The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Friedo aka Sven Müller of Dead Myrick and ElbSludgeBooking

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I am a drummer with Dead Myrick and a promoter with ElbSludgeBooking in Dresden.

I liked rock music since I was a kid and always had a talent for drumming. So I started playing drums and joined a band afterwards. My later habits made me really dive into Kyuss and Fu Manchu and the whole Stoner Rock thing which to this day is a HUGE part of my life. The promoter thing on the other hand was sheer coincidence. A friend got asked by Gabriele Fiori of HPS records if he could set up a show in Dresden for Ape machine. I joined this operation and from that we just kept going.

Describe your first musical memory.

Drumming with two sticks on a pillow to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by the Rolling Stones.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Impossible to answer. I go to concerts since the mid-90s and I had almost biblical revelations on several occasions. Off the top of my head I’d say one of the first was Neil Young & Crazy Horse playing “Like a hurricane” in Leipzig in 1996. My first real rock show was Green Jelly in 1993 though which was also hysterical! The last one was last weekend when I played on the same night on 2 festivals that were 150 km apart.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I can’t think of any real beliefs I hold. All I know is that every rule has an exception so I am always prepared to see that something I expect is not going to happen. Wait… is that a belief?

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

To excitement and then short-lived satisfaction. Then you carry on to feel it again.

How do you define success?

The word alone makes me feel uncomfortable. It is connected to money in my brain and I detest that. But I guess success just means to achieve something you wanted and had to invest some time to achieve it. One of those things to me is preparing a dough for pizza and later have this crunchy, but not dry pizza. To me that’s success and a bit of magic which makes me very happy. (no joke)

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Peter Griffin making Stewie suck on his boob. And seeing Gunter Gabriel, a formerly well-known singer, change his clothes in his tiny car so I could see his white ass in white underpants through the window.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I want to rent a place that can hold rehearsal rooms, an office, a screenprint area and a small area for setting up small gigs and parties. Like a community centre that is all about hanging with the right people and work there.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Being exposed to something that makes you forget that you are surrounded by evil monkeys.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

My son starting school and me quitting my Covid-induced, regular job to be a stage-tech again. F*ck office life!

http://facebook.com/deadmyrick
http://instagram.com/deadmyrick
https://deadmyrick.bandcamp.com/
https://www.deadmyrick.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Elbsludgebooking/
https://www.instagram.com/elbsludgebooking/

Dead Myrick, Rolling Steel (2022)