Winter Storm Belgium & Nederland

Interview Mike Terrana

In your life, have you ever considered becoming something else than a drummer? Or do you feel that you have missed something being a drummer and nothing else?

Yes, every morning….haha…just kidding.
Well…I had a lot of really horrible day jobs to help me stay alive until I could support myself from playing music.
One of the worst jobs I had was when I was a garbage man in New York. I did that for about 2 years….it was hard nasty dirty work…kind of like drumming…haha
After the garbage man job I went back to college and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering…I did work in this field for a short time, but I realized I did not belong there. I wanted to be a drummer.
Too be honest ever since I was 8 years old that all I wanted to be. I wanted to become a professional drummer. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I remember I just thought it was a cool. I love the drums. I have been playing professionally for over 30 years and I love it as much now as I did then.

Since you've drummed for more than 30 years, do you sometimes consider to stop?

Absolutely not, I will play drums as long as I can. Its so much fun!
I wouldn’t know what else to do. Obviously as I get older I will play other forms of music. I love all kinds of music and I like to play fusion, rock, pop, Latin, swing. I think it’s important to evolve in life & music. I think its important to know when its time to move on.

Do you have a standard routine before a show?

Yes I take my hands out of my pockets just before the show. Then I go over to Tarja’s dressing room and I use all of her special Hairspray to make my Mohawk stick up….hehe….NOT REALLY! ;-)
I do a basic warm up for about 10 to 15 min….just to get my hands and legs going. Tarja’s show builds slowly, so its not like I have to be hot and sweaty before I get behind my drums. If I'm playing with some aggressive power metal bands I warm up longer, because I have to play a lot of fast double bass stuff right from the start of the show.
Its important to warm up, it makes your playing more fluid and it also helps to prevent and kind of injuries.

Is your drum solo always the same, or do you make it up 'on the spot'?

It has a basic structure, but I change it depending on how much time I have to play and how the crowd is reacting. There are some parts that are always the same and there are a few spots where I play whatever I want. I think its fun to play a solo and I always look forward to that part of the show.

What do you like most about touring? And of course, what don't you like?

I love the road. I love to stay out as long as I can. I love to see all the cities & meet new people. It’s a fantastic way to see the world. I'm a lucky man to do this for a job!
I love to stay in hotels and even when I'm off the road for a short break of 1 week, I will stay in a hotel. It gives me a feeling of being free. I like to hang out and enjoy the city. I don’t like to go home in the middle of a long tour. It takes me out of road mode and as I get older….I prefer to go out…and stay out! ;-)
The worst thing about the road is not having your own privacy especially, on some long bus tours. I also miss a nice clean bathroom…..complete with a toilet seat that is not broken…haha…. Ahhhh…the simple pleasures of live. I don’t really need much, but that’s one thing that I never understood. In the south of Europe…the toilet seats….they just seem to disappear…not sure why….Are people stealing them?…..Are they expensive….? They must be because, one they are stolen …they never buy a new one to replace it...haha
I also don’t like to be sick on the road. If you get a bad cold, the tour bus can be a hellish place…hehe…so I always try to stay healthy!

What do you miss the most when being on tour? Are you sometimes homesick?

No I never get homesick…not even when I first started. I always liked to be out playing. I have not lived in the USA now for over 12 years and I don’t miss it at all. I love Europe its exciting and full of culture and history, it’s really a pleasure to live and work here.
Sometimes I miss making my own food. When I am at home, I enjoy cooking. I'm Italian, so I like to make my own sauce and pasta…hehe…good clean fun! It would be cool to have a dog. I love dogs but I'm very seldom home.
Sometimes I get home from a tour and it takes me 4 or 5 days to calm down. I relax for a few days and then, Im ready to go back out….haha. I actually sleep better in a tour bus than I do in my own bed! I like the movement and the sound of the bus motor.

Do you have any non-musical hobbies?

Yes….DRUMMING! ;-) haha
Seriously yes I have a lot of hobbies…I love to read, cook, training in the gym, running, watching movies, table soccer. But my favorite thing to do is to play my drums. I also love to practice. When I'm off the road, I practice 4 to 6 hours a day. It’s like a form of therapy or meditation and its fun!

You already said you enjoyed Tarja's album, but what is you favorite song? Not only to play, but also to listen yourself.

Well…I like the songs that don’t have drums…oddly enough. Oasis….is beautiful and relaxing. Tarja as you well know has a beautiful voice and I like the way she sings that. I also like the Finish lyrics, its really kind of an exotic piece of soundtrack music.
My favorite ones to play are, Clarens Well, The Seeer, Lost Northern Star, and My Little Phoenix

Will you participate in the recording of Tarja's new album?

Yes….we should start in February of 2010. I'm really looking forward to making a CD with Tarja.

How did you feel when you heard about Tarja leaving Nightwish?

I was shocked! I thought how could they go on without her. Nightwish was a unique band with a special chemistry between the members and of course Tarja was the crowing Jewel of that band. Now Nightwish is something else…. I’m not saying its bad….its just not what it once was.

You're quite a muscular person :). Do you work out a lot?

Well….I like to stay in shape. I don’t think it’s important to have muscles to play the drums. I like to work out to keep my body in form and to stay mentally balanced. Working out with weights and running releases endorphins into the bloodstream. It makes me feel good. After a workout, a run or a show, I feel clean and happy…that’s the only way I can describe it. It’s a clean high…lots of people do drugs….I don’t need that and its bad for ya! ;-)
I work out when I can. Sometimes I work out in the hotel on the off days when I'm on tour.

You have an extraordinary haircut, why did you cut it like that?

Well….I don’t think its so extraordinary…I see lots of people with a Mohawk these days. However when I first cut my hair like this, it did change the way people treated me.
I just wanted to make a change and I like to be an individual not many people like to stand alone these days. I can tell you when I walk into the restaurant of a 5 star hotel with a Mohawk….IM VERY FUCKING ALONE….haha….muahahaha
I had long hair and one day I looked in the mirror and I realized my face was getting older. My hair was not looking too good. Basically, I was starting to look like BETTE MEDDLERS ugly older sister….haha…(google her)
So I grabbed a scissors and cut off the sides of my hair….haha…
It was a very liberating experience. Now I feel better and I like to scare people at the hotel…hehe
Some people seem to be attracted to me because I have the Mohawk…I guess they are curious and they always seem to be a bit shocked when I'm friendly and polite…haha.

What was the last cd/Dvd you bought your own?

The last CD was Dvorak Symphony for the New World. The last DVD was a drum instructional DVD by a German drummer named Benny Greb called “The Language of Drumming”.

What were your favorite bands when you were, let's say around 16 years old?

I loved Kiss, Genesis, Rush, Queen, Super Tramp, Peter Frampton, the Eagles, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, …you may not know some of these bands, because they were before your time! ;-)

Is there a saying that perfectly describes you?

Never judge a book by its cover

In your life, which was the most awkward situation you experienced?

I remember the first time I had sex….I was 37… I was so scared….

Why?

Because I was alone! …..haha….muahahahaha

Ok…again seriously……ahh……let me see….well…I guess being a teenager in High school was awkward as hell. I just remember everything was difficult, because I was struggling to find my own identity and my place in the world.
However; I think everybody goes thought this at one point in their life. I knew what I wanted to be, but it was a strange idea to most people. Many of my friends thought I was crazy….they would say “Hey Mike come on…you cant make a living as a drummer”…..hehe….
Well…I proved them all wrong…now I fly around the world and hit stuff with wood! Good clean fun for the whole family! hehe

Do you like the idea of Winter storm Fan clubs?

Well to be honest I don’t really know too much about the winter storm fan club. I do see a lot of Tarja fans and they seem to be really very kind people. They bring her many presents…hehe….
Hey maybe I should get a fan club….then I can get free stuff! ;-)
When I was a kid I was so crazy for KISS that I joined their fan club…called the Kiss Army…haha…..I remember I got a news letter and some kiss stickers….and I was a very Happy Camper!
It’s funny when you’re a kid that something so simple as a Kiss Sticker can make you happy! Please don’t send me any stickers…I'm over it….haha….

When we say Belgium, where do you think about? (Do you like Belgium? And for what particular reasons)

The name Belgium is derived from the Gallia Belgica, which was a roman province located in the northern most part of Gaul and was inhabited by the Belgae. Belgium was also the founding member of the European Union and the head quarters for NATO
I love Belgium…it’s a very beautiful country. I lived in Holland for 1 year….so I also have a lot of Belgian friends….great people, nice food and good beer…hehe..(more on that later)
I think of…Belgian French fries….they are the best…they come in a big paper funnel….loaded with mayonnaise….nice and greasy, crispy and salty…my god….THOSE ARE THE BEST FRIES IN THE WORLD…..
Why….oh why…do the French get credits for this fantastic culinary Belgian invention…..those bastards….haha……people need to know about this!
Leffe Beer….one of the most fantastic beers known to mankind…I love Leffe Triple….this stuff kicks ass….nice taste and its strong, good for the muscles…haha…. I think Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy drinks a lot of Leffe Triple! ;-)
I got to tell ya…those Belgian monks are cool…they have all the fun! Haha
In my next life …I will come back to earth as a Belgian monk! Can you see me kicking ass on my drums in a monk robe?…haha…I CAN….that will be cool! ;-)
Many people don’t know that the saxophone was invented in Belgium by Antonine Joseph Sax. He was a musical instrument maker. He was actually a clarinet player and is credited with inventing the saxophone.
Belgian waffles and chocolate…people in the USA go crazy for this stuff…they try to copy it…but they cant…hehe…..So again when I'm in Belgium…I try to eat some of these goodies hehe…..but not all at once….I don’t want to become a Big Fat Fatty! ;-)

God bless Tarja, the Winter-Storm Fan Club & Belgium.
I'm looking forward to playing there again in the near future.
Its always a pleasure and thank you for inviting me to make this interview!

Cheers
Uncle Mike