Simple, but outstanding

The Band 30 seconds to Mars is in first line the project of two brothers: the as actor from movies like “Fight Club” known actor Jared Leto as singer and his older brother Shannon on the drums, called: “Shanimal”. Before their show in Leipzig he told us what is - not only on the drums - important to him.

DrumHeads!!: Shannon, when you play the drums, what do you concentrate on most?
Shannon Leto: To hit the soul of the song. To feel the song to feel my place within it. It always depends a little on the song or how it begins, for example what the heart-beat is. To get this right is my focus.

DH!!: That sounds thought very musical. Which aim do you have as a musician?
Shannon: My main-aim is to always stick with truth, no matter whether it’s in real life or my drumming. I just want to be myself and especially show who I am. On the drums as well…

MY AIM: TO STICK WITH TRUTH

DH!!: You also play the guitar. Did you ever take lessons?
Shannon: No, neither for the drums nor for the guitar. I’m autodidact. I don’t like school…

DH!!: What do you like then?
Shannon:  I like electronic music, I do that as well, as some kind of Side-project.

DH!!: Like what? Do you play E-drums there?
Shannon: Yeah, I often do. I like the sound. I’ve used E-drums on the last 30 seconds to Mars Album as well. I think it got a bigger sound by that. I think it’s interesting when you mix E-Drum-Sound with acoustic sound, like I do. That sounds great.

DH!!: You also do that live, don’t you? In a live-Setup you use a lot of electronic music as well…
Shannon: Yeah, I’ve got eight pads integrated in my Setup, inclusive a E-Kick-drum-Pad.

DH!!: With the Band 30 Seconds To Mars you grew personal - from a trio to five musicians on stage. How come?
Shannon: Earlier it was only my brother, me and the bassist. But the music longed for more people. We wanted to do more. And with three people you can’t do that much, so we got somebody else inside.

DH!!: Do you actually have a favorite song from 30 seconds to mars?
Shannon: There are a couple, I love to play. From the actual album it might be the song “Night of the Hunter”. I like the drumsound. I needed ten days to get it. I put a lot of energy and time into that. The song is really sexy and expressive and it really is fun to play it.

DH: Do you have any favorite-licks or fills?
Shannon: Actually I like everything I do. With the song “this is War” for example I really like this little simple Fill, I play. The one coming right before the last Chorus, at the bridge (see Groove-box, page 45).
It’s easy, but it really stands out. Same with the Fill in the song “Vox Populi”, leading into the last chorus, into the Halftime-feel right after. It pushes the whole thing up, until it fades in the Halftime. I think that’s really, really cool, too.

Equipment
Drums:

    * Sonor
    * 8” x 8”, 10” x 8”, 12” x 8”
    * 14”x 8” Tomtom;
    * 18” x 16”, 16” x 16” Floortom
    * 20” x 20” Bassdrum
    * 14” x 5.5” Brass Artist Snare-drum
    * 13” x 5.5” Maple Artist Snare-drum

Hihat:

    * Sabian
    * 14” AA Rock Hats
    * 10” AAX Splash, 19” AAXplosion Crash
    * 20” AAX Stage Crash
    * 21” HHX Raw Bell Ride
    * 19” AAXTREME Chinese
    * 14” AAX Mini China

Drumhead:
Remo
Clear Pinstripe (Toms), Clear Powersonic (Bassdrum), Emperor X (Snare), Remo Controlled Sound Snare head, DW Custom Built Rack, DW 8000 Single- and double foot pedal.

Electronics:
Roland PD-8 Trigger Pads, KD-7 Kick Trigger Pad, TD-12 Drum Brain Butt Kicker System

DH!!: On Wikipedia I read…
Shannon: Don’t believe in Wikipedia. Wikipedia lies.

DH!!: Anyway it says the band’s maxim was “Provehito in Altum” (“Jump forward into the unknown”, Author’s note)…could you explain that?
Shannon: It means: Take a risk. Think different. Do different! Go forward!

SUCCESS IS A QUESTION OF ATTITUDE

DH!!: And what does that mean to you? How and especially where do you move as a drummer?
Shannon: I don’t know, you can’t tell. It’s in your future. I don’t know what will happen.

DH: No even, if your journey will lead you more to E-Drums or more acoustic?
Shannon: For my first album I started with both, we’ll see…

DH: Do you have any tips for young drummers, who want to play at Rock am Ring too, one day?
Shannon: Success is a question of attitude. It’s the ability to express yourself without any limitations. That you really can let your voice speak through the drums. Success has nothing to do with how many albums you made or how much money you get…at last not for me. We as a band signed out contract in 1999, that’s been a long time. Success for me is, to still be here. Of course it’s great to play in front of a sold-out Arena and you’ve got the feeling the people internalized your music. And now they came to your show to share the experience with you and the other way around. That is pretty cool, you know… Really cool! That is kinda magic - something, coming from your heart and soul, you play…somebody listens then… that’s freaky, really!

DH: I can affirm that. And your Nickname “Shanimal”, where does that come from? Did your brother give you that one?
Shannon: No, it comes from the fans. I think it’s because I take off, while playing. I’m pretty expressive, what might seem very wild to some people.

DH: Did you ever do something really embarrassing as a drummer? Something that was a real flop?
Shannon: Oh yes. When I was 12 years old, I played in a Jazz-big-band. I just was part of it and we toured and it was really cool and I wanted to be part of it again, next time. When I got back there, there was a new leader and he suddenly gave me notes. Before I never

In private more the quiet guy, behind his drums, Leto becomes the “Shanimal” wit expressive stage-performance.

Grooves & Licks

Shannon’s Favorite-groove and -fill

Fill-example: From the song “This is War” from the same titled album.

Shannon likes simple, but effective fills. About this one he said: “It almost jumps onto you - just like it’s supposed to.” In the song “This is war” it comes at exposed part and leads as pompous transition from the quiet bridge to the loud last Chorus.

Groove-example: “Night of the Hunter” from the Album “This is War”

Here Shannon’s play does not live only from patterns, but also from the mighty sound he’s been building up for 10 days. To make it sound like on the beginning of Night of the hunter, you should play it with a lot of energy, especially the toms.

had to be able to play the drums, but this time there was one ladder after the others said: “So, here, now play that!” - and I broke out in cold sweat. I sat down at the drums, sucked and was supposed to play the song. It was “Owner of a lonely Heart” by Yes. I knew that from the radio. So I tried to play it by memory. But i totally sucked: the leader looked at me dumbfounded all the time - (laughs) and in the end they of course didn’t take me.

Live as in the studio Shannon mixes his acoustic Drumsounds with his Roland E-Drum-Pads.
http://fuckyeah30stmquotes.tumblr.com/

Отредактировано requiemformysoul (22 Авг 2010 23:37:11)