"It’s time to bring back the double bass kit!"

 Adam Pedretti was in a Perth experimental band Non-Intentional Lifeform which moved to Melbourne after it signed to Roadrunner Records. Times were hard, every cent they earned went into recording. They existed on one meal a day, usually two-minute noodles, or chicken & chips if they were lucky. Or they’d raid Roadrunner’s cupboards where they stored their promo CDs, nick them and sell these at op shops. NIL toured hard and started to get a following. But when Pedretti got a call from Killing Heidi, he felt the weight lift from his shoulders.

At that stage, Heidi’s success was still a gamble. Obviously it paid off. A few days before this interview, Heidi had just returned from another visit to the U.S., playing 13 club shows in three weeks and doing lots of interviews. Unlike past visits, Adam says, the U.S. media was looking past Ella Hooper and tapping into the fact the band could kick ass. More radio stations were picking up their record.

Pedretti was in a good mood, chatting about his football team (West Coast Eagles), his musician father ("he plays drums and guitar"), his first drum kit which he got aged 11 ("It was crappy ‘cos my folks weren’t well off then, but you couldn’t get me off them"), Heidi’s best show in recent times ("last week in New York, the place was packed out and band just went off"), how life’s become comfortable ("for the first time in ten years, I pay the rent from money I make from my music") and indulging himself ("I want a Harley Davidson, but I’ve got to get my licence first").

Heidi go back into the studios in late June to start work on their second album. He can’t write music ("I wasn’t allowed to take music lessons at school because I failed my exams!") so Pedretti carries a notebook with him working out drum patterns for the new songs, experimenting with them on his boom box at home. His studio set-up is like that during a gig, but with certain drums pulled out for isolation to give their producer/manager Paul Kosky more to work with.

Pedretti sees his role in Heidi as essentially "driving those three guys up front from behind" — something he learned from his four major inspirations, Phil Rudd (AC/DC) Danny Carey (Tool), Ray Herrera (Fear Factory) and Peter Criss (Kiss). "If they (the other Heidi members) take it so far out that I don’t have to drive them any more, that’s beautiful, (that means) I’m kicking. They say a good drummer is hard to find. If you can kick like a mother*** from behind, you’re doing your job."

He has an international deal with Mapex, using their hi-hats and stands. He fished for the deal after a jam session during which he played on Bodyjar’s Ross’s kit, who also has a Mapex deal. I thought, These drums sound fantastic. I was on the phone to Bill (O’Meara, marketing manager of percussion at Electric Factory) the next day, ‘You’ve got to hook me up’. They’ve been awesome, helping me with everything I wanted."

Q: What’s your responsibility to the deal?

A: "If any young drummer ask me about my kit, I tell them they’re Mapex. If they (Mapex) ask me to go speak to drummers around the country, I’m happy to do it. I love drums and drumming, and I love their product. There’ve got heavy shells which allow you to put decent heads on them, so they project more than other kits do. I’d tried other brands before. But the first time I played Ross’ Orion Classic, there was nothing better — and I haven’t heard anything better since."

Q: What’s your gear?

A: "A customised one-in-the-world wax red Orion classic. I haven’t a drum tech at the moment, so I spend all my spare time keeping it in good order. There’s a 24" x 18" kit drum, the rack toms are running 12" x12", and on the bottom 14" x14" and 16" x16". I’ve just ordered a 10" x 9" tom and another 24" x 18" kick drum. It’s about time someone brought back the double-bass kit, they are monstrous looking. No one else is doing it. Trav from The Living End had one on their last video, so I figure Trav and I should bring them back.

" My Zildjian cymbals I’m running from left to right, 16", 17", 12" splash, 20" rock ride, then a 19" and 20" crash of doom. I use Pro Marks 747 nylon tipped sticks which I reckon are the best in the world. They’re not varnished; I only break them once every three or four gigs, which is a good rate."

Q: Gene Simmons says if a band doesn’t go out onstage with the intention of blowing everyone else, they shouldn’t do the gig.

A: "I totally agree with him. People have paid good money to see you. If you’re not prepared to get out there and give 110%, stay at home."