Dave Lombardo is best known as a co-founding member and former drummer of American thrash metal band Slayer, but in 2016 he joined the punk band Misfits as a touring member for their classic-lineup reunion trek.
While appearing on The Pit Lombardo shared that internet critics said that he had too much talent for Misfits, a notion he disagrees with.
“The trolls are going, ‘There’s too much talent in the band.’ That, to me, is not true,” he began.
“First of all, you need to learn the songs to a point where Glenn calls them out, ‘What are we going to do? Let’s do ’20 Eyes’!’ You have to know that intro, you have to know that count. There are 30+ songs we played on stage, and if Glenn calls them out, you got to know them! And a lot of them sound similar!
“So to just say, ‘Too much talent for the band,’ it is not true. You really need to be on point and be professional, and know your shit, and memorize those songs. There can’t be any kind of mistake.
“I would feel terrible to pull any kind of a mistake on stage. In any band! It’s just something you don’t do.”
Lombardo was handpicked by Misifts members and joined Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle during their Riot Fest appearances in September 2016.
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Speaking of how he joined the band, Lombardo said: “Somebody sent me a message, ‘Hey, Danzig wants to call you. Is it cool I give him your number?’
“‘Yeah, of course!’ He calls me up out of the blue, he says, ‘Dave, the Misfits are getting back together…’ And he said that he was not going to get the band together unless he chooses the drummer, and he wanted me to be the drummer. And I was honored.
“‘I want you as a guy behind me.’ I said, ‘Great, I’m ready to go.’ He would put me in touch with Jerry, they sent me a list of songs, which was probably around 30 songs, and they are all under two minutes. I had to sit there and make my notes, learn these songs…”
The reunion tour was met with a glowing response, with fans loving their comeback after a 33-year hiatus. Second guitarist Acey Slade, also jumped on board for the shows in which the band recited 25 of their so-called “hits from hell”.
For more on this topic, head to The Rock Observer.
Watch the full interview with Dave Lombardo:
