Exclusive Interview: Victor Indrizzo
Here is another Home exclusive interview, this time with Victor Indrizzo! Victor has recorded with DM, collaborated and toured with Dave Gahan, and so much more.
Can you give us a little background about yourself and how you got into music and more specifically in playing the drums?
Born In New York, moved to California when I was 12 ran away to Hollywood when I was 17 to pursue music. My mom says she bought me my first drum at a year old and was obsessed since that day. Though I must say that writing is really where my heart is these days.
Do you enjoy working as a session drummer more then being in band? Is there one you prefer more or do you find both equally rewarding?
I love both. They are very different. There is a lot of pressure doing session work, you have to be great from the moment you sit down to play or someone else will get the job. The best things about session’s is that you get to play many different styles of music and play with amazing musicians. Playing live with a band is an amazing feeling and I have been fortunate enough to play with some really great ones, playing with Beck was really great because there was such a big band and everyone really pushed each other to be the best you could be. Playing live in Dave’s band was my favorite though for many reasons, to be on stage with your friends, the crew were wonderful and honestly watching Dave do his thing, (he really is the best front man ever) the audiences reaction to him was mind blowing. I think that anyone who saw a Paper Monster’s show could tell that we were having a blast.
Playing with Beck
Victor, Beck, and crew
It seems you and Dave Gahan are pretty good friends, have you been friends for a while and how did you meet?
We have been friends for almost 12 years now. We meet through mutual friends and found that we had shared a lot of the same life experiences and just kind of grew from there.
Were you pretty familiar with Depeche or did you look into them after getting to know Dave?
It is kind of funny but when I was younger I had a girlfriend who was a huge Depeche fan and it put me off. After meeting Dave it would make me smile to hear them on the radio and before playing on “Ultra” Dave played me the rough’s and I was blown away (“Love Thieves” is still a favorite). Then in preparing for Paper Monster’s I listened to every album and really became a fan.
After all the years of talking about doing something with Dave, were you pleased that it actually happened and that you were so involved with the project?
I was thrilled and mostly for Dave, I think it was a big deal for him. I know that he had a lot of fear about it, I felt really proud of him. It is a big deal to put yourself out there especially when you have been apart of something as huge as Depeche Mode.
You hooked Dave up with Knox Chandler to work on his record, what was it that made you think of Knox and did you think it was going to come out as well as it did?
I had been introduced to Knox through friends and would ring him up whenever I was in NY and always thought he was a great guy. Dave had phoned me and told me he was writing but really wanted a collaborator and I knew Knox played a lot of different instruments, had a home studio, and figured their personalities would be a good fit. When they sent me the first CD of songs they did I knew there were on the right track.
Was it kind of a surreal feeling to be in the studio recording with Dave and seeing this whole thing come to life?
It was exciting seeing it come to life because it was something that we had talked about for so long and just plain fun.
Was it different from when you were recording with Depeche on Ultra? How was that whole experience?
It was different in the fact that I didn’t feel like a session guy coming in. On Ultra it was a little scary because they had been through a series of drummers and the tracks had a lot of programming, so you really had to lock into the track (they couldn’t chop things up like they can now). But was definitely an honor to be on a Depeche record.
Who is Victor Endrizzio? I’m kidding; did it bother you that your name was misspelled on the Ultra sleeve at all?
If I had a dollar for every time my name was misspelled on a record I would be a rich man!
You were the Musical Director for The Paper Monster Tour, what were some of your responsibilities with that?
It was great, I think I was chosen for the job because I had just done it for Macy Gray (which was a 12 piece band), so basically my job was to figure out arrangements, rehearse the band, and make it so Dave could walk in and start singing.
Aside from Dave and Knox, how were the other members of the band chosen and put together?
Martyn (Lenoble) was also an old friend of Dave’s and mine (we toured with Scott Weiland together) so I picked him and Vince was an old friend of Knox’s. We all got really close on that tour and are still in touch and work on stuff together.
How were the arrangement of the songs decided and how were the Depeche Mode songs chosen? Did Dave choose them all?
On Dave’s solo stuff we stuck pretty close to the record and being that he had only the one record we learned the whole thing, with the Depeche song’s I asked the guys to pick a couple of their fav’s and we went presented them to Dave and it was a go. The trick was balancing it all out, on one hand it was a Dave solo tour and on the other you can’t escape that people are going to want him to do Depeche stuff.
Which of the Depeche Mode tracks were the hardest to arrange to the way Dave’s band was set up?
None of them were so hard to arrange but we were left with the daunting task that you knew some Depeche fan’s would be insulted if we played them differently (or played them at all) and how could we play them and make them fit with Dave’s solo material. So we approached them more from the angle of how they would if they were on Dave’s record and tried to just have fun with them. So where as Depeche would play them live to tracks, we went with just playing them free (no tracks), so on any given night we could play them faster or slower. There was no getting around the fact that not everyone would dig our versions so we tried to just have fun and still respect the material.
Were there any songs that you wanted to play that you couldn’t get worked out? Was there any that you played that you wanted to do a different way, but couldn’t make it work?
Not really but what did happen was when I was learning the song’s I would sit with an acoustic guitar figuring them out and not only did I get a greater appreciation of Martin’s song writing, but they sounded so nice as acoustic renditions that I asked the guys if we could do the bulk of them that way and then it would also add another dimension to the show (which was my favorite part) and on tour in the dressing room’s we would keep adding to it. There were a few we didn’t get around to playing but I am going to keep that a secret for next time.
One of the things Dave really pressed during the album and tour was that this was a “Dave Gahan” thing and not a “Depeche Mode” thing, do you think he was successful with that separation or is the DM thing to big to escape?
To a degree yes and to a degree I don’t think you can or should escape it, it is part of who he is and always will be, so you have to respect that and we tried to be mindful of that and at the same time not take everything too seriously because that would suck the fun right out.
There was some fan speculation and confusion over the whole solo album, did you guys feel any of that or hear much of it during the recording and tour at all?
A little bit, I liked going on the message boards to gauge how people were reacting, I think some saw it as the end of Depeche and others took it for what it was. There are always rumors that Depeche are breaking up and maybe the guys spur that on a little, but (I think) the way they work is great, they always take a couple of years between projects so I think any hard feelings get lost and they get back to work.
How were you feeling performing Depeche Mode songs with Martin Gore in the audience at the Los Angeles show?
That was a little nerve racking playing his songs. I wanted him to like them, not sure if he did?…
What were some of your favorite songs to play on that tour?
Honestly I loved playing everything, there was such a good energy with the band and with the audience that everything was a pleasure to play. There was never a song that I felt like “Oh no, here we go again…” But if I have to pick a favorite part it would have been the acoustic sets.
Depeche fans are really hardcore and loyal; did you have some fun running into the “Devotees”? Any funny fan stories that come to mind?
Everyone I crossed paths with were truly amazing. I have played on many tours, but none like Paper Monster’s (especially in Europe and Russia). There were a group that came to a bunch of shows in Europe that started wearing ties like we were and they were always in the front; they were great! And I loved the group that followed us around in The States with the “Girls Gahan Wild” shirts. And I would love to thank all folks that have written to me, there is a group of Dave fans that still send me birthday greetings and such big love to all of you.
I know you can’t speak for Dave, but do you feel he accomplished a lot of the goals he wanted to when he made Paper Monsters? Maybe get over some of his fears perhaps?
I think so and I hope it leads to another record and tour. Like I said I felt really proud of him.
What did you think of the songs that Dave wrote for the last Depeche record?
I loved them and it made me so happy to see him get a chance to have songs on there.
“Suffer Well” got the Grammy Nomination, really exciting for Depeche and Dave, any thoughts on that?
They deserve it. They are really great. I loved seeing them on this last tour!
What do you think of Christian Eigner and his work with DM? Was playing drums for Depeche ever an option for you?
Love, love, love Christian’s playing and he is a super sweet guy. I don’t think it was ever an option; he is really the right guy for them.
Dave also worked with Christian (and Andrew Phillpott) on his songs for “Playing The Angel”; did you ever talk to Dave about working on songs with him?
No, I think if we lived on the same coast we would get around to writing. But just getting to play with him is good enough for me.
Victor with Bono of U2
You have been busy lately working with a lot of people, any plans for making your own record?
I enjoy writing and playing for other people and being behind the scenes, I am a “slow lane” guy.
What can we look forward to from you in the future?
More songs, playing on record’s and hopefully another Dave record and tour!
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Interview by Element. (C) Home. Do not steal this article without giving full credit and a link! Photos appear courtesy of Victor Indrizzo.
