"I learned to play drums by putting on headphones and
playing to Rush's Fly By Night
until I knew every song by heart. Neil Peart was my first major
influence." So says
Chris Hesse, drummer for Southern California hard
rockers Hoobastank.
Describing his own style as that of a
"straight-ahead rock drummer,"
Hesse elaborates that his contemporary influences include Dave Grohl
and Foo Fighters'
other drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Of Hawkins, Chris
enthuses, "He has incredible chops, but he also lays down the fattest
rock
I've ever heard. He totally rocks out!" Hesse knows something
about rocking out: It's his urgent, pounding cadence on
songs like
"Pieces" and the MTV hit "Crawling In The Dark" (from the band's
self-titled debut) that totally drives
Hoobastank's heavy rock grooves.
Though drums are his primary passion, Hesse also plays piano and
guitar and considers himself to be a musician
first and a drummer second, especially when it comes to doing
what's
best for the song. "You can always tell a drummer who plays another
musical instrument from one who only
plays the drums," he offers. "I
think a lot of drummers separate themselves from the band and are just
on their own as far as
how the music goes. They don't accent the music
or realize that the drums can be a musical
instrument."
