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Interview with Dan Laudo
24 April 2005, by Massimo Usai
When did you start drumming / how long have you been drumming?
I started playing drums around 1975. I got KISS Alive! and that was it. I wanted to play drums. I got a pair of sticks and started beating on everything in the house.
What was your first drum kit like?
I got my first drum kit when I was 13. It was a white CB 700 kit. I think they were a lower level Pearl kit. The kit was white because I was a fan of the band ANGEL. Barry Brandt was big influence on me at the time. He had sort of a loud John Bonham thing going on.
Did/do you have drum lessons, or are you self taught?
| I started taking lessons when I was in Jr. High School. Mostly rudiments and the basics for snare drum. I was actually in the high school marching band. (insert laughter here)
I started putting things together on the drumset by just listening to records and working things out.
Later on I took lessons from an amazing local drummer in Sharon, Pennsylvania, a guy named Larry Paoletta. The best lessons I ever had was watching Larry play in the local clubs every weekend.
How often do you practice?
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I try to practice when ever I get a chance. Time is precious thing for me. I never seem to have enough free time. I try to play my kit when I'm the mood for it. It makes the whole process more fun and it seems like you get more results when your in the right frame of mind. I like to go in and work things out on my own before band comes in.
Do you have a kit at home, use a practice studio, or what do you do?
I have a practice kit in the house. I just put some muffling on it and beat the hell out of it. That's the one good thing about living in a house instead of an apartment. I also practice down at the PRONG rehearsal studio.
If you have a kit at home, do your neighbors hate you?
Luckily the neighbors can't really hear too much noise coming out of our house. They probably think I have the stereo on 11. (which, I usually do anyway)
What equipment do you use at home/practice and on tour?
I have a crappy little practice kit at home. On all of the previous PRONG tours I was using my Yamaha Rock Tour Custom drums. They were made of birch. They were great sounding drums. I say "were" great drums because we had our trailer broken into while we were on tour in Dallas, Texas and my beautiful drums were stolen. Never to be seen again. I would love to get my hands on the guys that took them. Just give me five minutes alone. The punishment will be dealt quickly and painfully. I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?
How did you get to know Tommy / get into Prong?
An old friend of mine, Ron Marks from Celtic Frost knew Tommy's then manager. Prong was putting together an American tour in the fall of 1997 and suddenly needed a drummer. On my friend Ron's recommendation, the manager called me in Los Angeles and told me to learn 20 songs in a day. I went down to Tommy's rehearsal studio in Hollywood two days later and jammed with him. We were on tour a week later. That band consisted of Tommy, Riggs (Rob Zombie's Band) Frank Cavanaugh (Filter) and Bill Rettie (Pile of Heads) We toured for about six weeks. That was the beginning of my association with PRONG.
What is your favourite Prong song to listen to?
I'm going to go with "Controller" from Rude Awakening. Actually, anything from Rude Awakening. Then perhaps "Regal" from Scorpio Rising.
What is your favourite Prong song to play?
Probably "Lost and Found" and "For Dear Life" and then "Whose Fist". The kids love the disco. I think Ted Parsons is an amazing drummer and I really respect what he did on all those records.
Aside from Prong, of course, what music do you listen to and what are your influences?
I'm all over the map with stuff I listen to. From Nine Inch Nails to Sevendust to Brian Wilson. I'll stop there and pick up the list later.
What is your favourite album ever?
I don't think I can pick one absolute favourite.
OR your top ten "Desert Island Discs" if you prefer to pick tracks?
In no particular album order:
- KISS "Alive!"
- Nine Inch Nails -"Downward Spiral"
- Brian Wilson -"Smile"
- The Beatles -"Sgt. Pepper's"
- Jellyfish -"Spilt Milk"
- Sevendust -"Animosity"
- Red Hot Chili Peppers -"Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic"
- Angel -"On Earth As It Is In Heaven"
- The Police -"Regatta De Blanc"
- King Crimson -"Discipline"
- Celtic Frost -"To Mega Therion"
- Any Led Zeppelin.
I could go on and on but, we will stop there.
Drum machines: spawn of the devil or gift of the gods?
I would have to say drum machines are "gifts from the gods" I love playing along to drum loops. It really propels the song and makes it more fun for me to groove.
Electronic drums: spawn of the devil or gift of the gods?
I had a Roland V-Drum kit for a while. They are cool to play around on. It's hard to get a natural feel for playing them when you are used to slamming on an acoustic kit. With the electronic drums you play softly and they still sound like God! I would prefer to play a regular acoustic kit with a few electronic pads mixed in to trigger certain sounds and accents.
Who else have you played with, both recording and jamming?
One of the very first bands I ever put together was with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. We rehearsed in my parents basement for a while. Ron from Celtic Frost was also in that group. We were all over the map. We were putting a setlist together to go out a play the local bar scene. Trent wanted to do a lot of the new wave stuff that was out at the time. Ron wanted to do heavier stuff like Judas Priest and the like. I wanted to do whatever was on the radio at the time. It was interesting to hear Trent Reznor sing "Electric Eye" from Judas Priest. I wish I had a recording of that for my archives.
It's funny, years later I auditioned for Rob Halford's band. I didn't get the gig. It was just cool to jam with them for a few hours. I've played with Damageplan singer Patrick Lachman. Pat is an amazing guitar player. We were putting together a new project in L.A. with former PRONG keyboardist Bill Rettie. That group was Pile of Heads. Pat Lachman and I did the song "Primal Concrete Sledge" for a Pantera tribute record called "Southern Death". The strange thing about that was, a few years later Pat is the new singer for Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell's project Damageplan. I'm still shocked at the way Damageplan ended. Dimebag was a legendary guitar player and someone who always treated me like an old friend whenever I saw him. Very sad.
(Okay, back to my laundry list...) I also had a project called March Hares with a guy named Josh Fields. He writes the most amazing pop songs you have ever heard.
I also did an ill fated project with Madonna's brother Mario Ciccone. Which is strange because our good friend and guitar player Monte Pittman is Madonna's touring guitarist. It is a very small world after all.
Do you happen to know a Bay Area band named SADUS?
I'm sorry to say, I'm not familiar with them.
Do you like David Lynch's filmography?
I'm actually a HUGE David Lynch fan. I celebrate his entire body of work. Blue Velvet was the movie that really got me hooked. Twin Peaks was the most bizarre soap opera ever to play on American television.
Lastly: this is a space of your own for your personal comments to the fans out there - speak your mind out!
I want to thank all the Prong fans all over the world for supporting the band through good times and not so good times. You guys are the best and I always enjoy meeting everyone at the shows. Hopefully, we will continue to make you proud and throw some great tunes at you as well. I'm also finishing my side project "BIG ON MARS' for Kooklavu Records. Keep your eyes open for that. Go to www.danlaudo.com for updates Most importantly "Keep on Rockin".
Cheers.
Bid D
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