WOODROE ‘WOODY’ WEATHERMAN of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: Return To The Fold
An interview by Sarah Kidd.
Despite multitudes of line-up changes over the years, the core of who and what Corrosion of Conformity is as a band has never faded, many of it’s founding members returning to the fold as time has gone by thanks to brotherly bonds that run as deep as a river.
Formed in 1982 in North Carolina, their roots first broke ground as hardcore punk, years of growth bringing forth the distinctive, blues infused, metal sound to their work that fans hear today. An impressive ten studio albums to their name, and Corrosion of Conformity show no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and why should they when the calibre of both their music and live performances is still just so good!
With their last album No Cross No Crown safely tucked under their arm, live renditions of many of the tracks from it now well embedded in their skin, Corrosion of Conformity once again make their way back down to New Zealand, excitingly this time with Pepper Keenan back behind the mic.
I caught up with the icon that is guitarist Woody Weatherman as he enjoyed his last couple of days hanging around the house before jumping on a flight, to discuss the landscape of rock, Reed Mullin and just how Brian May of Queen gets around the fretboard…
First of all, as rather a legend in your own right and with Corrosion of Conformity forming in 1982, how have you seen the landscape of rock and metal change? Has it changed at all?
“You know, I mean it’s had ups and downs I think in just the scene in general. But I gotta be honest man, as far as heavy rock and metal it seems like it’s hitting on all cylinders these days. I don’t see any signs of weakness man, there’s tons of great bands, so many of the classic bands are still out there, bigger than ever! [laughs]
It’s kind of amazing to watch really, and it’s great you know, the fans are coming out, they’re all still there. It’s stronger than ever in my opinion”
Yeah, I have to agree, I have always seen the rock and metal landscape as one that is massively inclusive. There is no age limit, it doesn’t matter if you are sixteen or sixty – if you love a band and you turn up it’s like everyone at that show is one massive community.
“That is true. With us being kind of older gentlemen ourselves [laughs] you know we’ve seen a few things. Talkin’ about what you’re talkin’ about, a Corrosion Of Conformity show, a typical show, you see old guys and ladies coming out to the gigs and they got their young kids with them. [laughs] It’s sort of coming full circle.”
I love that, it becomes a generational thing. The kids grow up listening to the music and then they get into the same bands and the cycle perpetuates itself.
“That’s very true, yeah.”
Speaking of long-time members, sadly I don’t believe we will see Reed Mullin back behind the skins for this tour?
“Well unfortunately, he is having some health issues right now. And so we’re all rootin’ for him and pullin’ for him. John Green from Manchester, UK has been filling in on the skins for quite some time now and he will be travelling with us down to Australia and New Zealand. So he is doing a fantastic job!”
He is indeed, as he has been with you guys for quite some time now?
“Yeah, John’s been out with us for a while, we keep waiting on Reed to you know, get it back together and get his health going but it’s just not working out just yet. So ole John Green will be there.”
Well your fans here in New Zealand are of course sending our best wishes to Reed…
“Absolutely, absolutely.”
[NB: Sadly not long after this interview was conducted, Reed Mullin passed away at the age of 53. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences to both his family, friends and band mates]
Now with your last album, No Cross, No Crown, which was of course your first with Pepper back on vocals since In the Arms of Gods, was there a settling in period? Or was it just like old times?
“It was just like old times [chuckles] and to be honest he sort of came back into the fold back in 2015 or so, he never really left. So we had already been out for a couple of years, touring and playing shows, before we ever even jumped back into doing a new record. It was kind of wild, we’ve been on air for like the last four or five years.”
It’s kind of funny, because Corrosion of Conformity are probably one of the few bands where members have left and have then returned to the fold. Many of the older bands when this happens, they just stay away, never to return…
“Yeah, I mean it’s like chewing gum or something I guess, after you’ve done it… Everybody gets along really good, so it makes it easy. [Chuckles] It’s not our first rodeo like they say, we know what it takes to get it done and we just show up and do it. And have a good time doin’ it, that’s what it’s all about for us!”
Well after this amount of time, you truly are like brothers in arms.
“Yeah, it is true. We’ve been through a lot, but ninety-nine percent of it has been fun and good, so that’s what it’s all about.”
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Now with your last album being released in 2018 of course, you’ve had a really good chance to get your feet under the table in respects to playing tracks from the album in the live setting. How have you found the reception to them? What works or doesn’t work?
“Normally – and they still do – but normally people scream out for the classics and there are a lot of requests, but people actually are into the new ones [chuckles] which is unusual. Whenever we start to put together set lists, it’s always tough, especially with every new release, you know, you’re like ‘Oh shit! We’ve got too many songs, what do we do!?’”
[Laughs]
“But you know, we always try to squeeze at least a couple of things off a new one, and then maybe bring some things out of the basement that we haven’t played in a while and that’s kind of our plan down there. We’ll see where it goes, we’ve had a bit of chatter back and forth about what we want to sow and set for this go around.
So we’ll see what happens down under in New Zealand and all that.
But you know we try to get as much of the new stuff out there as we can, but we don’t want to ignore some of the fun things to play from previous albums too…”
I definitely hear that. In some ways I almost have sympathy for bands with back catalogues such as yours because it must get to that point, that you’ve got so many fans that have followed you since the beginning, and there’s so many great songs – and they want to hear them all – but physically that’s impossible for you guys [chuckles] ‘Oh we’re just going to do a five hour show and cover like everything you want to hear’…
[Laughs] “Yeah, yeah, it would have to be a seven-hour concert or something, like Grateful Dead style” [laughs]
Just do it over a couple of days or something…
“We’ll be fallin’ down by the end of that” [laughs]
All jokes aside though, you have been on and off the road for the last thirty-seven years; what personally keeps you going? We’re all getting older, hell standing at concerts some nights and even I think to myself ‘Did my back used to hurt this much at shows?’
[Raucous laughter] “Right?! I don’t know man, we just always told ourselves if we’re having a good time and can afford to pay the rent while we’re gone and play the music and enjoy it; why the fuck not? And there’s been a few periods where we’ve taken little short breaks here and there, and I think that’s one of the reasons that we’re still around, you can’t just go twenty-four seven, year after year after year. You’ve got to have a little rest every once in a while, kick back and go fishing, or go hunting or do something you know.
But I don’t know when we’re gonna take a break, [chuckles] we’ll see, it might still be awhile…”
Out of interest, what is it for you, when you do take a break? How do you choose to decompress? Obviously, you like to fish…
“I do yeah. I’ve got a spot way out in the sticks, you know you just get out, enjoy a little nature. I’ve raised a few animals. Sometimes it’s good to get away from the city and it makes you appreciate it all the much more when you gotta go back.
Its one of those kind of deals, I guess everybody has their own little wind down. But you know, get out in nature, drop a line in the pond, maybe do a little target shooting for fun. You know, whatever.”
I think that is one of the things I have always appreciated about being a kiwi – city to the wild beaches of Piha in less than an hour.
“Wow, that’s awesome. That sounds fuckin’ awesome man!”
Now Corrosion of Conformity covered – quite famously – ‘Son and Daughter’ by Queen, all of you being huge fans of the band itself. I love the fact that you covered a song that wasn’t one of their more familiar singles.
“You don’t always want to do like the obvious one you know, if you’re going to do it, get a little deep and dig in. But that was one in particular that just really fit our style, it was something that we could do and stay true to the original but kinda make it our own as well.
It was actually John, John Custer, our long-time producer, he had been really pestering us for years about doing that particular Queen song, and finally we were like ‘Alright, damn it, let’s do it!’”
[Laughs]
“So we went in the studio that morning, learned it and had it on tape by the end of the day. So it’s all a credit to John, he’s even a bigger Queen fan then we are, and we’re massive Queen fans. It came out pretty well…”
Pretty well? It was amazing!
“It was nice to be able to get it on the new album.”
I understand that John is a big Queen fan – but why that song in particular?
“Just because it fit us. It almost sounds like something that we might do [laughs] like some crazy riffs that we might have. It was true, it did fit our little style that we got going, and we were able to pull it off without having to tweak much.”
Queen are actually going to be playing the same week that you guys are in Auckland, and I must say I am always so blown away by how effortless Brian May is on guitar.
“The thing about Brian May is, he’s like a giant! He’s like seven feet tall [laughs] well not really, but he’s like a really tall guy!”
He is!
“And he has these massive hands. I got to meet him once, we were on the road with Metallica and he came to the London show, of course he was there, and I got to meet him and shake his hand and I was just amazed at how tall he was, and just this big ole hand. Ah, so that’s how you get around the fretboard so well” [chuckles]
[Laughs]
“He’s got the fingers for it you know. But yeah, I’m just a giant fan and that was a highlight for me in getting to meet Brian May that time.”
I can imagine. It’s funny though isn’t it? So many of your fans would be thrilled at the opportunity to meet you. I then love hearing musicians such as yourself talk about meeting their heroes…
[Laughs]
I love that – everybody admires somebody else.
“Right, it’s a big deal to meet people you’re a fan of you know. It’s cool.”
Just on a side note – and obviously we have already established Brian May – but who were your heroes when you were growing up?
“You hate to say all the obvious choices, but when I was a kid it was like Jimi Hendrix that grabbed my attention. I was like twelve or thirteen or something, and my head’s getting blown away by Jimi Hendrix.
And later on I moved on to Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, he is a giant, giant inspiration to me and many other people I know. And of course all the normal ones, Iommi and Blackmore. All the ones you would probably expect me to say, but it is true that you can’t back away from what inspired you and sent you down your path. But those were my main guys.”
Corrosion of Conformity will of course be playing here shortly, and I am sure you and the guys are looking forward to that, considering New Zealand is one of your favourite little countries on the map… [chuckles]
“Absolutely! [laughs] Absolutely, I agree with you…”
What can your fans expect, and do you have any message for them?
“The only message that really pops into my mind is, why the hell we waitin’ so long to come back to New Zealand? It’s insane! I mean the last time we were there with Pepper was 2001, I think… I mean it’s pretty ridiculous!”
Yes, that’s correct – at the Auckland Town Hall.
“Yeah, we came down there with Pantera and that was the last time we were there with Pepper you know, it’s just insane we waited so long…
But what to expect? A little bit of it all, we’re not going to short-change anybody. If there are people out there who have listened to our albums that we’ve done, they’re gonna hear something off of it, more than likely [chuckles] rest assured”
Hey, we get it. We are very far away, and they are such very long flights… [chuckles]
“It takes a while to get there [laughs] it is a long flight, it’s like a whole day to get there. But it’s worth it! I’d stay for a damn month down there, it’s gorgeous!”
Corrosion Of Conformity are performing a special one-off Auckland show on Tuesday 4th February before heading off to destroy audiences all across Australia. Tickets to the Auckland show are still available from the Galatos website, but get in quick as they’re selling fast!
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