Keep up with Fredrik here:
Fredrik Widigs, age 24, lives in Stockholm, Sweden. I play drums for Rage Nucléaire, Demonical, Overtorture and The Ugly. I've previously played with Vomitous and Kraanium. I also play drums live with Witchery when Martin Axenrot is busy with Opeth – an opportunity that occurred when I did audition videos for Dark Funeral in 2010. I've toured Europe, Japan and USA with different bands. I enjoy doing session work, so I've got my own drum recording studio in Stockholm where I record drums for different bands as much as I can, mainly within the metal genre. In 2011 I got a sponsor deal with Crafton Musik AB in Sweden, so I proudly use Tama drums, Meinl cymbals, Pro-Mark sticks, Evans drum heads and JTS microphones and in-ear plugs.
Fredrik Widigs Interview:
SDM: How old were you when you started playing?
Fredrik: I think I first picked up the sticks when I was 13, but I didn't really start playing seriously until I was 17-18. I'm 24 now.
SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Fredrik: Yes, I played a little bit in the school band from age 13 to 15. We mainly played simple covers of various songs at graduation days and other events, and a few times we got together a group of guys and played covers of Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Alice Cooper at the talent show… It probably didn't sound so good, but it was a lot of fun!
SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?
Fredrik: Top 5, that was hard. Over the years I think I've been most influenced by Derek Roddy, Tim Yeung, Dave Culross, Kevin Talley and Reno Kiilerich. And a bunch of other of course, but that's the first five I come to think of.
SDM: Who are some other of your favorites?
Fredrik: There are so many great drummers, in all genres. Sweden has a lot of amazing metal drummers; Nils Fjellström, Tobias Gustafsson, Martin Axenrot, Thomas Haake, Nicke Andersson, etc. Morgan Ågren's playing is just mind blowing as well. When I first picked up the drum sticks I was very inspired by drummers such as Vinnie Paul, Lars Ulrich, Igor Cavalera, Mike Portnoy and Adrian Erlandsson. Some big favorites of mine these days are Ray Luzier, Shane Gaalaas, Morten Lowe Sorensen and Alex Rudinger.
SDM: Let us know 5 CD's that are in your current rotation
Fredrik: Dark Funeral "Attera Totus Sanctus"
Marduk "Serpent Sermon"
Witchery "Witchkrieg"
Demonical "Death Infernal"
Overtorture "At The End The Dead Await" (to be released 25th January 2013)
SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Fredrik: I try to sit down for at least 30 to 60 minutes and play single strokes with hands and feet combined, starting off slow and then gradually playing faster. I also stretch my arms and shoulders a little bit, jump up and down, etc… Anything to get the blood flow going!
SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?
Fredrik: Yes, a little bit. I started working with a tablature software called Guitar Pro pretty early, to study drum notation and guitar tablature. It helped me to understand what was really going in the songs I listened to. I think it has effected my playing a lot actually, in the sense that I am more aware of both what I'm playing, but also what the others in the band are playing.
SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?
Fredrik: I am sponsored by Crafton Music in Sweden, who are the distributor of Tama, Meinl, Evans and Pro Mark in Sweden. I am blessed with a great sounding Tama Silverstar kit (2×22" kicks, 10" 12" 14" toms and 14" Starclassic Brass snare) together with Meinl MB20 cymbals and various Evans heads. For sticks, I use Pro-Mark 747B Super Rock with nylon tips.
SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Fredrik: Play in as many bands as possible! When I started out, I rehearsed four-five days a week with different bands. I've always thought it's more fun to get your practice through playing with bands, rather than sitting alone at home with your practice pad. Keep yourself busy! It's more musically rewarding to play 250 bpm on stage with a band, than on a practice pad alone in your basement. Also, keeping an open mind to different styles and learning some basic musical theory. And playing with a metronome at all times!
SDM: Who gave the best live performance you've ever seen?
Fredrik: Good question. I'd probably have to say any time I've seen Thomas Haake play, whether it'd be in a clinic or live with Meshuggah. My jaw just drops to the floor and I instantly want to sell my drum kit on Ebay when I see him play. He plays some of the most complex stuff out there, but makes it look so easy. Fantastic drummer!
SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?
Fredrik: I am currently getting my Master's Degree in architecture, so I spend a lot of my time designing buildings and public spaces in different 3D-modeling programs. I've always been creative in different ways, I guess. I like creating and designing things, no matter if it's music, architecture, art, etc.
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