Godsmack duo's side project all about longevity

Godsmack duo Shannon Larkin and Tony Rombola say their new band is a long-term project.

And they say Blue Cross Band is different to their regular gig with Godsmack, which they describe as like being part of a gang.

The pair are turning down the volume and looking to increase their musical longevity with the Blue Cross Band, formed with frontman Ray Cerbone and bassist Brian Carpenter.

Drummer Larkin tells News-Press.com: “I see myself doing the Blue Cross Band after Godsmack. This is a style of music I can see myself playing well into my 60s.

“When I hit the drums in Godsmack, I’m trying to kill ‘em. In The Cross, I shut my eyes and I’m into the lyrics and the song and Tony’s guitar playing and Brian’s bass. It’s a band thing, whereas in Godsmack, it’s like a gang thing. We’re out to pummel.”

Guitarist Rombola adds: “I’ve spent my life playing different styles but with Blue Cross Band, I get to play all the stuff I’ve learned with the blues and apply it to these songs. It’s a lot of fun.”

Blue Cross Band have lined up two shows in Florida to follow on from their live debut last month and they have plans to record an album when Rombola and Larkin get time away from their Godsmack commitments.

Godsmack release their sixth studio album 1000hp on August 5.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.