Marco Minnemann
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Marco Minnemann, born December 24, 1970 in Hannover, is a German drummer. He lives in San Diego and has a son.
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[edit] Life
Marco Minnemann started playing organ at the age of 6, then switched to drums and guitar at the same time at the age of 11. Marco's fame as one of the extraordinarily talented drummers and composers, reached him at the age of 19 all the way to Munich. The first 'cross-over' band "Freaky Fukin' Weirdoz" offered him a position as drummer in 1992, in connection with a major deal with BMG Ariola. The "Weirdoz" were the originators of so-called 'cross-
Also the "Weirdoz" had a gig with Nina Hagen on the album "Mao Mak Maa" where a fantastic cover version of Ian Dury's hit "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" was created.
Marco was immediately booked to play a Nina Hagen tour. The successful collaboration with the "Weirdoz" ended in 1997 after Marco's having worked together on four albums: "Senseless Wonder", "Mao Mak Maa", Culture Shock" and "Hula".
Almost simultaneously, an engagement with the Top Ten 'cross-over' band "H-Blockx" came up on the album "Fly Eyes". During 1997-1999, they played over 200 gigs together. Meanwhile, Marco's reputation as a talented drummer reached out worldwide. Prominent were solo workshops, for example, at the Frankfurt Music Fair, PASIC in Dallas, and a solo performance at the "Modern Drummer Festival" in Toronto, where Marco had the honor of being the first German drummer to display his talents there. This performance, in the eyes of professionals and music trade magazines, catapulted him into the Top Ten of the drumming world. Following Dumfest included the Australian TUDW fest and the Motreal Drumfest in Canada.
Even while working with the "Weirdoz", Marco produced with his former wife Artemis Gounaki, she is a well-known singer and a vocal coach in Germany, four albums with their band "Illegal Aliens", with the titles of: "Thickness", "Red Alibis", "Time" and "International Telephone"and two albums, focused more on drums and less on vocals called "The Green Mindbomb" and "Comfortably Homeless". Illegal Aliens stopped working in 2001 when the couple Minnemann/ Gounaki were divorced. Since then, there have been 4 solo albums:"Orchids", "Broken Orange", "Mieze" and the 2CD set"Contraire de la chanson", which are more on par with his talents as a multinstrumentalist, composer and Producer. "Motor" and "Normalizer" came out in 2003 in collaboration with the soud designer Mario Brinkmann and "Disarmed" along with Italian Bass Player Fabio Trentini follwed in 2005.
Moreover, Marco could follow his passion for Jazz and Funk by playing with the "Wolfgang Schmid´s Kick" band. Schmid was ex-bassist in Dolinger's "Passport" and composer of numerous film soundtracks. Marco also co-produced and played intruments on Paddy Kellys (Kelly Family) solo CD which entered the charts in 2004 and played on the double platinum CD “Nena feat Nena”. Marco performed and recorded with artists such as: Paul Gilbert, Nena, Udo Lindenberg, H-Blockx, Mike Keneally, FFW, Gianna Nannini, Garry Willis, The Kelly Family and many more.
His work as an educational book author along with Rick Gratton brought out 3 books including the award winning and in many magazines as #1 voted "extreme interdependence". Also one of his DVDs "Extreme Drumming" won polls and achieved Marco a Telly Award.
He's currently on a trio tour with Terry Bozzio and Chad Wackerman and on numerous clinic tours around the world. His new educational book “Maximum Minnemann” is available since August 2006 and his new DVD with feat Artists Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller and the Buddy Rich Big Band is on the way. His instructional DVD Extreme Drumming was published in 2003 by Warner Brothers.
[edit] Books
Ultimate Play Along Drum Trax.
Extreme Interdependence: Drumming Beyond Independence (With Audio CD) - Nov 2001
Maximum Minnemann 2006
[edit] DVD
Marco Minnemann: Live in L.A. - June 2001
Extreme Drumming 2003
[edit] Awards
THe Telly Award in 2004
