Ben Hall – Capital Region Timekeepers – An Xperience Interview

Ben Hall – Capital Region Timekeepers – An Xperience Interview – by OP Callaghan.

This month, I’d like to introduce you to my friend Ben Hall. He’s a killer drummer with fast feet and busy hands, who is the force behind the Capital District band 10-50 Nightmare. Ben’s playing is heavy, with great timing and precision. Be sure to give his band a listen, or better yet, see them live. Ben is not only a great player but a terrific human being, whom I’m proud to call my friend. So, let’s welcome Ben Hall!

RRX: Great to see you, man! Thanks for giving us some time. Tell me how you got started behind the kit.

BH: I took an interest in music when I was in grade school. By the fifth grade, I decided drums and percussion would suit me best. I was 10 years old. Throughout high school, I made the commitment to play in different forms of band presentation, three of which were Concert Band, Marching Band, and Field Show Band. Mohonasen High School always did very well in competitions, and I was happy to be a part of that. I was elected Drum Captain my senior year. I bought my first drum set when I was 17. By that time, I had developed a great appreciation for Neil Peart’s drumming in Rush. Neil was who inspired me to start taking my playing more seriously.

RRX: Yeah, Neil has that effect on drummers and non-drummers alike! Do you come from a musical family?

BH: I think we all sort of come from a musical family. It’s inherent as human beings to gravitate towards music. For some of us, listening is not enough, and we take it further. At some point in my life, something inside me took hold, and I felt I had to become more involved. It’s the same type of energy that got me sent to the Principal’s office because I could not (for the life of me) stop tapping and drumming on my desk. I wasn’t doing it to be annoying. It was something in my subconscious that manifested itself into a habitual reflex.

RRX:  S**t, I still do that, and my daughter has started doing it too! Do you play any other instruments?

BH: Aside from drums, the only other instrument I’ve ever played was classical guitar in college. I did fairly well, but it did not last more than two semesters.

RRX: Tell me about your first kit.

BH: My first drum kit was a red five-piece Premier APK. The drumline in high school was ranting and raving about Premier drums, so I figured I’d try them out. After I taught myself how to play an actual set of drums, I expanded that kit with a couple more toms and another bass drum. I had my first real sonic breakthrough when I upgraded the APK to the Premier Projectors. The shells were 100% birch and finished in red painted lacquer. I was amazed how much better they sounded!

RRX: Beautiful. I see that you’re playing Tama now. I have two Tama kits, and I just love them.

BH: I am a big fan of Tama drums. I like to have consistency in having all hardware, pedals, and drums from the same company in one kit. When that became difficult to do with Premier, I made the jump over to Tama. I have experimented with many different sizes of Tama drums and Tama product lines. Currently, I’ve narrowed things down to two kits that I play. One of which is a Tama Starclassic Performer (Birch), and the other a Tama Starclassic Maple kit. Both are fitted with Remo drumheads, and I’ve returned to playing Zildjian cymbals. When I made the move over to Tama, I expected a good experience. I’m happy to say that over the last 22 years, they have not disappointed me whatsoever. Yes, there are going to be things that break and things that aren’t perfect, but that’s just me bearing witness to an ever-evolving company that is learning and growing. I became very brand loyal with Tama early on, and as they say, you don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Do metal musicians even say that? Erm, anyway …

RRX: They do now!  Tell me about your first band/live performance.

BH: Outside of high school band performances, my first live performance in a band was with a couple of musician friends. We started a metal cover band and played our first show at a “party in the woods.” This was way back in the ‘90s. The equipment was all powered by generators. The show/party was called Al Stock. I believe it was a humorous reference to Woodstock. There were a bunch of local metal bands there. I was never really a metalhead beforehand. I just basically got involved in metal because my buddies wanted to play it. I do remember that we were well received. Metal became more of a thing for me when I realized double bass drums were one of my favorite sound experiences. I never had stage fright or anything because, by the time of my first show, I had practiced enough to where I knew this was just “something I do now.”

RRX: That’s great! Who are you playing with now?

BH:  These days, my playing extends as far as woodshedding in the basement to being in an original metal band by the name 10-50 Nightmare. We managed to put out a couple of rough demos. The drums were recorded on a TD-25 Roland electric drum kit. I am not the biggest fan of electric drum sets, but it definitely got the job done. We have a bunch of shows under our belt, thanks to amazing local promotional support, and have booked some studio time in April. When we get asked what kind of metal we are, I suppose it would fall under the subgenre of horror metal. Like horror movies, but music. It’s an interesting contrast of living in such a demanding, politically correct, corporate, career-driven world and being involved in underground music. I’m happy to report that I seem to be handling it very well.

RRX: I have been listening to the 10-50 Nightmare recording, and it’s great stuff. The drumming is super tight and very big in the mix.  Who are you influenced by at this point in your playing?

BH: I really don’t have any influences anymore. There was a time in my life when they were necessary. They helped me to learn discipline, self-control, focus, patience, confidence, and more to the point … how to play music! When I started out, my influences were Alex Van Halen and Neil Peart.

RRX:  It shows! And you’re a lefty?!?

BH: I’m left-handed but also, in drumming terms, right-footed. It’s referred to as being mixed dominant. My rack toms all descend to the left, but I lead with my right foot. I use a remote high hat with an 8-foot cable that is played with my left foot. This is why sharing drums on stage has always been difficult for me. I play matched grip and use Vater 3A hickory fatback nylon tip drumsticks. They are super high quality and give me the perfect amount of weight I need to play heavy music.

RRX: Interesting! I love the fact that very few will attempt to “sit in” on your kit! What do you do for fun when you’re not drumming? I hear that you’re a MOPAR guy!

BH: When I’m not drumming, I’m tending to my career, working with a corporation that provides railroad safety to construction work crews. To answer your question, yes, I am a Mopar guy. I used to work in the automotive industry. While at work one day, I saw a Camaro and decided at that point I was going to get myself a nice car, too. I did a lot of research, comparing different makes and models, and ended up choosing a Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody in “Triple Nickel” silver. I went to the dealership, customized the specifications, and boom … Dodge built it for me.

I am also an avid motorcyclist. I would never encourage something potentially dangerous to anyone, but motorcycling satisfies my sense of adventure. I find the reward greatly outweighs the risk and avoid populated areas by mostly riding country roads.

RRX: That’s a full plate! If you could play in any band, who would it be? Tell me about your “dream band.”

BH: Dream band? I’m satisfied with the one I’m currently in. I don’t take for granted all the friendships I’ve acquired through playing music. Just to be able to play at all, even alone without other musicians, is a dream in and of itself for some. I’ve been fortunate enough to maintain a good state of health and am going to continue to play for as long as I possibly can. Dreams become reality when you have that moment that the music is happening and things feel good. Then you look up and see it’s your friends right there with you actually creating music. It’s not something I take lightly. Rehearsals can be quite tough considering all our differing schedules and priorities, so when things come together and they work, that’s when the dream becomes the reality. From a musician’s point of view, there’s not much better than that.

RRX: Ok, cool. Dream car? Don’t tell me – the one you’re currently in?

BH: Dream car? Honestly, it’s my 2021 Challenger. So much so that I had Dodge build me a 2023 Last Call edition in Sublime Green as well. It’s a wild Mopar heritage color from the early ’70s. The Challenger went out of production in 2024. It ticked all the boxes of what I needed in a cool car and, well, when it’s that good, ya got to have a spare! I would never fit in a Lamborghini anyway.

RRX: I hear that. Where can we see you playing next, Ben?

BH:  Our upcoming shows are with Living Wreckage at Empire Underground on March 20 before we hit the studio, and then with Confinement on May 23 at High Voltage in Troy.

RRX: I’m looking forward to it! Thanks for being with us today

BH: Thank you for offering me an interview. It was not expected, yet is very appreciated.

RRX: The pleasure is all ours! See you on the 20th!!!

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