Meet Ben Katzman, the rock and steel maniac competing on Survivor Season 46, which premieres at the moment (Feb. 28) on CBS and Paramount Plus.
This season, the solid travels to Fiji for an opportunity on the a million greenback prize and rock and steel followers can have one specific contestant to root for!
The ultra-competitive actuality sport present has been a fixture of twenty first century tv, having debuted in 2000. Practically 1 / 4 century later, it stays true to its unique intentions whereas exploring new methods to maintain competitors contemporary and these daring contestants on their toes.
Survivor (and former Rock & Roll Jeopardy!) host Jeff Probst tells Individuals that Season 46’s group “is humorous,” whereas positing that it “could go down as one of the best season of the brand new period.” There’s gameplay “like no different,” the 62-year-old attests.
With Katzman among the many 18 folks present process a life-changing expertise that can doubtlessly push them to the brink of bodily and psychological exhausting, enduring excessive circumstances, it is simple to see why Probst calls this a humorous solid.
Kaztman, the 31-year-old namesake musician fronting Miami, Florida storage rockers Ben Katzman’s Degreaser, is nearly minimize straight from one in every of a lot of your most beloved rock and steel films. The dude lives rock ‘n’ roll in full, a lot in order that he may have you ever satisfied he is dedicated to being in character lifelong.
READ MORE: Meet Mike Gabler, Metalhead ‘Survivor’ Season 43 Winner Who Donated His $1M Prize to Charity – Interview
However Ben is actually his genuine self who has discovered a house on this music, similar to the remainder of us — he simply lets it present greater than most. And possibly that is one thing we are able to all be taught from and take with us. Being daring, outrageous and even hyperbolic is a rewarding distinction to an awesome quantity of lifeless and bitter components of life. Once you come throughout folks with a real and charismatic spirit resembling his, you are inclined to solely really feel heat and levity.
So, that is another excuse to root for Katzman as he embarks on this journey, which lays everybody naked for the world to see on TV every week.
Try a teaser for Season 46 of Survivor and get to know Ben Katzman extra within the interview under.
Survivor Season 46 Preview
Meet Ben Katzman, The Rock + Metallic Maniac Competing on Survivor Season 46
Watch the complete interview within the video above or learn the Q&A under.
What made you wish to apply to be on Survivor within the first place?
I by no means wished to do it.
My entire life, all people stated I used to be going to do TV earlier than I make it in music. I used to be getting hit up by all these bizarre TV exhibits for MTV and all this crap. I used to be like, “I am not going to promote my soul to do actuality TV.”
However I’m a Survivor fan.
Satirically sufficient, when Gabler voted out that lady who lied about listening to Mastodon, that is when the seed behind my head sort of bought planted. I used to be watching that season and that industrial with Jeff Probst — “Do you bought what it takes?” — and I am like, “Man, I wish to rock this shit.”
I despatched a 30-second video on a whim and so they hit me up.
You are a fairly charismatic man and you’ve got bought precisely what it takes to be on Survivor. You have to be a bit bit loopy!
As Ozzy says, some folks had been going off the rails on a loopy prepare. I is likely to be one in every of them.
How did you mentally put together and bodily put together your self to be on Survivor? This can be a very excessive problem. Even 46 seasons later it appears precisely just like the present that I watched when it first premiered.
I am not essentially the most bodily particular person, however a few of my favourite gamers aren’t that bodily. Individuals who chill laborious and speak and rock their approach by way of.
To arrange, I simply did two issues.
First, I made this mixtape of all my favourite songs that pump me up, and I put my favourite film quotes. And after I say mixtape, I legitimately imply a cassette participant mixtape [holds up cassette player].
I had [Ennio Morricone’s] “The Ecstasy of Gold,” Metallica’s “That Was Simply Your Life,” the Energy Rangers theme, [Survivor’s] “Eye of the Tiger,” quotes from [Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles and Rocky II… it was rather a lot.
Every single day I informed myself that this factor goes to be intense. However I’ve lived on the highway consuming $2 at Taco Bell a day. I can starve. I do know that.
Being within the music enterprise, you are surrounded by posers 24/7. I considered how I can apply what I have been by way of. I’d bike, meditate and swim rather a lot.
You may solely put together a lot as a result of a number of it comes all the way down to who you are solid with. You do not know what something’s going to really feel like till that second the place one thing occurs.
The final month and a half the place I ought to have educated, I used to be on tour. And while you’re on tour, you do not have time to go to the gymnasium or go working. I used to be in Europe taking buses, partying, performing, not resting… I bought residence, had like every week off after which headed out to Fiji.
Ben Katzman, “Do not Be a Poser (To Your self)”
READ MORE: The Good Rock or Metallic Album for Every Zodiac Signal + Why, By Ben Katzman
Did you put together for various character varieties, researching psychology to see how your character goes to mesh with others or tips on how to easy over character clashes?
I did not put together for that on function. I’ve all the time been eccentric. I by no means slot in. I used to be made enjoyable of as a child. I positively grew to become sort of was a dick as soon as I bought comfy since you’re so used to taking shit that you just deflect.
You may have to have the ability to self-examine and ask in case you are being actual with your self. The one character take a look at I may have is, “Am I in command of my feelings? Can I be that approach? Will I be ‘hangry’?”
I considered all of the worst folks in my life and all one of the best folks in life and all of the loopy conditions I have been in and the way I felt then and who I used to be then and who I’m now. Whoever I am caught with, I can discover a technique to be myself above all else and attempt to handle no matter comes my approach.
There’s a number of totally different methods that contestants undertake. How did you wish to play the sport?
Possibly this reply is generic, and I do know folks will roast me for this, however I actually did my finest to not take into consideration stuff like that.
I questioned, “What if I am solid with a bunch of meatheads? What if I am on a tribe of dorks? What if I am on a tribe they’re setting as much as fail?” You by no means know.
It is like queen’s gambit — you play each chess transfer in your head earlier than you are on the market, however you do not know till that transfer is correct in entrance of you. My mindset was to be fearless.
I am massive on loyalty. My finest buddies are from elementary college. I nonetheless play music with the man I’ve identified since highschool. I’ve identified my supervisor for perpetually. I hoped, if something, possibly I am going to discover people who find themselves all the way down to play loyally. These are a few of my favourite seasons.
We see you within the trailer saying to “manifest the shred.” What does that imply?
I do know folks understand me as a cartoon character like I am placing on some sort of act, however I actually am me. “Shred” is my go-to verb. If my mother says, “Ben, do the dishes,” I will be like, “I am shredding the dishes proper now, don’t fret.”
However I spent a number of time choking the aspiration and discovering it laborious to breathe — by no means dwelling as much as the expectations I had in my head.
One factor I targeted on, particularly going out to the sport, is attempt to be current. Give attention to all the things that is proper in entrance of you and never day 26 in Survivor phrases or being a rock star at Madison Sq. Backyard. For those who’re totally having fun with and may take full accountability of all the things proper in entrance of you, no matter transfer you need to make, no matter canine poop you have to clear up, I actually suppose what you need will come subsequent.
So, manifesting the shred is all about, “I do know what I need, however I will be current. And I hope no matter’s proper in entrance of me will lead me to what I need.” And I am not going to place expectations on it, as a result of for those who permit your self to be stunned, you may be stunned. And you may all the time be stunned in a great way.
That is the final query right here and this is likely to be tougher than competing on Survivor… What are your three favourite bands?
On the high, you’ve got bought KISS — the traditional lineup. Ace Frehley is my man.
…It is actually humorous as a result of in my interview course of, I’ve bought the Van Halen guitar, I talked to Jeff rather a lot about David Lee Roth and Eddie [Van Halen] and Alex [Van Halen] and Mike [Anthony] and even Wolfie [Van Halen].
The third one is all the time altering. I like the Ramones, I like ABBA, however I feel I’ve to go together with Oasis and their first two information.
To me, it is all about carrying your coronary heart in your sleeve and celebrating life. These three bands sum that up fairly laborious.
To not point out I do love Spinal Faucet, too…
Because of Ben Katzman and CBS for the interview. Tune into the premiere of Season 46 of ‘Survivor’ tonight (Feb. 28) and cheer Ben on! Observe him and the present on the hyperlinks under:
25 Rockers Who’ve Been on Actuality TV Reveals
25 Superior Celeb Metalheads
These celebrities love steel.
Supply hyperlink