SickDrummer.com has issued an interview with DREAMING DEAD drummer Mike Caffell. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: What do you do to warm up before a show?

A: "A lot. I need to get my hands ready to play 16th note single stroke rolls at 240 bpm the second I get on stage. I have an “e-soft” practice pad I warm up on that is pretty soft and really makes you work for the notes. I also carry around a kick drum practice pad and an additional kick pedal to warm up with. I also do deep breathing, a ton of stretches, and I jump up and down a bunch and try to keep active before the set. I also drink a little booze and smoke if I can. Sometimes I don’t have time for all of the above, but no matter what, I need to get movin before I get onstage, otherwise it ain’t gonna happen."

Q: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have effected your playing?

A: "I do read music and have since I was 10 years old. I think that reading music and/or are crucial to developing good time. As a drummer, if you can cultivate an inner tempo by feeling the subdivision of the beat (8th notes, 16th notes, 8th note triplets, etc.) then you’ll have good timing. For instance you might just be keeping time on the ride by playing half-notes, but to place those notes in the right spot, you should be thinking of 8th notes in your head. Constantly feeling a smaller subdivision of the beat than the subdivision you are actually playing gives you a grid over which to keep time. I think that reading music has improved my time more than anything else."

Read the full interview at here.

As previously reported, in support of their Ibex Moon Records debut, Within One, Dreaming Dead will be invading San Francisco with their intricately intense brand of blacked thrash/death metal on Friday, March 6th. Also appearing on the bill that evening will be NIHILIST, DÉTENTE, HAVOK and the almighty SADISTIC INTENT.

In other Dreaming Dead news, the band is currently gearing up for their upcoming North American tour with PATHOLOGY and labelmates, MASTER. The dates, which include a stop at the Central Illinois Metalfest, are as follows:

July

10 - The Rock - Maplewood, Minnesota
11 - The Elbo Room - Chicago, Illinois
12 - Mac’s Bar - Lansing, Michigan
13 - The Bulldog Cafe - Louisville, Kentucky
14 - The Muse - Nashville, Tennessee
15 - The Room 710 - Austin, Texas
16 - Schotzi’s - College Station, Texas
17 - Walter’s - Houston, Texas
18 - TBA - San Antonio or San Marcos, Texas
19 - Histeria Club - Juarez, Chihuahua
20 - The Compound - Albuquerque, New Mexico
21 - UB’s - Bar Mesa, Arizona
22 - The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, California
23 - The Knitting Factory - Hollywood, California
24 - Annie’s Social Club - San Francisco, California
25 - The Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, Nevada
27 - Union Station - Colorado Springs, Colorado
28 - Box Awesome - Lincoln, Nebraska
29 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, Missouri
31 - The Canopy Club/CIM 2009 - Urbana, Illinois