Work hard…play hard. Or better yet, how about this little tidbit from L.P. Jacks?
“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play. He hardly knows which is which. He leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”
Them’r words to live by. And maybe, just maybe – Ronnie Vannucci’s personal mission statement.
For the last decade, Vannucci has been working hard at his “day job,” laying down some frenzied percussive rhythms for The Killers.
Along with bandmates Brandon Flowers, Dave Kuening, and Mark Stoermer, the dynamic drummer co-wrote a number of the indie rockers’ hits, including “When You Were Young,” “Believe Me Natalie,” “Spaceman,” “A Dustland Fairytale,” and “Human.”
So when the popular band took a hiatus in early 2010 after three multiplatinum selling studio albums and almost six years of touring, the animated Vannucci had a little too much time on his hands.
Not one to sit on his drumsticks, Vannucci found the perfect way to “pass the time” – by finishing up his bachelor’s degree with a focus on percussion at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and putting all of that musical “book learnin’” to good use by releasing his first solo album.
Vannucci first enrolled in UNLV in 2000, taking eight years off to get a little “practical experience” before graduating with his music degree in May 2011. Rumor has it that he used to sneak his band mates into the college’s Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall to practice.
After UNLV President Neal Smatresk handed Vannucci his diploma, Dean Jeffrey Koep of the College of Fine Arts gave the rocker a key to the concert hall. “You don’t have to sneak in at midnight anymore, Ronnie,” the dean said.
The lively drummer’s plans for a solo record began to percolate shortly after The Killers decided to take a break in 2010. Along the way, Vannucci recruited guitarist Taylor Milne, his old friend and former bandmate in late-'90s indie outfit Expert On October, to play on the record.
Vannucci enlisted producer Joe Chicarelli (The Strokes, My Morning Jacket) and mixer Alan Moulder (U2, Foo Fighters) for the solo debut. Other than Milne and a few guest bassists, Vannucci played all of the instruments on the album.
The stellar effort (and band name), Big Talk, was released in July of this year. In a recent interview with Examiner, Vannucci talked about the new disc and his musical perspectives. The Killer’s drummer decided early on that music was the answer to all of life’s questions.
“Yes, definitely. I don’t think I can do anything else really, you know? It was that point when you’re in your twenties and you have an ‘Oh, f**k!’ moment, ‘What am I gonna do with my life?’ You try to get a degree and a decent job – stay in college too long trying to figure it out. I guess it’s kind of normal looking back.”
“I just kinda realized around twenty-two, twenty-three that if I’m gonna be happy, I gotta do music. And s**t, as long as I’m in college, I might as well major in music you know?”
Incredibly, Vannucci learned to play a number of new instruments for Big Talk, even though his background, training and education were as a drummer. But somehow, he manages to pull it off.
“I don’t know, I guess I’m a quick learner. I basically learn from watching people and I’ve always played a little guitar. You know, my dad always had a guitar around the house when I was growing up – he played a little. And always had a piano out in the garage and my aunt played piano, so we got her junkers.”
“So, it wasn’t like I was seeing these instruments for the first time. I definitely wasn’t in bed with any of the instruments, except for the drums – and certainly not the vocals. I never sang before. I just thought ‘F**k, why not give a shot?’”
“One of the things I learned at school was to become a better listener than a player. You should listen, you know? How do you become a good writer or an orator? It’s not always by talking. It has a lot to do with the other – listening.”
Vannucci’s energetic personality is on full display when he’s behind the kit. But the musical translation wasn’t quite as easy with some of the other instruments on the album.
“Well yeah. Of course, it’s a lot harder to articulate emotion and things like that. It’s harder, but it depends on the situation and what you’re playing. In a lot of ways, the limitations I have with the instruments really kind of kept things in line. It’s almost like mediocrity helped shape the record.”
“It really made it more of a pop record. Because I’m more concerned about writin’ a good f**kin’ song – and having hopes in there and having memorable lines that you can sink your teeth into. It’s not about having f**kin’ super bad ass licks in there and stuff like that. Get Taylor in there and say, “Taylor, put a bad ass lick here (laughing).”
Notwithstanding Vannucci’s steep instrumental learning curve for Big Talk, his satisfaction with the record is apparent. There is no feeling of “I know I can do this better next time.”
“Not really. Not like it is normally. When we finish a Killers record, I was kinda feeling like I wanted another little shot at that song – or this part in this song – or I’d feel like, ‘I could’ve done better here.’”
“Maybe it’s just me kind of settling in – just maturing, I guess. I like where it ended up. I’m lookin’ forward to using my voice better, even after just a few shows and having done these songs live and rehearsing and things like that.”
“I kind of look at it as, ‘It is what it is.’ It’s kind of an audio snap shot of what was goin’ on in my, you know? Gotta love it for that.”
A Vannucci live show is a unique experience – and somehow rooted in the spirited acts of performers past – such as Keith Moon and John Bonham.
“I hate when people just sit at their instrument and look like they’re doing homework. And it’s just like, ‘Here’s beautiful sound,’ but there’s no f**kin’ passion behind it. It’s just like every player piano.”
“And I love it when people share this umbilicus with instrument and there’s passion there – the way I like to play guitar. And I don’t give a s**t if it’s a little rough around the edges. It’s the passion of that type of playing and that type of mood. You can’t make a computer play that.”
“I mean, that’s what’s special and that’s what matters to me. I guess in that respect, Keith was one of those players. I think a lot of those ‘60s guys were kind of the same way and people loved it. John Bonham was like that. Pete Townsend was like that.”
“It’s right out there for everybody to see. They don’t give a s**t if fans thought they’re weird. He’s havin’ a good time. Or she’s havin’ a good time. And it sounds good and that’s what people want. Rock and roll, you know?”
As much as Vannucci loves the passion, he is quick to acknowledge that it can have a dark side, as evidenced by Moon’s undoing – and more recently by Amy Winehouse’s untimely passing.
“Yeah. I don’t know. I look at it like, you gotta be a complete idiot to f**kin’ not kind of see the other examples in front of ya. You don’t have a long life doin’ what you love to do. Stay the f**k away from drugs, idiot. You still can still have fun. But I mean, there are stories written so many times, you gotta be a retard to not figure it out.”
“You wanna die at twenty-seven? Throw yourself in front of a f**kin’ bus, if that’s what you wanna do. I mean, I get that Keith is his personality and his wayward lifestyle and shenanigans were part of what we all loved about him. You kind of go down that hill sometimes.”
“But the painting’s been painted. The story’s been written so many times. Figure it out.”
Now that Vannucci has the degree thing out of the way – as well as his first solo record – it’s probably a good thing that he and The Killers are working on a new album. And like any other “diversion,” Vannucci’s “play” can only make him a better bandmate.
“Yeah. I can’t see how it couldn’t help things. I think the fact that just being a whole other you, another perspective – can only make you more valuable – and better.”
That’s great news for Ronnie Vannucci – and Killer – fans.
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