eve drumming up klezmer support with two bands · 2015. 3. 15. · thought it was my blood. my...

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of revenge, while The Abandoned is a metaphysical Spanish horror film with a difference. Both films arereleased on DVD by Momentum Pictures on Monday, but you can win copies at www.jewishtelegraph.com

David lashed out after being Disturbed by antisemitesMANY people will be surprisedto see rock band Disturbedplaying the Download Festival ona Friday night — as frontmanDavid Draiman almost trained tobe a rabbi.

But the American nu-metallersare fourth on the bill at theLeicestershire venue so should bewell off stage by the timeShabbat comes in at about9.11pm.

Draiman has made no secret ofhis Jewish roots. In fact, he talksquite openly about it in thismonth’s edition of MetalHammer.

His paternal grandparentswere Chassidic and involved inthe uprising against the Britishoccupation which led to Israel’sindependence.

His maternal grandparentssurvived Bergen-Belsen andAuschwitz concentration camps.

The Brooklyn-born singerstudied at yeshiva in Milwaukeeand at Jewish schools in Chicagoand California.

The 35-year-old triple majoredin business administration,political science, and philosophyfrom Loyola University Chicago.

He was planning to go to law

school when he spotted the advertfrom Disturbed in the IllinoisEntertainer in 1996.

The group has sold more than10 million albums since theirdebut The Sickness. Secondalbum, Believe, included the songPrayer which was about aconversation between Draimanand God after the death of hisgrandfather.

Disturbed’s fourth album,Indestructible, is released byWarners on June 3.

Earlier this year, Disturbedperformed live in Kuwait, whilelast month, Draiman appeared onMTV’s Headbangers Blogwebsite, talking about a strugglewith a heroin addiction when hewas 16.

His addiction was inspirationfor the song Inside the Fire fromthe new album.

Draiman, who claimed in oneinterview that he was not at allreligious, once spoke about hisrefusal to have his body tattooedbecause it was against Judaism.Instead, he had his labret (underhis lower lip) pierced as thatcould heal.

In Metal Hammer, Draimanspoke about an antisemiticincident in his youth.

“One time I’d just got myallowance money from myparents and I’d just gone down tothe arcade on my bike to play onthe machines.

“I had the yarmulke on and Ieven had the prayer shawl aswell. I came out of there andsome guys bounced me off mybike.

“They were like, ‘Do you have alot of money on you, Jew boy? Doyou think we can have some ofthat?’ Then one of them started topull the wallet out of my pocketso I lifted my heel up into the guybehind me’s n***, then the guy infront of me struck me and I felldown by my bike.

“Then I saw the bike chain andI picked it up and beat the livings*** out of them until they couldnot get up.

“When I went home I wascovered in blood and my motherwent into hysterics because shethought it was my blood. Myentire upbringing was full ofstories like this.”

Also appearing at theDownload Festival are rock bandKiss, led by Paul Stanley andGene Simmons.

� www.downloadfestival.co.uk ROCK ON: Disturbed with frontman David Draiman, second left

Eve drumming up klezmersupport with two bands

JUGGLING theworkload of twobands is no problemfor drummer EveSicular.

For Eve is the founder ofMetropolitan Klezmer and all-girl group Isle of Klezbos, butshe insists there is no conflictof interest.

She said: “There is a lot ofoverlap between the two bands.

“For a start, four of thewomen in MetropolitanKlezmer are also in Isle ofKlezbos.

“But they both have the samesensibility of swing and jazzand both have a keen sense ofthe haunting aspect of klezmer.

“It is more of acomplimentary situation thananything else.”

Born and bred in New York,Eve’s father was a “talented”,classically-trained pianist whoalways encouraged Eve tofollow her musical ambitions.

“Growing up, I listened to alot of classical music, althoughmy tastes were very wide-ranging,” she said.

“I started playing the drumsat the age of eight and wasreally devoted to learningthem.

“For my batmitzvah, I reallycampaigned to get my parentsto buy me a drum set and myfather eventually fulfilled mywish.

“For then on, all the waythrough college, I was playingthem.”

After majoring in Russianhistory and literature atHarvard, Eve spent time inSeattle with klezmer band TheMazeltones.

It was The Mazeltones whotold Eve about KlezCamp,which she attended in 1989.

“It was only then that Irealised what a wonderful scenethere was out there,” she said.

“In 1990, I went back to NewYork where I knew a lot ofpeople from the camp,including the main players inThe Klezmatics.

“As it happened, I alreadyknew the future members of

Metropolitan Klezmer.”Eve then met clarinetist

Howie Leess, who she describesas “very sweet and a greatinspiration”, and the pairarranged to spend some time inthe studio.

However, Howie broke hisneck in a car accident, meaningthe collaboration was delayedby a few months.

Howie died in 2003, aged 83.After establishing

Metropolitan Klezmer in 1994,the group released its firstalbum, Yiddish for Travelers, in1997 and have followed up withanother three — MosaicPersuasion (2001), SurprisingFinds (2003), Traveling Show(2007) .

Eve has produced all thealbums.

Then, in 1998, Eve set up Isleof Klezbos, which debuted atthe Michigan Womyn’s MusicFestival. Their repertoireincludes Eastern European-rooted Jewish folk music,Yiddish swing and tango, aswell as a number of originals.

In 2003, the band released itsdebut album, Greetings from the

Isle of Klezbos.Eve has been able to adapt her

love of the classic musicals withher bands and has covered anumber of popular songs.

“I had a great time coveringthe songs that I loved growingup,” she said.

“We do Fagin’s song fromOliver and we tried to take thebest bits from the book and theshow to give our version an edgeto it.

“We also do a medley of twosongs from Guys and Dolls.

“People seem to love ourversions and we get a greatreaction live. They like hearingthe different take on familiarsongs.”

The latest album, TravelingShow (Rhythm Media Records),was recorded live and includes a‘Klezbonus’ studio track by Isleof Klezbos.

Metropolitan Klezmer CDsare available fromwww.sternsmusic.com

� www.metropolitanklezmer.com andhttp://myspace.com/metroklez or towatch clips at www.youtube.com/followed by watch?v=RZenI9K9Cas andwatch?v=a7rr0Bk1iwM andwatch?v=PDqn6lA5hGg andv/FtXMg7ZIbxY

TELEVISION beauty Carly Strattoncelebrated her birthday on last week’sShipwrecked .

The Channel 4 show featured theHale Barns girl’s festivities.

“We celebrated with a children’sparty, with the guys dressing up asclowns and playing silly kids’ games.

“It was also the same day that thenew arrivals had come to Tiger Island,so we were already very upbeat andthey were amazing.

“Vicky was like a breath of fresh airand Michael was like a big teddy bearand very sweet.”

And speaking of life back inEngland, Carly admitted that she hasbeen missing the island recently.

“This week in particular I have

been missing the island loads,” shesaid.

“It’s been six months since we wereon the island and it was beginning tofeel like it had never happened beforethe TV show started.

“Now, even seeing the little thingswe did reminds me of what it was likeand I really miss it.

“Also, I think the hot weather justreminds me of our time on the island.”

Along with her modelling work,Carly is now working part-time as ahostess at new Manchester restaurantIthaca, before starting her studies inchildhood education at the Universityof Birmingham in September.

� Catch Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands onSunday (11:50am) on Channel 4.

Carly ’wrecked on birthday

PICTURE: ALLISON CHIPAK

BIG BAND: Metropolitan Klezmer, featuring Eve Sicular, front left

BY ROBERT CLAYTON

PICTURE: ANITA BRIGGS

MUSICAL WOMEN: Isle of Klezbos surround Eve, seated

Friday May 16, 2008 JEWISH TELEGRAPH 29