DIO DISCIPLES' Keyboardist Scott Warren - "I Wasn't Sure I Was Ever Going To Play A DIO Song Ever Again After He Passed" By Matt O'Shaughnessy
With The Very Beast Of
DIO Volume 2 confirming once again the
remarkable musical genius of the late RONNIE JAMES DIO, longtime Dio
keyboardist and current
DIO DISCIPLES Scott Warren called in from the
band's tour bus recently with nothing but miles ahead on the road to the
next Dio Disciples event. With the mission of carrying on Ronnie James
Dio's music and legacy through their live appearances and shows, the Dio
Disciples are without question an entity that perhaps has Ronnie
himself smiling down on them with abundant approval and joy.
BraveWords.com: Dio fans, some of the most rabid and loyal from
literally all over the world, can now hear another stellar selection of
Ronnie's pioneering music on the Very Beast Of Dio Volume 2. It's a
tremendous compilation of some of Ronnie James Dio's work out now on
Niji Entertainment Group. Without being naive, how important is this
release in keeping Ronnie James Dio's rich and ground-breaking legacy
going strong?
Scott Warren: "It's very important because its re-visiting a lot of
great selections that Ronnie had done that may have been over looked
from albums that came out through the 1990's. I think it's a good
tribute to what may have been over looked and it's a great record."
BraveWords.com: In 2010, the hard rock world lost one of the
quintessential vocalists of all time. As someone who knew Ronnie well
and played in his band; what can you tell us about the rock legend that
we may not know about his life?
Scott Warren: "He was really outgoing with his fans and with people
and that is what a lot of the fans saw. That he took very seriously; he
loved his fans. I thought it was remarkable how much he would use his
voice when it came time to meeting people throughout the day which
singer's don't usually like to do. He was a very generous, big-hearted
man and had such an aura about him - you just knew he meant business."
BraveWords.com: You issued a very touching and eloquent statement on
Ronnie's passing: "He was my surrogate Father, my brother, my friend,
my teacher and my loyal advocate...our fearless leader. I have been
blessed by his presence and his voice."
Scott Warren: "He meant so many things to say many people; whether
it was the guy on stage or the guy offstage. He was just such an
important entity. And so those are some of the things that he meant to
me personally."
BraveWords.com: Dio Disciples are currently on tour now with more dates being added.
Scott Warren: "It's a good show so don't miss it! I think this time
around we've been able to add a couple of new surprises from Ronnie's
legacy and the Very Beast Of Dio Volume 2 is what sort of enabled us to
do that now so there's some special moments in our show and of course
the fans that we encounter are special too. It's an event, more
than just a show, because of the bond we all had with
Ronnie James Dio. And to his fans."
BraveWords.com: What does the Dio Disciples set-list look like on this tour?
Scott Warren: "We're doing a lot of the staples that people expect
to hear. With The Very Beast Of Dio Volume 2 out that is a hint. There's
some tracks on there that were never done live, even by Ronnie. So we
are trying to give that back."
BraveWords.com: Ronnie James Dio was so many things to so many
people; he was an innovator, a creator, pioneer and monumental
musician. What more would you like to tell us about him?
Scott Warren: " He was a sports fanatic and really into that. More
importantly, he was a really kind and generous person and he enjoyed
every chance he got to talk with one of his fans and anybody he
encountered. He would spend time with people and really get to know
them. I found that remarkable for someone who had such a busy schedule
and such demanding work load. He just carried himself with such power. I
would say, 'This guy is a giant'. He was very friendly."
BraveWords.com: More on The Very Beast Of Dio Volume 2. From your
vantage point, what else can you tell us about this record in Ronnie's
honor?
Scott Warren: "There's some tracks that may have been over looked
here I think as I mentioned earlier. One song that is special to me, of
course, is 'This is your life' because in my heart that sort of became
my anthem for Ronnie and his life. And also because that song was such
an unusual thing because we did it with just a piano. It turned out so
beautifully. That was unusual for his legacy for all the work that he
had done which was all basically metal; but of course he had such a
versatile voice - he could sing Frank Sinatra if he wanted to. So, 'This
is your life' is one song where he didn't just jump in and crash
in with guitars. It's a very special song. And then there is 'As long as
it's not about love' which I am glad to see on this album."
BraveWords.com: Certainly Dio Disciples' mission is to keep the Dio flag raising high and pay tribute to him.
Scott Warren: "I wasn't sure I was ever going to play a Dio song
ever again after he passed. I thought how are we going to even consider
playing his music without him. But then after some real soul searching
we started, I think, unanimously to get the inspiration that what would
Ronnie have wanted... and that would be for us to continue on with his
music and more or less heal us and all the fans out there that just got
cut off so abruptly with his passing. He was a fighter, he wanted to
charge on. We feel we need to charge on for him and embrace the wounds
that his fans feel and the sounds of his music and keep his legacy
alive."
For more Dio Disciples details and tour dates visit Facebook.