John Campbell told Bass Guitar Magazine about his secret playing and about his passion:
“I look at bass players who blow my mind. I look up to them, although I’m not sure I can aspire to reach to some of those heights.
“There’s a local guy, Mike Bishop, who was one of the original GWAR bass players. Early on, he was just this local Richmond guy and a phenomenal bass player who I looked up to.
“And Faith No More’s bass player Billy Gould, holy crap! He’s got to be one of my favorites ever. Those are bigger shoes than I could ever hope to fill.
“I’m not a learned player in any way, shape or form. I just drink beer and play heavy metal. [Laughs] What I have noticed is that when I sit down, I take a hard look at myself and what we’re playing.
“We have to play this stuff cleanly, efficiently and quickly. It’s a long way to get from the basics but I think I’ve nailed them pretty well.”
Asked about “the secret to his playing,” John replied:
“Your pinkie finger – you’ve got to use your pinkie!
“You can play in a punk rock band using one finger, but if you want to be a good, intricate player who can play complicated things, dude, the pinkie is 25% of what you’ve got going on, and you’ve got to use it.
“That’s really how you should be playing. I have to play like that in Lamb of God or I’m never going to keep up. It’s that important, man!”
