Godsmack – Interview [2001]

Life in a rock band isn’t all money and chicks. There is a hell of a lot of work involved and part of that is talking to the press, so here I am interrupting Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart’s vacation. Well, it was for a good cause: our readers.

With a few weeks off before they kick off yet another tour of the States, I had a chance to speak with Tommy. We didn’t talk about the meaning of life, but we did get around to a few other things.

I see they’re keeping you busy, so I guess your time off isn’t really time off.

I know.

It must be good at least from the perspective that people want your time.

Yeah, it is. It’d suck if no one wanted us.

Did you set it up so that you’d come back from overseas to have some time off?

Actually we were originally only supposed to have twelve days off, but Limp Bizkit cut the tour ten days short so we had an extra three weeks off. It’s good to recharge the batteries because we’ve got two months of touring coming up. Now I can enjoy some of the summer. We should be all set for the tour.

Are you able to have a permanent residence?

The band has been on the road pretty much nonstop, but I guess you get rooted in wherever you live because when you are home you want it to feel like home. I try to make the most of it. We’ve always tried to make the road like home, but now that we’ve put so much time into it we’re starting to enjoy the time off to catch up on our lives.

How different is being on the road this time around?

We did a lot of the hard work touring for the last album. We toured for something like two years. Then we took a short break to record Awake and then went right back on the road. All the success was do to all that hard work. You get back what you put into it. We wanted to get a lot out of it so we worked hard to get it. There is a lot of competition this summer for the concert dollar and I think the package of us and the Deftones is a good one. So our work is still cut out for us. We are also talking about touring this fall. I think the only thing that has changed for us is you do get a little tired. It does kick you in the ass to know the work’s not over and appreciate where we are and what we have.

Do you think metal is a little lost and is there too much pressure from everyone looking for some sort of savior?

Personally, I don’t feel responsible. I don’t think any of us feel a lot of pressure to revive a scene or be a part of a new scene. We just do what we do. We just want to make the best record and kick ass on tour.

Who growing up would you want to sit in with?

I think one of those I got to fulfill, I never knew it was a dream, but I was a huge Black Sabbath fan. Spending four months with them was huge. I think when I was growing up I didn’t think I’d have the chance to be onstage with those four guys, and when that opportunity manifested itself in ’99 I was like ‘Holy shit!’. But some other groups that I listened to growing up were Rush, mostly because of Neal Pert. But I also liked Grand Funk Railroad. I liked all that stuff. To be involved or surrounded by some of the musicians that I idolized growing up is incredible. Who would have thought twenty years later these guys would still be around?

Ozzy is just a phenomenon. How that guy has managed to stay at the top is just insane.

I know. I remember reading a quote from him where he said ‘you’ll have to bury me’ before you get him off stage. He wasn’t fucking kidding.

Are you a fan of both musicians themselves as well as bands?

Yeah, both. I think that is one thing about us that I really enjoy is that we are still fans. We aren’t fifteen-year-old fans, but we are fans. We did some shows a while ago with Sevendust and we are their biggest fans. On top of that I think that Morgan, their drummer, is an inspiration. All those guys are talented and unbelievable. We are still fans and we try to model our show after groups we liked. When you were fifteen, what did you want to see onstage? That is what we are trying to bring back. I think for a long time it got away from the show and more about the song, which isn’t bad, but we like the visual stimulation.

Do you think about the fact that kids are dropping forty dollars to see you and you want to give them bang for their buck?

Yeah. And I think the shows are coming back. Look at Slipknot, they’re doing that. And Pantera have been around for a long time and they are still kicking ass and it’s a really big rock show. It’s impressive.

I think everyone would suspect you guys are into metal, but are there bands fans might be surprised that you listen to?

I think they’d be surprised. I have on the road with me Jim Croce. Jellyfish, their second record is unbelievable. I have Sevendust, Our Lady Peace, I’m a big Harry Connick Jr. fan.

The last Our Lady Peace album is really good.

You know, I need to get that one.

Being on the road, do you see characteristics of the guys in Godsmack that you wish you had?

Yeah. I think that is something I learned early on. It’s almost like a crash course on getting to know someone. Like Tony, our guitar player, I admire him because he is so level all the time and nothing gets to him. It’s all small shit to him. That is something I wish I had that because I can be up and down about shit. Sully’s drive and ambition is really inspiring. I think that is why we are all together as a foursome, because we inspire each other. I think one person may be way over here and another way over there and we all meet in the middle.

Is it helpful because you have other guys that can relate to how life has changed so much?

No question. We’ve been together for six years and it’s great that we’ve been together and grown as individuals as well as a band. I think we’ve grown the most in the last three years because we were thrust into a different life. We’re a family.

+ charlie craine