Portugal. The Man hires local drummer for the day
Gavin Flaks, drummer for Lunatic Wolf and Wrestlerish, didn’t know who Portugal. The Man was before their set and won’t be able to nominate an album without the help of Google, but none of that matters as he was given the opportunity of a lifetime to play drums for their Joburg leg of their tour. Tamara Arden asks him the questions she believes most of us were thinking, and he, in all humbleness, shares his experience with the Portland band.
© Charlemagne Olivier / That Guy With Glasses
What happened to Portugal. The Man’s drummer?
Apparently in South Africa you need 2 open pages in your passport to get a visa or some shit like that. He only had 1 page open, so he was denied access to the country. He did manage to sort it out before the Cape Town show though.
How many local drummers were they looking for?
They were only looking for anybody fit to play the tracks, but you can’t learn 12 songs in like 5 hours, so a drumming partnership was the general agreement, so I shared the load. Isaac Klawansky (from Shadowclub) took care of the second half of the set and killed it.
Who suggested you for the opportunity to play?
The dudes from Shortstraw had been in contact with the band and they suggested both and Isaac and I played.
How many songs were you asked to learn?
I learned 8 songs, but the last 2 were a little touch and go, but I learned the first 6 songs well enough to jam live.
The drum beats seemed quite simple, were they?
The beats weren’t the hard part, it’s the song structures, phrasing and little stops and stabs that you need to pick out at exactly the right place. Luckily Zach (the bassist) is a bad ass conductor.
What was rehearsal like and where did you guys practise?
They reckon that it was the first rehearsal they’ve had in like 2 years. I was more nervous for the rehearsal then the actual show. We rehearsed at High Seas Studio, which I’m very familiar with, so at least that was a happy place for me, but there were literally about 60 people that came to watch the rehearsal. It was a little awkward to say the least, but the rehearsal turned into a party (as they do) and it was just pretty rad! Then everybody hit bob rocks after.
Tell us a little about the band- their mood and how they feel about South Africa?
I have honestly never worked with more chilled/ laid back dudes before; it was all good vibes from when we met till they left. They said they weren’t sold on biltong though, so I had a few trust issues.
What’s your favourite album of theirs?
To be honest, I had never really been exposed to the band before this. I still couldn’t even name 1 of their albums without the help of Google.
What song stood out for you at Sowing the Seeds?
I really enjoyed ‘Purple Yellow Red and Blue’. It was rad how they worked brick in the wall as an introduction. It’s just a killer jam in general.
When you tour with your bands, would it ever be an option to find another musician if something happened to one of the members?
I would say yes and just pray to the higher powers that the “new guy” plays the stuff well enough. It also obviously depends on the member, if the frontman gets left behind; I think there’s more of a problem.
Were they only meant to play an hour set or did they leave the stage because of the rain?
They weren’t meant to play more than an hour. Obviously the rain put a spanner in the works, but we played all the songs we intended to.
Now that you have experienced playing with an international bands, who else do you have your mind set on?
Well I don’t believe it is something you can target. This opportunity fell in my lap. But if you asked who I would love to play for, I’d go with Jay Z. I love me some gangsta Rap and hip hop drumming.
All images by That Guy With Glasses
