Issue 10 - Sarah Thawer - October 2019

Articles
Drummer’s
Wives
The women behind the drummers
Giving credit where credit is due
By Louis R . Malherbe II
Being a musician and then also being the
partner of a musician is something that is
often glamorized. Parties, events, meeting
celebrities, etc. We know that sometimes
that is a part of it. But, what we want to
know is what is the side that people don’t
see? The behind the scenes of being a drummers
partner? What are the parts that aren’t
glamorous?
Caitlin: Yes, being married to a drummer
definitely has its perks. We’ve had
some awesome experiences together.
But as you’ve said, there is a side that
not everyone sees. These are the moments
when all night band practice is
happening or weekends away for festivals
that I’m unable to attend. Theres’s
studio time for a few days in a row. It’s
the late nights and a couple hours of
sleep when we have to be up and ready
super early the next morning. There
have been a few family occasions, such
as weddings and milestone birthdays
that I’ve had to attend alone because it
falls on the same day/weekend as a gig.
There are those unseen moments when
I’m at home, unable to sleep, because I
want to be sure that he gets home safely
after a late night’s gig.
Heidi: The truly unglamorous parts
that people don’t see includes all the
effort put into getting the gear to the
venue, set up for sound check and then
& & &
Candice Warnasuriya
Larissa Ferreira
(Drummer for Variary)
Caitlin Jayne Chetty
Craig Wesley Chetty
(Drummer for Strait Jackal)
Heidi Kuhn
Louis R. Malherbe II
(Drummer for Jesse Clegg)
packed up again. I’ve spent many a late ited him here in JHB for the first time. I
night at the end of the gig lugging gear thought he was soooo cool hahaha. My
back with Louis to the car to pack up. musician boyfriend.
Sometimes I wish that he was the singer
so that the packing up part wasn’t so on him. I clearly remember him play-
Heidi: I instantly had a major crush
tedious (not really but sometimes maybe
a little).
in Potchefstroom at a small bar. Never
ing in a bluesy rock band at that time
Candice: Carrying the gear. With have I ever seen a man playing a cajon
both of us being in a band together it and purple tambourine look so attractive.
I’m pretty sure the performance
means I carry my stuff AND then I have
to help her carry all of her stuff. was great too!
Candice: I was like damn she’s got
What went through your head the first time good timing. I just thought she was
you saw your partner performing? better than all the other drummers in
Caitlin: The first time I saw Chetty play the world.
was actually at church band practice, in
2008. We were still dating and I had vis-
For you, what has been the most memora-
6 | SA DRUMMER | September 2019