Ask the Band:
Godsmack

1. What were the Japan fans like when you rocked them a couple months back?
from Deborah B. in Fort Myers, FL
SL: “Japan was great. We went over there and did two festivals opening for Kiss. Paul Rodgers was there, Social Distortion, it was awesome! People in Japan are very grateful to have the bands play; they’re not jaded at all. It’s a very respective culture, and they have great sushi [laughs]!

2. What makes the road a friendlier place to travel for folks on a massive tour like yours?
from Ave R. in Saskatoon Sask. Canada
SL: “Well, we play a lot of Playstation on the bus and on our days off, we go golfing, boating, sometimes camping – which is always fun, sitting around the campfire with a acoustic guitars, bongos, and bottles of wine, smoking cigars and singing songs…What else do we do? Well yesterday, Sully cut his fingers in a boating accident – so we’re wondering if we’ll be able to the drum solo tonight because his fingers are all sliced up.”

3. The music on the radio these days has become very popy and predictable. There are a few bands, like yourself and a few new bands such as Wolfmother, who still keep that rock and roll edge. We all now rock and roll won’t die but what do you think of these pop crap bands and do you think a new music revolution will come about anytime soon?
from Scott A. in Needham, MA
SL: “Wow, man – that’s a good question. I don’t listen to popular music, I still just listen to old music, whether it’s old punk or rock ‘n roll. Of course Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC – classic rock is what I love. The new bands that I listen to are like Black Crowes, Oasis, and other rock ‘n roll bands – like Wolfmother, by the way, which is just a great album. But I don’t want to disrespect anything that I haven’t really listened to. I can understand being fed up with that ‘pop crap’. But, you know, I have an eight year-old daughter and she likes Hillery Duff. I’m sure it has a place and anybody that is out there doing music is fine by me because I know how hard this business is. So, even if they are playing ‘pop crap’ or even polka, I don’t care. Cheers to them for being out there and actually doing it.

4. I know how that interview Sully had (where the band was accused of being responsible for kids enlisting in the military) went but would you have said anything differently? F
from John V. in Dartmouth, MA
SL: “Well, I just would have said: first off, we are not a political band at all. There are political bands that you could call and talk to, like Bono from U2...or a lot of punk rock bands are really actively involved in politics. When, we’ll straight up tell you that I’m not going to talk about something that I’m not educated in. So, I would have told the guy: you got the wrong guy and I’m not doing this interview not because I’m not proud of what I believe in which is my brothers and sisters dying for our country. Now, whether the war is right or not, I’m not educated enough to make that call. I don’t know what’s going on in Washington but I do now that I’m going to support my troops even if it’s a fucked up war that we are in. But, my pain point to him would have been that we are a rock band and if he says that we took money from the Navy to endorse us and pitch our song and get kids into the Navy, then I simply would have said that, ‘hey, I wasn’t in the band when they made that deal. [Laughs] That was pre-Shannon when they did that…”

5. Is it true that you bring your family on the road with you?
from Eric S.. in Westwood, MA
SL: “It’s been great, they actually came in two days ago. We had two days off in Atlanta and we’re friends with a couple of the Falcons football players, so we went and hung out last night. They are going to stay for the show tonight and then fly back home tomorrow. We can’t really go on tour together cause my daughter has school…sometimes, if she is off, then they can come out for a whole week at a time and travel. But as it is, they get to see one show and then fly home but it’s a pleasure having them with me.”