Drummer of the Week: Johannes Früchtenicht (Future Palace), the Drummer Who’s Also the Band’s Manager

Drummer of the Week #3 – Version en Español

Third entry of Drummer of the Week, Metal Addiction’s series dedicated to drummers on the scene. This week we spoke with Johannes Früchtenicht, drummer of German band Future Palace — and something more than just the drummer, as becomes clear right away: he’s also been the band’s manager since day one. Double job, one interview.

How he ended up behind the kit: “I got lucky and didn’t have to be the bass player”

The origin is almost accidental, and Johannes tells it with zero early-vocation mythology:

“I formed my first band with two friends. One already played guitar, and I knew another friend who had a drum kit I could practice on, so I got lucky and didn’t have to be the bass player. I loved the noise the drums made and kept playing in several bands. Years after my first shows, I finally got my first drum teacher.”

Influences: from punk to metal, from Joey Jordison to his own references

In his early years, the instrument itself wasn’t really the point:

“During my first years of drumming, I honestly didn’t care that much about the instrument itself. It was more about punk, being in a band, and having fun playing shows. When I started listening to metal, Michael ‘Moose’ Thomas was a huge influence. Later it was Alex Shellnut and, of course, Joey Jordison.”

(Note: Johannes didn’t specifically address which drummer he considers underrated today — the question stayed focused on his own influences.)

His role in Future Palace: drummer and manager since day one

Here’s the most singular detail in the interview, and the one that gives this piece its title:

“Besides playing drums, I’ve also been the band’s manager since day one, handling a lot of the work behind the scenes that people never get to see.”

The setup: Tama, Meinl Byzance, and a throne that’s almost an instrument of its own

After sixteen years on the same gear, Johannes made a big upgrade last year:

• Kit: Tama Starclassic Maple, Charcoal Swirl finish — 22″ kick, with 12″, 14″ and 16″ toms.
• Snare: Tama Starphonic Copper — “an absolute beast,” in his words.
• Double pedal: Rolling Glide with the Mirror Rod, “an awesome addition” to his setup.
• Cymbals: all Meinl Byzance — 15″ Polyphonic Hi-Hats, 18″ Dark China, 18″ and 19″ Polyphonic Crashes, 10″/12″ Baby Stack, 18″ Extra Thin Hammered Crash, and a 21″ Matt Halpern Double Down Crash Ride.
• Throne: Porter & Davies — “probably the most important piece of gear for delivering a great live performance” (a seat with a sound transducer, built to let the player physically feel the bass/kick on stage).

On his gear partners:

“Meinl and Tama are an absolute dream to work with, and I’m incredibly happy to have them on my side.”

His first kit: the wrong Ludwig for the music he wanted to play

“The first kit I owned was a Ludwig Accent CS in Blue Sparkle. It was totally the wrong kit for the music I wanted to play, but my teacher at the time had an endorsement. I’d tell that younger version of myself not to worry so much about the gear, just keep playing.”

Sound: posture work and a live mix decision, not studio tricks

Johannes’s answer draws a useful distinction between what works for him personally and what works for the full live show — a nice detail for drummer readers:

“This year I worked a lot on my posture and the way my kit is set up, which is probably the most important thing I’ve done for my playing in the past couple of years. As for sound, to be honest, together with our FOH engineer Lucas, who’s also a drummer, we always choose the cymbals, tuning, drumheads and snare that work best for our music through a big PA system. That can be completely different from what I enjoy hearing while playing by myself.”

Worst live situation: the beaters that flew off (and the fire alarm that wouldn’t sync)

Johannes delivers two stories here, and both are gold for the series:

“On our last big European headline tour, I forgot to tighten my beaters, and they flew off during the first fast part of the set. Since I had to keep playing with my hands and couldn’t reach the talkback, I had to explain the problem with my eyes to our engineer on stage. He managed to fix it while I was still playing. The show must go on, I guess.”

And the second one:

“Another fun situation was a fire alarm going off during a show in Manchester. The local rep had warned us beforehand that it would probably happen and told us to just keep playing. Unfortunately, the fire alarm had a different BPM than the click in my ears.”

The story he always ends up telling: Niagara Falls on a day off

Far from a stage anecdote, the story he repeats most is a different kind entirely:

“I honestly feel so blessed by all the memories we’ve made over the past couple of years and all the people we’ve met. Every time I get asked this question, a different story comes to mind. The bittersweet truth is that you don’t actually get to see much of the places you visit while touring. But I’ll never forget standing at Niagara Falls on a day off last year and thinking, ‘Wow… playing in a band brought me here.'”

Why drummers are the least recognized — with a three-piece-band twist

His answer echoes what Joan Massing said in the previous entry of the series, but adds a detail specific to Future Palace:

“Because we have to sit in the back 😀 Fortunately, with Future Palace being a three-piece band, I’m usually positioned off to one side, so I don’t have someone running around in front of me the whole show. What people don’t always realize is that, as a drummer, you really can’t afford to make mistakes, because it could stop everyone.”

Advice for beginners: practice while you still have the time

“Practice more than I did when I actually had the time, before kids and before being in a touring band. You’ll never have as much free time to improve as you do at the beginning.”

You can catch Johannes live with Future Palace this autumn:

FAQ: Johannes Früchtenicht

Keep reading on Metal Addiction

• Drummer of the Week #1: Jaime (Santacreu, Lys Morke, Intraether)
• Drummer of the Week #2: Joan Massing (Thundermother)