Cristina Scabbia: The mentality of the fans is really open. In Europe any kind of music has a specific follower. At a death metal concert everybody looks the same. In America every kind of music is under the family of rock. It doesn't matter if you're playing power metal, death metal, black metal, you can see different people coming to the shows, and that's what I like. I think music is a sensation, so there should be no barriers. That's what I love about America.
Touring in America is much more comfortable. It's easier to travel because you can stop anywhere and all the places are open. You can easily stop at a truck stop, get your shower and get some food even at five in the morning. In Europe everything is closed at that time.
North Americans can be geographically challenged. Have you ever run across someone who didn't know where Italy was?
We were at a truck stop and a girl was serving us. We started talking and she asked us if we were in a band and where we were from. We told her we came from Italy and she asked us if we drove from there. There's this little thing called an ocean in between, so no, we didn't drive.
Do you have anything unusual on your tour rider?
In the rider we have the basics, like sandwiches and chocolate and fruit and cereal, the normal stuff. But one thing that we always request we don't want are cucumbers. We hate them. In the beginning we toured a lot in Germany and everything had cucumbers in it, like sandwiches. We wrote it in our rider that we don't want cucumbers.
How do you feel about various publications named you one of the "hottest chicks in metal" when it doesn't have anything to do with your music?
I think it does have something in common with our music. Good photography and a good image is an artistic expression. So I think if you can combine good music played properly and adding the fact that I can sing and am not just a hot chick on the cover makes it perfect. If you can have it all I don't see the reason why you should avoid it. Plus I don't think a woman should be afraid to show her femininity. I'm a woman and shouldn't have to hide myself with men's clothes. That would make no sense for me. It's not something that I'm creating on purpose, it's just me. It would be stupid and hypocritical to say I want a s*%t picture of me because I want the attention on the music. If you're not deaf you will hear that the music is completely worthy. I never posed in Playboy, I never showed my (breasts), and mine are real. I'm just a normal person who is learning to work on her image. I'm proud of it because I've met so many girls who are like me, not models, that are trying to make the best out of their image.
There have been rumors of you joining other bands. Any truth to them?
No way. I'm totally happy with the relationship I have with Lacuna Coil. I will never quit. I wouldn't even consider a solo career, so I don't see the reason why I would join another band. We've been close friends even before the band, so I don't see the reason why I should leave my family. And it's not something I will be retracting in a year because there will be something hotter.
What is the biggest misconception your fans have about you?
That I'm tall. When I'm on stage and in pictures I look taller than I am. When people see me they say "you're tiny!" I'm pretty short, like a little doll.
