I have heard drummers talking about « drum tech » (« drum technician ») in interviews so many times without really knowing who they are and what specifically their job is. Max Marzocca, drummer for Natron, The Ossuary and also drum tech, unveiled the mysteries of this profession for us! Here are his answers to some questions I sent him.

 

 

Can you briefly introduce yourself?

Max Marzocca: Hi, I’m Max: drummer, founding member, co-writer & lyricist for long time death metallers Natron and doom rockers The Ossuary. I’ve also been a session drummer for speed-black metal band Tyrannizer Order, Reality Grey, Grimness 69 and many other underground names. Besides I’m a roadie, tourmanager and I drumtech bands on the road.

 

You have also been working as a drum tech for Kevin Paradis (Mithridatic, Melechesh): what exactly did your job consisted in?

Max Marzocca: My job is  assisting technically -and sometimes mentally ehehhe-  drummers on tour. I’m a freelancer working for agencies which provide a road crew. Usually I wake up in the morning around 10:00 am, get in the club between 11:00 and 12:00 am, load in, set up hardware, shells, triggers, pads and electronics. Then I tune the drumkit before the band is ready for the soundcheck. When its show time, I get the last things sorted out like bringing water, towels on stage and doing a quick linecheck. Then I’m staying hidden behind the amp stack at the side of the drumriser for all the duration of the show, checking on the drummer and the drumkit. When show ends I pack up all the gear and load it out making sure that everything is back into the trailer.

After that I eventually have time for drinking vodka, have a smoke and party.

Kevin is one of my favourite drummers to work with: easygoing, totally focused on drumming and all time sober, except for the last day of the tour with Melechesh when he asked me a bottle of Jack Daniels instead of the regular bottles of water, ahahaha. He kicked ass though, he’s a good friend, a great drummer and hopefully we will tour together again.

 

In your opinion, what makes a good drum tech ?

Max Marzocca: Being able to understand the drummer needs, his drumming and personality and deal with it. Your purpose is to make the artist feel comfortable and happy with his drumming every night for like 4 weeks, which is generally the time you spend on the road. Being able to do this in every conditions is very important: stages, P.A. systems, clubs, arenas change everyday and sometimes they could be really bad. Being a touring drummer for a long time helped me a lot with it!

 

Do you have a drum tech yourself when you are on tour?

Max Marzocca: I only had a couple of times, I wish I had more. I’m drumteching myself on tour.

 

What do you expect from a drum tech?

Max Marzocca: I expect the same things that I do when I drumtech. Although I’m very easy to work with, my drum set up is very essential, normally I dont use triggers, metronome, pads. I’m definitely not too demanding.

 

How do you do to become a drum tech?

Max Marzocca: Many years ago I started touring with other bands, first as merchandiser and then as tourmanager, I also work for a local backline company and my role has always been drumteching so when some agencies tried to fill in a vacant spot for a drumtech I offered to do it. I worked for Obituary, Pestilence, Suffocation, Deicide, Marduk, Rotting Christ, Decapitated, Aborted, Macabre, Onslaught, Belphegor, God Dethroned, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Melechesh, Keep of Kalessin, Christian Death, Nile, Cattle Decapitation, and I’m still working on the road, so probably I’m doing it right!

 

Have you met people who focus their entire activity as a drummer on being a drum tech?

Max Marzocca: Well, I dont know many drumtechs around but if you manage to stay on the road for like 6 months, which means you do 6 tours per year, then you can make a living out of it. On the other end I know many drummers that can’t live just with drumming. I personally found the good compromise between being 40% drummer and 60% drumtech.  That 60% definitely helps me a bit to pay my bills and make a little profit.

 

What has been your biggest challenge as a drumtech?

Max Marzocca: A couple of months ago, I’ve been on the road working on two European tours in a row. Suffocation and Cattle Decapitation tour ended in Norway, at the Inferno Fest where the Nile and Melechesh tour began the very same day. The crew toured 18 countries, drove 20,000 kms for  43 shows in 47 days. I didn’t get home in between those 2 tours! It’s been insane but also very funny!

 

Anything else you would like to add or a thought you would like to share?

Max Marzocca: Thanks for your support Aurelien! Check my bands, like and share their FB pages Natron which has been my death metal band for 24 years and my new band The Ossuary with a debut album coming out this year.

As a drummer, I’m also endorsed by italian handcrafted magnificent cymbals Ufip which I highly recommend and swedish Masterwork drumsticks, distributed in Italy by Suzuki Music.

Here is my Facebook page. People interested in my drumming activities , touring, booking my bands, good old school death metal and heavy doom rock are more than welcome but drop me a line first!

 

Thanks a lot for your time and for your authenticity Max!

Cheers,

 

Aurélien