Earlier in Spring of this year, I went to a couple of events - a concert and a festival - where a drummer played for two bands during the same evening, either back to back or with an hour break between the shows. I know that, at least in my social circles, drummers are very rare to find and the ones, that are around, are in many projects. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often.

I was very curious and intrigued by the drummers that played the two shows - already playing one show on drums takes a lot of energy - and it left me with many questions.

This first edition features Dominik Zgraggen, the drummer of Son Cesano who is also part of the one-off Monobuster Records supergroup, the Early Greys, who celebrated the release of their self-titled record at the Safari Bar in Zurich.

Tell us about yourself - who are you? How long have you been playing drums? Which bands/projects are you/have you been you in? What’s the most about of bands you have been in at one time?

My Name is Dominik Zgraggen, I live in Schwyz. I would describe myself as a person with many interests. Also when it comes to music.

I started playing drums at the age of 10. So that is more or less 20 years ago. I always knew I wanted to play drums but I had to play the flute first…

I got interested in playing drums from live music as a child, notably carnival bands. I was later part of for 15 years. I took drumming lessons and played in a few school and rock/metal bands, sometimes substitution. I also played bass drum in a drum corps for 10 years.

Since 2018 Son Cesano has been my main band. The Early Greys is or was a side project.

At some point there were definitely three projects simultaneously (or maybe four, I don't fully remember)...

Was the evening at the Safari Bar the first time you played twice in one evening?

Yes, Safari Bar was special, the first time I played two concerts in a row.

How did you prepare for the shows on the day of the concert? What thoughts did you have before the shows?

Preparation was nothing special. Good thing i only had to bring my own drumkit and dont change it between first and second band.

I was looking forward to playing with Son Cesano as always.

To play with Early Greys was special because no one really knew our sound and songs. The album dropped just one day prior to that day.

I was quite confident, since I wrote the parts myself and was also involved in the songwriting. We had recorded the album already almost one year ago but met for rehearsal again.

How confident were you with the songs? Do you have any special techniques to memorise/learn the songs and separate the songs from the two bands?

For my playing the feeling of the music plays a huge role. My hits/parts may vary a little bit between gigs, because the feeling also does. But when the feeling is good I will effortlessly remember the songs/parts. It will flow. And I mostly practice only by listening to songs, not playing with drums. In my experience the drums are a little different to other instruments when it comes to these things.

How did you feel that the two shows went? Any highlights? Any challenges?

The shows went well. I think the highlights at live shows can be the dynamics. To switch from heavy/loud parts to soft parts. At one moment though, I started with a different Early Greys song than the band, but hardly anyone noticed. It was funny, not a big deal.

What were your feelings/thoughts once you completed the second show?

I was happy to talk to the people after the concerts. Glad the people came and enjoyed it.

When playing in the city of Zürich it is always an adventure to drive to the location, park, etc…

What are your memories of the evening? How do you look back on the shows today?

Two Months is not that long ago, but it feels like a long time. I don’t know why. I look forward to playing more concerts with Son Cesano. And there are two shows left with The Early Greys in this formation: 26th September in Kult-Turm Seewen and 5th December in Mauz Einsiedeln.

Any tips you would like to give to drummers who may perform two shows in on evening?

My tip would be to treat yourself well and have fun. Don’t focus on unimportant things.

Links:

Son Cesano

The Early Greys

Monobuster Records

Related articles:

Son Cesano/Monobuster Records related:

Discovery/playlists

Double time: Dominik Zgraggen (Son Cesano, the Early Greys)

Track by track: Gans Sauvage - Songs for the Tauben