/b><\/p>\n In 1997 I went to my first OzzFest in Las Vegas.<\/b><\/p>\n I got a coupon for a double OzzFest CD for only a couple bucks, so I wisely invested. Mostly comprised of OzzFest bands, the second disk started with a track called, “I Jus Lie” from a band called Snot. After about two weeks of finding ourselves sticking in that disk, just for that song, I walked down to my local record store (Cow Records) in Ocean Beach California and found myself of copy of, “Get Some”. This quickly turned into the most listened to album as the year turned into 1998. Taking the first opportunity we could to see this “Snot” band, we made it to the Whiskey in Los Angeles in February. The opening act, a just signed to Warner Bros band called “Static” (before having to add the -X) put on a most impressive set. I clearly remember my crew and I looking at each other after each song with an expression of, “Damn, that was pretty cool! – but after EVERY song. No surprise that they are where they are now.<\/strong><\/p>\n But nothing could compare to the set that Snot would soon destroy this place with. They opened (as they always did) with their namesake song, “Snot” and it was all over from there. When people ask, “What’s the most out of control rock and roll show you’ve ever seen?”, it is this show that gets retold over and over again. It was one of those rare nights that was so intense, we KNEW we’d remember this one forever. A constant stream of people went on the stage, and flew off, spun around, threw their beer and screamed until voices blew out. The band was so hungry. They just created this circle of energy with the crowd that would feed off itself back and forth. The night exploded in destruction as their finale of, “My Balls” went beyond description. After the signature vocal intro of, “My Balls… Your Chin” – a wave of fans rushed the stage to join their brother souls in a sea of music and bodies. I have NEVER seen so many people jumping onto and off of a stage in my life. A lot of the Snot members did their best to keep their cords and pedals in place (unsuccessfully) but the song played on. At one point, there were so many people on the stage, bodies would launch off the drum riser, surf the crowd on the stage, and then spill off unto floor to get carried away in the swirl of chaos. <\/strong><\/p>\n It will never be forgotten. It was holy.<\/strong><\/p>\n I grabbed every opportunity to see this band for the remainder of 1998. Caught them with SoulFly at the Palace a couple of months later. I traded my Christmas flight home to go to WI in July so I could catch the OzzFest (and see Snot) at their stop outside Eau Claire, WI (went to college there so had the whole oldschool crew for that – great times).<\/strong><\/p>\n Got this memorable shot of Lynn with a disposable camera (see above). And a show in Riverside that fall made them the only band I’ve ever had both the desire and opportunity to see that religiously.<\/b><\/p>\n Then Dec. 11th 1998, I went to see a great band called Drown in San Diego. Because band tshirts make up about 95% of my wardrobe, I yanked out my Snot shirt and went to the show. As Drown took the stage, singer Lauren was kind of tense and started wrapping the mic chord around his hand and arm really tight. He said that it had been a really hard day because someone dear to them had died in a car accident that day. “This set goes out to Lynn Strait from Snot”. Dumb confusion set in my head for most of the Drown set (although they absolutely raged that night). Upon talking to Lauren, he explained what he knew of the days events. He said, “I saw you with that Snot T-shirt. I thought you knew and that’s why you were wearing the shirt.” I was just wearing it because I loved this band genuinely.<\/strong><\/p>\n One year later, to the day, my Father was killed in a car accident.<\/strong><\/p>\n I fucking hate Dec. 11th.<\/b><\/p>\n So you may wonder why I deemed it necessary to share how this band effected my life. Who am I and what do you care? Instead of dismissing with something as trivial as, “You can do that when you own your own magazine” or defending any emotional wreckage, I’ll let you read what Snot the band and Lynn Strait the individual meant to some of the biggest names in heavy today. If you were there when they were, you understand. If you weren’t, that’s ok to, his music lives on with Snot and now with a true testimonial to his spirit, the “Strait Up” tribute album. You can still share in it as a true vision. And that’s what Lynn was all about from the start.<\/strong><\/p>\n I’m talking to Mikey Doling who was guitarist and founding member of Snot, and is now the guitarist for Soulfly.<\/b><\/p>\n It’s been almost two years since the band was tragically broken up by the death of singer Lynn Strait, do you still feel the impact of the band in your personal life and the fans reaction to Snot?<\/b> What’s your most vivid memory of being in Snot?<\/b> How did the idea behind “Strait Up” get launched?<\/b>
\nMikey: Absolutely. Everyday I play with Soulfly (we are on tour right now) there’s kids in the crowd holding big flags up that says “Snot” on it, “Lynn Strait forever”. I sign Snot records everyday outside my bus.<\/p>\n
\nI’d have to say the two years of touring in a van. That was hard stuff.<\/p>\n
\nWhen Lynn died, we did the funeral, and it just didn’t seem good enough for me. It was like, “That’s it. He’s dead. Ok, move on.” And I was torn up about it. I was touring with Soulfly in Australia for like a month, playing for 50,000 people a day. It should have been the best time of my life. But I was on stage in front of thousands of people, upset about Lynn and just dying inside. So I was like, “Fuck this, lets do something for him.” So I was thinking maybe I would collaborate with some people on a record. And then it came to me to make our own little record for Lynn. Tumor and I and Shannon Larkin, recorded all the music and called some friends up to see if they’d like sing on the record. I didn’t expect it to go as well as it did, but here we are and we have a record.<\/p>\n