Interview with John Campbell from Lamb of God

John Campbell in Seattle

Interview by Scott Cameron, July 25 2005 in Seattle Washington

Scott: How is the tour going so far, John?

John Campbell: Tour is incredible. I get to spend my time hanging out with dudes like this. (Note: He is busy rolling dice with members of Every Time I Die)

S: This year is the first time Lamb of God did a proper European tour. How did that go?

JC: That was incredible. It was an amazing experience and I really hope to do something again like that. In December we're going to out and do some more stuff. It's going to be limited. That was an amazing experience. The people over there are really receptive and the beer was good over there too. You know I do like crappy beer, Millers, PBR.

S: Let's say a person has never heard Lamb of God before. How would you describe the band and the music?

JC: Oh, heavy fucking metal. (Laughs.) I don't think there's any other way to describe that.

S: Your latest album, Ashes of the Wake has been out close to a year now. What are your thoughts on the album after having all that time to reflect on it?

JC: The reflection time has been a lot of time on the road. We actually hit the road to support that before the record was finished being mixed. Our fans were receptive to it and it's enabled us to have a really good year touring which we're closing up now on this Sounds of the Underground Tour.

S: OK. How does the song writing process work with Lamb of God? Does just one person do the majority of the writing or is it an equal partnership?

JC: Actually Mark and Willy are the main riff writers and they call Jordan from Every Time They Die and make sure he hasn't been listening in on the riffs and won't steal anything and then Randy and Mark do the lyrics. But everyone has a say as it comes together and sometimes they come as full songs in the practice space from either Mark or Willy and sometimes its parts and we work on arrangements, ideas and screwing around.

S: After the unfortunate incident in Germany is Lamb of God now discouraging the participation in the "Wall of Death?"

JC: There wasn't a specific German incident. It was Ozzfest and the people who insured us asked us not to do it any more. They saw the footage of it and I think they had to pay on some broken legs. We continued to do it for a little bit afterwards on our off dates but even on those shows there were more and more people showing up and with the bigger crowds, people get hurt. And it really sucks to see people get hurt. So we've stopped doing it but kids will still do it of their own making in the pit. They know which song, what part and sometimes it gets pretty out of hand.

S: What do you like most about the music industry?

JC: What do I like most about it? It steels my breasts. (Laughter)

S: What do you like least about the music industry?

JC: That's a good question. The way it's structured; that it's a corporation… a modification of art.

S: What about touring? Do you like to do that?

JC: I love touring. Especially when you get to out with a bunch of your friends; situations like Sounds of the Underground. There were eighteen bands on tour that we've been friends with for a really long time. You know you can run around all day and still not catch up with everybody you know on the tour.

S: What are your thoughts on illegal downloading of music over the internet?

JC: Well that goes back to that "modification of art" again and you know it's a kind of a hard thing for me because I've definitely downloaded stuff in the past and I know it impacts the big wigs more than it does us today. You know, we'll see how it rolls.

S: I you could go back in time would you do things differently?

JC: Yes. Some things I would. I don't really have a lot of regrets but I don't thing anyone thinks they got it right the first time.

S: Do any of the band members play video games and if so what games do they play?

JC: I am a video game addict. I play Halo 2 consistently and constantly. Willy plays some video games, the driving kind of games kinda feller. Randy gets into video games, but he likes the really gay ones like Fable and stuff. He likes the choose your own adventure kind of thing.

S: What do you do for fun other than the musical projects, the touring and recording and everything?

JC: There hasn't been a whole lot of time to do much of anything besides get a little down time, chill out and win money off my friends. I hang out with my dog, my girlfriend who I'm actually going to make my wife two weeks after this tour.

S: Congratulations.

JC: Thank you. Do a little fishing. Hang out with my friends. Do a little drinking.

S: If you hadn't been born in this century, when and where would you liked to lived?

JC: Probably with the Mayans, back in the day when their civilization was kickin' it, the woman ran around with next to nothing on.

S: What were your musical heroes?

JC: Musical Heroes? You know there's people I admire…Willy Nelson. He's done it a really long time and kept true and he's smoked a joint on the roof of the White House, did an interview about it and next the IRS was checking out his taxes.

S: What do you do with your spare time while you are on tour?

JC: I play video games. I play poker. What else do I do? That's it video games and poker. That's pretty much it. Oh, no. I do a lot of fishing. I don't have like a specific hobby. Especially recently, now I'm not getting home for a long time. I really enjoy being home.

S: You live in Virginia?

JC: I live in Richmond, Virginia.

S: There's a lot of fishing around there?

JC: There's a lot of fishing around there.

S: Right on. When are you completely satisfied with your work?

JC: I don't think you ever are. I think there's always in the creation of something there is always more you can do even though it's later, there's stuff you can do. I was incredibly happy when "Ashes of the Wake" came out. It was definitely a good piece of work there.

S: What are you listening to lately?

JC: The same crap I always listened to and I've listened to this band out of Richmond which is now defunct, called the Nollies, I go to sleep to that every night. Some of the coolest shit ever. And there's RPG, another band out of Richmond that plays some heavy duty rock and roll. And a band Allnight from North Carolina and another band Broadlow from New York City.

S: What is your favorite album by another artist or band?

JC: One of my favorite all time records ever is "Scum Dogs of the Universe" it's a Gwar record. That record changed my life for sure when I moved to Richmond, Virginia in 1990

S: What song are you the most proud of and why?

JC: Hmmm. I'm not sure. I think the very first Burn the Priest song ever. I don't think it ever got a title.

S: Are there any songs you wish you had not done?

JC: No. Absolutely none.

S: Have you ever recorded with any other groups before "Lamb of God?"

JC: Yes. A band called "Fatty Love."

S: Is it possible to be on the road and not eat junk food?

JC: Absolutely not.

S: People have the image that it's non-stop partying when the bands are touring, is that true?.

JC: It can be. But I like the analogy, can you remember back in your high school days? You can go to the one party house when you knew you could go and drink some beer and there was always beer there. We live in that house on the road and as a 32 year old man, it gets tiring at times. So there's definitely times when the partying gets old, but if you really wanted to party every day, the opportunity is there.

S: Do you have a contract rider that calls for back-stage amenities?

JC: We have a rider that definitely provides for inebriation.

S: What would you be doing if you weren't a musician?

JC: Bartending. That's what I did before.

S: Other than your current band members, if you could get any musician living or dead, who would be in your ideal dream band?

JC: I'd like to hang out with Cliff Burton because he could show me a whole lot of shit.

S: What was the first album you remember purchasing?

JC: The very first album I bought was "Black Flag, Everything Went Black."

S: Good one. And how many CDs and records are in your home collection?

JC: I don't know. I just moved and I've got a few boxes of them.

S: What's your next for you after the Sounds of the Underground Tour?

JC: Going home to get married. Then we're going to take a little bit of time off. And the big fishing trip planned with Every Time I Die, we're going to use musicians for chum. Cat fishin' and Bass fishin'. And we're going to Europe in December. And work on a new record.

S: Are you satisfied with your bands current status as an underground icon or do you wish that you were more popular than Jesus Christ?

JC: (Laughs.) You know with our new DVD coming out "Killadelphia" by High Roller Studios mostly headed and directed by Doug Spinginberg, I personally become a lot more recognizable in a crowd on this tour. Before I used to be able to walk around and maybe somebody would recognize who I was.

S: Well, Ozzfest probably helped that too.

JC: All things combined but really noticeable as soon as the "Killadelphia" DVD came out and you know I'm not so sure that's a good thing. Being as popular as Jesus Christ, yeah. They killed him, didn't they?

S: Any last words?

JC: You know, think for yourself and think about what you're doing and listen to Every Time I Die.