Metal Anarchy

As previously reported, Godsmack recently recruited Mike Mangini (ex-Dream Theater) to handle drums on their current tour. Now, the band’s former drummer, Shannon Larkin, has defended the group’s decision to hire someone viewed as “overqualified.”

Larkin said the following:

“The talent level of Mike Mangini being supremely high in the drum world does not mean that Mike Mangini can’t come in and slam a drum like me or John Bonham or whoever plays a simpler style of music. And for what it’s worth, these people that feel this way, prog rock nation or whatever, they probably only heard the songs that everyone hears from GODSMACK, and they don’t listen to the rest of the records where we’re not progressive, but we play more intricate metal riffs and songs, like ‘Locked & Loaded’, like ‘Livin’ In Sin’. I mean, I could name songs that aren’t just ‘Keep Away’ and ‘Voodoo’ and ‘Speak’ and ‘Cryin’ Like A Bitch’ or whatever. And I’m certainly not defending it, because you just look at success, people. And we were very, very successful, and GODSMACK will continue to be very successful, whether it’s Mike Mangini playing the drum or [GODSMACK frontman] Sully Erna, who played on the first two records and could play the drums if he wants anyway. But I know that Mike would not overplay and wouldn’t feel bored playing in a big rock band like GODSMACK if it’s not… I just hate the word ‘overqualified’ in drumming. And then everybody, of course, has to shoot their examples. Rod Morgenstein [playing with] WINGER, right? And so I dare any of those dudes to try and learn some DIXIE DREGS Rod Morgenstein, and then they have the nerve to try and diss him for joining a rock band like WINGER, who’s very simple. I don’t know their songs, but they were famous. And everybody then has to throw their two cents in about money, cash, money, ‘Oh, it’s for the money. Selling out. Terry Bozzio played for MISSING PERSONS for the money. He wants money.’ It’s, like, well, how else are we gonna pay our rent? Or if you wanna, God forbid, get a mortgage, buy a house, maybe get married, have a kid. What are you gonna do? And then you got all this talent ’cause you can play fucking — I don’t know, whatever hard prog song that y’all prog dudes say that’s the holy grail. Like it used to be in thrash, ‘Angel Of Death’ [SLAYER] or whatever, if you could play that. Or on guitar, ‘Eruption’, that kind of thing. I’m sure there’s a prog song that y’all say, ‘Oh, ‘La Villa Strangiato’, it should be.’

So anyway, all these people are… They like to say, ‘That’s like if Virgil Donati played for AC/DC.’ And in every example that I’ve read, and as I see all these comments, I’m thinking, man, everybody that you’re naming, whether it’s in the positive sense, your Virgil or your whoever, you people will never be that. You can have all the talent in the world, but what you don’t have is vibe or feel. And see, Mike has that too. But Mike’s not a man that would sit there and write, ‘Oh,’ negative remarks. Because with accomplishment on your instrument also comes these scores of hours, weekly or daily, of practice. And so once you get to the level of a Mike Mangini, you gain humbleness. It just happens with greatness.

In the world of active rock, people are very judgmental towards any kind of… It a comparison thing. They like to compare. And so the best comments that I saw on the whole Mangini thing were the GODSMACK real fans that were going, ‘Wow, that could be a different sound for GODSMACK even, having that much of a different player.’ And so they’re looking at it like it’s not a comparison of, ‘Oh, is he better or worse?’ than Wade Murff or Shannon Larkin or Will Hunt or Tommy Stewart, all the drummers now that have been behind the throne with GODSMACK. Joe Darko was the first one.

To get in that situation anyway, you gotta have high skills. You don’t get in the audition room unless you have a name somehow. All these people saying these negative things, they didn’t get an audition. They wouldn’t get an audition. And they can justify, ‘Oh, we’re way overqualified.’ Be way overqualified as you’re managing Best Buy, you know what I mean? And then you go home on your Neil Peart kit and you can play every DREAM THEATER song, and you’re overqualified. And you can feel good about yourself, but you’ll never get the call, you know what I’m saying? So, negativity and karma is a bitch.

My point, it’s about feel and vibe. You gotta have the talent to get the audition and get in there, but then, for whatever reason, Wade Murff, it didn’t work. And I watched the videos, and I was cheering Wade Murff on. What a great drummer and great dude. But sometimes it’s not about that. And I know he’s such a good dude, it wasn’t personal either. It wasn’t because they couldn’t get along or some bullshit. It wasn’t that. But Sully is a perfectionist. My boy, my friend Sully Erna is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to drums because he’s so good as a drummer. That dude’s my level. And I’m not bragging saying I’m high level, but, yeah. You know, experience.

The only thing I could see in any kind of criticism towards Wade Murff, as I watched videos back through the shows — every show’s online — was the interaction of tempo push and pull wasn’t as smooth perhaps, but Sully and I have been on the same page for over two decades playing live shows and making records together. And so what I try to explain to people about tempo and when you’re not a band that’s a click-track, backing-track kind of band. So GODSMACK uses no click tracks, no backing tracks. It’s a thing that a lot of other musicians talk about too, I notice now. I’m really noticing it. We’ve been saying it for years as we watched the advent of everybody started adding some, the rhythm guitar or something being played, but there isn’t a guy behind the amps playing it. It’s on a track. Oh, it’s a new thing, kinda. And backups, you see Nikki Sixx up there [with MÖTLEY CRÜE]. He’s not really singing, he looks away, but you still hear his voice. Well, it’s a track playing. But in order for those things to happen, the band has to be on a click track — and the band doesn’t have to. It’s just us, the drummer. We’re on a click, so it’s always the same every night. So it’s a homogenization of what used to be the dangerous feeling of a rock show — dangerous from the band’s aspect on stage too. You don’t know what’s gonna go on.

We’re humans. We do make mistakes. That’s another thing that I did notice [while watching videos of Wade with GODSMACK], was little tiny mistakes that I’d see. And, of course, it’s a brand new gig so you can’t… But I do know that Sully is a perfectionist and that he was used to somebody that didn’t make mistakes. And when I say that, it’s not a bragging thing. I can say it now ’cause I saw [former MOTÖRHEAD and current SCORPIONS drummer] Mikkey Dee say, ‘I never fuck up,’ quote, on Blabbermouth last week. And then I had to read that, of course. And he’s, like, ‘Yeah, if you’re well-rehearsed, and you don’t get drunk or do drugs or something before the show, and you show up, you have all the songs in your mind, and you’re a good drummer, well, why would you fuck up?’ So he goes, ‘I don’t fuck up.’ He even went as far as saying, ‘I told the SCORPS when I joined that I don’t fuck up.’ So I’m not being conceited saying ‘I don’t fuck up. I’m saying I don’t fuck up.’ Unlike Mikkey Dee, I do fuck up some time, and it was approximately once a year. And when I fucked up, I fucked up. And I’d start the wrong song. And the band’s, like, ‘That’s a fuck-up,’in front of 10,000 people. And you’re, like, ‘Oh.’ And all you can do is laugh it off. ‘Oh, Shannon’s nervous tonight,’ or something. But that’s it.

But anyway, if indeed Wade was making little mistakes even, but repeatedly, then I could see my perfectionist friend, Sully Erna, just probably realizing, it’s gotta be perfect for him or it’s not gonna be perfect.

It looks like Mike has joined the band. Is that forever? Probably. And I know if anybody can do it, Mike Mangini can do it. He has the beast in him, too, to be a big rock drummer and not have to do a zillion notes or something. So don’t underestimate big Mike. And he’s got a Boston accent, fits in with the the guys, I feel. And he’s an interesting drummer to watch, that’s for sure. He’s quirky. He does some cool, quirky, crazy shit back there. So he’s a showman. And he’s gonna be off the click. And he knows the push and pull, see? It’s experience.”

[via Blabbermouth]