The members of Godsmack are Ozzfest veterans, so they definitely know how to have a good time on tour. Billboard has some video evidence.
Currently on the Rockstar Energy Uproar tour, Godsmack has been filming video diaries, chronicling their adventures and misadventures as they play alongside friends like Seether, Buckcherry, and Skillet. Billboard presents an exclusive first look and the first two installments of Godsmack’s video tour diary.
In episode one, Godsmack offers up-close, onstage footage as they rock through the first date of the Rockstar Energy Uproar tour, Aug. 15 in Detroit. There also may have been a little pre-show drinking ritual.
Godsmack’s Sully Erna Talks ‘1000hp,’ Unveils Track List: Exclusive
In episode two, bassist Robbie Merrill goes on a go-kart ride, frontman Sully Erna practices his on-camera persona backstage, and the band lives it up with a little day drinking.
Billboard also has en exclusive tour diary from drummer Shannon Larkin:
We rehearsed well (and hard) for this one (about three weeks) as it’s been a while since we’ve toured; and we’ve been in the writing/recording mode for a bit also. So from show one we felt pretty strong. But something happens when you go live for real, in front of the audience, and you end up playing, hitting, singing, etc. much harder and with greater intensity. And so week one was getting all the bugs ironed out with the production (lights, sound, monitors, pyro, etc…and a shit ton of other things, too many to mention), as well as realigning our bodies and minds to the grind of the road and the physicality of the stage.
We are there. Week two and it settles in. The kinks start to go away, the body gets stronger. You start to get a routine to keep things interesting. After a couple of shows, Sully changed the setlist. It made the set sooo much better. That’s just a “for instance” on the machine. It gets well oiled after a bit, then runs smoother. The crowds have been great, with standouts being Indy, Cinci, Detroit… but rock is alive and well in the good ol’ USA.
The attitude and atmosphere backstage has been awesome — great bands, great catering and festival production — a nice vibe that isn’t at all weird. Fun parties. No drama so far except one of the shows didn’t have a stage that could hold all the gear (which made it unsafe to play on), so we had to cancel (sorry PA, we’ll make it up to ya). But yeah, so far it’s lived up to everything I’ve come to expect from this killer festival, and this ain’t my first rodeo.
I wish I had these kinds of festivals when I was young, ‘cause the fans really get a bang for their buck. Tons of badass bands all day and into the night for less dough than a football game.
We’re not even halfway through this and all the bands are cranking and motoring and looking forward to the next show, and the one after that.
It’s always sad when these tours end and you don’t see so many faces that you’ve grown accustomed to seeing every day for weeks on end, so we enjoy it while it lasts, and play every single show like it could be the last.
Cheers to every one of you who have come out and rocked out with us so far, and to the people that we’ll see in the upcoming weeks. And to all of you going to ROCK SHOWS and keeping music alive! No machine can replicate a big loud band tearing up a stage!! No computer screen or YouTube video can match that feeling when the lights go down and the intro starts and you are THERE!! CHEERS!
And there’s still plenty more time for Godsmack tour fun. The band remains on the Rockstar Energy Uproar tour through Sept. 21, as it treks through the American west. Next up, they play tonight (Sept. 11) at Greyhound Park in Post Falls, ID.
Godsmack is out promoting its new LP, 1000hp, which dropped Aug. 5 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
And finally, Godsmack is the subject of an upcoming Yahoo! Live Stream to hype the new album. Head over here on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. (ET) to get in on the fun.
Here are Godsmack’s upcoming headlining dates, following the Rockstar Energy Uproar tour:
Sept. 23: Boise, ID (Taco Bell Arena Rock Theater)
Sept. 25: Lethbridge, Alberta (Enmax Centre)
Sept. 27: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Credit Union Centre)
Sept. 28: Edmonton, Alberta (Shaw Conference Centre)
Sept. 29: Regina, Saskatchewan (Brandt Centre)
Oct. 1: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Theatre Bowl)
Oct. 2: Fargo, ND (Scheels Arena)
Oct. 4: Bismarck, ND (Bismarck Civil Center)
Oct. 5: Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)