Part of the reason why Scott Stapp continues to keep loyal fans returning over and over again to see him perform live and longingly wait for every release is his willingness to bare his soul, to reveal himself as a searcher, a true believer, living in the real world. Rather than hide from the scrutiny of his hard-fought battles with addiction and depression, which at times seemed to greatly overshadow the glow of all the multimillion sales and award-winning success, Stapp embraces it, and realizes it today as part of his calling and purpose. Fresh off the first leg of his US tour in support of his second solo release Proof of Life, he has landed in Europe to launch a swing of a handful of shows to build on the success that swept across his homeland country.
It’s been years since Scott paid Europe a visit as part of Creed. His set list is a powerful mix of Creed must haves and standouts from his own collection. Critics and fans have praised in unison the “unassailable and poignant” lyrics and performance that is indisputable evidence that “Stapp is born again in so many ways,” all serving as a personal diary of his journey to sobriety, personal and artistic clarity, and a resounding redemption of his place among the best of rock performers. If it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, then this is one artist who just might be totally transcended by his warm welcome. Audiences have assuredly found themselves transcended by the singer’s onstage journey of sonic and soulful sharing. From the opening, “Slow Suicide” which brought Stapp his first #1 on Billboard Christian charts, and stated atop several others for weeks, to the unforgettable close with “Proof of Life,” he clearly portrays the profound truth he has realized for himself, answering his own question of “Are you playing the victim?” Lyric by lyric, verse to verse, he guides those before him from reckoning with accountability to reclamation through finding purpose, ending on the powerful proclamation that “You’re the proof of life,” punctuated emphatically by piercing delivery akin to personal conversation, with truly spirit-filled pauses of dance. Scott’s personal revelation of purpose came through his own acceptance of divine, transforming love, as a gift, not something to be deserved or earned. “He [God] began to give me songs again,” he relates through that process, and there is penetrating focus that every performance is a means to “pay my experience forward by helping others,” perhaps in a two-hour interlude of being lifted from daily struggles, or a spark to probe deeper questions about divine purpose for themselves.
The European venues include London’s Electric Ballroom on 23 April, C-Club in Berlin on 27 April, and the Luxor in Koln on 28 April. Further details can be found at www.scottstapp.com. Scott will be stopping in for radio conversation with the UK’s Wyatt Wendels of planetrock.com. With “Proof of Life” rising as his second single from this meaningful album, Scott Stapp is ready to take on a summer of music festivals, and make connection with fans across the globe.
