Friday, November 13th at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino
By Lisa Morgan
Work ethic. That is the theme that comes across loud and clear when talking to Godsmack bassist, Robbie Merrill. It may not be trending or sound sexy, but it underscores the success that has led Godsmack to a viable, relevant 20 year career in one of the toughest industries in the world. This alternative metal band from Massachusetts created their own music scene that launched them toward three consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard 200 (Faceless, IV, and The Oracle), 20 top ten rock radio hits (including 15 songs in the top five), and a record number of top ten singles by any rock artist. Godsmack sold approximately 20 million records within their first decade, and continued to reach for gold record status in spite of extreme changes to the music industry. In honor of the band’s success, Mayor Marty Walsh, declared August 6 as “Godsmack Day” in the city of Boston. Sully Erna [vocals, guitar], Tony Rombola [guitar], Robbie Merrill [bass], and Shannon Larkin [drums]—paved the way for generations of rock bands.
I had the great privilege to talk to Merrill during a rehearsal about their upcoming show here in the Coachella Valley, and I can tell you, success has not changed his down to earth Bostonian nature. And even though he is now a doting father of three little girls, ages 4, 6 and 8, his drive and passion for the music and touring have not waned one bit.
CV Weekly: “So there are different stories about where the name Godsmack came from. Can you clear that up?”
Merrill: “Erna says that he was making fun of somebody who had a cold sore on his lip, and the next day had one himself. Somebody said, ‘It looks like God smacked your face for making fun.’ The name stuck, and we went by Godsmack from then on. We were aware of the Alice in Chains song, but didn’t really think much about it at the time actually.”
CV Weekly: “With 20 years in this business, things were very different when you started out. What changes had the most impact?”
Merrill: “It’s been a fun ride – pretty awesome…going from being a struggling musician to hoping to get signed, getting signed, and then sustaining the momentum while pretty much keeping the same line up. We made our career off the radio stations, and that’s all going away. It’s getting very corporate; one corporation owns all the stations these days. And it’s a digital world now. When we got signed we did CDs. Now you go on your phone and hit a button. It’s crazy. You don’t even know what’s going to happen in the next 10 years. We were lucky. We had MTV. We had radio stations and radio people who loved us. Not that many bands have done that. But now, even for us it’s hard (to get radio play). We went from selling so many records to just trying to get Gold records. It’s new times. It doesn’t mean the music scene’s left, it’s just that people are getting it different ways, and there’s so much more music out there.”
CV Weekly: “What was the pivotal thing that launched you from the garage to getting signed?”
Merrill: “We never said no. We built our own scene from backyard parties. We had a CD out a year before we got signed. We did showcases in New York and LA. We got local radio to play our CD at night, and we started selling CDs. The next thing you know, we’re getting label attention. They saw the scene we had going on and zoned in on it real quick. They thought if we could do it here, we should be able to do it in other markets.”
CV Weekly: “What would you recommend to other musicians out there wanting to come up?”
Merrill: “I always tell people, and even myself, you have to market yourself; you have to go out on open mic nights, jam nights, rock or blues, any where you can. Then you get around other musicians that are like minded. Play every type of music, because then, when you get an opportunity, you’re ready to go.”
CV Weekly: “You have a unique style of playing bass. How did that develop?”
Merrill: “Basically, I’m a righty but I play lefty because I was born with a birth defect in my left hand. When I pluck the strings, I only use two fingers. In the studio, the two fingers sounded differently, so I’d play with one. I did this for years, but about 10 years ago, I had a bass tech say, ‘Why don’t you try these finger picks?’ I said, ‘What, are you out of your mind?’ I put them on and said, ‘Nope, won’t do it – I can’t feel the strings.’ But, I liked his idea (in theory) so I kept playing with them. I started to notice how consistent my two fingers were, and I could play triples quicker and with more clarity. They’re actually a pain in the ass to wear because they’re tight and they hurt, but it’s gotten to the point that I can’t play Godsmack without them.”
CV Weekly: “What is the principle behind maintaining a 20 year relationship with this band?”
Merrill: “A lot of it’s got to do with being selfish. If you’re selfish, you’re never going to make it. If you’re all about yourself it’s not going to work. We respect each other. With a lot of talent involved, we’ve had to be in the right places at the right time to get to where we are, so we have to follow the lead and work together. We feel really blessed and lucky – it’s pretty awesome.”
CV Weekly: “How about on the business side of things?”
Merrill: “Read books about what you don’t know. As soon as you start making your mark, a lot of people start showing up. You have to read them pretty quick. Are they there for you, or are they there for themselves? Are they honest? Do a lot of homework on them. And you always have to hold the reigns; never give them up. Study and learn about taxes and know who to trust.”
CV Weekly: “What’s the best part of this business for you?”
Merrill: “Touring. That’s why we do this. I’ve been everywhere this year, which has been a blast – from Australia to Europe and all over the states. After you do all the work, touring is the gravy.”
A new album is in the works after the first of the year following the end of this busy tour and the holidays, which means you might not want to miss this opportunity to see this powerful foursome. A limited number of tickets are still available.
Godsmack will be playing at Fantasy Springs Resort Hotel & Casino in Indio on Friday, November 13th. Doors open at 7:00 PM
Tickets: $69, $49, $39 and can be purchased online at fantasysprings.com. The box office is open until 9pm.
