GENE HOGLAN: 'We Drummers Get All The Hottest Girlies'

SickDrummer.com recently conducted an interview with legendary metal drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, TESTAMENT). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

SickDrummer.com: If you could give some advice to young drummers, it would be...

Gene: Buy my DVD, dammit! Best move you could ever make! Hee hee. Nah, seriously, my advice to all young musicians is; Find people who share your same passion, and with whom you can get along and just hang out with. Skills should come about third, really. Bands become adopted families in the long run, and it's better for all involved if ya geniunely like each other. And, no matter HOW hot and flirty your bassist/singer/okarino player's girl is, DON'T GO THERE! Keep your teeth. That doesn't really matter anyway, 'cause we drummers get all the hottest girlies.

SickDrummer.com: Do you make any special adjustments to your set before touring? And do you have any other advice on tour preparations that might help younger drummers?

Gene: Rehearse twice as hard, play the set twice if you can, then playing live should come easier, 'cause you're only doing it once. Bring lots of crazy glue, so when you tear up your hands, you can instantly fix them. The "gel" kind, not the "liquid." On the road, sleep as much as you can. When you're in a van, it's not the easiest thing to do, but rest is the best thing you can do for your live show. Try to stay away from the temptations of the road if you can. Your job description is "musician," not "full-time partier." Again, that's if you can. Fun is fun, and don't be afraid to have it, but it can be hard to break away from. Believe me, I know. For those who are embarking on their first tours, might I suggest this; For every day that you're away, make sure you have $20 per day saved up to take with you. If you're gone for 30 days, have $600 in your pocket when you leave. At least you'll eat. It sucks being broke AND hungry on the road. Smokers, make it $25. Or just eat less.

SickDrummer.com: Aside from drumming, what else do you do, or want to do with your life?

Gene: Everything I've wanted to do with my life comes from the drumming, I think. I've always wanted to see the world, make new friends all over it, lead a nomadic life, and all of that has been made possible by the wood, plastic and metal. I've always considered myself to be a collector, and creator of, memories, and that all stems from drummin'. I mean, I hit things, hard and alot, AND I get paid for it. How cool is THAT? This is about the most righteous "non-job" I can think of. Wouldn't mind taking over Hugh Hefner's gig when he croaks, though. That'd be pretty damned righteous as well.

SickDrummer.com: Having played with so many amazing guitarists like: Devin, Chuck, Alex etc... Can you describe how playing with some of them might have advanced your drumming skills?

Gene: Alex? Alex Knoll from 999 SOCIETY I played with for awhile. Alex Van Halen? He's a badass, I'd play guitar for him, just to show him how it's done, 'cause who's that hack he's been playin' with all this time? Hee hee, I'm assuming you meant Mr. Skolnick, with whom I've never had the pleasure of playing. Playing with EVERY musician I've played with has vastly improved my skills, from Dev to Chuck, Steve DiGiorgio, Bobby Koeble, Jed Simon, Byron Stroud, Eric Peterson, Brendon Small, Kris Shultz (MECHANISM),you name it. I learn something valuable from everybody, absolutely.

Read the entire interview at SickDrummer.com.