Interview date: 10.05.2007
After his excellent performance at the Rock in opposition festival, I managed to grab a quick chat with Dave Kerman, the legendary drummer of 5uu’s, U Totem, Thinking Plague and of course Present. We talked about the festival, their show, plans for the future, and plenty of other things.
RockLine: How would you rate your performance at the RIO festival?
Dave: It’s hard to compare shows and study them closely enough to rate them. At the RIO festival we were in a somewhat less comfortable spot, since we had to relearn Roger’s songs. We know them well in the electric version, but the acoustic version is trickier, with an extra pianist on top. We only had a few days to rehearse, work out the arrangements and rewrite the percussion parts for the five of us. On top of that, we wanted to do something new and original. In that respect I think we pulled it off pretty well. The songs got a more “classical” feel than usual, well…it was an experiment. And I think the experiment fit the spirit of the festival.
RockLine: Which show was harder for you, the acoustic or the electric one?
Dave: Personally, the electric one was harder, because I only had a few hours to forget everything I’d learned for the acoustic show. It was like learning to ride a bike while sitting facing the wrong way. You’d think this stuff comes back quickly, but it doesn’t. One problem with the acoustic show was that the post office lost all the classical percussion I’d shipped to the festival site a couple of weeks earlier. So I played on a makeshift drum kit, and the others had to bang on big trash cans, barrels, and so on. Nothing went to plan, but in a way that’s exactly why the acoustic show came alive: we had to play with whatever we had.
RockLine: How long did you rehearse for the shows? The playing was incredibly tight.
Dave: Thanks. For the acoustic show we rehearsed and worked out the arrangements in just five days in a smaller festival hall. For the electric show we rehearsed once or twice in a small rehearsal room the morning we played. Before that we hadn’t seen each other for about a year.
RockLine: Is it hard to organize rehearsals, since the members of Present are scattered all over the world?
Dave: Because we’re so scattered, it’s actually impossible to organize rehearsals. Before a tour or a recording we cram a couple of months’ worth of rehearsing into a few days. That can be really exhausting and intense, and although we sometimes get into arguments, we’re really one big family: brothers without the blood tie. We all admire each other, and we’ve gotten used to everyone having their own quirks.
RockLine: How did you end up in Present in the first place?
Dave: In the early nineties I was in U Totem, who were also on Cuneiform. The label suggested that Univers Zero and Present go see a concert at the university in Brussels while we were touring Europe. After the show, Roger Trigaux (Present) asked me if I’d join them, since Daniel Denis was planning to leave to revive Univers Zero. I said yes on the spot, no hesitation, and I’ve never regretted it. After all, these were musicians who were my heroes: Roger, Daniel, Guy Segers (univers Zero), Reggie Trigaux (Present)…
RockLine: Roger Triguaux’s songs are very intense. What does it feel like to play them compared to your own material?
Dave: Quite different. In 5uu’s we had “rules”, where we tried to stick to the song structure and the composition itself, my drumming included. In Present, by contrast, everybody plays Roger’s notes except me. Roger leaves the drums free during live shows, lets me do my own thing and go with the situation. Roger trusts me to come up with something interesting on the night (usually improvised), and I’m eternally grateful to him for that. Another difference is that my songs are weirdly difficult, whereas Present’s songs slowly mature and unfold.
RockLine: What do you think of the new Present album?
Dave: Too early to say, since we’re still recording it bit by bit. But it might well turn out to be the best one yet.
RockLine: Do you plan to record anything new with your other bands (5uu’s, Thinking Plague)?
Dave: I’d love to, but the members of those bands are far apart from each other too. Those bands are just as hard to bring to the stage as Present. Udi Koomran, Bob Drake and I are always scheming something for 5uu’s, and Mike Johnson for Thinking Plague; but everything has to go smoothly. Recording and mixing take a lot of time, the costs are big, and there are plenty of emotions involved, so we usually wait for the right moment and then seize it. Once we get past a few obstacles, people will get to hear from these bands again.
RockLine: What’s going on with U Totem?
Dave: I think the band is dead, though nobody has officially said so. Last year Bob Drake and I recorded an album together with James Grigsby and Jerry Wheeler, called “NIMBY”. If we could tour with that band, it would be sort of a continuation of U Totem. Emotionally at least, because the music is quite different: tinged with humor and it hits you faster, whereas U Totem was more difficult and dry, and very, very complex. The others from U Totem have their own careers too. Emily Hay, for example, has recorded loads of albums and played a ton of shows. We’re still good friends and hang out when we can, but that’s very rare.
RockLine: Your drumming seems close to Daniel Denis. Was he one of your influences, or is the music you play just so similar to Univers Zero that the drumming only seems similar?
Dave: Both. Daniel was Present’s first drummer, and some parts I have to play in a similar style, since they’re an important part of the band’s early work. So in places I play polyrhythmic patterns similar to his, simply because that’s a key part of the songs. But sometimes our styles are very different. He’s a very serious drummer, while I’m a circus act on stage. I like to pull off some kind of prank. As for his influence on me: of course. When I was growing up, Daniel was at one point my favorite drummer. When I joined the band, he was still officially around. At my first Present show we played drums together. I was thrilled. But since 1994 I’ve been the permanent drummer, and I had to bring my own ideas and influences to the band, which I enjoyed.
RockLine: You play lots of other instruments too. Do you feel more like a drummer, a composer, or something else?
Dave: Well, I do play other instruments, but pretty badly, at least by music industry standards. I play them because I have to, since I compose on them and I’ve developed my own style. Still, drumming comes first. And although I consider myself a composer, lyricist, arranger, producer, record label president, and head of a distribution company, I feel most comfortable behind the drums. Drumming has been my passion ever since I discovered oxygen. And that’s what people will remember me for, if they remember me at all.
RockLine: You once told me you used to live in Slovenia. Was that connected to music?
Dave: In a way, yes. I used Europe as a base for a few years. I had a Slovenian girlfriend and we lived in Lokev, but I was away most of the time – Belgium, the USA, Israel. Whenever we toured, we played in Slovenia. I’ve always liked the people and the pace of life. Slovenes have an approach some other people could learn from: an exceptional sense of humor in pretty strange situations, and a laid-back attitude in situations where Westerners would blow a fuse. I haven’t been to Slovenia in seven years, you should invite me. I know an amazing restaurant in Ilirska Bistrica with wonderful Serbian food.
RockLine: What are your plans for the future? If someone asked nicely, would you be interested in doing something other than prog rock?
Dave: Ugh, I hate the term prog rock. Although it’s true that Present and the other bands filed under rock in opposition are seen as the second wave of prog, we ourselves prefer to say we have more in common with old-school punk than with progressive rock. I was a member of Black Flag in its early days. Practically every member of Present has played in some of the grimiest punk dives in Europe. By contrast, today’s prog bands play on nice stages, performing sentimental music for people who are openly way too emotional. Present doesn’t want to go anywhere near that direction. We try to play music that isn’t so cheerful and optimistic. We try to explore despair, humility, and anxiety, like in real life, not happiness and endless joy, like in a fantasy world. Of course, in the future I’d like to play jazz fusion, or grindcore, or tech-death… but definitely not what they call prog. And you don’t even have to ask nicely!
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After the excellent performance at the Rock in Opposition festival, where he played with the legendary Belgian group Present, the great drummer Dave Kerman (5uu’s, U Totem, Nimby, Present, The Thinking Plague) took a few moments to answer some questions for our website.
Rockline: How would you rate your RIO fest performance?
Dave Kerman: It’s hard to compare gigs, and to examine them enough to specifically rate. Surely at the RIO Fest we had placed ourselves in a less than advantageous position: Having to re-learn Roger’s music, which we know well as a Rock band, as an acoustic ensemble, with the addition of a second pianist. We had only a few days’ worth of rehearsal time to tear apart arrangements, score the percussion for 5 of us, and come up with something new and different. In this respect I think we did pretty well. There was a more “classical” feel to the compositions than usual, and…well, it was an experiment – one that we hoped would agree with the spirit of the festival.
Rockline: Which show was the more difficult for you, the acoustic or the electric?
Dave Kerman: For me personally, the electric set, because I only had a matter of waking hours to un-do all of the acoustic set’s training. It was a bit like learning to ride a bike whilst sitting backwards on the seat: Although one would think it should come back easily, in fact, it didn’t. One tough thing about the acoustic set was the fact that UPS had lost all of the classical percussion I had shipped to the festival site weeks earlier. So, I ended up playing a quasi-drum kit, and others were forced to bang on large trash cans, oil drums etc. Nothing was at all how we had planned it, but in a way, this gave the acoustic set a life of its own, as we were able to make due with what we could find.
Rockline: How long were you rehearsing for the show? You seemed to be playing really tight.
Dave Kerman: Thanks. We arranged & rehearsed the acoustic set for 5 days in the festival’s smaller hall, and played through the electric set once or twice in a small rehearsal room there on the morning of that particular show. Other than that, we hadn’t seen one another in roughly 1 year.
Rockline: Is it hard to organize rehearsal sessions, seeing as the members of Present come from all corners of the globe?
Dave Kerman: As we’re so spread out, it’s actually not possible to have a rehearsal schedule of any kind. We compress a few months’ work into a span of a few days before a tour or recording. This can be tiring and intense and, although tempers can flare from time to time, we are all like one, large extended family; we are brothers with no common blood lineage. We are also one another’s greatest enthusiasts, and we’ve learned over the years to tolerate each others’ idyosynchcratic behavior, whilst somehow injecting that aspect into the mores of our little group of musical misfits.
Rockline: How did you get involved with Present in the first place?
Dave Kerman: In the early 90’s I was in another Cuneiform band, called U-Totem. The record company suggested to Univers Zero and Present that they should check out our concert at the University of Brussels whilst we were touring in Europe. After the show, Roger Trigaux asked me to replace Daniel Denis in Present, as Daniel had wanted to leave the band to re-animate Univers Zero. Of course, I accepted the job right then and there, without hesitation, or regrets. After all, these were some of my hero-musicians: Roger, Daniel, Guy Segers, Reggie Trigaux……
Rockline: Roger Trigaux’s compositions are very intense. How does it feel like playing them compared to playing your own material (not that your material isn’t intense)?
Dave Kerman: It’s very different. In 5uu’s we had performance “rules”, so to speak, where we faithfully tried to stick to the structure of the song, and the actual compositions, including my drum parts. By comparison, in Present everyone is playing Roger’s scored instrumentation EXCEPT for me; He allows the drums to be the differential in live performances, letting me to step out of the mold however the situation may insist, or how I may see fit. Roger trusts that I will come up with something interesting for his music (often spur of the moment), and for that I’m eternally grateful. Also, my music tends to bear a sort of truncated complexity, whereas Present’s compositions slowly and maturely take their time to unravel.
Rockline: What do you think of the new Present album?
Dave Kerman: Well, it’s too soon to tell, as we’re still recording it, piecemeal. But it may well end up being the strongest to date.
Rockline: Do you plan to record any new stuff with some of your other bands (5uu’s, Thinking Plague)?
Dave Kerman: I’d love to. But, these bands are also spread out geographically, and are as much a challenge to present as Present. Udi Koomran, Bob Drake and I are always “scheming” for 5uu’s, and Mike Johnson for Thinking Plague; but the situation has to be right. Recording and mixing can take considerable time, expenses, and emotional tolls, so we usually wait for just the right moment, and then pounce on opportunity as a cat might pounce on a mouse. Once some obstacles are overcome, people will hear more from these bands.
Rockline: What’s the status of U Totem?
Dave Kerman: I would venture to say defunct, though no-one has ever said it publicly. Bob Drake and I made and album last year with James Grigsby and Jerry Wheeler, called “NIMBY”. If we can tour with that band, it would be a sort of extension of U-Totem. Emotionally, at least, as musically it’s quite different; humorous and immediate, whereas U-Totem was dry and academic, and very, very complex. The others in U-Totem have their separate careers, as well. Emily Hay, for instance, now has an extensive discography and performance schedule. We’re all still close friends and see each other socially when circumstances permit, but that’s like…on leap years, or something.
Rockline: Your style of drumming seems quite close to Daniel Denis. Was he one of your influences, or is the music you play just so close to that of Univers Zero that the drumming appears similar?
Dave Kerman: It’s a little of both. Daniel was the original drummer for Present, and some aspects of his style were necessary to “simulate”, as they were the quintessential drum parts for much of the band’s early music. So, in some places, I play polyrhythmic patterns that are similar to his, simply because the music demands it. However, at other times, our drumming couldn’t be more different. I mean, he’s a serious drummer, and I can be a bit of a circusant on stage, as I’m a bit of a prankster by nature. As far as his influence goes: sure. Daniel was, at one point when I was growing up, my very favorite drummer. When I first joined the band he was still technically a member. At my first concert with Present we both played drums together, and I was quite thrilled. But since 1994, I’ve been the staple drummer for the band, and I’ve had to (and enjoyed) bringing into it my own voice and presence.
Rockline: You also play many other instruments. Would you consider yourself to be more of a drummer, composer, or something else?
Dave Kerman: Well, I do play other instruments, but fairly poorly, by industry standards. I play them out of necessity, because these are the instruments that I compose on, and I’ve developed my own style. Still, drumming is at the forefront. So, while I do consider myself to be a composer, lyricist, arranger, producer, tour organizer, record company president, and distribution company CEO, I’m most at home behind a set of drums. Drumming is a passion for me, and has been since my introduction to oxygen. And it’s probably what I’ll be remembered for, if I’m remembered at all!
Rockline: You mentioned once that you lived in Slovenia at one point. Was that somehow related to music?
Dave Kerman: It was, inasmuch as I was using Europe as a home base for a number of years. I had a Slovene girlfriend, and we lived in Lokev, but I was gone much of the time, to Belgium, the USA, and Israel. We always played in Slovenia when we toured, and I’ve always loved the people and the “pace” of life. Slovenes have a sensibility that most other cultures and people in the world would do well to embrace: a sense of humor un-paralleled in some of the strangest situations, and an attitude of ease during times when most westerners would lose their cookies. I haven’t been to Slovenia in 7 years now, so you should invite me. I know a great little place in Ilirska Bistrica…..wonderful Serbian food.
Rockline: What are your plans in the future? Would you be interested in doing projects other than prog rock, if someone asked you nicely?
Dave Kerman: Eeee, I detest the term Prog-Rock; While it’s quite true that Present and other bands that once fell under the banner of “Rock in Opposition” have become ideologically adopted by the second wave of “Prog”, we would like to think that bands like ours have more in common with old-style Punk than Progressive Rock. I myself was a staple around the earliest workings of Black Flag (back when Greg Ginn and his pals were a band called Panic in Hermosa Beach, CA). And virtually every member of Present has cut his teeth in some of the very most squalid punk-squats throughout Europe. By comparison, todays Prog groups perform at nice venues, and play a sentimental type of music for people who wear their hearts on their sleeves. Present, for instance, is not at all interested in that direction. We endeavor to play music that comes from a less uplifting or spiritually resounding place, whilst attempting to examine despair, humility, and anguish, like real life – not happiness and unrelenting joy, like fantasy. So, sure, I’d like to play some jazz fusion, or grindcore, or tech-death in the future….but not this thing called prog. And you don’t even have to ask nicely !
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