Issue 12 - Luke Holland - April 2020

INTERVIEWS LESSONS ARTICLES 

ISSUE 12 

April 2020 

online lessons 

ENTIRE NEW 

PLATFORM 

Now available! 

ARTICLES & REVIEWS 

MAKING THE CUT 

Interviews & features 

SIROS VAZIRI 

Social Media Sensation 

WERNER VON 

WALTSLEBEN 

Arno Carstens 

CARLA WILLIAMS 

Rising Star 

REQUIRES MORE 

By Warren van Wyk 

PREPARATION IS KEY 

- STUDIO OR LIVE 

By Jonathan Ulman 

PLAYING THE COVER 

CIRCUIT IN SA 

By Sean ‘STYX’ Nunan 

FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH CONTENT AND FEATURES TO KEEP YOU BUSY DURING THESE TOUGH TIMES

WHAT’S 

INSIDE 

ISSUE 12 

interviews & features 

8 

Carla Williams 

(Rising Star) 

14 

Siros Vaziri 

(Edu-Content Creator) 

26 

Werner von Waltsleben 

(Arno Carstens) 

34 

Luke Holland 

(YouTube Superstar) 

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: SARA VELEZ HERRERO 

articles & reviews 

13 

Talent Is Not Enough 

(by Warren van Wyk) 

24 

Let It Burn 

(Drum Chart - Jesse Clegg) 

33 

Mirroring The Single Stroke Three 

(Lesson - Louis R. Malherbe II) 

48 

What Does It Take 

(Cover Scene Answers from Sean Nunan) 

CONTACT US 

Let us know what you would like to see in future 

issues or what you think of the mag, We’ll 

add our favourite letters to the next issues. 

info@SAdrummer.co.za 

FOLLOW US 

www.facebook.com/sadrummag 

www.instagram.com/sa.drummer 

www.youtube.com/SAdrummerTV

Editor’s Letter 

What a time to be 

alive, and indoors. 

We say hello to April already 

and it has been one thing after 

the other this year so far. Starting 

with every musician’s worst 

nightmare, January, the longest 

three months of the year. 

No shows while companies sort 

out their annual budgets and us 

as drummers wait for the work 

online, setting up fiver profiles 

for sessioning online and teaching 

music lessons online. Online 

is the keyword at this point. We 

have been forced to adapt, with 

little to no notice. And you either 

do adapt or get left behind 

in hopes that this pandemic subsides 

soon enough for the dam- 

Editors 

Content Editor 

Art Director 

Designer 

Senior Writer 

Junior Writer 

Contributors 

Louis R. Malherbe 

Warren van Wyk 






Jonathan Ulman 

Sean Nunan 

to start rolling in. Fast forward 

age to be reversible. SA DRUM- 

to April and the world has been 

MER has been working on an 

consumed by the COVID- pan- 

online platform for a while al- 

demic. In South Africa where we 

ready, we had it on the backburn- 

are currently in one of the pos- 

ers until we could give it our full 

sibly many -day lockdowns 

attention, which, without notice 

still to come and musicians that 

came sooner than we expected it 

should be running all over the 

to. We utilised our last few days 

place, gigging to bring in mon- 

before lockdown to get all the nit- 

ey for everything from bills to 

ty-gritty in place and put it out 

food are stuck at home, some 

there. Nothing like a pandemic 

with no means of bringing in 

to light the fire underneath you. 

any sort of income. I can speak 

Will this be a major shift for SA 

on behalf of those losing income 

and possibly other countries into 

due to gigs being cancelled or 

a medium that has always been 

postponed all over the place with 

there. Online. Will it be utilised 

no return to normality in clear 

more than it was before or just 

sight when I say it’s not some- 

left by the wayside when all of 

thing I thought I would ever 

this blows over? Who will take 

have to deal with unless I retired 

the initiative to make this horri- 

or ended up breaking an arm. 

ble situation into potential new 

It has however brought out a 

business ventures? At this point 

large group of people doing ev- 

only time will tell. 

erything they can from busking 

Louis R. Malherbe II 

EDITOR 

PHOTOGRAPHY: DENEKA SARA VELEZ PENISTON HERRERO 

April 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 7

Cape 

Town’s 

Rising 

Star 

8 | SA DRUMMER | April 2020 

Carla 

WILL

IAMSBY 

WARREN 

VAN 

WYK

Carla Williams 

Hi Carla. Thank you for 

taking the time out to 

chat. For the readers 

who don’t know about 

you, can you tell us 

more about yourself? 

Firstly, I want to say thank you so much 

for this wonderful opportunity. I am a 

-year-olddrummerfromCapeTown 

aspiring to make my mark in the industry. 

I started drumming when I was 

yearsoldbutonlystartedtakingmy 

craft seriously from yearsold.Iamthe 

youngest of two siblings. I have a brother, 

who is a creative artist and wonderful, 

supportive parents. I am currently 

homeschooled, focussing on my craft 

and learning to play other instruments 

as well. 

What was it that inspired you to start 

playing the drums? 

I grew up in a musical family and music 

was all around me and in church. I 

used to watch the drummer in my dad’s 

band, and he gave me my first pair of 

sticks. I started driving my parents insane, 

drumming on the pots, pans and 

anything else around me. That’s when 

they bought me my first drum kit. The 

day I saw Justin Bieber drum, was the 

day I decided to make this my life! 

Do you have any musicality from your 

parents’ side? 

Yes, my dad is a great musician and a 

multi-instrumentalist. My mom, she 

loves music and is a great support to us. 

I am extremely blessed to have parents 

who support and invest in my passion. 

Have you taken any lessons, and if yes, 

who have you learned from? 

Yes, I have been taught and mentored 

by a few great drummers. My first 

drum teacher was Candice Woodland, 

a female drummer who introduced 


PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: BRANDON SOLOMONS

“The day I saw Justin Bieber 

drum, was the day I decided 

to make this my life!” 

me to rock and inspired me as a young 

girl drummer. I was also mentored and 

taught by Lance Rhoda who introduced 

me to the music Industry and local 

drumming community. I then joined 

Cape Drummers Lab, where Mornay 

Hoffmeester refined my skill. Currently, 

I am at M&M Music Academy and 

my teacher is Jonathan Lombana. 

Which South African drummers would 

you like to take some lessons with if you 

had the choice? 

As you can see from my drum teach- 

ers, I was fortunate to have learnt and 

drawn inspiration from the best. I 

would like to have few master classes 

with Damian Kamineth and Darren Peterson 

Which are the South African drummers 

that currently inspire you? 

Jonathan Lombana, (my current drum 

teacher) he is an extremely versatile 

and technical player and his passion for 

music inspires me. And then, also, Cobus 

Potgieter for his journey in becoming 

a renowned Content Creator and internationally 

recognised drummer. 

Being such a young drummer, what are 

your goals for your drumming? Do you 

want to be a full-time drummer? 

Yes, I definitely want to be a full-time 

drummer. My goals are as follows: To 

study at Berklee College of Music and 

attain my Music Degree. 

I want to be a full-time touring musician 

using my drumming as an inspiration 

to young people. I also want to 

grow my Youtube channel. (Please like 

& subscribe) Then, when I am older, my 

goal is to start my own Music School. 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: MARINUS ROUX; 2 April 2020 | SA DRUMMER | 11


Do you play for any bands at the moment? 

No, I am not tied to any band at the moment 

and play mostly in church. However, 

I would like to start a band with 

young musicians soon. 

If you could play for any band or artist in 

South Africa, who would it be and why? 

I would love to play for Kujenga, Shekhinah 

and Lira. These are the bands and 

artists I currently enjoy listening to. 

What we have noticed about your playing 

is that you already have a lot of maturities, 

and you play for the music. Was 

that taught to you, or does that approach 

come naturally to you? 

Most of my drum teachers taught me 

to be disciplined. I embraced that approach 

and have always been someone 

who plays exactly what is needed and 

does not overplay. 

We have seen you at most of the drum 

events hosted in Cape Town. What do you 

learn from these events, and how important 

do you feel they are for upcoming 

drummers in South Africa? 

These events are a wonderful opportunity 

to connect and learn from other 

drummers. I love how it showcases 

talent and the sharing of knowledge. I 

feel it is very important for upcoming 

drummers to learn from experienced 

drummers about their techniques and 

the industry. 

What is some of the best advice that you 

received from a fellow drummer thus far? 

Invest as much time in your theory as 

in your practical ability. Never compare 

yourself to other drummers, this can 

be your biggest enemy. Always work on 

your craft and be teachable. Stay humble 

and put God first 

The female drum community has been 

booming lately. What advice would you 

give to other females that would like to 

play the drums? 

It is never too late to start, be confident 

and never limit your ability! Remember 

girls too can play. 

We wish you the very best journey to the 

top. Last question. Apples or Bananas? 

Defs Bananas! Thanks for having me. 

FOLLOW 


instagram.com/carlawilliamsss 

12 | SA DRUMMER | April 2020 

PHOTOGRAPHY: BRANDON SOLOMONS


Talent is Not Enough 

You need way more to make the cut 

When I was younger, 

I always had the 

dream of becoming 

a professional 

drummer. I thought that the only 

thing I needed to do was spend hours 

in the practice room so I could become 

the best I could be. I thought 

that once I reached that goal, I would 

be guaranteed a spot in the world of 

professional drumming. Little did 

I know that I was only working on 

20% of the whole picture. Speaking 

to older, more experienced drummers 

at that stage, I found that there 

was a lot more to it. Being a professional 

requires so much more than 

being a great player. Being on time, 

being prepared, and a huge one, in 

my opinion, being a good person to 

be around! Fast forward years later 

when I finally started working as 

a professional drummer. I learned 

through this journey that only being 

a great drummer was a huge 

thing but also a small thing at the 

same time. Having the right attitude 

becomes an even greater picture 

in line with being prepared, being 

on time, etc. and I learned this 

lesson, not from myself, but from 

someone I was working with that 

wasn’t such a great person to work 

alongside. This person, in particular, 

was someone I looked up to as a 

great player and I thought working 

with this person would be a dream. 

It didn’t quite work out that way. I 

learned that it doesn’t matter how 

talented you are. If you are difficult 

to work with, none of your talent 

matters. I would rather work with 

someone that may not be as good 

but is pleasant to be around. On one 

of our many road trips recently, the band 

and I were chatting about how playing your 

instrument is such a small part of what we 

do. We spend hours travelling to a gig, setting 

up our gear, spend a short amount of 

time sound checking, and then spend a couple 

of hours (depending on the gig) sitting 

backstage waiting for the show to begin. The 

show starts, we play for an hour, pack up, 

and hit the road for a long drive home. If you 

do the math, you will realize that we as musicians 

spend way more time away from our 

instruments than actually playing them. 

Crazy! So it is crucial to be a pleasant person 

to be around because hanging around is the 

most significant part of our jobs. If a musician 

is unpleasant to be around, you are going 

to be stuck in that person’s company for 

a long time, but for me, that isn’t the worst 

part. The worst part is when you have to get 

on stage. That may sound weird because that 

is the only time you have that you can have a 

breather from this person’s company, but it 

is actually where it gets unbearable. Playing 

music is about connecting with the musicians 

you are playing with, it is passion and 

if there is a bad vibe anywhere in the mix, I 

believe, the whole pot of goodness goes sour. 

I have experienced this full-on. It is also so 

funny that when you have had enough and 

stop working with this person, they think 

you are the bad guy and the one with the attitude, 

haha! Word gets around quickly in our 

industry, and not only have I experienced 

the above myself but also heard plenty of 

stories where incredible musicians have lost 

so much work because they aren’t cool people 

to be around. Your colleagues have plenty 

of time on the road to talk, and you don’t 

want to be on the wrong end of these conversations. 

If I get asked to think of a musician 

for the job, I will always consider how the 

person is going to be to hang with first. If he 

is an incredible player and I don’t enjoy the 

person’s company because of his/ 

her bad attitude, then I will immediately 

move on to another person. 

Most of the time, the person I decide 

on may not be as good, but I have 

such a good time on and off stage 

with this person, and that makes 

everything about the situation fun. 

Another thing: Quit the complaining, 

man!! There is nothing worse 

than being around someone before 

you have to get on stage that complains 

the whole trip there or starts 

complaining about everything once 

you arrive. We can’t always play on 

the best gear when it gets supplied. 

Sometimes the PA system is not the 

greatest, but if you are a true professional, 

you will make it work. 

Recently, we got to a gig, and from 

the moment we arrived, there was 

a musician from another band in 

full complaint mode. The engineer 

was even going on about how bad 

everything was. That sort of thing 

puts the whole band in a tense state 

even before you get on stage. I am 

extremely fortunate today to be 

working with musicians and artists 

that are not only incredible human 

beings but are also incredible players. 

It is truly heaven, and when you 

can find that balance, you will start 

getting a lot more calls. Drop that 

ego. It gets you nowhere other than 

having an empty calendar. The guys 

I work with are so positive. If things 

aren’t working the way they should 

be and it gets a little tough we give 

each a look and say, “Regardless of 

the situation, let’s have a killer gig 

and tear this place a new one.” Most 

of the time, we land up having the 

time of our lives! 


SIROS 

VAZIRI 

By 

Warren 

van Wyk 

Social Media Edu-Content Creator! 

14 | SA DRUMMER | April 2020

Siros Vaziri 

Clinical 

Siros addressing the 

audience atTamTam 

DrumFest 2018. 

Siros, thank you for taking the time 

out to chat. How is everything going 

your end? 

I’m doing pretty well, despite the current 

worldwide situation. Fortunately, 

most of what I do is online-based, so 

aside from a few postponed clinic- and 

drum camp plans that were tentative, 

life is pretty much as usual for me. 

How did your drumming journey begin? 

My first instrument was actually saxophone, 

which I took lessons in from 

the age of . At,duringmusicclass 

in school, I got to try drums for the first 

time and was instantly hooked. 

I soon bought my first drum kit and 

continued learning the instrument on 

my own. A few years later I decided to 

try to make a living out of it through 

social media, and here we are today. 

Are you working with any artists and 

bands at the moment, or are you mainly 

focusing on clinics and online content? 

I’m always open for gigs and sessions, 

which I do from time to time, but building 

my online name and education 

business is definitely my focus. I’m not 

a permanent member of any band. 


PHOTOGRAPHY PREVIOUS SPREAD: PEPO HERRERA

“Countless videos like that 

later, and I’ve embraced 

that style of teaching and 

made it into the foundation 

of my online brand.” 

Online Affinity 

Even though comfortable 

when addressing 

hundreds at clinics, 

Siros shines in his 

personalised brand of 

online lessons. 

PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: PEPO HERRERA; MARCUS LJUNG 


Siros Vaziri 

The first time I saw any of your content 

was when you posted the Fill Of The Day? 

Such a killer concept! What gave you the 

idea to post these videos, and how do you 

find it got your name out there? 

Funny enough it was just a random idea 

that came to me. I’ve always enjoyed 

teaching and the creative process of 

coming up with fills, so I combined the 

two into a straight-to-the-point lesson 

format for Instagram. Countless videos 

like that later, and I’ve embraced that 

style of teaching and made it into the 

foundation of my online brand. 

You have a killer studio where you film. 

Can you tell us more about it? 

It’s a glorified rehearsal space, haha! I 

rent it monthly for super cheap here in 

my small town of Mariestad, Sweden. 

It’s nothing special, but I have -hour 

access to it which is great, and I’ve tried 

my best to make it into more of a studio 

type of room. Starting to grow out of it, 

though... Might upgrade soon! 

Were you familiar with studio work and 

recording when you started filming online 

content or did you learn as you grew? 

Not at all, I didn’t know a thing when I 

started! I remember not knowing what 

the difference was between an input 

and output on an audio interface, haha. 

YouTube, Google, and a ton of trial and 

error taught me everything I know. 

You are very active on social media. We 

hear many stories where drummers prefer 

making content and filming lessons 

instead of touring. Which do you prefer? 

Oh that’s definitely me. I’ll happily hop 

on a tour if I’m presented with the opportunity, 

but I’m not chasing it. I love 

the creative process of filming and producing 

videos and online lessons. 

How important do you feel it is for drummers 

to build a presence online? 

It depends - but it never hurts to have 

one. I’d say if you live in a music hub of 

a city, like LA, New York, etc., you might 

not be as dependent on social media for 

work as someone like me who lives in a 

small town in Sweden. But you’ll 100% 

get more work if you have a portfolio 

to show, and social media is perfect for 

that. 

Can you tell us about the benefits you have 

gained by focusing on online content? 

More than anything, it has given me a 

flexible lifestyle. I’m rarely tied down 

to any specific schedule because I am 

my boss. This is both a blessing and a 

curse - when I don’t have any structure 

in place from the outside, I need to create 

it myself. So I’ve become obsessed 

with what I guess you could call “lifestyle 

design”. Figuring out how I want 

to structure my everyday life through 

routines, habits, etc... but I love that 

process of figuring myself out. 

What advice do you have for drummers 

that want to do solely social media? 

For initial success - do something 

unique, or do something that already 

exists but do it in a unique way. For 

longevity - figure out how you want to 

live your life, and what goals and ambitions 

you want to pursue. Going viral 

isn’t necessarily the hard part. Staying 

relevant (and mentally sane!) for a long 

time is the real challenge. 

In Luke’s interview, we chat about how 

Social Media has given many people a 

whole new career path. Do you find this 

to be true in your career? 

Absolutely. There’s no chance I would 

have been able to do what I do and live 

the life that I live without social media. 

The internet, in general, is such a powerful 

tool that can completely transform 

your life for the better if used properly. 

Tell us more about your website. Do you 

have a membership where drummers can 

sign up? Can you also chat about the concept 

behind “Daily Drum Bites?” 

On www.sirosvaziri.com I run a drum 

lesson subscription program called 

‘Daily Drum Bites’, which is born out of 

those “Fill of the day” lessons we talked 

about earlier. The concept is simple 

- sign up for monthly,andyougeta 


PHOTOGRAPHY: PEPO HERRERA

“I remember not knowing 

what the difference was between 

an input and output 

on an audio interface.trial 

and error taught me everything 

I know today.” 


FOLLOW 

SIROS VAZIRI 

WWW.SIROSVAZIRI.COM 

instagram.com/sirosvaziri 

facebook.com/sirosvaziri 

youtube.com/sirosvaziri 


PHOTOGRAPHY: PEPO HERRERA

Siros Vaziri 

brand new bite-sized drum lesson EV- 

ERY DAY. No talking, just a straight-tothe-point 

lesson with stickings and notation 

on the screen. Fills, grooves, etc. 

in Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced 

categories. Think of it like a buffét of 

drum inspiration - learn the lessons 

you like, and skip the ones that are too 

easy/hard or just not your style. There’s 

always a new lesson tomorrow for you 

to try your hands at. 

Priorities 

Happy to hop on a 

tour if presented 

with the oppurtunity, 

Siros enjoys the creative 

process of filming 

and producing 

videos more. 

Giving you a quick gap to make a plug, 

haha! What do you feel a drummer can 

gain by signing up for your website? 

I think it’s especially useful for those 

who often find themselves in a rut. 

Many members have reached out and 

explained how they’ve felt stuck with 

their drumming, due to lack of inspiration, 

motivation, things to practice, 

or whatever else, and that these lessons 

have helped them get back on track 

again. Beyond that, it’s just fun stuff 

to play man. I try to keep it unique and 

throw fun ideas at you to try on the kit! 

With online education being so popular, 

what do you feel makes your platform 

different and unique? 

The bite-sized, straight-to-the-point aspect 

of it. There are already many great 

drum educators out there who can 

teach you in-depth stuff in 30 minute 

long lessons. I don’t need to or want to 

compete with that. 

Instead, I try to bring something new 

to the table, for those who just want to 

pick up their sticks and get to practice 

straight away without a big-time commitment. 

Do you give any private drum lessons, or 

do you only teach online? 

I do on occasion. I’m always happy to 

teach in person, and I’ll have people 

drop into my studio now and then, but 

most of what I teach is online either 

through video lessons or Skype. 

I had this conversation with Mike Johnston, 

but I would love your viewpoint on 

this as well. Do you think that online les- 


PHOTOGRAPHY LEFT TO RIGHT: PEPO HERRERA, 2

sons would ever eliminate or affect private 

drum teachers? 

I don’t think so, in the same way that 

Netflix hasn’t killed cinemas. The same 

end product, but through different mediums 

and experiences. 

There’s always something unique 

about a hands-on private lesson compared 

to an online lesson, and vice versa. 

Each brings their respective benefits 

to the playing field. 

I am sure you can agree that being only 

a good drummer won’t cut it today. How 

important do you feel brand building is? 

Man, it’s huge. There are so many 

half-decent musicians out there making 

killer livings and careers through 

solid branding and just being genuinely 

nice people to be around and work 

with. Work on becoming a great drummer, 

for sure, but don’t neglect the importance 

of personality, integrity and 

branding. At the end of the day, you 

need the full picture. 

If a drummer came to you and asked you 

to give him some advice on building himself 

as a brand, what would your top three 

points be? 

There’s so much to say here, but in short: 

-Beunique. 

-Bereal. 

-Worksmarter,notharder. 

How are all the drum clinics going? We 

see that you are very busy with them? 

I LOVE doing drum clinics and drum 

camps, man. They combine everything 

I love about drumming, the community, 

and this lifestyle as a whole. Every 

time I do one I learn something new, either 

about myself or about other drummers 

and people. They’re the type of 

“To be brutally 

honest, the world 

doesn’t owe you shit. 

You can’t expect things 

to always go your way, 

or for others to look 

after you.“ 

thing you can only get better at by doing, 

though. No amount of practice or 

preparation in front of the mirror can 

prepare you for how to interact with the 

audience once it’s go-time. Every clinic 

and drum camp is unique. 

Any last pieces of advice that you would 

like to give all the up and coming drummers 

out there? 

To be brutally honest, the world doesn’t 

owe you shit. You can’t expect things to 

always go your way, or for others to look 

after you. The moment you take full responsibility 

for every single thing happening 

to you is exactly the moment 

when you can start changing anything 

in your life. Also, be nice to people. You’ll 

feel more fulfilled as a person, and that 

stuff tends to come back around when 

you need it the most. 

Thank you so much for the chat! We have 

one more critical question. Steve Carell or 

Jim Carrey? 

Thank YOU! Haha, now you’re asking 

the really hard questions! No man, I’ll 

have to go Jim Carrey on this one. I grew 

up watching so many of the films he’s 

been in. Dude is hilarious. 


LET IT BURN 

JESSE CLEGG 

 

Transcribed by: Louis R. Malherbe II 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.CO.ZA 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - PERSONAL USE ONLY 1/2

Crash 

Closed 

Open 

Snare 

Rim 

Floor 

Kick 

Hi-Hat 

Hi-Hat 

Flam 

Tom 

Drum 

 

 

 

.CO.ZA 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - PERSONAL USE ONLY 2/2

Werner -Von- 

Waltsleben 

Hey, Werner. Thank you for 

your time. How is life treating 

you in the beautiful city 

of Cape Town? 

Hey guys. Thank you so much for having 

me. It’s an honour. It’s going great, 

thank you. It’s crazy weird times we are 

living in right now and I want everyone 

to look after themselves. I am still focused 

though and ready to go. 

Word has it that you got your first drumkit 

at the age of 17 and started playing in 

your Dad’s cover band not so long after? 

Yeah, that’s right. I remember that I got 

this sudden need to play the drums. My 

dad, being a fellow musician got really 

excited. I got my first drum kit not too 

long after and I never looked back. My 

dad showed me the ropes and I eventually 

joined him on stage to play some 

cover shows. 

Which drummers inspire you, both locally 

and internationally? 

Locally it’s definitely my friends Sheldon 

Yoko and Darren Peterson. I have 

always been a fan of their playing long 

before I actually got to know them. Internationally 

I would say Matt McGuire 

from The Chainsmokers. As a player, 

he is so great and I also really dig the 

entertainment aspect of his job. I also 

really dig Joe Clegg from Ellie Goulding’s 

band. He is such a great player and 

just sits in the groove. Technical setups 

where the shows are run off Ableton 

is something I am really into and that 

group has one hell of a setup. 

You studied under the great Barry van 

Zyl (Drummer for the late Johnny Clegg). 

What were some of the important things 

you learned from Barry, and still apply? 

Jeez, I learned so much from Barry. That 

was such an inspirational time for me 

as a musician. Barry always plays for the 

song. He is so precise and pays so much 

attention to the finer details. He literally 

just wants to play for the song. I love 

that. That stuck with me. That shaped 

me as a player. 

Tell us about some of your other early beginnings 

as a drummer? Who were some 

of the first bands that you worked with? 

Besides playing some gigs with my dad, 

I played in my school band and then 

joined my first proper band after school. 

It wasn’t till a year or two after finishing 

my production course that I got 

my first paid gig 

with the band 

K.O.B.U.S. From 

there on everything 

started 

to happen. 

Who do you feel 

was responsible 

for giving you 

your first break 

to be a full-time 

drummer? 

My first break was 

definitely thanks 

to Theo Crous from 

the Springbok Nude 

Girls. After joining 

the band, K.O.B.U.S that 

he plays in, he gave me a 

chance to record with him a 

lot and he also taught me the recording/editing 

part of the process. 

I recorded on so many albums and jingles 

at his studio in Bellville. That was 

where I met most of the musicians I 

know today. I would have been nowhere 

without Theo Crous. I mean, the first 

conversation we had ever on the phone 

was whether I wanted to tour Germany 

with his band. I could not believe it. 


ALL PHOTOGRAPHY: WERNER LAURA MCCULLAGH


Werner-von-Waltsleben 

What have you been busy with lately? We 

see that you are extremely busy with Arno 

Carstens and a few other artists? 

Yeah, Arno and I have been on the road 

a lot. Arno is a full-on creative personality 

who is always on the quest to create 

and improve. It’s very inspiring playing 

shows with him. I really have fun 

with the setup that I use as well. I play 

bass on the Roland SPD-SX which also 

syncs to Ableton, which in turn triggers 

string parts and various synths, loops 

etc. I have a lot of fun with that show. 

I have also been playing Francois Van 

Coke shows, filling in for Sheldon Yoko. 

FVC and DIE GEVAAR are on another 

level. They are some of the most talented 

musicians I have ever worked with. 

The band is an indestructible force. I 

love playing shows with them. 

You have played for top acts in South Africa, 

including Matthew Mole, Francois 

van Coke, and many others. How did you 

go about landing these gigs? 

Years ago I tracked with Matthew Mole at 

Milestone Studios in Cape Town thanks 

to the producer he was working with at 

the time. And then last year we chatted 

about working together again and 

that’s how that happened. I’ve known 

Francois for years, also through Theo 

Crous. Fokofpolisiekar and Van Coke 

Kartel did a lot of music at Bellville 

studios and I got to know them then. I 

have been a fan ever since I can remember 

so it’s still very surreal. You need to 

put yourself out there and openly seek 

these opportunities though, they won’t 

always just approach you first. 

Do you play on some of these artist’s records 

or do you only play with them live? 

Yeah, aside from the Matthew tracking 

session I also record with Arno. Funny 

story is that I also tracked a few songs 

on an Arno Carstens album way back. 

Also at Theo’s studio. It was years after 

that I actually met him. Sheldon tracks 

with Francois so I only play those sessions 

live. And jeez, his drum parts are 

so much fun to play. They are so perfectly 

written, it’s a crime not to play them 

as they are. There are also many artists 

I have tracked for, but don’t play LIVE 

with, so it’s a nice mix of both. 

Being a session drummer requires discipline 

and the ability to adjust to the different 

types of music. How important do 

you feel it is to be sure that you are serving 

the music? 

Oh wow, it’s so important. The fact that 

I am still doing this is because I want 

to play for the music whether it’s live or 

studio, to make it the best it could be. 

At the end of the day, we are in the service 

industry. We are a servant for the 

music. The music comes first, always. 

I am also very OCD when it comes to 

my job, haha. I want everything to be in 

place always. I think if you put the music 

first you will be in this for the long 

run. 

“outside of the industry, there’s a 

misconception that musicians, 

because they don’t have the typical 

9-5 jobs, aren’t hard workers.” 

I love the teamwork between yourself, 

Darren Petersen, and Sheldon Yoko. Sticking 

together like the three of you do must 

keep each of you booked up? 

Those guys are just the best. They have 

been there for me so many times. This 

sounds so cheesy but they make me 

want to be a better player. I have gotten 

so many opportunities thanks to them 

and I owe them the world. Thanks, buddies, 

love you guys! It’s important to 

have a network and support other session 

players to make sure everyone has 

a job to do. 



Werner-von-Waltsleben 

What inspires me the most about how 

you have each other’s backs, is that sort 

of thing is hard to come by later. Do you 

feel it is important for drummers in South 

Africa to stick together more and support 

each other rather than competing? 

To be honest, the reason I get to play 

with Francois, Die Heuwels and a lot 

of other artists is just that. Sticking 

together and not competing. Helping 

each other. That is the best thing. Being 

there for one another. Apart from the 

fact that they are so professional, they 

are just genuinely great guys. 

What are the top points that you would 

give to any drummer wanting to pursue a 

career as a session drummer? 

Be open-minded definitely. Network 

as much as you can. DM people, go to 

shows, hustle. There are so many opportunities 

out there. Go on a journey 

to find the thing that makes you stand 

out. My mindset has not changed a bit 

from when I started doing sessions. I 

am still trying to find more work opportunities, 

DM’ing people on Instagram, 

still trying to perfect my craft. I 

am still hungry. If you go for it and focus 

only on that you will achieve great 

things and it’s bound to happen. Also, 

learn how to use Ableton :P 

You have lived off of music for quite some 

time. What would you say to the people 

out there are very negative about the idea 

of making a living doing what you do? 

If you’re outside of the industry there 

is a misconception that musicians, because 

they don’t have the typical 9-5 

jobs, aren’t hard-workers or don’t have 

set objectives and goals. The truth is, it’s 

harder in the sense that you constantly 

have to chase new jobs and new opportunities. 

My advice is to always be up 

to date with new technology and new 

ways to improve yourself and make 

yourself appealing to artists as a session 

musician. The days of purely just 

being a drummer or just being a guitarist 

are past us. You need to be super 

agile in your approach and offer as 

much as you can to maintain a steady 

stream of work. Some people don’t want 

to or can’t put in that time and effort or 

adapt to what is happening in the industry 

and that’s when it becomes difficult 

to support yourself. 

Recently you guys did a drum event called 

Behind the Beats. Can you tell us more 

about this and what it was about? 

Yes, that was one of the most exciting 

and stressful nights that I’ve had in a 

long time. It was not a conventional 

drum clinic I would say. We had more 

of a conversational angle to the event. 

We played and shared a lot of technical 

drumming stuff but it was more about 

the industry itself. We chatted about 

the behind the scenes stuff that no one 

ever covers in drum clinics. Just playing 

the game. To be honest I felt like an 

audience member just being on stage 

with Sheldon and Darren. I also learned 

so much that night. 

Do you have any plans to do any of your 

own drum clinics? 

No, not at the moment. I have never really 

been a clinic kind of guy. I like hiding 

in the back playing my instrument, 

serving the music and that’s it. Playing 

in front of drummers regularly scares 

the hell out of me. I liked the group approach 

that Behind The Beats had. If we 

do another one like that I will definitely 

be keen. 

Besides sessioning for various artists, I 

have noticed that you are busy with some 

other projects as well. Can you give us 

some more insight into the different projects 

you are involved with? 

Yeah, one of the things I am paying a lot 

of attention to is my project called Kilo 

Kami. It’s just the production side of me 

that I can’t always express as a drummer. 

I had so much music saved on my 

hard drive and felt like I needed to create 

an alter ego where I can express that 

different side of me. I am releasing new 

music soon and I have so many collaborations 

lined up. I am beyond excited. 

I also do some behind the scenes work 

for artists producing beats, loops etc. 

Do you write songs or produce for any of 

these projects? 

As Kilo Kami I do produce everything. 

It’s still very new for me so I am on Youtube 

constantly trying to learn more. 

I have a lot of talented friends and so, 

have a lot of support from all over. 

What advice would you give to any up and 

coming drummer out there? 

Be yourself. As soon as I stopped trying 

to be like someone or comparing myself 

to someone else, everything changed. 

Focus on your path. I promise you that 

success will come. 

Lastly... We can never forget the most 

crucial question. You can pick one and 

only one... Sweet potato or Gem Squash? 

Ahhhh, so hard. I eat Gem Squash like 

once a year at Christmas Eve and it’s 

my favourite time of year so I’m 

just gonna say Gem Squash. 

Is that weird? haha. 


FOLLOW 

WERNER-von- 

WALTSLEBEN 

instagram.com/wernervonwaltsleben 

facebook.com/werner.vonwaltsleben 



T h e n a m e s a y s i t a l l 

t h e a l l - r o u n d e r 

t h a t d r u m m e r s d r e a m o f b e c o m i n g 

F r o m b e c o m i n g a 

YOUTUBE 

SENSATION 

t o t o u r i n g t h e w o r l d w i t h 

MAJOR BANDS 



Photography by: 

Sarah Velez Herrero


Yo, Luke. Thanks for taking time 

out to chat! The thing everyone 

wants to know is how your 

journey as a drummer began? 

My real dad played the drums, so I 

think I got it naturally from him. It’s 

funny; I didn’t even want to play the 

drums until I was or . My neighbour 

started playing the drums, and 

he would open up his garage and shred 

so loud. So I went over there and asked 

him to teach me something. He showed 

me a straight forward groove, and I got 

hooked. I started working around the 

neighbourhood when I was around ten 

years old to raise some money. It took 

me nine months to raise $350 and get 

my first drumkit when I was around 11 

years old. When I was , I joined the 

marching band; I played snare and 

traditional grip. I didn’t touch the kit 

during that time, which was about a 

year and a half. When I came back to 

the kit, I had so much new knowledge 

and light. That was kind of the beginning 

for me. 

It’s cool that you went out there and 

made it happen. There are so many stories 

where people want to learn how to play 

the drums, but they never pursue it because 

they don’t have a drum kit. On the 

other hand, we have had students where 

they make drum kits out of nothing because 

they want to learn, and we find that 

they progress faster than some students 

that have an acoustic drumkit. It is all 

muscle memory at the end of the day, so 

if you can play something on the pillows, 

you can play it on the drums. 

Yeah, man, it’s funny, I was still living 

at home with my parents when I filmed 

a lot of my earlier youtube videos so I 

would air drum all of the parts for my 

videos. A lot of the stuff that is still on 

Youtube were the first times that I actually 

played it on the kit. I would only be 

allowed to play when my parents were 

gone, and they weren’t gone that often 

so it was mostly air drumming. 

How did the whole Youtube thing happen? 

I was chatting to Mike Johnston, and he 

was telling me how his career online almost 

happened by accident. He posted lessons 

online for his private students when he 

was away, and those videos started to go 

viral. 

I started doing Youtube because of this 

local band that I was in. We were all just 

young kids that wanted to play music, 

and my singer at the time by the name 

of Eric was telling me that he was seeing 

some of these drummers doing covers 

and he thought I should do a cover 

of one of our songs and give the band 

some publicity. I told him that I didn’t 

want to do it because it sounded dumb, 

haha. I didn’t do it, but he did spark my 

curiosity, so I started looking up some 

drum covers. I was a massive fan of 

bands like August Burns Red and Texas 

In July. I watched these drum covers 

that these people were uploading; this 

was in 2009, so it was a very longtime 

ago. The comments were saying things 

like, “Oh my God dude, you are playing 

it just as good as Matt, if not better” 

even though the cover was really bad, it 

was not accurate or close to what Matt 

was playing. So, that just sparked a fire 

in me to do it. 

I didn’t even care about the views; I 

just wanted to do it better. I hit up my 

friend Justin, and he stood on a stool 

in his mom’s living room and filmed 

me playing an August Burns Red cover. 

We put it up on YouTube, and it got 

a lot of views. I still had awful gear and 

broken cymbals. I was really confused 

and thought it was maybe a joke or a 

prank at first. I put up some more videos, 

but the intention was never to try 

and maintain that. It was a very organic 

thing. I get asked a lot about how my 

channel got big, and my response to 

that; it is all about timing. If you had to 

try and make a YouTube channel today 

in 2020, you would have to have something 

extraordinary going on because 

all these drum covers have been done 

thousands and thousands of times. It 

is really difficult. 

The organic thing should help to set you 

apart as opposed to putting too much 

planning into it, right? You should put out 

stuff that you feel adds value as opposed 

to planning this crazy channel because 

you only have getting followers in mind. 

%dude!!!As Isaid,Ididn’tgivea 

shit if I got views or not. It’s just the way 

things are now. I have heard people say 

things like ‘followers are just a currency’ 

and stuff like that. That is what kids 

are living for. They want followers and 

their views, and that is their goal. That 

was not my goal. My goal was to be an 

amazing drummer, and I wanted to be 

known for playing the drums. 

The other thing I noticed with doing 

my channel the past 11 years and seeing 

the difference from when I started up 

until now is that people were interested 

and invested in what I was doing because 

I was their age. It started a community. 

It was interesting because they 

were like rooting for me. When I joined 

the Word Alive, it was this climactic 

moment of “Yeah!! He made it.” It was a 

cool relationship between me and all of 

my fans. That has, unfortunately, kind 

of gone away because I can’t do metal 

anymore. I am just over it. I have lost a 

lot of those fans, which is ok because, 

as I said, I am doing this for me at the 

end of the day, if people like it and enjoy 

it, then that is even better. 

It happens like that with bands as well in 

terms of followers. I always find it funny 

that if you don’t change with the times 

and progress, then people seem to lose 

interest because you are not staying current, 

but then when bands do evolve and 

change with the times, people get upset 

and stop following them anyway. 

One of my closest friends was telling 

me about his analytics, and some interesting 

facts piqued my curiosity. We 

looked at my analytics, and I noticed 

that I was losing 150 to 200 followers a 

day, but I was gaining 200 to 250 a day. It 

is still growing, but that is a lot of people 

that don’t want to follow you anymore. 

It is a couple of thousand people 

a month that you are maybe upsetting 

to the point that they unfollow you and 


“They want followers 

and their 

views, and that is 

their goal. That 

was not my goal. 

My goal was to be 

an amazing drummer, 

and I wanted 

to be known for 

playing the drums.” 



don’t want to be invested in you anymore. 

The point is, you can’t make everybody 

happy, and I am not trying to. 

With Youtube being so massive and with 

everyone doing covers to try and promote 

their channel, do you still think it is likely 

to become a massive YouTube star with 

having below-average gear? 

I heard this kid say the other day that 

Instagram is for old people, and that 

made me go, “Oh Shit,” hahaha. Right 

now, the biggest social media thing is 

TikTok, so I knew that I needed to get 

onto that. I have so many friends who 

can’t start another social media thing 

right now. I totally understand that, but 

you just have to bite the bullet and do it. 

So, you have to be willing to adapt and 

change, but is it possible? Of course, it 

is possible, but I will say that it is going 

to be a lot harder then it was or 

11 years ago when not that many people 

were doing it. The most important thing 

is that you can have the nicest gear in 

the world and have the sickest production, 

which might get you a decent fanbase 

and views (more so the following), 

but if the talent and the passion aren’t 

there, people will see right through it, 

so you have to put in the work. 

The other really important thing is 

that you have to find a unique approach. 

When I started, I was this tiny little 

scene kid with long hair flipping my 

sticks around, playing technical music. 

It was more of a show. I wasn’t sitting 

there playing Jazz with technical 

finesse. It was more powerful and more 

of a performance, and what I didn’t realize 

at the time was that I was gaining 

fans that weren’t drummers, and that is 

huge. That is how you can create a brand 

if you can get that right. My advice to 

people that want to start is not to try 

and do what everyone else is doing because 

it has already been done a million 

times. There is already a Luke Holland; 

there is already a Matt McGuire and a 

Mike Johnston. So, be you, that is the 

best advice that I can try and give. 

Lately it seems like there are two types of 

career paths. There are the Social Media 

Drummers, and then you get the session 

drummers, which I have noticed don’t get 

as much social media following. A lot of 

social media drummers have a huge following 

but don’t play any shows. Do you 

feel you need to do the flashy stuff to get 

an audience? 

I don’t think it necessarily has to be 

flashy; people just need to connect to 

it. There are a lot of girl drummers right 

now that are blowing up and getting 

huge numbers of followers. It is so cool 

but like I was saying earlier about when 

I started, it stirs this community, and 

if you can tap into that, you can create 

this unique thing. 

Exactly. There are so many people that 

are trying to be as busy as they possibly 

can be because they want the hits, but 

then wonder why they are not getting any 

shows or wonder why artists are not looking 

their way. If you are doing all of these 

chops to get the followers, I feel that you 

also have to put content that shows that 


Bullets Baby! 

Luke slamming on 

his custom signature 

Meinl Bullet Stack 

“I have lost a lot of those fans, which is ok 

because, as I said, I am doing this for me at 

the end of the day, if people like it and enjoy 

it, then that is even better” 



Luke H

olland


“People are more attracted 

to organic content because 

that makes them feel like 

they are actually there. ” 

you can be disciplined as well for artists 

to take note. 

Yeah, %dude!Alotof peopleaskme 

what I will do if social media crashes tomorrow 

and if I would still be ok. Yes, I 

will always be ok because I still have my 

skill set. I have put all this time in to do 

something and gain all this knowledge 

and be proficient. I am sorry to say, but 

if you take away social media from some 

of these Instagram drummers, they will 

have nothing. They don’t have the gigs 

knocking at the door. They don’t have 

the albums or the connections from 

being on dozens of tours with all these 

different artists. When you meet people, 

and you are a good person, and you 

maintain those relationships, you never 

know what can happen. Me playing 

for Rufus Du Sol right now is because 

of Matt Mcguire from Chainsmokers, 

and that would never have happened if 

we didn’t maintain our friendship from 

when we were years old. I guarantee 

even The Kardashians on social media 

are not content where they are at. You 

will never be content, and that is the 

scary thing about social media, so try 

not to put all your eggs into that basket. 

Ultimately if you want to be a successful 

drummer, you have to be good 

at what you do. That is the number one 

thing. 


ecords over there recently. What I really 

enjoy about doing stuff on my own is 

that I can show up to a venue and know 

all the people are there to see me and all 

the time that I have spent on one thing. 

It pays off significantly at that moment, 

and they probably feel the same way because 

they have been supporting me for 

a long time. It is a cool symbiotic thing 

because they know that a big reason 

why I am there is because of them and 

vice versa. I can go from Jason Richardson 

songs, which is like technically 

metal stuff, to Trap music to Hip Hop. 

I can play whatever I want. That is my 

favourite thing. 

That so amazing, man. I think I saw something 

on your Instagram where you mentioned 

you would like to start doing more 

drum lessons. Would it be more private 

lessons, online lessons, or both? 

I actually just filmed 5 lesson videos for 

Youtube, they are really quick. I am going 

to upload them and see how they 

do. I have never done this before. I just 

want to share the knowledge and hopefully 

help people, why not? I think I have 

one or two videos on my channel of me 

talking, and I kind of keep it that way 

intentionally because I like having a lit- 

Moving on from Social Media, I see that 

you are doing a load of drum clinics. How 

has that been treating you? 

Its cool, man. I don’t book it out as a 

“drum clinic,” which I have done in the 

past. I have a booking agent, and we 

actually just book it as a Luke Holland 

tour, and because of that, we are kind 

of tapping into uncharted territory, especially 

in Asia. I set a bunch of world 



tle bit of mystery, which I think plays a 

significant role. 

You got really big on Youtube, and from 

there, you started landing some big gigs 

with bands like Texas In July. 

Yeah, I just filled in for Texas in July 

very briefly. There was this volcano 

eruption that was covering the Atlantic 

in ash so Adam Gray couldn’t do the 

show. He found my Youtube videos and 

called me. I flew over to Pennsylvania 

and filled in for him. I was 16, and this 

was such an important moment for me 

because I was filling in for my favourite 

drummer across the country. That was 

the moment that I knew that I could 

do this as a career. Before that, it was 

just a hobby. I played for this electronic 

pop duo called The Green Children 

just a day out of high school. I moved 

out to California a day after I graduated 

and played with them for a month and 

a half. I toured Norway with them and 

also did some festivals in the States, and 

then the Word Alive hit me up through 

watching my Skrillex Cinema remix. 

I joined up with them for five years. I 

love those dudes. We had such amazing 

memories, and I am so thankful that 

they took an -year kid from Youtube 

into an internationally touring band, 

that is crazy. I have played with people 

like Playboi Carti, which is like rap 

stuff, Rufus Du Sol, and loads of other 

sessions with bands like Sleeping with 

Sirens, Starset, I See Stars, Ghostface 

Killah from Wu-Tang Clan and mine 

and Jason Richardson’s project. It is so 

cool because we just toured with Dream 

Theatre. I can do that, and then I can go 

and play with Rufus Du Sol which are 

like the Gods of house music which is 

the total opposite side of the spectrum, 

but that is what I love and what I have 

always wanted, so I am really happy to 

see it has started to catch on. People 

have known that I am not just a Youtube 

drummer for a long time now, thank 

God, but it is finally starting to click. 

Being on the cover of drum magazine 

right now is so amazing. Thomas Lang 

gave a -pagestatementaboutmyself 

and my playing, which was a holy shit 

moment, you know. It just inspired me 

to keep going. If I can do it, then you and 

anybody else can do it. You just have to 

put in the time. 

There is a big thing that we are trying to 

push through SA Drummer, and I recently 

wrote an article about it. I am endorsed 

by a few brands, but I find when you are 

younger, getting endorsed is an important 

thing to you. I find that guys are almost 

getting obsessive over the whole 

endorsement thing and are more focused 

on that as opposed to focusing on building 

their brand. 

It will come naturally. It is really simple. 

I think endorsements are also very simple, 

and that is how the company can 


enefit from signing you. That is literally 

it. Do you play in a practice room and 

don’t put yourself out on social media, 

and you don’t tour? What benefit does 

that company get to give you a discount 

or free product? It is so simple. I don’t 

know how else to say it. 

I remember when I was 16 and getting 

an offer from Truth Drums; it was 

a %offdealorsomethinglikethat, 

and I just freaked out. I “made it” dude, 

haha! It is a big moment for an up and 

coming drummer because it is this 

brand that you see on such a high pedestal 

supporting you as well. Meinl was 

the first company to have faith in me 

when I was 17, and it has been nine years 

since I signed with them. We have such 

an amazing relationship, and I feel that 

is more important than the product. 

Lastly, A sick up and coming drummer 

comes up to you and asks your advice 

about becoming a professional drummer. 

What should he do, and what avenues 

should he focus on? 

I will give a unique approach to this. 

Let’s say you aren’t doing a cover, and 

you’re just playing the drums, you film 

it and upload it to Youtube. It sparks 

some conversation among drummers, 

and people start telling other people 

to check you out and, most importantly, 

they say you sound different. Everybody’s 

heard the same grooves and fills. 

What sets you apart? I think if you could 

do drums only, stuff like that is huge on 

Instagram right now. It goes with how 

the algorithm works right now. If it’s 

just an iPhone video and not this crazy 

amazing camera shot, it’ll work. People 

are more attracted to organic content 

because it makes them feel like they 

are right there. I would start there. I do 

drum only stuff sometimes, but if I am 

doing social stuff, I am usually playing 

over tracks, and that’s because when 

you play over the track, anybody that is 

searching for that song or that artist is 

going to see your video pop up, and you 

get those fans too. You are not just catering 

to your fans, but you are gaining 

new fans as well. That is the kind of perk 

to doing covers. Plus, for the non-drummers 

that are watching, it gives more of 

a context. If a non-drummer is watching 

you playing this crazy thing, they 

will scroll away because it doesn’t make 

sense to them. It’s like when I watch a 

guitar player. I don’t care what they are 

doing, haha. I just scroll away because 

it isn’t relevant to me. I think another 

important thing is that if you are going 

to play to tracks, try to play stuff 

that speaks to you, rather then trying to 

find the biggest trending song because 

most of the time, the people and fans 

are going to see through that. It is really 

a tough question to answer because 

if I knew the exact answer, I would be 

doing that. It is all a game of learning; 

everybody is learning. 


WWW.LUKEHOLLANDDRUMS.COM 

youtube.com/lukehollanddrums 

instagram.com/lukehollandd 

facebook.com/HollandDrums 

Twitter.com/lukeholland 


Preparation 

is Key 

By Jonathan Ulman 

“As a session musician it is one 

of my most valuable assets to be 

able to jump from studio work to 

live work efficiently.” 

While both environments occasionally require 

a different mentality to be successful, 

maintaining the same standard of preparation 

is essential. These varying settings allow me to 

integrate a wide range of skillsets while showcasing my 

versatility as a drummer. On the surface, the basic differences 

between the two are that studio work provides 

some sense of flexibility with regards being able to start 

and stop during a take, while in a live setting you more 

or less have to get the take right in the moment. Now, 

I in no way am implying that studio work is less difficult 

because of that freedom, but rather requires a different 

mindset during the process. Since everyone has 

their own means and methods when diving into these 

musical situations, this article will take a closer look at 

how I prepare myself for each environment.

From my perspective, 

finding a balance between 

studio work 

and live work is what 

keeps me excited to 

constantly push myself 

as a musician. 

Being a session drummer allows me 

to experience a wide range of opportunities, 

each bringing a unique and 

diverse backdrop for me to learn and 

grow as a player. Being on a stage, performing 

live is an emotional rush that I 

often have trouble expressing in words. 

There is a certain chemistry that exists 

between the musicians on the stage as 

well as the energy that the crowd is contributing 

and when all of that comes 

together it is a magical moment for everyone 

involved. As long as I am playing 

the drums in my life, I will perform 

live as much as I possibly can. With 

that being said, it’s the studio work that 

gives me the most gratification. I have 

always stood by my sentiments that the 

albums and songs that I play on are my 

legacies as an artist. They are “physical” 

representations of how my career has 

progressed from the start to the end 

and a means for me to leave my mark 

on the industry. 

My preparation for getting ready for 

a studio session versus a live gig has 

many similarities and a lot of it starts 

with learning the music. Before I head 

into any gig, (if timing allows…) I usually 

spend at least 3 days wrapping my 

head around the songs. I start by charting 

everything out, this allows me 

to dissect the music in a much more 

methodical way. Often little nuances 

are missed when just listening to the 

tracks on their surface. Especially with 

live work, ensuring that I know the 

song so well will, in turn, give me the 

confidence to integrate my style to the 

music without taking away from what 

was already recorded. As for the studio, 

a lot of time the music comes in 

the form of rough takes or basic scratch 

tracks which give me an idea of what 

I should be preparing for. Both situations 

require that I invest my time in 

learning and creating parts that will 

bring something of value to music. After 

that initial process, I’ll spend some be learning from every experience we 

tain with more insight and we should 

time playing along to the music to ensure 

I can feel comfortable without With that being said, one of the 

encounter. 

needing to read from my charts. A couple 

of days before the session, I’ll start you are successful in either of these en- 

most essential pieces to ensuring that 

thinking about the equipment that I vironments is being able to work with 

will use and begin trying out different 

setups. Having options, especially sessions that are on hold because a 

a click track. So often I am brought into 

with cymbals and snare drums is incredibly 

valuable when recording as it ronome. As far as I am concerned this 

drummer was unable to play to a met- 

allows me the unique opportunity to is what will make or break a career. 

put together a good mix of pieces that I Granted, there are a lot of live gigs in 

think will bring the right sound to the which the band does not incorporate 

music. Outside of my 

a click track into the 

preparation, I want 

set, but if you want 

to take a minute to 

highlight why it is so 

important to understand 

how the process 

works for both 

recording and live 

gig situations. The 

more informed you 

are, the more likely 

you can navigate 

any tricky situations 

that arise during the 

session and in turn 

ensures that you are 

doing your part to 

make sure the music 

is not impacted. 

I have worked with 

many producers and 

engineers through 

the years and I make 

Follow 

Jonathan 

to see his words 

in action 

Instagram 

instagram.com/jmudrums 

Facebook 

facebook.com/jmudrums 

to be successful in 

the studio, being able 

to play with one is 

imperative. A lot of 

people ask me what I 

work on when I’m not 

learning music for a 

gig and my answer 

has remained the 

same for over a decade. 

I practice playing 

different grooves 

along to a metronome. 

Working systematically 

on feeling 

comfortable playing 

in front of the click, 

on top of it, or slightly 

behind it, as these 

are all aspects that 

come up in the stu- 

sure I learn as much from their methods 

as I possibly can. It’s essential for us a session is being unable to contribute 

dio. The last thing I want to happen in 

as the musicians to be as knowledgeably 

well rounded as we can and un- 

Session musicians have a very 

to the music effectively. 

derstanding aspects such as why mics unique role to play in the industry. 

are placed in certain positions, or why Even being a small piece to the puzzle, 

specific mics are used in various scenarios 

and even how sound travels and bigger picture. Whether you want to 

our contribution is invaluable to the 

reacts to different rooms is all information 

that will benefit us as players and playing shows, there are just some key 

be a studio musician or out on the road 

allow us to make more educated decisions 

when playing. There should be cessful. First, be confident on your in- 

factors that will allow you to be suc- 

an unspoken communication whether strument, practice and preparation go 

in the studio or on stage that enables a long way, even when there is no gig 

us as musicians to speak through our to get ready for. Know your equipment 

instrument and with non-verbal mannerisms. 

These are all skills we can ob- 

certain 

and understand why it is effective in 

environments. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: JONATHAN ULMAN 


Articles 

What 

Does it 

Take? 

TO BE A WORKING DRUMMER 

PLAYING THE COVER CIRCUIT 

IN SOUTH AFRICA? 

With Sean ‘Styx’ Nunan 

We chatted to one of SA’s busiest and most experienced 

cover drummers Sean ‘STYX’ Nunan, to 

find out more about how he handles performing 

over 200+ gigs every year and how he makes 

his living playing the drums in this challenging 

and intense musical environment. 

Tell us how you actually became 

a pro-working cover drummer. 

I only sat behind the kit for 

the first time at age . It became 

my ‘instant happy place,’ and after 

that introduction to the drum set, 

I spent about two years practicing my 

butt off every day and night to get competent 

enough as a player to pursue my 

drumming dream as a career. I joined 


my first band, which was, in fact, a cover 

band at the age of . ‘All I knew and 

what motivated me was that I wanted to 

play the drums fulltime and I wanted to 

get paid for doing just that’! The other 

guys in my band at the time (SHOUT!) all 

had the same vision as I did. We had all 

just finished high school, and it seemed 

like a fun way to make money and meet 

girls. We all turned pro and collectively 

put in the hours and rehearsed our arses 

off day and night, getting the repertoire 

polished and started doing the 

hotel residencies playing six nights a 

week. I have been playing the Pro Cover 

Circuit for over years now, I have 

had the opportunity to travel internationally 

playing covers, and I still love 

what I do, I love the cover scene, and I 

love drumming. I found my place and 

purpose, and my wife Cindy through 

the music industry. 

For some of the readers that might not 

know. What is a ‘Residency’? 

In the late s toearlys,certain 

hotel chains would book a band for 

– monthsatatime.Thebandwould 

stay in the hotel and perform six nights 

a week in their resident bar or nightclub 

performing x -minute sets 

per night. After every – -month cycle, 

bands would rotate to another hotel 

and repeat the same process. There 

were some ‘Killer’ bands at that time, 

including the likes of Syndicate (my alltime 

favourite cover band featuring the 

late Jorge Bastos on drums) Café Society, 

,Ballyhoo,andWalkthisWayto 

mention a few. The good thing about a 

gig like that was twofold: Regular guaranteed 

work and consistent well paid 

money monthly in your bank account. 

How do you find these cycles have changed 

since you started? 

Now bands generally rotate venues on a 

nightly basis. So, for example, we play 

every Tuesday at venue X and every 

Saturday at venue Y, etc. In Cape Town, 

most venues will book you on a given 

night for a or-monthcycleandthen 

rotate their bands accordingly so that 


What Does it Take 

the regulars don’t get bored and the 

bands don’t get too comfortable. 

My current band ABFAB DUO is in 

the fortunate position that after years 

of putting in the hard work and slog, 

we have had long term consistent work. 

Lisa and I have had regular work at the 

same venues for eight years now. We 

have averaged over + paid gigs per 

year since .( –gigseveryweek). 

What did your schedule look like during 

these weeks? 

We rehearsed new songs every second 

afternoon, play Monday to Saturday 

evenings and have Sundays off. At some 

hotels, you even had Mondays off too as 

it was a Tuesday to Saturday gig. 

What type of venues do you perform at, 

and what other gigs can one expect to 

perform in the cover environment? 

We perform mainly in pubs, clubs, and 

restaurants. These venues are our bread 

and butter gigs, but as a cover band, 

you also get to play at weddings, corporate 

functions, birthday parties, special 

events, and product launches and 

conferences, etc. We’ve also played arenas’ 

outdoor concert venues and amphitheaters. 

There is also international 

work if you are prepared to travel for 

– -monthcontractsatatimetoDubai, 

Abu Dabi, China, and the likes. Cruise 

liners are another way to get paid while 

seeing the world. There is also cover 

work at the Barnyard theatres and other 

theatres across South Africa. 

How often do you perform per week, and 

how long is an average gig? 

As a cover drummer, you will have to 

develop stamina and stay fit mentally, 

physically, and emotionally. We play, on 

average –nightsa weekata different 

venue every night, so you will have 

to ‘hump’ your equipment in and out 

of venues on a nightly basis which can 

get a bit tedious being a drummer as 

you always have the most gear to carry. 

I used to use roadies, but I find that my 

gear gets damaged when I’m not overseeing 

the load in and out and having a 

crew at an additional cost. Our gigs are 

+ - songsperweekin adisciplined 

fashion. Not for the faint-hearted. We 

have a saying that keeps us sane night 

after night. We called it ‘THE GOOD 

THE BAD AND THE MONEY .’ 

That’s quite a grueling schedule night after 

night, week after week, and month af- 


ter month, how do you stay healthy and 

‘gig fit’? 

I try and eat as healthily as possible, 

and I rest and take power naps as much 

as time allows, especially on gig days. 

I love taking walks on the beach, and 

that helps to clear my mind and relax 

me. I also try to spend quality time with 

my family as often as I can, which also 

helps to ground me. The drum kit is a 

very physical instrument, so it is also 

crucial to stay hydrated at your gigs. I 

also play on a larger drum kit, so carrying 

heavy gear, including a PA system 

every other night, also keeps me fit and 

active. 

What advice do you have for those young 

drummers breaking into the industry that 

want to become cover drummers? 

Buy the best gear that you can afford 

and buy gear that will serve you well. 

Remember, you are playing other people’s 

songs, and in a cover environment, 

you will always get challenged to play 

different styles and genres. 

Play for the song because that’s what 

your audience relates to. Initially, I 

would suggest that you play as close to 

the original drum pattern as you can, as 

learning different grooves and phrases 

will help you increase your drumming 

vocabulary and fill your toolbox with 

new ideas. Study the drummer you are 

covering. Research the gear he/she used 

in that song and why they played different 

parts in a particular style. 

Put your Ego aside! As much as you 

might ‘HATE’ the song that you are cov- 


What Does it Take 

ering – somebody else may love that 

song. Play every note like it’s the first 

time you’ve played it. 

There are four band members in your 

band who only take up % of the space, 

so if it’s your time to shine with a classic 

recognizable fill or drum solo, then 

go crazy. Keep a solid groove and play as 

tight as possible – Your band mates will 

thank you for doing that. Your ‘CLICK’ 

is your best friend in the cover environment 

– Embrace it. Try to learn something 

new every day. Also, take the time 

to learn how to read drum charts. 

How do you work out new songs? Do you 

have a system that helps you remember 

arrangements? 

I always chart the arrangement of the 

song first. Before I could read charts, I 

used a method I called ‘my potato family.’ 

I would count bars and draw a circle 

(or potato) for each one. That way, I 

knew how many bars each part of the 

song had, and that was my ‘potato family.’ 

It was easy to memorize arrangements 

that way. I still use that system 

to this day for more straightforward 

arrangements. Next, I would listen to 

what the Hi-Hat, snare, and kick patterns 

are doing. Finally, I would work 

out the tom fills and starts and stops 

that might occur. That all seems quite 

daunting in the beginning, but believe 

me, the longer you do it, the easier it 

becomes. Also, by listening over and 

over to a song, it becomes part of your 

muscle memory. After that process, I 

go onto YouTube and watch how other 

drummers have covered the song. 

I then take the best aspects and try to 

use some of the interesting things that 

I have stolen with my eyes. The bottom 

line is learning to chart the song 

in your drumming language. You are 

the one that has to remember the arrangement. 

Come up with things that 

YOU can relate to – ideas that will trigger 

your memories. My band currently 

has over songs. Trying to remember 

those at the drop of a hat is not easy! 

If your system is thorough, the muscle 

memory will show up when it needs to. 

You mentioned this but do you cover the 

songs you play exactly as the original was 

written, or is there some flexibility? 

Audiences relate to certain hit songs 

because of the niche grooves or fills in 

them, and they are immediately recognizable. 

So for songs written like that, 

it would be sacrilege not to cover them 

as they were recorded. If a dance floor is 

packed, I might change the kick pattern 

to ‘four on the floor’ to give more of a 

vibe. Fills might be busier at times and 

more original than that of a song with 

a programmed drum machine, but I 

stay disciplined and always ask myself 

is what I’m playing enhancing or destroying 

the song as it was written. 

What should a Cover Drummer Rehearse? 

Most of my rehearsal time gets spent 

working out new covers for our next 

gig. Having said that, you should be 

competent enough on the drums to be 

able to play grooves, fills, know your rudiments 

and be familiar with odd time 

signatures so that you can play any 

musical style that gets thrown at you 

during a gig. A cover drummer must 

be able to play rock, pop, dance, EDM, 

reggae, Latino, disco and ballads, etc. A 

useful reference is to go and check out 

Tommy Igoe’s Groove Essentials DVD. 

Every drummer should own a copy of 

that. He teaches over 100 grooves that 

every drummer should know on his 

two DVDs. 

How competitive is the cover circuit in 

Cape Town, and how have you managed to 

stay ahead of the pack for so many years? 

By remaining humble, teachable, and 

professional at all times. Remember 

that in this pond we are playing in, you 

are an ‘ENTERTAINER’ and not a ‘ROCK 

STAR.’ The Cape Town cover scene is very 

competitive. There are loads of bands, 

and like most cities, all the bands are 

gunning for the same venues. The repertoire 

is key! Always stay relevant and 

keep adding new songs so that people 

don’t get tired of your band and music. 

We add a couple of new songs every 

week, and in the eight years together, we 

are approaching the songs mark. 

For ABFAB, we are continually striving 

to become a better act, always trying to 

be being different from the rest of the 

bands, continually adding new songs, 

and keeping our gear in pristine condition. 

Making sure we have the latest 

and greatest gear to make us sound better. 

We listen to and interact with our 

audience to build a following. We take 

their requests for new songs and respect 

venue staff and management. Music is 

our business, and we run our band as a 

business. 

What are some of the negatives of performing 

in this environment? 

Some people in the industry frown 

upon cover musicians/drummers! 

Why? I think, in this country, it’s the 

most stable, consistent way to make a 

living playing the drums professionally. 

Playing covers paid for my son’s education, 

my home, our cars, etc. I’ve made 

a career playing the drums this way for 

years.Othernegativesincludetolerating 

drunken people at your gigs that 

have no regard for your gear and or musical 

gift. It often happens, so you must 

deal with these incidences when they 

occur maturely and professionally. 

Being a regular working drummer 

also keeps you away from your family at 

nights and on weekends, and you can’t 

socialize as much as you would like to 

with friends because of your working 

hours and lifestyle. 

Talk us through the type of gear you use 

and why it is most suited for the venues 

you play in. 

I play on a Roland V-Drums electronic 

kit exclusively for all my performances. 

I have total control over my sound and 

volume at all times. At some venues, we 

have to ‘pump’ the volume as there are 

peoplein theclub.Othernights 

we might be in a tranquil restaurant, 

and the owner wants us to sound like 

‘elevator music.’ By using the Roland 

kit, I can play at both venues comfortably. 

A lot of venues don’t have stages 

or tiny stages, so an electronic kit will 


I trigger a soundusingaKD-kick 

drum next to it an sound also using 

a KD-kickthennexttothatismynormal 

kick double pedal and then there 

is my hi-hat and lastly on my extreme 

right is a KD-thattriggerseitherafoot 

cowbell or tambourine snare. 

take up less space than an acoustic kit 

will. Also, with the Roland TD- , I can 

sample my kicks and snares to sound 

closer to the songs that we are covering. 

So for me, the electronic option makes 

sense for what I do. 

We also play with in-ear monitors 

meaning that we have less gear to carry. 

Fortunately, 90% of the venues that 

we perform at provide an in-house PA 

system, but we purchased our own rig 

for other gigs, which works out cheaper 

than doing PA hire all the time in the 

long run. 

Consistency 

It takes consistency. 

Consistent professionalism, 

consistent practice, 

consistent effort. 

It’s a tough scene and it 

doesn’t come for free. 

We run our backtracks using Sonar 

as our DAW, and my click is embedded 

into all the backtracks and routed to my 

in-ears so I can play in time to the songs. 

We also use a Roland OCTA – CAPTURE 

Card, and we don’t run a physical mixing 

desk but instead use Cubase as our 

mixing desk. If anyone is interested in 

learning more about my set up, please 

email me at drummad@mweb.co.za 

You have an interesting pedal set up. Why 

so many pedals? 

I get asked this question a lot, and 

there is a method in my madness. We 

play so many different genres of music, 

so I need to have the right sounds 

to do justice to the songs I’m playing. 

So I have assigned different kick types 

to different pedals so that I can access 

multiple sounds within the songs without 

having to change patches on my 

TD – module. It’scalled‘MultiPedal 

Orchestrations. I first learned of the 

concept from Thomas Lang and Marco 

Minnemann when they came to South 

Africa. I use six pedals. From left to right 

Even cover drummers can get Endorsements 

– Take us through your endorsement 

companies? 

I am a ROLAND V-Drums’ Brand Ambassador’ 

and have been playing on Roland 

gear my whole career. I am currently 

using Roland’s flagship TD– with 

an SPD-SX Sampler. I proudly endorse 

VATER drumsticks and currently play 

my personalized MATRIX Sean’ STYX’ 

Nunan sticks. All my kick and hi-hat 

pedals are MAPEX FALCON. My hardware 

on my drum rack is all MAPEX. I 

am also a MACKIE’ Brand Ambassador’ 

and use their top of the range MP- 

in-ear Monitors, and the band recently 

invested in a rather large powered 

MACKIE PA system, which includes 

subs and monitor wedges. 

Any final tips or advice for our readers. 

Never stop learning. By playing covers, 

you always get forced to pay attention to 

detail. You get forced to be disciplined. 

Film yourself playing drum covers of 

your favourite songs. You will be your 

biggest critic, and that is a good thing. 

It will also help to get your name out 

there. For some cover band, you may 

be exactly what they are looking for. 

By having a portfolio of drum covers 

on hand, you can show potential bandmates 

at least three things: . that you 

can learn songs. .Thatyoucanplay 

these songs and . That you’re willing 

to work (you not only learned the arrangements 

and played the songs, but 

you also went through the trouble of 

documenting your performances). 

Thanks for the opportunity to share my 

insights. If anybody would like to get 

hold of me for advice or a chat, please 

call me on + . Keep on 

bashing dem skins STYX out!

Issue 12 - Luke Holland - April 2020

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?