Fuel burns red-hot on Indy tour stop

It has been an exciting but long road for the Memphis-based rockers of Fuel. The band that did more than 425 shows in support of its 1998 release, Sunburn, is back on the road in support of last year's Something Like Human, an album that has spawned the hits "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" and "Innocent."\nFuel is in the middle of a tour with Kid Rock and Buckcherry. Saturday, the band played Memphis. Family members for the band came out and were greeted at a dinner put on by Kid Rock.\n"At least for my family, they think it is all happening to them," says lead singer Brett Scallions of his rock star experience. Scallions says his family never encouraged him to get a real job.\nGuitarist Carl Bell was a little embarrassed when his sister approached him and complained about allowing his 5-year-old nephew to be exposed to Kid Rock's act, which included strippers. David Allen Coe, the show's opener, approached him and said he was nervous about playing his verbally explicit show when Bell's grandparents were in the crowd.\nThe band, while in the middle of a world tour, isn't planning on touring as much for Something Like Human.\n"On the last album we had to lay the foundation," Bell says. It's this foundation that has allowed Fuel to generate the enthusiasm it has. Bell says the hard work has paid off.\nBut the Sunburn tour wasn't easy for all band members. Bell says he and Scallions visited every radio station in the world while promoting Sunburn. Bell was surprised when he visited a San Francisco radio station recently and didn't know where the bathroom was.\n"I think on the last record we burned our candle at both ends," Scallions says.\nThe constant moving around gives Bell the sense of life in a bubble. \n"You wake up behind the Dumpster of some club every morning," Bell says. He says weeks dissolve with the monotonous routine.\nScallions says the band is not catered to or sitting in the lap of luxury because of its success, but it's management is loaded. Bell says he can't discuss his favorite part of being on the road.\n"The instability is the best part (of being on the road) ... and the worst," Scallions says. He also says he likes the pace.\nFuel has ventured out of the United States to promote its album. During the European tour, Bell remembers going to Italy, where the band wasn't allowed to have girls in the hotel room. He says Italy takes radio much more seriously. Armed guards were posted outside of the station; Bell says it felt like a prison.\nBell says his diverse background gives the band motivation to do what it does now. Bell grew up without television and had an older brother who introduced him to a variety of music like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. \n"To alleviate boredom I turned to music," Bell says.\nHe says Scallions is a Barbra Streisand fan.\n"Hey man, Barbra rocks," Scallions says. \nScallions says he would pay to see a show that involves Streisand throwing up and then canceling.\nLately, Bell has been listening to Twilight by the Twighlight Singers featuring the former Afghan Wigs singer.\nFuel's show is full of high energy rock, but the band feels it tries to put more into the music than other hard rock acts.\n"A lot of bands base their music off of testosterone," Scallions says. "It's a waste to me." Scallions says Fuel tries to give its music as much energy and passion but also meaning.\nWhile Something Like Human is a standard rock 'n' roll record, the band tries to vary the hard rock with the occasional ballad.\n"A little diversity goes a long way for me," Bell says.\nWhile Fuel always has a game plan before going out, Bell says he has the most fun "just hanging out onstage."\nBell and Scallions rarely listen to their own material. Scallions says he listened to it once when it was home.\n"People come up to me, and they'll be like, 'I liked that song, track number six,'" Scallions says. "What's even on that record?" is his response.\nBell and Scallion say, sarcastically, they haven't been jaded by the business. While they aren't as dedicated to their label as some groups and artists, it has worked out well so far.\n"It almost becomes cliche that you have to hate the label," Bell says.\nApart from the money, Bell has other motivations.\n"McDonald's is the alternative. That's a pretty good motivator," he says.