Page 16 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 108

BV108 pg 14-19 Skillet Interview.qxp_BV108 pg 16 12/06/2023 20:54 Page 3

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freedom and also freedom of thought. “Allowing of the people that work for me do not believe like anybody’s feelings and make sure everybody’s
other people to say things that you disagree I believe. Most people know that I’m religious, good. What you end up really dealing with is you
with. You don’t want to shut people up just be- but I would say most of my employees are not get people that are not ready to face tough times
cause they disagree with you,” John notes. “You religious, probably largely atheists. They don’t and they can’t handle it. So, in America the
can be friends with people that you do not agree vote like me, don’t agree with me on stuff and amount of people on medication, the amount of
with and appreciate their opinion, even if you they’ve worked with me for ten years; one of teenagers on medication in America, I don’t re-
disagree. Find some common things that we them for 16 years and we’ve just celebrated his member the percentages, but it’s three, four
agree on and say, ‘That’s good enough for me.’” fifteen hundredth show working for Skillet! He’s times what it was when I was in high school. It’s
Freedom of speech has always come with my production manager. We don’t agree on tons such an alarming amount of people, because all
some restrictions, but those restrictions seem to of stuff but we’re really good friends. I don’t un- of these young people are so stressed out. They
be getting tighter as the years pass by; not nec- derstand how we’ve lost that, you know, ‘I just live in a wealthy country, there’s no reason you
essarily by law itself, but from changes in soci- can’t handle what you say, so you need to shut should be this stressed out! So, I absolutely be-
ety's expectations regarding what is and what is up and lose your job’. It’s psychotic. It’s actually lieve pain, it’s not pleasurable, but it’s not a bad
not acceptable. We live in a time where one mis- very anti-western civilisation as well. Not to get thing and it’s going to make you stronger. So,
interpreted action or comment, even if made too deep into it, but I do think largely what’s hap- deal with it, you can make it. I really wanted to
years prior, could lead to someone being ‘can- pening is the destruction of western civilisation, make this whole album, I’d say the whole record
celled’. As someone who is in the public eye, we free speech is just, that’s just one of the things of ‘Dominion’, that’s kind of a message, don’t run
ask John if he is finding it much harder to navi- that’s got to go. They are trying to destroy the from the pain, don’t give up, you’re going to have
gate this, be it creatively when writing, or when whole concept of western civilisation, enlighten- to face it. It's the only way to do it. You’re going
speaking publicly? ment and things like that. But that’s a longer to have to face your hard times, your own
“Hmm. That’s a really, really poignant ques- conversation, I guess!” demons, the things about yourself that you don’t
tion. Cancel culture is real.” states John. “I re- Which era of Skillet do you feel allowed you love and you’re just going to have to deal with it
member when I first started talking about cancel to have the most freedom? We ask. “I feel just and you can deal with it. You have the power to
culture. I remember getting a lot of push back as free as I did ten years ago, I just feel like do it. So go through it, you’ll be stronger on the
from people that said it’s either not real, like that there is more of a price to pay. You’ve got to back end.”
I’m imagining it, or blowing it out of proportion. know, this might cost you, you’re gonna make
Or, they’d say, ‘You just don’t want quote we found by American
to be accountable for things that A businessman and best-sell-
you may say.’ And I thought, ‘I “I’d say the whole record of ‘Dominion’, that’s kind of ing self-help author Stephen Covey
don’t know how you can’t see a message, don’t run from the pain, don’t give up, you’re going reads: ‘Every human has four endow-
that this is what’s happening.’ I to have to face it. It's the only way to do it. You’re going to have ments, which are self-awareness,
mean it’s very real. For one to face your hard times, your own demons, the things about conscience, independent will, and
thing, it definitely makes you creative imagination. These give us
thankful that there was no social yourself that you don’t love and you’re just going to have to the ultimate human freedom - to
media when I was younger!” he deal with it and you can deal with it. You have the power to choose, to respond, to change.’
laughs. do it.” - John Cooper We enquire about what choices
“Like, thank God. Who or changes John has made in the
knows what I would have said. I past that have enabled him to grow as
don’t even know what I would have said, but I’m somebody really mad,” John answers. “If I was a person.
sure I would have done something, you know, answering with that caveat, then I would proba- “What changes have I made… let me think.”
because everybody grows up doing dumb stuff. bly say 2006, 2008. That was still a really good John muses. “The first thing that comes to my
It’s so stupid to look back at someone's youth time. If I remember back to that era, of course I mind, and it might not be exactly what you asked
and hold them accountable for the rest of their am coming from an American perspective, so in me; but the first thing that comes to my mind is
lives for something they did. Especially not to America, 2008 is when President Obama be- when you have children. Most people say, I cer-
mention sometimes it only goes in one way; it came president. That was a really big deal for tainly say it, that you sort of realise how selfish
depends on who you are, or what social group America because it was sort of putting a lot of you are! You have these little babies and you go,
you are in, to measure the accountability you the past racism and stuff…it was looked at as ‘Oh my gosh, my life is over!’” he laughs. “It’s
may or may not have. I mean that’s a really ugly sort of closing that chapter, opening a new chap- wonderful but I’ll never have time to do anything,
outlook on life, right? It’s actually a Neo-Marxist ter of hope and change; loving people and going ever again. And you no longer make decisions
outlook on life which is horrible.” green. There was this whole movement of ultra- based on what you want to do, because it’s all
John points out that he comes from a gen- positivity and I don’t remember people ever about this other human being. It’s good, it takes
eration where growing up they “called each being afraid to say what they thought. I don’t re- you out of yourself and you have to prioritise
other all the names in the book,” without anyone ally know how to explain it. But that was a differ- what is good for someone else over your own
fearing having their feelings hurt by language ent time.” needs. It’s kind of a paradox isn’t it? Because
that offended them. it’s also where you find true joy and content-
“It’s not even called hurting my feelings, it’s ominion’s defiant opening track, ‘Surviv- ment. It is found not living for yourself, but in liv-
called harm now. You know, ‘words are harmful’. Ding The Game’, includes the lyrics, ‘You ing for someone else, and giving of yourself. So,
My generation can’t fathom this. It’s so weird. In have to learn to enjoy the pain.’ there’s a paradox there that is wonderful, but it’s
America, when I was growing up, that is another When people are going through dark times, really hard to learn! That was difficult for me. I
thing we believed in absolute free speech, with it’s not easy to see anything but darkness. We mean I was really happy to have a child, but I
the exception of actual violence, like physical vi- ask John if he is able to use adversity as a tool was like, ‘This is such hard work. It’s insane!’
olence, or a threat of physical violence. This idea to learn something about himself. And most people, it makes them appreciate their
that hurting somebody's feelings is violence is “Absolutely! I absolutely believe that adver- parents more, because you’re like, ‘Oh, wow!
absurd to me. What is it they say? ‘Hate speech sity helps you learn things about yourself,” John What did I do to my parents? This is really hard!
isn’t free speech.’” exclaims. Sorry mom, sorry dad, I understand. I was a
Overcoming this particular ‘fear’, John tells “I think culture has changed a lot, one of the jerk!’” laughs John.
us that a great way to start would be to be willing ways in the last, gosh, certainly in the last ten
to hear somebody say something mean to you years, 15 years maybe, is that adversity is no ominion’ was inspired by living through
and find a way to keep living your life. “I think longer looked at as a good thing. It wasn’t like ‘Dthe time of COVID-19, seeing how it
you can extrapolate that and put it into all sorts that when I was growing up. I don’t know when became a pandemic of fear thanks to the con-
of things; religion - hear somebody say some- that changed but when I was growing up it was stant propaganda, and witnessing friends not
thing negative about your religion and get over sort of like, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you faring well because of the measures in place.
it. I mean I can’t even believe that this is a thing, stronger.’ That’s what all of our parents taught One of the most extreme measures was the re-
I get made fun of all the time for being a Chris- us anyway. You know, if you’re going through a striction on personal freedom - the effects this
tian, it doesn’t bother me. It literally doesn’t hard time, my dad would tell me, ‘Stiff upper lip. had on some people is still evident today. We
bother me; it doesn't even make me blink. Deal with it son, it’s going to make you better.’ asked John, on a personal level, what impact
Maybe because I dealt with it as a young per- And it’s absolutely true. What I’ve started notic- the lockdown had on him, be it positive or neg-
son, you know, so get over it and find ways to ing in the last decade, we are very adverse to ative. “I think the negative aspect was I didn’t
find commonality with people, even if they don’t pain, adverse to trauma. We wanna make sure know what this was going to mean for Skillet in
like your religion, or whatever you vote for. Most that everybody’s always happy and never hurt the future, because I just refused to get vacci-
SKILLET