Keep up with Johnny here:
I got my first drum-kit when I was around 15 years old, so I’ve been playing for around 7 years. I was self-taught, I listened to tons of Metallica when I was learning! Once I learned the blast-beat it was all over with, I was listening to tons of death metal bands ranging from Dying Fetus to Nile to Decapitated and so on.
I joined my first band in 2004 called Convulsa out of Marion, Ohio. I joined right after graduating high school so I focused all of my free time on playing. Convulsa broke up in early 2005 and I continued to play until I formed the band The Hartford Circus Fire in late 2005. I was in that band for about a year but I left and soon after joined Woe of Tyrants in
December 2006.
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Johnny Roberts Interview:
SD.com: How old were you when you started playing?
Johnny: I was fifteen years old. I got my first drum-kit for Christmas, thank you Mother. I’ve been a desk-drummer in school though ever since kindergarten.
SD.com: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?
Johnny: No but I always wanted to. I didn’t get the motivation to actually try playing until high school.
SD.com: Who are your top 5 influences?
Johnny: as of this past year and especially for the new album we are writing, my main influences are Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus/Daath), Vitek (Decapitated), Mike Smith (Suffocation), George Kollias (Nile), Marco Pitruzella (The Faceless)
SD.com: Assuming that influences doesn’t mean favorites, who are your favorites?
Johnny: Kevin Talley, Derek Roddy, Vitek, Mike Smith, Caveman Evans
SD.com: Let us know 5 CD’s that are in your current rotation
Johnny:
The Black Dahlia Murder – Nocturnal
Behemoth – Demigod
Nile – Ithyphallic
The Faceless – Akeldama
Primus – Frizzle Fry
SD.com: What do you do to warm up before a show?
Johnny: I normally practice on my kit before loading up to go to a show. I just do simple hand exercises and stretching before going on stage. The adrenaline takes course from there.
SD.com: Can you remember a night you think was your best playing ever? If yes, when and where?
Johnny: I remember back in March of last year we travelled across state to Indianapolis, Indiana to play with our brothers in Year of Desolation. It was recently after joining Woe of Tyrants, and we had played a show the night before in Ohio. About a half an hour before going on stage, I realized I had left my cymbals at home in my car from the night before! I was fortunate enough to borrow cymbals from the drummer for Year of Desolation for the show, and given that amount of stress before going on stage I played the best I could have possibly played. It might have been the fact that I had to redeem myself or else I was on the verge of getting kicked out of the band for that mistake!
SD.com: Do you have a favorite brand of drums or cymbals?
Johnny: I absolutely love the sound of my Pearl Export kit. My favorite brand of cymbal is Sabian, but I mix and match between Sabian and Ziljdian sometimes as well.
SD.com: If you could give one piece of advice to young drummers, it would be…
Johnny: Keep up the practice and play like you don’t have any neighbors!
SD.com: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?
Johnny: My friend Marvin and I went to see our favorite band Primus last year and it was without a doubt the best show I’ve ever been to. If you don’t agree then you haven’t seen Primus yet
SD.com: If you had to stop drumming, what would you want to do with your life?
Johnny: I’m sure music will always be a part of my life, no matter what instrument I am playing. Whatever I end up doing in my life I sure hope is interesting to the person watching my Behind the Music special.
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