Music
How WWE has made me a better rock frontman
Adam Carroll is a musician and self-confessed wrestling fan. Here, he tells us how the two worlds combine in the best ways possible.
It’s a Saturday morning in the year 1997, I am 9-years-old and starting my morning off like any kid; with a heavy dose of television, but this time it was about to add something to my life that to this day I still love dearly.
I watched the screen with eyes wide open, mouth to the floor as a bald goatee wearing hero got into a wrestling ring with a steel chair, to then go on and raise his blurred middle finger (it’s Saturday morning, don’t forget) and hit the other guy with the chair, talk crap into his face and then take two beers, smack them together and pour them all over.
I was so speechless as to how exciting it all was and could not get it out of my mind, I promptly went into school that Monday to repeat everything I saw on TV with one of my friends at lunch time. Only instead of beer, I used a can of Pepsi and a carton of milk. And when I was caught by my teacher doing this, especially throwing the middle fingers around, my parents were called in and so my wrestling school troubles began.
It was 1997, the Attitude Era, Stone Cold Steve Austin and a 9-year-old Adam had just discovered the best thing he had ever come across.
I am now 26 and to this day still watch WWE and many other wrestling companies productions religiously, and to a load of people it’s just bizzare as to why people like me watch this. “It’s FAKE!!! blah blah blah.” To someone like this I ask, “Could you go in the ring climb the turnbuckle and do a backflip?” Probably not, and this is one of the most basic of moves for wrestlers.
Today it’s openly known as sports entertainment, but back in the day there was no social networks to ever spoil anything – you had to tune in live because you did not know what to expect, and my god what a time for wrestling the Attitude Era was. As soon as I saw Austin on screen for the first time, I wanted to know everything there was to know about wrestling. This led me to discover Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, The Rock; the list could go on and on.
One year later (1998) I then witnessed the moment of Mankind being thrown off the top of the cell by The Undertaker. Was it fake? No! I couldn’t believe what I saw, I honestly thought the man was dead (he wasn’t). But it was just another addition to my list of love for wrestling.
Even going back to the ’80s, I was sold on wrestling. It wasn’t as over the top as the Attitude Era but the majority of the wrestling was still incredible. Seeing Bobby The Brain Heenan was another eye opening moment, which then led me on to discover one of the greatest human beings of all time, Paul Heyman, and the whole era of ECW.
Being a musician, wrestling has 100% influenced my performance. When you see an entrance from a wrestler, it’s a character coming to life and that’s how I work as being the vocalist of ZOAX. I create my own character.
It may all seem ridiculous to the people who have no interest and that’s totally fine, but it’s something millions of people will always love. No matter how many times I re-watch my favourite moments, I get the feeling like it’s the first time all over again. I am 26-years-old and I will be more than likely wearing Austin 3:16 shirts until the day I die.
Wrestling holds the greatest nostalgia that exists in my life and I cannot wait for ZOAX to be the theme song to WrestleMania someday.