Keep up with David here:
https://www.facebook.com/bateristadavidmcgraw
https://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation
David McGraw was born in 1983 in Santiago, Chile. I started playing drums at thirteen, I and my friends started a band playing covers of old Metallica, Sepultura, Death, and Megadeth. It was a lot of fun, but at the same time very hard to even acquire musical instruments, and to just jam, was a challenge for us every week.
At the age of seventeen, there was a change of plans. I moved to the U.S. I’ve lived in several states and had a grindcore band called “Collapse”, which lasted a year. Then, I moved to Seattle and met with guitarist, Luke jaeger. I joined his project called Sleep Terror, which I was part of for 4 years. Currently, I’m very proud to say that I’m playing in Cattle Decapitation, and I’m looking forward to hard work and good times.
David McGraw Interview:
SDM: When did you start playing drums?
David: I started at thirteen, but I could only play for two hours a week, its tough in south America to play music. but I managed, and after waiting for five days to play drums I was so excited that the two hours felt like ten.
SDM: Do you play in a school band or any drum corps?
David: I kinda did, in high school, we had a batucada, which is a Brazilian percussion ensemble and I participated whenever I had time. It was awesome though.
SDM: Have you ever taken any lessons?
David: No, I wish I could have tough, I learned everything from the ear and watching other drummers play, I think that it’s good to figure stuff out on your own, that way you can develop your own essence to your playing, your own stamp… but lessons are also very important.
SDM: Who are your top 5 influences?
David: Influences for me would mean, what made me want to play drums, and that would be:
Igor Cavalera
Lars Ulrich
Nick Menza
Gene Hoglan
Ingo Schwichenberg
SDM: Assuming that influences does not mean favorites, who are your favorites?
David: As of right now:
George Kollias
John Longstreth
Pete Sandoval
Derek Roddy
Thomas Haake
Dennis chambers
Dave Weckl
Mike Portnoy (first three records)
Kevin Talley (with dying fetus/misery index)
and all the tons of sick-ass drummers that are out now.
SDM: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation
David: let’s see, for me it goes in seasons, right now I’m listening to:
Pagan’s mind (celestial entrance, enigmatic calling)
Decrepit birth(and time begins…)
Cryptopsy(and then you’ll beg…)
Chick Corea acoustic band (alive)
SDM: Do you practice any specific rudiments or combos regularly?
David: I’m always trying to learn new stuff, but I seem to like mixing paradiddles and doubles, triples, and all kinds of stuff in between.
SDM: What is your favorite part of your drum kit?
David: I love all of it, but especially my chinas and lower toms.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…
David: probably what most people would say, practice makes perfect, but its also good to take time in between to stop and let your mind and body catch up to you, if you bust your ass playing for hours every day, you will eventually notice progress, but the only way to notice this is if you take a break for a day or two, but no more than that. Also, listen to all music, play all music, that’s what makes you a musician, sticking to one thing is only going to limit your playing capabilities and will also limit the people you can jam with, it’s nice to blast all night and then bust out some jazz fusion or a fat drum&bass groove.
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
David: ooff!!!! that’s a tough one, I’ve seen many, so far the last most brilliant performance that I’ve witnessed is George Kollias (Nile) and inferno from Behemoth, they were spot on.
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you do with your life?
David: I like talking drums with my drummer buddies, going to shows, and discovering new bands/drummers, I love traveling and I try to keep good harmony with the people around me that I care for, it pretty much all revolves with drumming and music in general so besides that I guess I don’t have much of life haha!!
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