Watch: LACUNA COIL's CRISTINA SCABBIA Celebrates 53rd Birthday Onstage With SHARON DEN ADEL, SIMONE SIMONS
During LACUNA COIL's concert at Metalfest in Plzeň, Czech Republic on Friday (June 6),Sharon Den Adel of WITHIN TEMPTATION and Simone Simons of EPICA came on stage to surprise their colleague and friend Cristina Scabbia for her 53rd birthday by presenting her with a birthday cake. They also led the audience in a spirited "Happy Birthday" sing-along to mark the LACUNA COIL frontwoman's latest trip around the sun. Video of their appearance can be seen below.
Earlier this year, Scabbia was asked by Belgian Jasper how she initially felt about being featured on the cover of the February 2006 issue of Revolver where she was also included in the magazine's "The Hottest Chicks In Metal" article. She said: "The thing is that I never saw the malice in it. I always thought that it's actually a very powerful thing for a woman to be feminine. I love women power. I love to be empowered by who I am, and I don't want to hide myself because I'm a woman and if I show my legs that means I'm worth less. That's not my problem. So when I actually went on that cover of Revolver magazine, because I was the very first woman to to actually appear on that cover, for me, it was just the biggest honor because it was the first time that a magazine, an American magazine, would give a woman the pleasure of being on a cover. So for me, it was something that blew my mind back then."
Cristina continued: "I was just happy if more women could come on board of this women-fronted, the female-fronted band [movement], stuff like that, even if that's a definition that I never liked. Maybe because I was coming from a different world before LACUNA COIL — I was listening to a lot of dance and R&B music, so, for me, it was already normal to see women playing music and singing. It was nothing new. Metal was predominantly followed by guys because it was a more aggressive and heavy sound, but I never looked at myself as the different element or I am different or I'm worth less because I'm a woman. So it was never my personal problem. It is true that perception of people — you have to deal with it. You have to expect a reaction. Everything you do, everything you say, you have to expect a reaction. And I would never go over the line, showing myself, but that's because I don't want to do it. But I don't care about what other persons want to do, other women want to do with their body — it's up to them, and I'm not going to judge them, but for sure you have to prepare to a reaction as soon as you do something. It's discouraging that they only see the look of it, but I'm also sure that every woman included in those Revolver magazine 'Hottest Chicks In Metal' were talented as well. So at least we got attention back then. And I mean, it happened to ladies as well to look at a singer because he was hot or considered sexy a singer. So whatever. If you can use it as a tool to get attention and you're okay with it, as long as it's your decision, you can do whatever you want."
Two years ago, Cristina was asked as part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series if she believes that women are being taken more seriously in the metal scene than they were three decades ago when her band was first formed. She responded: "Do I feel that things changed? Absolutely, yes. When I started, there were not so many bands with a female in the lineup. Metal was still a no-no for females, because it was a very male-dominated scene. Which it still is, but of course there are many more bands with a female in the lineup, which makes me happy even though we are still seen differently. I don't think that it will ever happen that we are going to be seen equally, and partially it is okay like this because we're different. I think that we are sort of a different world.
"What I don't like about being a female in a male-dominated world is the fact that very often we are judged by our looks, which I get it; many guys get the same," she continued. "But for women, it's kind of like… Let's say for the guys, if they have the look, it's a plus. For women, if they have the look, it's a plus in terms of media attention; it's a plus in terms of — I don't know — people drooling with you; but it doesn't necessarily add up to the potential you already have. And that is a shame, because people should not be judged by their looks. I understand that the look is first thing that you see, but it will cool if it will be possible to go beyond that, especially in music, where the instrument you play, the voice you're pushing out of your body and the feelings you're trying to convey with your music are the most important things."
LACUNA COIL's latest album, "Sleepless Empire", was released in February via Century Media Records.
Last October, Italian guitarist/producer Daniele Salomone confirmed that he has joined LACUNA COIL as the replacement for the band's longtime guitarist Diego Cavallotti.
Salomone made his live debut with LACUNA COIL on August 4, 2024 at the Rockstadt Extreme Fest in Râșnov, Romania.
In June 2024, LACUNA COIL announced Cavallotti's departure. Diego, who joined LACUNA COIL in 2016, initially as a fill-in guitarist following the exit of Marco "Maus" Biazzi, later said in a social media post that "this decision is not the result of my dissatisfaction or desire to explore new opportunities."
Cavallotti and Salomone played together in the Italian metal band INVERNO, which released its debut album, "Stasis", in December 2023.
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