Germany's Biggest Drumstick Collector
Photo of Jan Zscheile with Russian Circles' Dave Turncrantz
My last concert at Beatpol before leaving Germany was a show for the American band Russian Circles. It was a fantastic concert, and I had a great time hanging out with my old coworkers. One of my coworkers and friends Jan Zscheile was there. I had gotten to know Jan through Beatpol and had grown to respect him a lot. At the show, I bugged him about an article I wanted to post on here about him and his ever-growing drumstick collection. Jan agreed to answer a long list of questions from me about his life in Germany, his involvement with the venue, and his large collection of drumsticks.
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Jan Zscheile collects drumsticks. Broken, halved, splintered--he accepts them all. Zscheile, a 25-year-old German who grewup in the town of Pirna outside of Dresden, has been going to shows at Beatpol for eight years, and has more recently become part of the Beatpol staff. He's been collecting drumsticks for six years now; his collection boasts nearly 400 sticks from around 250 drummers. After shows, Zscheile is known to go up to the drummer and quietly and politely ask for his/her sticks, concurrently asking for a black-inked signature on the sticks as well. With such a large collection, the signatures stand as the only means of drumstick identification.
You live in Pirna. Do you come there, too?
Yes, 25 years ago I was born there and I have lived there since then.Â
What do you do in Pirna/Dresden?
I grew up in Pirna and I live there with my parents, my 6-year-old brother, and my grandmother. I went to kindergarten and elementary school in the Pirna district Zehista, and then I graduated from German gymnasium (high school) in the center of the city at the Rainer-Fetscher Gymnasium. Since 2004 I study water management at the Technische Universität in Dresden. During this time I met, next to my old school friends, even a lot of great people from Dresden. This came mainly from my growing passion of listening to music and attending concerts...I eventually met the best alternative DJ in the city.
When was your first time in Beatpol? Which concert was it? What was your impression?
I can still remember my first concert there very well. It was on October 15, 2004. Back then Beatpol was called Star Club and on the night I was there, the German alternative band Slut was playing. I was with a couple friends from Pirna who had really introduced me to more alternative music. At the time, I didn't really know Slut that well...I had only heard a couple songs.
I was really excited because it wasn't just my first concert at the venue, but it was my first concert ever. After we got lost twice while trying to get there, we eventually found our way and there were a lot of people standing outside. Inside, was even crazier, almost sold out. I was overwhelmed by the venue's structure, the size of the room and the amazing architecture. The place is still the same today, aside from the venue's name.
The concert itself was incredible! After my first attempts to dance during the first few songs, I got a little more loose and the mood of the crowd kept getting better. We were dancing without control, stage diving three or four times. What I experience in those two hours was simply just outstanding. I will remember that night for a long, long time.
After the concert I went to the merch stand. Like I said, I didn't really know the band that well and I didn't know that they were from Germany (they always sang in English). Of course we wanted to get CDs right away and get them signed. As we approached the guitarist and spoke to him in English, asking for an autograph, we were taken aback when he answered (in German), "Hey guys! Awesome that you liked the show. You know you can gladly speak German with me. We're from Inglostadt." How embarassing and funny. [Laughs]
You now work on and off for Beatpol. How did that happen?
As my passion for concert-going grew, my pocketmoney was of course affected as well. To be a student without a job is pretty difficult...it means living off of savings and money from your parents. I asked myself if I could offer working or helping out at Beatpol so that I wouldn't have to pay so much at shows. About three years ago then, I talked to Carsten directly and asked if I could work there somehow. It ended up going pretty well and I had a lot of fun. With time, I got to know each Beatpol employee better, and slowly as older employees had to leave, I would start to take on some more duties, like loading out equipment or working at the bar.
You collect drumsticks from different musicians...are they all musicians who have played in Dresden at one point? When did you start collecting drumsticks?
I collect drumsticks mainly from the alternative music scene. Through my open music taste and the wide concert opportunities in Dresden, I've been able to get drumsticks from bands in a lot of different genres. The majority of the sticks are from bands that have played in Dresden, but I also fondly go to shows in other clubs in cities near Dresden, like in Leipzig, Berlin, or Prague (in the Czech Republic). I started collecting on March 22, 2006, when I got my first drumstick from the band Blackmail who played at Star Club.
How many drumsticks do you have altogether? How many do you think are from Beatpol?
Currently my collection has 380 drumsticks from 245 different drummers from 239 different bands. Approximately 1/3 of those are from bands who played at Beatpol.
Where did you get the idea to collect drumsticks?
It all started on March 22, 2006 at the Blackmail concert Star Club. At that time my buddy Erik and I caught a stick of Mario Matthias. When around two months later in Leipzig at the Volkshaus at a concert from Blackmail (PopUp Festival), the exact same thing happened, and a little competition started between us. At the following concerts we were keen for the drumsticks, we asked the drummer even after the concert, to be better than the respective "competitor."
Do you have any goal? Or do you just collect until you don't want to anymore?
As we both had about eight sticks together, Erik flew to Australia for a year. While he had to give up his passion for collecting, I went on cheerfully. After about 15 sticks, I knew that I had to come up with something--how to distinguish the sticks. I started a list with band, date, club, city and drummer to make. In addition, I began to have the musicians sign the sticks. Even from that point on I knew I wanted a large collection, perhaps even into the Guinness Book of Records.
A certain Peter Larvinger--a New Yorker, has collected between 1980 and 2000 an incredible 1,300 drum sticks from a variety of music styles by famous bands and drummers of his time. As I extensively reviewed his website with his record and his history, two things went through my head.
1. An impressive record! The man has been outstanding! A great collection!
2. I want exactly the same thing and one day I want to outdo his world record!
Do you play drums?
No, I do not play drums. I've been living in my parents' house...they probably would have something against the noise. [Laughs]
However, I have an acoustic guitar. During my study time I started playing guitar and took lessons for about a year. When my teacher became very ill, I put more time into school and put the guitar aside. Since then, it rests only in the corner and is only now and then maltreated by myself. [Laughs]
Have you drumsticks from your favorite bands? If so, who are your favorite bands?
Yes I have some drumsticks my favorite bands. As would be for example Blackmail, of which I got my first drumstick at all. Furthermore, "The Mars Volta," "Portugal. The Man," and "Trail Of Dead," are some of my absolute favorites, of which I also have drumsticks. Unfortunately, I don't have drumsticks from my other favorite bands, like "At The Drive In," "Thursday," or "Chiodos" that have been partially quit and I was never been able to have them seen live. But right now is the time for reunions. Maybe there's still a possibility.
Can you name some famous American bands, of which you have drumsticks?
Yes, sure. I guess about 1/5 of the drumsticks are by American bands. As would be for example Titus Andronicus, Why?, The Melvins, The Mars Volta, Shellac, Xiu Xiu, Russian Circles, Murder By Death, Ringo Deathstarr, Isis, Pelican, Red Sparowes, Earth, Karma To Burn, Acid King, Maps & Atlases, Imaad Wasif, Joan Of Arc, O’Death, Iron & Wine...
Do you have a plan for how you will present your drumsticks at home? Or will they remain in a box?
I've already taken some pictures with my drumsticks. Now they are gone back in a box. However, I would like to show the sticks somewhere. I've already thought of presenting my collection for this year's Drum Festival in Dresden. I certainly have a big dream. If I ever break the Guinness world record, I would like to open a drumstick museum.
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