Léo Margarit (Pain of Salvation)
April 2008
When did you decide to apply for the vacant position of the drummer?
As soon as I knew they were looking! First I sent an email because there wasn't any application form on their website. And then, maybe two weeks later, a friend of mine told me there was an application form, so I filled it out as soon as I could. (Laughs) But I really felt there was no point in doing it at that time. It was so unreal but I did it anyway.
Didn't you think living in France was a disadvantage?
Of course I did. First the language and all the other things like leaving my family behind in France and also my other bands. But I also thought it could be an advantage to bring some warm Latin blood into the band. (Laughs) I use to think that if playing music together works, then we can always find solutions for the rest.
You mentioned about your other bands... tell me about those.
Well, I played in many bands throughout the years, especially together with my father. We used to be in a lot of different bands together. Like a salsa band and two or three different formulas of jazz bands where we played my father’s compositions. We also had a kind of an Indian/world music/jazz band. And I also had this thing that we call “orchestra” in France. It's kind of a band that plays in villages for many hours to entertain people. We played all the popular music. And I had my Latin jazz band called Latin Jam. And I'm also in Zubrowska and I want to continue playing together with them.
Do you want to continue playing with your family members even if you are in Sweden now?
Yeah, of course if I have the chance. I think I will have some free time this summer and I'd probably go back to France and have some gigs with my family and friends.
Zubrowska is quite different in style from Pain of Salvation. How did you find yourself in there?
In fact, I wasn't really into that kind of music at the beginning. When they contacted me I took it as a challenge, because I never played death metal or whatever it is, before. (Laughs) So we made a try in a rehearsal, and I found it very interesting so I took the job. We just recorded a demo recently and we're searching for a new label for our third album.
But then again, you live in Sweden and Zubrowska is a band not a project. How will it be possible to work together?
That's gonna be hard, that's true but we already talked about it and we really want to keep on playing together. The only obvious choice is to take a substitute drummer for the gigs that I won't be able to do, and I'll do my best to be there for the studio recordings and the big concerts. Last year we've played in the Obscene Extreme fest in the Czech Republic that is probably the biggest grind festival in Europe and we played at Hellfest, which is the biggest metal fest in France. And we are supposed to tour some Eastern European countries in September with Zubrowska. We have some dates in Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic.
When and how were you introduced to the music of Pain of Salvation?
I could tell the exact day but I don't remember it actually. It was their last gig on the tour with Dream Theater in Barcelona. I didn't know them at the time, and it was a great surprise. I think it was in 2002. That's funny because you can see that Barcelona venue in the commercial for the Opel Corsa, it's called Razzmatazz.
So you went to Barcelona just to see Dream Theater?
Yes, It was worthy, right? (Laughs) I went there to see their two gigs there. The second one was the first time they played Master Of Puppets. I've discovered many great bands because of Dream Theater. Bands like Porcupine Tree, Pain of Salvation, Spock's Beard. And Barcelona is only 250 kilometres from my home in France, which means a two and a half hour drive by car.
So, did Pain of Salvation steal the show from Dream Theater that night?
Not really, because I didn't know them at the time. But I was still hooked. And I was able to remember a lot of songs after the gig. I've been particularly impressed by Beyond The Pale. It's still one of my favourites songs of all time.
So you went back home and downloaded the discography? (Laughs)
No. At the time I didn't have DSL. (Laughs) I bought Remedy Lane first and I remember a friend sent me Handful Of Nothing and I thought, “Wow, that's impressive, that's really the kind of song that must be very hard to play.” Then I bought all their albums one by one. I'm the kind of guy who still buys CDs. I think Internet gives you a really interesting way to discover bands but when I like something I buy the CD.
How did you evolve as a Pain of Salvation fan?
Well, that's not very complicated! You just love the music and you listen to it all the time. And when I was bored from an album after the 18th listen in a day, I just played another one. (Laughs) Then I tried to go to every concert but unfortunately in France if you don't live in Paris, that's not easy.
How many times you saw them?
I saw them three times. The first time was in Barcelona that I already mentioned about. The second gig was in Paris last year so it's pretty fresh. Unfortunately they are not touring a lot in France and when they did a few gigs here I was playing the same day with my other bands so I wasn't able to attend. The gig in Paris was fantastic. I talked to them later and they told me it was the best gig of the tour, so I was very happy to be there. The third gig was at Hellfest in July last year. I was playing with Zubrowska the same day and that day I met Daniel for the first time and talked about the audition and stuff. Actually I saw the beginning of the gig in Norway too before playing with them, so that's three and a half. (Laughs) And I was on the side of the stage at Hellfest when they played as I had a VIP pass. It was very interesting and different.
So you had a very bad sound there...
Yeah, the sound was horrible but I almost felt like if I was in the band already at the time. (Laughs) Like a roadie or a drum tech.
So did you help Johan to set apart his kit after the show?
No, of course not. I'm a lazy roadie. I'm lazy enough to leave my drumkit on stage after I played so there's no way for me to do it for someone else unless you give me a huge amount of money. (Laughs)
Speaking of Johan, what was your first thought when you heard about him leaving the band?
Well, I think I first thought, even as a fan, “Damn, that would be great to be their drummer but there's no chance, they will probably take a Swede they know for a long time.” (Laughs)
And what was your second thought? (Laughs)
“I must try to reach them, or to send them a mail, I must try.” I wasn't worried that the band would stop playing or anything.
What do you think of Johan's playing?
I think he well served the band through all those years. I was always impressed by his ability to play exactly the same things at every gig. I'm probably more into improvisational style but I'll try to have this regularity he has.
What would be your most important musical influences as far as bands and individual musicians?
Damn, that's a hard question considering that I'm listening a lot a different kind of music. And I can't even say that I prefer metal or jazz or classical music or whatever. I could say that I've had periods in fact. When I was a kid, around 11-13, I was a fan of Guns and Roses then after this it was Metallica and then I've discovered prog metal with Symphony X and Dream Theater. I had my prog period for quite a few years. (Laughs) But at the same time I was listening to Michel Camilo and the Brecker Brothers and plenty of other musicians. The drummers who have influenced me the most are probably Dave Weckl, Horacio Hernandez, probably Mike Portnoy in certain period, and Virgil Donati. Maybe Burn The Sun from ARK is one of my favourite albums of all time. Actually the guitar player from ARK lived in France for 2 years 25 km from my place. We jammed one time or two with him and John Macaluso, the drummer. It was a cool time. And of course the Pain of Salvation discography, because I was a huge fan even before playing in the band.
How would you rank the Pain of Salvation discography?
That's impossible to say. In fact I just can say I love some songs better and some songs less, but I can't tell this album is better than that one.
Hah... so favourite album? You have to have one.
No, really, it's too hard to say. Maybe BE with a little margin.
What Pain of Salvation songs do you like the most?
Beyond the Pale, The Perfect Element, Diffidentia, Nighmist, Iter Impius, Nauticus 2. In general I like the most passionate songs that have a particular atmosphere. I also like Inside very much. I couldn't really say why those songs but I guess my brain and body react to the feelings they give me.
What was the first Pain of Salvation song you learned to play?
It was probably “!” in July 2007 when I was preparing for the audition. At the same time I practiced Nightmist and Handful Of Nothing, which is a real nightmare at the beginning. (Laughs)
Were you told what songs to perform at the audition or it was up to you?
No, they've chosen the songs. All participating drummers had to play the same ones, as it was an easier and fairer way to compare. I played the three songs I mentioned already plus a jam. We tried some vocal harmonies on these songs as well and as everything worked out well we tried some other songs too, even if I didn't practice them before and it was very funny. As far as I can recall we played Inside, Inside Out, Used and Beyond The Pale.
So how about your singing abilities?
Well, I guess I'm able to sing. (Laughs) But for the moment the less I do the better it is. I try to play the songs well first but sometimes I haven't any choice. I used to sing and play drums at the same time so it's not a big deal. I think the hardest is to remember all the lyrics. (Laughs)
You can always write that down on the drumhead and you can change heads with every song.
Yeah, but I don't know how to read. (Laughs)
What material did you submit along with the application?
Basically the same stuff that is also on my MySpace page. I tried to show all the range of my playing so I've chosen some very different kind of music from very soft to extreme and violent. I thought it was better than to record some Pain of Salvation songs.
When and how did you learn that you were accepted for the audition?
Actually when I played at Hellfest with Zubrowska Pain of Salvation was playing the same day. Because I had my artist pass I went to their backstage room to have a talk with Daniel. I was surprised because he remembered my application and my songs but he told me that they wanted someone in Sweden. I told him it wasn't a problem for me to move, so after a little conversation he said something like “Ok, let me think about this and I'll contact you.” And a month later I received a mail in which he asked me if I was still interested. Of course I was, so I went to Sweden in August for the audition.
Tell me about that day...
It was very complicated for me to plan everything because it was my busiest period of the summer. Fredrik came to pick me up at the airport and he brought me to Simon's place to sleep. The day after we had a barbecue at Daniel's place and then we went to the rehearsal room for the audition. After that I went back to Simon's place and at 3:30 in the morning he brought me back to the airport. Everyone was very friendly and they took care of me like a real friend, so I wasn't under any pressure like I thought I would be. I was very impressed at the beginning to share all of this with people I saw on stage many times. But it was fantastic. I think even if I haven’t got the job, it would still have remained as one of my greatest memories.
Was Johan Langell present at the audition?
Yes! I think it was interesting for the band to have an “external ear”. I mean he knows what's a drum, so it was probably very helpful to have his opinion. When you're playing sometimes you don't feel the same. It's very common after a concert to feel like “it was great, we played well” but when you listen to the recording you see it was a real crap. (Laughs)
Were you nervous about your first Pain of Salvation gig in Notodden?
Yeah, I was really. We just did two rehearsals before the show. When we left for Norway I had the feeling that I wasn't ready but I think it worked well. I don't remember anyway because when you're on stage it's very different and you mostly concentrate on playing. But I was really nervous and I was at backstage in the beginning of the show waiting and sweating and I tried to concentrate but it wasn't very easy. Then I went on stage to play the solo for Nightmist and it was better by then. It was good idea to start with the solo because I could learn how the kit was. Then the nightmare was Handul Of Nothing. (Laughs) That song is not hard but painful and very tricky to play. If you do a mistake you're fucked and you have to stop and start all over again. But fortunately it didn't happen. Ah, yeah, and before this I played I Pledge I think so it was a piece of cake. That's it. It was a very nice evening. I guess I looked like a child opening his presents at Christmas. I was very happy.
And how was it after the show?
It was strange. I think Simon came to me and told me, “Yeah, it was nice. You played well.” It was like I was in the band for many years. (Laughs) I was a little bit surprised. I expected a little more critics, good or bad but it wasn't the case. After the show we went back to the hotel where we drank a beer, a very expensive beer in Norway. Then I spent the next day with my grandfather and my cousin who came to see me in Notodden and we took a plane back to France.
Your debut in Pain of Salvation as Darth Vader was priceless...
(Laughs) Of course it was Daniel's idea. We were in his home the day before and he had the Darth Vader helmet around and he said, "Ah, maybe you should wear it and go on stage and play tambourine in America. And Fredrik has a long black leather coat that you can borrow." So yeah, I ended up playing the tambourine and it was very funny. I think I looked very stupid so it was a good thing to have the helmet to hide my face. (Laughs) I don't know about the people in the audience but for me it was very funny. After 10 seconds it was so hot inside the helmet so I had steam on the glass and I wasn't able to see anything. I was afraid to fall with cables lying around on stage. (Laughs) It was quite tricky but I did it.
Both Simon and you have moved to Eskilstuna recently but I guess settling there was much easier for him...
Yeah, probably because, I'm not sure, but I think he speaks Swedish. (Laughs) It's okay here. There are a lot of differences between French and Swedish people. The people here are colder. It's harder to talk to people and have real friendships here. At least it's not very easy in the beginning but maybe if you cross the line it goes faster. It's not so easy to make friends here but once you have their friendship it seems to be very strong. It's not necessarily the case in France as many people are hypocrites I think.
Maybe if you learn Swedish in 15 years you'll have friends there...
Yeah, maybe! I hope. Actually for the moment I have one friend here and when we go out together he's like, "He's the new drummer of Pain of Salvation." And the people are like, "Who? Pain of what?" and even those that heard of the band they have no idea of what kind of music we play. (Laughs) That's very funny. It's a very little city and no one knows about Pain of Salvation. The band Kent is more known in Eskilstuna.
Do you miss eating frog and snail all the time?
Yeah, I really miss it because that's my favourite food. Especially snails. I really love to eat snails alive with the shells. That's crispy. That's very nice. No, but seriously I think I miss French food and coffee because the coffee here is not good at all. And the wine is very expensive and not very good either. The thing is that you can have a bottle of wine for 1 Euro in France and it's 10 Euro here, it's kind of expensive.
Pain of Salvation are doing some selected festivals this year. Which one are you looking forward to the most?
Maybe the Serbian festival because I have been to Belgrade and I have some friends there and it would be nice coming back. And I'm looking forward to the Danish festival because it's gonna be my birthday so it's gonna be funny.
Do you know what kind of setlist are you going to perform?
Absolutely not. I general we decide on the setlist five minutes before the gigs so it's always a surprise. Sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's not, especially for me because I'm always afraid of that. Well, I know almost all of the songs but we didn't rehearse them all so I'm still afraid that one day just five minutes before the show Daniel comes to me and tell me to play one of those. (Laughs)
So is the setlist decided by Daniel alone?
We have the rights to refuse it but he knows what he wants and if he decides on something we'll do it. (Laughs) He's a smart guy and he doesn't come up with stupid ideas. I don't know what could be a stupid idea actually because everything is allowed in music.
What songs would you prefer playing live?
I really would like to play Beyond The Pale because that's one of my favourites. It would be interesting to have a live version of Kingdom Of Loss as well with all the vocal harmonies but that could be a real challenge. We never even rehearsed that one.
How is the new album shaping up? How about the new songs?
We're spending a lot of time in the rehearsal room jamming that we record. I think Daniel has a lot of stuff already. We have rehearsed 3 or 4 songs that are almost complete. Of course we have to do a lot of arrangements but the main ideas are there. There's a lot of stuff on the tapes we recording because we jam for 2-3 hours without any breaks. (Laughs) As for the direction of the music it's nothing clear yet, we don't know where we are going. We have a lot of possibilities and we're still searching.
Are these jam sessions mostly instrumental or Daniel singing some random words as well?
Most of the times we're just doing music but sometimes he sings like... I used to call it yoghurt. Try singing with yoghurt in your mouth and you'll know what I mean. (Laughs) Actually it's very hard to hear the voice because the music is very loud. But I wouldn't be surprised if he just created some improvised lyrics.