Name:

Patrick Swift

Nickname(s):

Swifty, Patty Melt, El Twinkle Von Ironfist, about ten more that are NSFW.

Birth date:

October 12th

Birthplace:

Queens, NY

Hometown:

Carmel, NY

Current Residence:

Austin, TX

Marital Status:

Married

Children:

My daughter, Lily-Marie, 2, and another on the way.

Bands You've Been In:

Silent Insanity, Acid Reign, Witness Relocation Program, Frail, the missing:, and countless one or two date drum whorings.

Hobbies/Interests:

Reading, writing, psychologically analyzing all the scary people I hang out with, ultraviolent video games, history (especially WWII), thinking

Activism/Causes:

I've done stuff with Riverkeeper, and belong to the ACLU. I intend to do more, especially in the field of global warming.

Personal Web Site/Links:

 myspace.com/patrickpowderburn

Brief Gear Description/ Endorsements:

Coming soon . . . I’ve got stuff in the works, here.

Musical Influences:

The earliest were Lars Ulrich and Nicko McBrain, and continue on to John Bonham, Neil Peart, Max Weinberg, Gas Lipstick, Danny Carey, Abe Cunningham, Buddy Rich, Morgan Rose, Carter Beauford, Jukka Nevalainen, Andy K from Stabbing Westward, and like seven hundred more. I tend to like groove over flash.

Lyrically - James Hetfield, Maynard James Keenan, Ville Valo, Bruce Springsteen, Bleu Edmondson, Tuomas Holopainen, and Corey Taylor.

Favorite Bands:

There's a ton, but right now I think Slipknot and Metallica saved metal in '08. Also, I’m looking forward to the new Maiden disc in '09.

I have become obsessed with Nightwish to add to my Finland fetish (including HIM, Lordi, etc.)

Besides metal, I've been really into Springsteen, Juno Reactor, Led Zeppelin, Elysian Fields - very different stuff.

Favorite Albums:

Metallica - Black Album, Metallica – Master of Puppets, Pearl Jam - Ten, Lovage - Music to Make Love to your Old Lady By, Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone, Bruce Springsteen - Live '75 - '85, Nightwish - Century Child, Nightwish - Once, Bleu Edmondson - Lost Boy, Tool – Aenema, Led Zeppelin – ZoSo, Iron Maiden - Live After Death, Dave Matthews Band - Listener Supported, and the Juno Reactor mix CD my friend Doug made me in '02. .. . Best driving music ever.

Favorite Songs:

Unforgiven - Metallica, Snuff- Slipknot, Rainmaker - Iron Maiden, The River – Bruce Springsteen, The Echo - Bleu Edmondson, Eulogy - Tool, Ghost Love Score – Nightwish, Stranger in a Strange Land – Iron Maiden, Achilles Last Stand – Led Zeppelin, about a million more. This is just a sample.

Favorite Musicians:

Too many to list. There's just too many people that are so awesome at what they do.

Favorite Powderburn Album:

The new one - One Fix

Favorite Powderburn Song:

This is a tough one, but I think right now it's A Small Victory

Favorite Powderburn  Song To Play Live:

Let it Begin, no doubt about it.

Favorite Venues:

The Backroom, Rock City Icehouse, CBGB’s, Continental Club - All my favorite venues are closed. 

Favorite Powderburn Art (Covers/Shirts):

I still like the Echoed in Red cover, even though Greg hated it.  =)

Best Powderburn Moment:

Mayhem Fest '08, 8000 fans, wheelchair crowd surf  = awesome.

Worst Powderburn Moment:

The rest of '08.   =)

Most "Spinal Tap" Moment:

There was that bizarre gardening accident I had back in '05.  . . .

Best Thing About Being In Powderburn:

Making music I love with three of the best guys in the world and some of the best crew you'd ever ask for.

Worst Thing About Being In Powderburn:

Being trapped in a van with the three biggest assholes you ever met and a bunch of whiny crew who fight over what we’re listening to.

Most Memorable Powderburn Shows/Tours:

Mayhem Fest, Stone Sour/Lacuna Coil/Shadows Fall, Staind/Three Days Grace/Drowning Pool

Favorite Bands To Tour With:

In our area - Deejer, One-Eyed Doll, Broken Teeth, Shrapnel

Your Heroes Are:

Soldiers, cops and firefighters, social workers, Red Cross medics, youth counselors . . . I think we throw the world "hero" around too lightly these days.

Boxers or Briefs:

Briefs. I'm old school.

Favorite Color:

Black, Green

Favorite Food:

sushi, Italian, any Asian

Favorite Beverages:

beer, wine, vodka, Coke.

Favorite Clothing/Brands:

We have favorites, but none of them are paying us to say that yet.

Favorite TV Shows:

Bones, House, Burn Notice, The Sopranos, anything on the Discovery, History, Science, or Military Channels. The only reality shows I like involve actual artistic creation - Top Chef and Project Runway. Say something, bitch.

Favorite Video Game:

Right now, Gears of War 2. Greg and I are about halfway through.

Favorite Movies:

Too many to list. A quick sampling - Pulp Fiction, Seven Samurai, The Godfather I, II, and III, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Exorcist. If you go to the AFI or IMDB Top 100 lists, you'll note I've probably seen just about all of them.

Favorite Sports Teams:

The New York Yankees, New York Giants, New York Rangers . . .seeing a pattern?

Favorite Places/Locals:

To play would probably be Emo's in Austin and FBI 1 and Fitzgerald's in Houston. To drink would be the nearest Irish pub or dive bar - I'm not picky. To eat would be El Arroyo in Austin and Ray's Pizza back home.

Favorite Books/Authors:

I read anything and everything. I'm currently at various points in several books, including The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Games People Play by Dr. Eric Merne, and The Prince, by Machiavelli.

Favorite Quote:

 “Our greatest glory is not in not falling, but in getting up every time we do.” – Confucius

“A hero is no braver than any other man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good – be good for something.” - Henry David Thoreau

“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society” – Mark Twain

"Sixty percent of the time, it works every time". – Brian Fantana
 
 

Favorite Technology/Gadget:

I hate technology. I'm a Luddite. Look it up 

Favorite Comedians:

Katt Williams, Bill Hicks, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Patton Oswalt, Dave Attell, Dave Chappelle, and yeah, I like Dane Cook, I know it's cool to hate on the guy, but I'm a rebel.

Random story from the Road:

Buy me a beer at a show, and I'll tell you one.

What would you be doing if you weren't in Powderburn?

Raising two kids and wishing I was still in Powderburn. But seriously, probably something in the art world, something with wine, or social work. I'm still trying to find a way to combine all three.

BAND COMMENTS

Greg

Eric

Ken

Pat likes to read books, a shit ton of books, he likes to read them 3 times and he reads quite fast….although for some reason he’s unable to read ‘tuning drums for dummies’ or ‘how to plug hook up something electronic’. It’s quite amazing actually. However all jokes aside I connect with pat on a different level…a very dirty level that’s filled with internet jokes and stories of the old world. But yeah, we are a good team so watch out…we’re out there and we’ve been eyeing you. Drum wise he’s the best at playing what’s appropriate for a song…a feat not learned by many drummers..and he hits hard…harder than you hit your daughter, you asshole.