Landing a spot in a major band is never a sure thing, even for seasoned musicians. In a recent conversation on the But That 1% With Sona Oganesyan podcast, Avenged Sevenfold drummer Brooks Wackerman opened up about how uncertain he felt during his audition with the band back in 2014. At the time, he had already built an impressive résumé, including more than a decade with Bad Religion, but even that didn’t quiet his doubts.
“I didn’t think I got the gig [after the first day auditioning for Avenged Sevenfold], to be honest with you. It was this internal dialogue. It went well, but we had two days [to play together] and… I don’t know. I’m trying to go back to that time, but I just remember being bummed out and coming home. I’m, like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think it’s gonna happen.’ Maybe I thought they weren’t into how it was going down,” he recounted (via Blabbermouth).
When asked why he had that impression, Wackerman pointed to his nerves and self-doubt despite knowing the material inside out. “I don’t know. I think I was excited about the prospect. I knew the songs like the back of my hand. I was a fan [before I auditioned]. So I was excited about this prospect, and I think I just got it really in my head. And then the second day, I felt like it went better.”
One specific moment stuck with him. “Great question. I think I remember now. I think there was one part that I didn’t play like the record, and Zack [Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Zacky Vengeance] told Matt [Sanders, a.k.a. Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows], and Matt called me that night and he said, ‘Hey, can you play that part like the record?’ And I took that information and I’m, like, ‘Oh, they don’t fucking like it.’ So it was just chatter in my head, just negative thinking.”
His approach to auditioning wasn’t just about replication, though. “Yeah. Great question. It’s both. When I learn a song, I learn the album version. Well, actually, I go to the last tour that they’ve done on YouTube, and I digest how they play it live because I would hope that they wouldn’t play exactly how they do on the record, because through evolution and doing a million tour dates, it does evolve into something hopefully better. And it did. So I learned the live YouTube versions. But then, ’cause I’m a different player than their past drummers. I wanted to add my own voice to it. So I think maybe in my head I was thinking, ‘Oh, okay, well, maybe I put too much of the Wackerman in the set.’ I don’t know.”
Looking back, Wackerman admits he might have overthought the process. “I’m kind of bouncing all over the place here because I’m trying to remember what was going on with me at that time. And I wanted everything to go smoothly, and I felt like just hearing that one comment just went, ‘Oh wait, maybe it’s not gonna happen.’ And then the next day, everything fell into place.”
Ultimately, the doubts faded quickly. “Well, after we got done playing, I think it was maybe that day or the next day, they said, ‘How would you like to be in Avenged Sevenfold?’ [I said], ‘Of course, yes. Let’s do this.’ So, yeah, it was quickly after the second day of auditioning, so it was a quick process. Before that, we met for dinner. And I had never met the guys, so, yeah, we had a great conversation. They told me about what their goal is — they were trying to find a permanent drummer — and everything they were telling me aligned with what I wanted in a new band for me. And then we got together, played, and then I got the gig officially.”
