PhotoCredit JENSEN
LAMB OF GOD
A conversation with John
Campbell
by Christopher Mygrant
PhotoCredit JENSEN
WOF:
What was the touring experience with SlipKnot?
JC: It
was amazing. It gave us a taste of playing bigger shows and stuff. At Ozzfest we
played in the parking lot on the stage and now we're going to play the big rooms
like (Judas) Priest and (Black) Sabbath are playing. It was a pretty amazing
experience. The kids were really into it and we're still getting used to playing
that monsterous fucking stage.
WOF:
With all the different genres of music, what steered you down the path of metal?
JC: I
played in a few different bands, but none were metal. They were more like
rock-n-roll and stuff and Chris came to me and said, "Let's start writing
metal." I said, 'Alright, cool." So Chris Adler was the rutter and the
oar in the metal waters.
WOF: As
I was pulling into the parking lot, the car across from me had Ashes of the
Wake playing. As a musician, how does that make you feel? You all have
produced a product and now people are listening to that product.
JC:
That's pretty cool, for sure.
WOF:
From a fans point of view, what makes for good music?
JC:
That's a good fuckin' question. Uh, for me to...I don't know what it is about
music that I do like, but something about the music has got to grab me. And the
way I relate to music is that I obsess over it. I'll find someone that I dig,
and then I'll just plow through everything I can find about them. I won't listen
to anything else for months and months and months and then go find something
else I can burn out on. But I go from Hip Hop to Country to Rock to Metal.
WOF: So
you obviously do not stick with the genre in which you play.
JC: I
actually listen to very little metal.
WOF:
Really? So what is your favorite type of music?
JC: The
last record I was freaking on was Mark
Lanegan. He sang for the Screaming Trees in the early 90's.
It's kind of a Tom Waite(ish) kind of thing, but with a different flavor. I
could not stop listening to the record Bubblegum for a long time.
WOF:
You said that music has to grab you in order for you to listen, but how does
Lamb of God work its music in order to grab others?
JC:
(Laughing) Well, that's a secret I can't really let out. We put Opium in it
(laughing). You gotta come back for more (laughing). We've always just written
the sounds we've had in us. Mark (Morton – guitar) and Willie (Adler –
guitar) are the primary songwriters and those dudes just come up with bad ass
riffs that have hooks and are catchy. They have the love, the talent and the
creativity to come together with that stuff.
WOF:
Other than bass, are there any other instruments you play?
JC: I
play the acoustic guitar at home, just fucking around. I can play drums, not
great, but it's funs.
WOF:
Who are your musical inspirations?
JC:
I've always looked up to Cliff Burton even when I didn't dig metal. Not that I
can even play a quarter as well as that dude, but that was an amazing
motherfucker. I don't really..uh..I try to go my way man. I don't have too many
idols.
WOF:
Bands of specific genres have always had predecessors to follow, but with the
lack of metal these past few years, Lamb of God is somewhat of the band that is
being followed. But who did you all look upon to inspire the sound?
JC: We
started the band in '94 because of the lack of metal going on. When we write
songs, we definitely refer to Slayer, Metallica and those classic bands like
that. Megadeth. Those are probably our most direct influences.
WOF:
For individuals who are not musicians, can you describe what it feels like to
have people listening to your product, attending your shows and have up-n-coming
bands looking at Lamb of God as a band they must follow?
JC:
It's awesome man. It's good times, but I try to stay realistic about it. In
another two or three years, what's going to be going down? Who knows. It's a
good time. Everybody is having a good time, but just like metal died out for a
little bit there, it's bound to happen again.
WOF:
It's interesting to hear you say that, because many artists live just for the
moment never thinking or realizing it all could come crashing down in a moment's
notice. When this part of your musical career finishes, will you be prepared to
move on and live the other part of what life has in store for you?
JC:
Ah, well, I am engaged to be married. I've got a puppy dog. I've got a whole lot
of friends in Richmond, Virginia and a whole lot of fishing spots (laughing).
No, I'm gonna have to go back to work. I bartended many, many years, and I'll go
back to doing that once this is all over.
WOF: In
the ten years that Lamb of God has been in existence, what has been the toughest
part of the music business?
JC: The
hardest thing about the business end of this is that we’ve been a band for 10
years. This has been our hobby longer than it’s been our profession. The
switch from hobby band to garage band to professional band was a little
difficult because none of us knew anything about business. We’re fairly
intelligent guys and we figure shit out, but it takes a second. The fact that we
made it this far is fucking bizarre.
WOF:
It’s amazing to you?
JC:
Yeah, completely. There’s nothing anyone can throw at us that…if someone
don’t like something, fuck them, fuck whatever the situation is. This is not
our be all end all.
WOF: So
you all are strictly playing for yourselves…
JC:
Absolutely.
WOF:
…but to a degree a band must have directors of sorts to guide …
JC: Oh
sure, sure…
WOF:
…but would you actually, honestly say that if you all really did not believe
in something, you all wouldn’t do it and possibly jeopardize…
JC:
Yeah…truly. I won’t name any names, but we were asked to go tour with a band
that we really didn’t feel like would shine a good light on us and we said,
‘No, we’re not gonna do that.’ We have the luxury of (pause) we could quit
this at any time. If someone is going to be an asshole about something,
there’s plenty of other people that will help us get something done.
We
never planned on succeeding. When we started the band in 1994, you never would
have thought that a metal band would get signed to a major label.
WOF:
Looking back on the decision to decline, do you all feel it could have propelled
your careers further? Any regrets? Was the band high-profile? The only reason
why I am continuing with this line of questioning is because some bands will do
what they feel they have to in order to further their careers – which is
understandable to a degree.
JC:
Well some people are worried about different goals and motivations. As for our
decision, I think it was a matter of, ah, God Dammit, if I would say the band it
would probably make perfect sense. But it was just a crowd and a band trying to
make a shift in what they were doing and so they were kind of trying to bring us
out, I think, to bring credibility to what they were doing. And ah, shit ain’t
for sale (laughing).
WOF:
Slipknot was okay with you all?
JC:
Yeah, it was fun. You know, it (pause) was the same production and that
definitely leads to headaches. There weren’t any major assholes, everybody is
an asshole, but nobody was a way bigger asshole than anybody else. We got the
job done.
WOF:
When you do get a moment to relax and have some downtime, what do you like to
do?
JC:
Well, like I said, I do a lot of fishing. I’ve got a pretty bad XBOX habit.
When I’m at home I hang out with my woman, my dog, my friends and I just take
it real easy. Go fishing and play video games.
WOF:
Question… Lamb of God equals?
JC:
Brutalicious
WOF: I
recently watched Metallica’s Some Kind of Monster. Is the conflict and turmoil
true to form for most bands? I mean, there are two pretty strong egos in that
band and clashes apparently came or do come often.
JC:
We’ve got egos really big too. On our DVD, Killadelphia, there are behind the
scenes and we are brutally honest in our behind the scenes. It also has the live
show. It’s like Some Kind of Monster in some ways. There is some brutal shit
that other bands wouldn’t show you.
WOF:
How is it possible to go on stage knowing you are pissed off at each other?
JC:
We’ve been a band for ten years. We’ve known each other for 15 (years) and
we’re like brothers. You know, brothers fight but they still get their shit
done. We get along great. We party and take care of each other.
WOF:
What lies in store for the fans of Lamb of God and what will you be doing
between breaks?
JC:
We’ve got a U.S. festival in the summer, then I’m gonna get married and then
we’ll see where it runs from there.
WOF:
Okay, John, last question. What have you not achieved to this point in your
life?
JC:
Going to Japan. Hopefully we will be there this year. I really want to go to
Japan very bad.
WOF:
What’s intriguing to you about Japan?
JC:
(Laughing) I’ve just heard great stories about Japan. I’ve always been
fascinated by it. I think it’s really important to, especially Americans,
experience a culture where they are a minority. I think it’s important to not
be the top dog all the time. I think it’s important to go somewhere where you
don’t know fucking heads from tails. I just enjoy those experiences and think
that that makes people more learned and experienced people.
WOF:
John, thanks for your time. World of Fandom and its readers appreciate it.