Drummer, Tommy Clufetos is the one many bands turn to when there is a vacant drum stool with Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Rob Zombie, Black Sabbath and Ozzy all calling him up over the years. It’s now the turn of the supergroup, The Dead Daisies, to invite him along for their latest UK tour. Mick Burgess called him up on the eve of the tour to talk about joining the band, the tour and his plans after the tour ends.
This last year has certainly been a strange time for everyone. How has this time been for you?
I guess it’s been the same as it has been for everybody else. It’s crazy and for music it’s been insane and the music business is the one thing that’s still goofy as most people are back to work everywhere else except in this industry. It’s the last thing that’s getting put back together.
Has it opened up any opportunities for you to do other things while you’ve been off the road?
I have a lovely family; a four-year-old daughter and a lovely wife and I spend as much time with them as I can. I’m a home loving guy so I’m cool being at home when I’m not working. I love doing that so that’s where my focus is outside of music but inside of music too, I’m a family orientated guy. That’s what it’s all about for me. I appreciate the simple side of life.
You’ve had almost a year off the road due to the Covid restrictions. Is that the longest you’ve gone without playing live?
It’s definitely been the longest I’ve not played live, that’s for sure. Shows have been on then off then on. The whole business drives you crazy.
Have you played any shows since the lockdown was lifted?
The Dead Daisies have done quite a bit of touring in The States in the last few months and it felt great to be back up on stage playing live, in front of people again. It felt good to sweat and get it out. The crowd were really up for it but you could tell that it was still a little early and will take some time to get back to normal again.
Talking of touring you’ll be coming over to the UK at the end of the month to play 8 shows. You must be looking forward to playing throughout the UK again?
I always love coming over here. The people really love music. There’s great food and great sweets. I love the scones with clotted cream and jam and all the good things that I like that I have to try and stay away from. I love tea too with milk and all that good stuff.
When did you start rehearsing for the tour?
We started a while back and did a bunch of rehearsals, I think back in May or June just going over different songs and planning what we were going to play. It sounded great.
What sort of show do you have planned for the tour?
Well, we play a song, then we stop and play another until we get to the end. We’re just a Rock ‘n’ Roll band playing some tunes. People can look it up. That’s the bad thing about the internet, there’s no surprise. It was cool when you didn’t know what the band was going to play or what the drums looked like and you’d peak around the curtain to see what was going on. Those days are over. All you need to do now is look on YouTube
Will you be playing some new songs from your latest album Holy Ground and maybe a few you haven’t done in a while?
I think we’ll do three or four from the new record. We’ll do a couple of covers too such as “Midnight Moses” by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band which is a great song to play.
You’re the latest addition to The Dead Daisies lineup. How did you end up in the band?
Hopefully it’s because they thought I was a good drummer. They called me and asked me. I was available because of this Covid thing so I said “Of course man, let’s go and play” because that’s what I love to do. I had played with them previously for a few weeks in Europe when I had some free time and I filled in for them so I think the return phone call came from that.
It’s a great concept of a rotating lineup of musicians with a constant core of guitarist David Lowy. Was it this fluidity that appealed to as you can all fit the band in around your other commitments?
The appeal to me was “Let’s go and play”. That was the appeal. I never get bored of playing music. I don’t get bored if I play the same song a million times. It’s all about playing it on that night. I just love to play and this was a chance for me to get out and play again. Music is about going out there and giving it your best shot.
How have you found playing with the guys so far?
It’s been great so far. They are all very nice gentlemen and we are a tight Rock’n’Roll band and it’s been a blast. Everybody has been having a good time.
Do you find playing with different musicians in this way helps to up your game too?
I’ve always played with different musicians since I was a young kid. I’ve never been in my own original band but I’ve always played with different musicians. It’s a very familiar situation to me to go in to a band with people I haven’t played with before. The best thing you can do is to play with musicians who are better than you and they make you better in return.
You joined the band not long after their latest album ‘Holy Ground’ was released. You recorded new drum parts for the single “Like No Other”. Whose idea was that?
They had me re-record drums for the one song and that’s as far as my recording goes with these guys so far. I don’t know whose idea it was to do that. I don’t ask questions and I don’t need to know that answer. I was asked to do it, I did it and it’s out there.
Was it just the drums that were redone or was the whole song rerecorded?
It was just the drums that were re-recorded. It was done during the heat of Covid so it was just me and no one else from the band.
Were you given a free hand to interpret the song your own way?
They just asked me to play the drums. There was a producer there and I did some takes in the studio and they added my drums to the song and made a new version out of it.
Has this whetted your appetite to start writing and recording a new record with these guys after the tour?
Who knows what will happen. You can’t plan the future so you just take it day by day. I just want to do the current run of gigs in the UK and see what comes from it. If there’s more music to make and it leads that way, then it’s all good. Who knows? That’s what the music business has taught me.
When your tour finishes in Cardiff on 11th November, where do you head next?
I’m not sure what is planned for next year. I fly home on 12th November and will probably drive my daughter to school. Everybody has their own plans so I guess we’ll see when we get there. We’ll have a good time doing these gigs for the next two weeks and will enjoy that time and play the best shows that we can. After that I can’t make any promises. You’ll have to talk to the powers that be as I have no say in those things, which is fine by me.
The Dead Daises are on tour in the UK now. See thedeaddaisies.com/shows for full details.
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