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Two months in the past, longtime VIXEN bassist Share Ross introduced that she was “taking a hiatus” from the band. Her alternative is Julia Lage, previously of the Latin Grammy-nominated Brazilian rock group BARRA DE SAIA and spouse of Richie Kotzen. Lage made her reside debut with VIXEN on February 8 on the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise live performance at Magic Metropolis On line casino in Miami, Florida.
VIXEN singer Lorraine Lewis mentioned Share‘s departure from the band in a brand new interview with Metallic-Internet. She stated (as transcribed by Phoosi.com): “We already knew the information from Share. And we had been planning to exit to the Monsters Of Rock pre-cruise celebration. The plan was for VIXEN to additionally go on the ship. However we had already pre-planned all of this; we knew what was happening.
“Bands have their very own secret society, if you’ll, and typically you simply have to debate as a band what’s taking place, what’s subsequent, et cetera, and that is what had occurred with us.
“Initially, let me simply say: we like Share,” Lorraine continued. “Share‘s a M.F.-er rock star, we love her, she’s proficient, she’s a terrific singer, she’s lovely, she writes nice songs and we love her, and perpetually she is the bass participant of VIXEN; that does not ever change. Her legacy lives on perpetually. However she’s additionally a really busy businesswoman, as the remainder of us are. She has put her foot into the actual property market in Florida, which is absolutely booming. She loves what she does; she’s actually good at it. And I feel for her — and I am certain that she would inform you a similar factor — is that it simply bought to some extent the place she determined that she wanted to take a step again. She was type of spreading herself skinny with all the work that she was doing. And it is a new avenue for her, and he or she’s actually kicking ass at it. So she got here to us… She really went to Roxy [Petrucci, VIXEN drummer] first, and I feel that they’d a dialogue about it, after which they tell us that she was fascinated with stepping again and calling it a hiatus.
“We assist her. We love her. We’re all about women, women and lifting one another up. So this was a call that she made on her personal, and he or she determined to only type of take a break and a breather, and we assist her in that call. We speak on a regular basis — I speak to her a couple of times per week; we’re all nonetheless mates; I imply, we’re household. We’re thick as thieves — that does not go away ever. She’s simply taking a break. And it is so simple as that.”
Relating to how Lage ended up becoming a member of VIXEN as Ross‘s alternative, Lewis stated: “Figuring out that we might have gigs booked for 2022, we knew we wanted a bass participant. And Britt [Lightning, a.k.a. Brittany Denaro, VIXEN guitarist] is aware of everybody — like, she severely is aware of all people in rock and roll. So Britt has labored with Julia earlier than, and he or she immediately stated, ‘I feel we must always get Julia Lage.’ She’s lovely, she’s an incredible bass participant, she’s tremendous proficient, she has a killer voice, and he or she sings actually excessive, which that is type of the function that Share does. With the VIXEN concord, Share‘s at all times the very best concord. So we actually wanted someone to fill these footwear, and Julia can try this.”
In keeping with Lorraine, VIXEN had “no rehearsals” with Julia previous to the Miami live performance. “It was ‘plug and play,'” she defined. “We went to the cruise, pre-cruise celebration. Nobody knew that this was taking place aside from our supervisor, our reserving agent and contained in the band. And we had all of it deliberate out that Julia would study 4 songs in direction of the top of the set, so she had been engaged on 4 songs, after which we gave the stage… After Share did ‘[I Don’t Need No] Physician’, which she simply kicks ass on, she took over the microphone and he or she revealed to the group what her plans had been, which was to take a hiatus, after which she invited Julia up on stage. They hugged, all of us type of high-fived, we let Share say what she needed to say, after which Share exited the stage, Julia got here up, we rocked the home for the final 4 songs, did not miss a beat. I am certain folks had been stunned and on the identical time, it simply all got here collectively… Julia simply jumped up and plugged in. We did a really temporary in-hotel-room rehearsal with simply mainly working down a few issues, ensuring our harmonies had been okay after which we simply rocked the home.”
When Ross made the information of her departure public on the aforementioned pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise live performance, she advised the group that “life bought just a little difficult” and that “one thing has to offer,” ensuing to her choice to “step away from VIXEN for some time.” She then launched her “wonderful” alternative and urged the VIXEN followers to “graciously” open their arms and welcome Lage to the group. At that time, Julia and her new bandmates launched into the monitor “Streets In Paradise” and performed the final couple of songs of the set with Ross watching the proceedings from the aspect of the stage.
Throughout a February 11 look on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”, Julia spoke about how she ended up hooking up with VIXEN, saying: “Share is taking a hiatus. She desires to do her factor [and focus on her real estate career]. She’s kicking ass. She’s gonna be writing and enjoying perpetually — I imply, she’s a badass artist and bass participant, singer, every part, songwriter. So I bought the invitation, and I am, like, ‘Yeah, in fact I am gonna be a part of. After all.'”
Requested how the opposite members of VIXEN reached out to her about becoming a member of the band, Julia stated: “Effectively, really, funnily sufficient, earlier than Britt joined VIXEN, me and her tried to place collectively a band, proper when she moved to L.A. However that did not work out, after which she joined VIXEN, and I used to be tremendous blissful for her. So, quick ahead, she really referred to as me a couple of months in the past and he or she advised me in regards to the situation, and I used to be, like, ‘Yeah. I’d love [to do it]. I imply, it is an honor for me to affix VIXEN.’ In order that occurred. And that was it. It was that fast. And I used to be simply, ‘Okay. Signal me in. The place can I am going?’ [Laughs]”
Lage additionally mirrored on her first efficiency with VIXEN on the pre-Monsters Of Rock cruise live performance, saying: “[Share played] just a little greater than half of the set, after which [before] the final three songs, she stopped [the show] and talked about [her plans] just a little bit and advised all people what’s gonna occur and launched me. After which I stepped in and performed the final three songs with them. After which really she got here again for the final tune and sang together with us. It was simply very good. I believed it was very emotional too. It was a great way to transition.”
Pressed about whether or not her place with VIXEN is only a non permanent one or she is going to be a part of the band completely, Julia stated: “We did not actually talk about that, however [Share is] taking her time. She may come again; she may [not]. I do not know. At any time when they want me, I am there for them. And I am gonna do my greatest to honor her bass traces and every part. And I am gonna be having with it, that is for certain.”
The one remaining member of VIXEN‘s “traditional” lineup is Petrucci.
In January 2019, VIXEN recruited Lewis as its new lead singer following the departure of Janet Gardner.
Lewis had already carried out with VIXEN in March 2018 in Durant, Oklahoma whereas Gardner was recovering from surgical procedure.
Previous to Lewis‘s addition to VIXEN, Petrucci, Ross and Denaro vowed to “broaden upon the VIXEN legacy whereas remaining true to our musical roots.”
Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are thought-about to be a part of VIXEN‘s traditional lineup, together with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of most cancers in October 2013.
Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN‘s most commercially profitable studio albums — “Vixen” (1988), “Rev It Up” (1990) and “Tangerine” (1998) — in addition to the group’s newest launch, 2018’s reside album “Stay Fireplace”.
Photograph credit score: Mark Weiss
