DISTURBED Singer's Pre-Show Ritual Devoid Of Heavy Metal Clichés

Leanne Potts of Albuquerque Journal is reporting that DISTURBED frontman David Draiman prepares himself for a concert not by trashing hotel rooms in the wildest tradition of nilhistic heavy metal frontmen, or by sipping whiskey from right outta the bottle, or by fraternizing with groupies. Instead, he gets a massage. She writes, "My, how metal has changed. About an hour before the band's set at last Tuesday's (July 15) Ozzfest, a freelance masseuse from Tijeras showed up backstage with her massage table, her sack of oils and a tray of carry-out sushi from Wild Oats. She set up her table on a patch of grass outside the Journal Pavilion dressing rooms.

"About an hour later, Draiman appeared. After meeting with some thrilled-to-the-point-swooning fans who had won a radio contest in which the prize was a chance to meet DISTURBED, he headed over to the massage table.

"The shaven-headed frontman who sports two rings in his lower lip took off his shirt and climbed onto the table, laying face down. The masseuse worked his back and shoulders as roadies, production managers, reporters, radio station deejays and record company people walked by.

" 'How the (bleep) does anybody live in this (bleeping) heat!' a sweating roadie barked to the gods as he lugged a portable air-conditioner backstage.

"Private it wasn't.

"The massage lasted around a half hour and Draiman returned to the dressing rooms.

" 'So are you excited that you got to be the official masseuse for DISTURBED?' I asked the woman afterward, a 30-ish blonde in a ankle-length purple skirt and a floppy bohemian hat.

" 'Nah. I've never even heard of them,' she said between bites of sushi."