| 12
Ton Jezus drummer has played the same drums for 11 years
By Kathryn Philpot
April 23, 2008 | The drum kit stands
like a Tibetan temple shrine. Brett Johnson settles
his rear cheeks into a black, thick cushioned, three
legged stool. The soft plastic has been well formed
over the past 11 years to move as he moves. Two wooden
sticks are picked from the floor and Johnson turns into
his drums. This is his throne. Each snare, tom, and
cymbal, are his minions, faithful to Johnson's commands.
He doesn't mean to beat his loyal subjects, but this
is heavy metal. Beat hard and beat fast.
The band practice of 12 Ton Jezus
takes place in the living room of a one story three
bedroom house. Before instruments were to be played
the room filled with conversation concerning new drum
kits, a new seven string bass, mid highs, mid lows,
new songs, and on occasion, the cracking of an aluminum
can being opened. Johnson sits back and watches as instruments
are tuned. Occasionally Johnson leans forward, his hands
move as he speaks, and throws into the conversation
no more than three sentences. He is not one to be over
domineering in conversation. His singer, (Johnson always
refers to his band members as 'his singer', 'his bassist',
'his guitarist'), has not stopped talking to Johnson
about a new drum set.
"I think I am more excited
than you about getting a new drum kit," shouts the lead
singer.
Johnson leans back on his stool while
still tapping a drum stick on his snare drum. With a
half smirk he slowly, and slightly, shakes his head.
"Nay, I am pretty excited,"
he coolly states. He is not one to over dramatize.
Johnson has had the same drum set
for 11 years. He has added onto his set over the years,
but the skin and cymbals are wearing thin and cracking
apart. Johnson explains that he hasn't had the money
to purchase a new set, or any new pieces for that matter.
Johnson, 25 years old, has been able
to save some money after moving back into his mother's
house. His father passed away six months ago, and his
mother asked him to "fill in the empty air". Johnson
dutifully did as his mother asked. He said that he was
the only one that could take care of her. Johnson's
mother, Kathleen, describes him as loyal, kind, and
the child that never asks for anything.
Johnson's older brother and father
played electric guitar, so he took to drumming. The
trio was a warped version of The Supremes. They played
loud and heavy, influenced by bands such as Pantera,
Metallica, and Black Sabbath. After his father passed
away he took a sabbatical from drumming.
"I didn't want to play, I couldn't
play. My musical heart had started beating by my father's
influence. I just, missed some beats when he died. He
will never be able to see me play drums again," Johnson's
head hangs low as he speaks.
Johnson is a self proclaimed 'metal
head', but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at
him. He wears brown flip flops instead of black boots,
button up collared shirts instead of black t-shirts,
not a single piercing or tattoo.
Looking around at the band members
in 12 Ton Jezus, you can tell they are part of a metal
band. Even the name, 12 Ton Jezus growls heavy metal
music. Johnson is a new edition to the band. For eight
months he has been playing with the group, refining
their charisma as band mates. Johnson is the only member
with short, clean cut hair and stands apart from the
rest of the band. His jimbay hand drum, a "hippy drum",
sits in front of his drum set between the two large
round bass drums that sit on their sides upon the floor.
The hand drum begins to wobble as Johnson's bare feet
begin to aggressively tap the two peddles that snaps
the bass drums with a low boom, boom, bitutatata.
"He may look the part of a
clean cut nature child, but he plays like he is heading
into hell, and sure as shit, everyone knows he is coming,"
says Johnson's singer.
There is no warning. A cymbal is
hit, followed by a fast progression of rumbles on the
toms, the middle layer of deeper sounding snare like
drums. Johnson's feet become a blur hidden by his large
drum set. His legs, from his toes to his knees, are
moving in a motion that looks as if he is marching.
Before the song is halfway through Johnson's face begins
to redden and beads of sweat form on his brow. He is
slightly hunched over his lower placed drums and his
arms are flowing back and forth from one end of his
percussion set to the other, sometimes crossing his
arms. He looks like a butterfly flapping its wings.
Graceful metal? Is it possible?
His head is turned to the side, and
his ear faces the drum kit. He looks as if he is looking
at nothing, while his body takes over his minds ability
to create and maintain movement. He rarely looks forward,
and when he does, it is brief.
"Sometimes, when you know
a song and have it down, your body just takes over.
I think about anything and everything. From the bills
I have to pay, to a memory from years ago. My body moves
separating itself from my mind," Johnson explains.
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