No other band has influenced us more, on any level, than Metallica, and we knew we couldn't take a Metallica song and make it heavier
Wikimetal (Nando Machado): Hi, Shannon.
Shannon Larkin: Is everything alright?
W (NM): Everything. I'm Nando Machado, one of the hosts of Wikimetal, the number one heavy metal and hard rock podcast in Brazil. I'm here with Daniel Dystyler, one of our hosts.
W (Daniel Dystyler): Hi, Shannon. How are you?
SL: Hi, I'm fine, I'm fine. How are you?
W (DD): Excellent, it's a pleasure and an honor to have you and Godsmack on our show.
SL: Yeah, you know, I can't wait to go to Brazil.
W (NM): How did you choose Detroit as the city where you recorded your first live CD? Is Detroit still Detroit Rock City?
SL: Well, we had… We recorded most of our shows from the last nine years, so we hired Dave Fortman, the producer of the last album, because he has really good ideas. And we had him sit in a room for a week, watching all the shows we'd recorded over the last nine years to try and find the magic. Because the intention was, “Let's get the best performance of the songs, regardless of the cities where they were recorded.” But actually, when we filmed the show in Detroit, it was a magical show, the band was on fire that night, the crowd was pulsing, and it turns out that 90% of that album is recorded live in Detroit. There are a few other songs, I don't know exactly which ones, but the drum solo is from Washington DC, but, as I said, it was a magical night in Detroit Rock City.
W (DD): What was the process like working with producer Dave Fortman?
SL: It was incredible, I can tell you that. Dave Fortman used to play in a band called Ugly Kid Joe with me, and we got back together last year. And ironically, the band is going on a European tour, we made a new album, with me, Klaus, Whitfield, Cordell and Dave Fortman, and we made a new album, it's going to be released very soon, and you can check it out on YouTube, “Devil's Paradise” is the new video. And we're going to your country after this European tour, the original band, we're going to Brazil, Argentina and Chile. And we're crazy, man, we're excited.
W (NM): After you joined Godsmack, you had three consecutive number one albums, which is a huge achievement for any heavy metal band. Do you consider yourself very lucky, or do you think Godsmack is just getting better and better as time goes on?
SL: Well, yes, we're certainly getting more comfortable with the songwriting process; it's not as time-consuming anymore… We used to be a band that took three years to complete each album, you know, we tour a lot, so the songwriting process has gotten better as we've gotten to know each other over the last decade, as musicians and as people. And as for going to number one, man, that's a blessing. We're very lucky to be in the position we are here in the United States, and we'd love to be able to bring that to the whole world, and that's the intention of the live albums; we want to play all over the world now, not just in the United States.
W (DD): We have a classic question on our show that we ask everyone we interview: imagine you're listening to your iPod on shuffle, or listening to a rock station on the radio, and suddenly a song comes on that makes you lose control, you can't contain yourself, you can't stop headbanging, you want to headbang immediately. What song would that be so we can hear it on our show right now?
SL: Oh man, of all the songs of all time?
W (DD): Yes, whichever one comes to mind.
SL: OK, so let's go with "Mountain Song" by Jane's Addiction. This song will get you up out of your chair and moving.
W (NM): Excellent, Jane's Addiction on Wikimetal. What is the secret or strategy or whatever it is that Godsmack has that makes you guys so commercially successful as a heavy metal band, especially in the United States?
SL: Well, you know, it's no secret, everyone in this industry knows that you need both luck and talent. And also, timing is very, very important. I've heard many very, very good bands that simply don't make it, and it's not because they aren't great, it's simply because they were unlucky, maybe. So you have to be adaptable, have a lot of luck, and you have to have some talent too. So we've been very blessed that everything is… The stars are aligning for us, you know, and when you already have that, the secret is to maintain the initial flame and the initial energy, and then maybe you can have a long career.
W (DD): Excellent, Shannon. Who are your all-time favorite drummers?
SL: Neil Peart and John Bonham.
W (DD): And what was it like when you played with Ugly Kid Joe?
SL: Well, we were apart for 15 years, when everyone went their own way, but it was time to come back, so basically I started writing some songs with Klaus, and we talked about getting back together many times, even five years ago, but we didn't think it would amount to anything. But now, you know, everything is cyclical, life goes in circles, we thought it was time to do something again, and as I said, we're going to your wonderful country. So keep an eye out!
W (NM): What memories do you have of touring with the guys from Metallica? I think you did a few tours together, right? You also recorded “Nothing Else Matters.” What’s your relationship like with the members of Metallica in general?
SL: It's fantastic. I only have good memories, great memories… We started in Europe and that was supposed to be the only part of the tour we would participate in. And when we were on the European tour, with James and Lars backstage, they told us, “Hey guys, you're the first band that toured Europe with us and didn't get booed off the stage even once, do you want to do the rest of the world with us?” and we replied, “Of course!” We would play anywhere with them. But the best memory I have is that every day, James Hetfield, the guy, the legend, would come into our dressing room, sit down and say, “Hey guys, how are you today?”, and it was the same thing every day, so I thought, “My God, he's sitting there… We are in the presence of greatness, this is incredible!” Obviously, Metallica, for us as a metal rock band, they are the kings, they are the new Led Zeppelin. I remember it was incredible to see this guy two steps away from me saying, "Hey man? How are you doing?" It was surreal.
W (DD): Excellent, Shannon, thank you for sharing this.
W (NM): Currently, there are many North American bands achieving great commercial success, such as Godsmack, Disturbed, Lamb of God, and others. How does the current metal scene compare to the 80s and 90s in your opinion?
SL: Well, the '80s were a blur, so I can't remember much about the '80s. I remember a lot of hairspray and crap in the United States, but they also brought us Metallica, so a genre was created, which is thrash metal, Metallica, so that's a good thing about the '80s, I don't know, all that metal, thrash metal that came out and took off. And the '90s in the United States were marked by the grunge movement, and you know, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Nirvana came out of Seattle and basically overshadowed all the other bands, like Poison and Mötley Crüe and all those, with the premise that the music is much more important than your appearance, so I really like that. When Godsmack came out in 1998, at the end of the '90s, we were already in that phase where the music has to be great and the image not so much. So we're a middle-class rock band, we ride Harley Davidsons, you'll never find pictures of us with big hair and makeup, that never happened. That's why we called our third album "Faceless," because it's about the music and not some kind of image. But I think, ultimately, each decade has had revelations in music, in terms of genres that were created, whether it's thrash metal in the '80s or grunge music in the '90s. And in the 2000s, I don't know, it seems like everything's already been done. Country music is number one in the United States, you can say what you want, but it's a fact. Country music.
W (DD): Shannon, we know you're a very experienced drummer, having played in many other bands before Godsmack. What would you say has been the highlight of your career so far?
SL: The highlight of my career was playing with Black Sabbath and Ozzy on the tour called “The Reunion Tour.” They were with the drummer from Faith No More, and of course Ozzy wanted to do a show in Columbus, Ohio, and Mike Bordin had a full schedule after the show with Ozzy, the show with Sabbath, he was going to tour with Faith No More. So they needed a drummer, I got the call, and before I knew it I was in a rehearsal room with Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, playing Black Sabbath songs and rehearsing for a show we ended up doing in Columbus, Ohio. You know, I have to admit it was like… It was as big for me as when I had my first child, you know. As a kid, I grew up listening to Black Sabbath and all that, and suddenly there I was, playing with them. I have a photo to prove it, but Sharon Osbourne always said, “Oh, they film the show, one day I’ll give you the video,” and 15 years have passed and she never gave me the video. But this is definitely the biggest moment of my career, but also all the moments… Like Godsmack, for example, I received a gold album when I joined Godsmack and recorded “Faceless,” I received a gold album and my first number one album, so I hope this is just a work in progress.
Give your music away for free first, on your website, let people listen to it for free, hoping that people will like it and that you can sell it later.”
W (NM): Could you choose another song now? I'd like you to choose a Godsmack song that you're very proud of, so we can listen to it on our show now.
SL: Ah, OK. One of my favorite beats that I ever wrote for Smack was “Straight out of line.” And that ended up being a number one single, a number one album, and the first song I wrote for Godsmack, so I’m very proud of that, and again, it’s one of the most incredible beats I’ve ever composed.
W (DD): The new album comes with an EP featuring four covers. I personally loved the version of Pink Floyd's "Time." What was the process like for choosing the songs you recorded?
SL: Well, basically, we played a bunch of songs and then got together and talked about them. The only covers we'd ever done in the band's career were songs by Black Sabbath and Zeppelin, so we thought, "if we're going to put covers on this new album, then let's try to go as far as possible." So we started with the greatest band of all time, the best songwriters in the world: The Beatles. So that's it, you can't go any further than that. And being from Boston, Massachusetts, where the band is located, we also have a cover of Aerosmith's "Come Together," and Aerosmith is a huge idol of ours, they're the original bad boys of Boston. So we realized we could do a cover of "Come Together" and do a Beatles/Aerosmith version, and that's how it happened. And then Metallica, our biggest influence, you can listen to the band and that's it, we sound like them, no other band has influenced us more, on any level, than Metallica, and we knew we couldn't take a Metallica song and make it heavier or anything, so we did the opposite, we took out the drums and bass and guitars, we just put in a piano and vocals, and that's how Metallica's music happened. Thirdly, Pink Floyd, what can I say? I think one of the favorite albums in the United States is "Dark Side of the Moon," even though I'm a guy who likes "Wish You Were Here" more, without a doubt Pink Floyd influenced all the bands in the United States, and that's why we chose "Time," it doesn't get better than that. And finally, Joe Walsh's music, this one is weirder, because Joe Walsh, as you know, was the guitarist for The Eagles. We obviously weren't that influenced by The Eagles or anything like that, but the fact is that Joe Walsh is one of those guys who writes music aimed at the American working-class middle class, and we think the same way, we consider ourselves a band from that working-class middle class. When we step on stage, we wear jeans and t-shirts, like our crowd, and so it feels like Joe Walsh is speaking to us. And besides, the first song I ever played, when I was 11 years old, was Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way," in the wonderful state of West Virginia.
I've heard many, many very good bands that simply don't become successful, and it's not because they aren't great, it's simply because they were unlucky, perhaps
W (NM): If you had to choose the three albums you love and listen to the most out of all time, tell me which three albums first come to mind.
SL: My three favorite albums of all time?
W (NM): Yes.
SL: I would say… I would put “Led Zeppelin II” as my first choice, because it changed my life instrumentally. Then I would say… You know this is an impossible question, don’t you? But OK… Black Sabbath’s first album: “Black Sabbath”. That was another one that changed my whole life, made me want to be a musician, made me want to play drums. And in third place I think I would choose… I would choose “Abbey Road” by the Beatles, simply because, in the end, it doesn’t matter what you look like, it doesn’t matter how many albums you’ve sold, in the end what matters is the quality of your music, and I believe they all knew how to write songs… All the songs on all the albums are incredible – that’s the Beatles. So it’s an impossible question, but Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and the Beatles.
W (DD): Excellent, excellent choice. Mr. Shannon Larkin, thank you very much for your time and patience. Before we finish, could you give some advice to a boy who is thinking about starting to play drums or forming a band? What would your advice be for a 15-year-old boy who is thinking about starting a career now?
SL: Well, my first piece of advice, you know, find the right band, guys. It all depends on the chemistry within the band. Secondly, you have to create a web presence, because you have to reach as many people as possible, so create a good website for the band. And thirdly, give your music away for free first, on your website, let people listen to it for free, hoping that people will like it and that you can sell it later. And finally, you have to take the music to the people, you have to play live and always try to surpass yourself, and with that, I say: practice, practice, practice.
W (NM): Excellent. Shannon Larkin from Godsmack, we really appreciate your time, we hope to see you soon in Brazil, and long live Godsmack, we will support everything you do in the future.
SL: Well, thank you for having me, thank you for taking the time to talk to me, man. And thank you for playing our music on the radio, we love it. Thank you.
W (DD): Thank you, Shannon. Bye.
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