Tex van Buren - Drumtech

 

How did you become DT and is it important to be a drummer yourself in that job?
Tex: I’ve always been more interested in gear rather than playing, but since my rockstar dreams became hopeless, a friend who worked as a touring professional at the time asked me if I could fill in for him. I did and here we are almost 15 years later. Well, it sure helps being a drummer to swing the sticks for line check but to be honest I could even train a monkey to do that. So, no need for being an El Estepario. It’s totally sufficient to be a Lars Ulrich with better screwdriving skills.

How many days a year are you on the road and how do you deal with difficult clients?
Tex: It depends on the gig. It was way more prior to Covid. Very uncontrolled and I even didn’t pay attention to myself and possible mental issues which should be important particularly in this biz. Sometimes I’ve been out for almost 320 days around the globe. Totally exhausted! Right now, I’m operating 2 int. and 2 German acts so it’s round about 250 days with like a 100 - 150 shows a year. Over the years I’ve tried to toil with a wisdom my dear friend T. Dimitroff told me. There is no „I“ in „TEAM“ so it assists in dealing with issues that could come with difficult clients.

What is important to you in your work, and do you have an important tip for drummers on the road? Do you really use all the gadgets you present on Instagram?

Tex: Always be ahead of the game. Knowing every piece of gear that’s on the market and make sure to consider alternatives because often you don’t have the perfect circumstances around you, especially outside Europe. So finally, here comes the nerdy stuff. Well, I got almost every gadget in my DT drawers. The Hoto tools e.g. are great because they’re handy and durable, yet USB-C powered so I can charge them anywhere and even can check them into a plane. Usually as a DT you do need a drumkey and some tape to do your job. But if you’re in my shoes, yes you would need a digital spirit level and tons of different drumkeys. Even my wife is annoyed about receiving packages several times a week. I’m an Insta ad victim!

Release date: 12th of October, 2025

Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/thedrumtex/