Step right up! Time for the Carnival of Madness

The Carnival of Madness Tour stops at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater on Monday featuring hard-rockin' acts Shinedown with Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, Sevendust and 10 Years.

Shinedown's lead singer, Brent Smith, had just pulled into Jacksonville, Fla., when we caught up with him. "We have a rehearsal day today before the Carnival of Madness starts, but we've been rehearsing in Nashville, Tenn., for the past 18 days," he said.

The 2008 album "The Sound of Madness" varies in emotions. How did you write the politically driven "Devour," then switch to the follow-your-dreams of "Second Chance"?

"Devour" was written about the time we went over to Iraq and Kuwait. Don't get me wrong, I was only there for six days and we did four shows, but coming back from that I just had been around a lot of soldiers. So "Devour" became a fist in the air for all the soldiers who just wanted to come home. As far as "Second Chance" is concerned, it's about everybody's goal in life to have a dream and something you aspire to be and something you want more than anything in the world.

Why did you choose to cover Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man"?

(Smith begins with some history: Shinedown's original guitarist was married to Melody Van Zant, the daughter of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant and his wife, Judy. Judy gave Smith a place to live when he started the band.)

We were on the road with 3 Doors Down, and we were doing a warm-up at Freebird Live, which is her club, and I sang "Simple Man" to her one night. Oddly enough, long story short, we went up to Boston to a radio station, and they somehow got me to sing the song live, and the phones lit up. They had actually recorded the version we did and put it on their website.... I think if there's an honesty in it, it stands out because it wasn't planned.

You've had a few lineup changes. How does that affect your creativity?

I'm finally with the people that I belong with, and I honestly feel now that Shinedown is the band it was supposed to be. A lot of people have different opinions about that, but look, the bottom line is there were two other original members before Zach and Eric got in the band, but I dare anyone to walk a mile in Eric Bass' or Zach Myers' shoes because what they did for this band has made it stronger than it's ever been....

We just couldn't go further as a band, because it wasn't going to survive. And the last thing I and (drummer) Barry (Kerch) was going to do was let this die.

What should people know about Brent Smith?

I love my son (Lyric, 2-1/2) with all of my heart. I absolutely can't live without listening to Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and soul singers galore. I have to have soul music in my life.

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Puddle of Mudd guitarist Paul Phillips called from Kansas City, Mo., where the band made a stop to perform the last of its headlining tour dates.

Your album "Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate" is a homecoming for you. Why did you leave, and what's it like coming back?

There were times when we started writing the "Famous" record and the vibes weren't good. People weren't talking or getting along, and it got to where music wasn't fun anymore. I had to step out and get some fun and sanity in my life again....

I've been back about a year and a half now. Everything is great. It's about having a good time now as opposed to everyone being stressed out and fighting all the time. We get to make music for a living, and we know we're really fortunate.

What did you do in those three or four years?

I started a band called Operator with a singer I met in L.A. We put out a record on Atlantic and toured behind that for about a year.

On your video for "Stoned," what's up with all the destruction?

The whole song is kind of a rant against working for the man. Unfortunately in the music business sometimes you get trapped in that as well - you kind of have to do some things you're not comfortable with.

The directors came to us about destroying an office. I think it touched a nerve with a lot of people because of the frustration of working overtime and dealing with deadlines - that they would like to do the same thing. It was a fun video to shoot.

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com