It would appear that the beef that recently erupted between Mötley Crüe bassist/vocalist Nikki Sixx and former Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin was a one-sided affair. Larkin took to the internet on June 29th for a livestreamed video, in which he apologized to Sixx for his comments. In a June 19th livestreamed video, Larkin weighed in on former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini getting called up to fill-in on drums for Godsmack. His involvement with the hard rockers followed a brief tenure for Wade Murff, who had been announced as the latest Godsmack drummer this past April. During that video, Larkin weighed in on artists who use click tracks and backing tracks live, citing Sixx as an example.
Larkin stated in that initial video, which was transcribed by Blabbermouth.net:
“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.”
Sixx picked up on Larkin‘s comments on June 28th, perceived them as a targeted attack, and went on to firing back with the following post on social media:
“Who’s this Shannon Larkin hater?
It’s funny how so many B- and C-level bands seem to spend more time talking about us than writing songs people actually remember. Maybe it’s jealousy, maybe it’s insecurity, maybe ticket sales are a little slow. Either way, borrowing someone else’s spotlight has never been much of a long-term career strategy.
I genuinely feel for musicians who never figured out that the best publicity is writing great songs—over and over again, decade after decade for fans not critics.
It reminds me of the endless bimbo podcast crowd that builds an audience by talking about everyone else instead of creating something worth talking about.
Anyway, maybe he’s needs to take a nap before he does more press.”
Of course, there may have also been some lingering tension at play, given the bitter feud that erupted years back when Godsmack and Mötley Crüe clashed on tour together, leading Godsmack vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna to write the Sixx diss track “Cryin’ Like A Bitch!!”. That feud also played out in the press.
Larkin was a credited performer and songwriter on that track. Now in a new livestreamed video, Larkin went on to apologize to Sixx, stating that his aforementioned comments weren’t a diss. He stated [transcribed by Blabbermouth.net]:
“On my previous stream — it’s a show about music, and I play some music, I talk about the music I wanna release, which is independent. I don’t have some label to do that for me, so I can talk about my bands on the show or whatever And I pull up music news from Metal.net or Blabbermouth or whatever, and I’ll read some news. And for the last couple weeks, there’s been different people, rock stars or whatever, on these rock places like Blabbermouth, and they are opining, giving their opinion, they’re putting their two cents in about the, oh, click tracks and live tracks and what they’re playing live, what’s actually on tape that the audience is seeing.
And everybody’s throwing in their two cents: ‘Oh, I, I don’t mind. It makes the band sound better,’ or, ‘Oh, I hate that. It makes everything homogenized.’ But everybody has their own opinion on it in this world that I live in. And so I had just read it, and I read whatever I saw. I can’t remember who was talking about it at that one. And I read it. And so I put in my two cents. But I talked for a while about my two cents on the subject, which was I’m not really for it.
That said, you can see the show — it’s on my channel or whatever — and rewatch it because I have nothing against people that do use it… I don’t like to use it. Godsmack didn’t use it. Amen didn’t use it. Ugly Kid Joe didn’t use it. Wrathchild didn’t use it. All the bands I’ve ever been in, we just never used a click track live, and therefore if you run tracks, you have to use a click track. So to me, it takes the danger out of it, and I have this whole weird thing.
And so I put my two cents in it, and then where I messed up and started this fucking drama is I used Nikki Sixx as an example of someone that I’ve seen singing at a mic and then walking away from it and his vocal’s still going or whatever, or the bass thing, whatever it is. And I called him out, I guess, but I didn’t… Like I said, it was taken out of context because I was talking about the whole thing and then I kind of said, ‘Like Nikki Sixx does when he’s at the mic.’
So I wanna make an open letter to Nikki Sixx, and I’m looking at Nikki Sixx, I’m looking at you, and I’m talking to you. You’ll probably never see this. And I didn’t think you’d ever even respond or hopefully wouldn’t see the thing, but I had nothing to do with that.
That’s why I’m apologizing. I was not doing that to attack you. I had fucking your first record on Leathür Records. I have nothing but respect for you. You’re a legend, and you’ve deserve all the accolades that you’ve gotten and every award and all those gold records, platinum records, all that shit — you deserve all that.
I made the mistake, which I’m apologizing for, sincerely too. Look at my eyes talking to you, because I’m sorry. I used you as an example. I’m one of those guys that’s I’m on the… I don’t do the tracks, but I have nothing against bands that do. And fuck, 80% of bands probably run the tracks. I don’t give a fuck.
On the show, on my show, I read the news or whatever, and I’d seen people talk about it, so I put my two cents in, and then I did — I fucking used you as an example, and for that, I’m sorry. But it popped in my head ’cause I was talking about it.
I wasn’t trying to get publicity, and you’re so famous, though, that I mentioned you in a sentence just as an example, and I shouldn’t have done that ’cause people take the track thing negatively. But I was being on the fence about the whole issue and just giving my opinion on what I felt. I feel it takes the danger out of it.
I don’t like playing with a click unless I’m in the studio, and then it’s my friend, and I love playing with a click, man. And I did, and I’m sorry for that. I didn’t mean to use you as an example. That’s all I’m saying. And there’s nothing wrong with running tracks, man. And fuck it. You still sing great and you’re Nikki Sixx. You can do what you fucking want. And you got as many haters as you got lovers ’cause you’re so famous, but who gives a fuck, right? You’re Nikki Sixx.”
Larkin went on to add:
“I don’t like beefs. I don’t like that L.A. fucking, like how you guys all hate each other and shit. And then — I don’t know. Beefs suck, and I don’t want to be in a beef. And I didn’t do this for fucking publicity. I don’t give a fuck. I walked away from this shit.
Man, you’re probably right exactly where you want to be, and you deserve it. And I’m sorry that I used you as an example because I was on the other side of the fence on the tracks thing. But I never even said that — fuck, some of my best friends are in bands that are fucking rock stars right now, headlining stages, and they’re running tracks. And I don’t give a fuck. I don’t say anything about it in public. Like I said, I shouldn’t have used you as an example. I did. Sorry.
I’m sincere when I say I have utmost respect for you, and you deserve everything that you have and got… It just popped in my head because it was just an obvious example. I’m sorry for that, but it is. And it doesn’t fucking matter. You’re Nikki Sixx. Doesn’t matter. And you’re one of the coolest cats, and everybody knows it, and everybody knows you.
I hope you see it and just fucking take me for real and know that I am sorry for saying it, for using you like that. But it wasn’t for what you think it was for, for this fucking press and attention… I was not starting shit… And so, for what it’s worth, you don’t know who I am, but you can sleep at night knowing I do respect you, and I didn’t mean to call you out like that. That was bullshit. Anyway, fuck it. I’m done. I’ve been talking to you, man, and I’m sorry. And that’s the truth.”
