Paws, Pets & Metal is Metal Insider’s ongoing column on bands with pets, discovering who watches them on the road, and more. Get to know more about these metal furbabies. We caught up with Utility Provider drummer Vadim Cartovenco and bassist Shayne Gold as they both reveal how their pets have been into metal since day one.
Tell us more about your pet(s) and their names?
Vadim : Hey. I have 2 beautiful cats – Pamela and Roxy – Pamela is Persian, while Roxy is a regular Black cat.
Shayne: I have two loveable dogs – Vega & Bailey. Vega’s a Pitbull mix and Bailey is a Beagle mix.
Have you ever taken your pet on tour?
Vadim : Not yet lol. We had a cross-Atlantic flight for over 17 hours – this was enough for them 🙂 Too much stress and our cats like chilling at home 🙂
Shayne: There’s no way, my Pitbull has the worst anxiety. She’s not particularly into music, unfortunately. The Beagle could travel, but not much better.
Who looks after your pet while on the road?
Vadim : We have a neighbor who is also a cat person – so we help each other.
Shayne: We’d have my brother or sister take care of them, I didn’t have pets last time I was touring. My girlfriend would be home with them if I was going on a really long tour.
What’s your pet’s favorite song or album?
Vadim : Utility Provider – Challenger Album and Song – SCABS ( This song has nice vibes in the end, which my cats like )
Shayne: Utility Provider – Challenger Album They’ve enjoyed listening to it on repeat while I edit our online materials.
How did you introduce your pet to metal?
Vadim : It was from day one that once we took them home, metal was always blasting from my speakers and they got used to it from day 1.
Shayne: Same, my beagle Bailey has always sat on the carpet with his head next to the bass cabinet, in front of the drum set or monitors in my home studio. He’s probably deaf.
What animal charity means most to you?
Vadim : I would like to mention: https://www.vokra.ca/ they really help stray cats. As I adopted Roxy from the streets back in Moldova and brought her to Canada, I fully support helping stray cats.
Shayne: We’ve worked with Critteraid, a local rescue in the Okanagan, BC Canada. I also want to shout out Adopt a Dobe, my good friend Lindsey and her partner oversee; https://adoptadobe.com/
