Late last year Australian audiences were introduced to U.K tribute band Chop Suey, performing, of course, songs made famous by System of a Down. It heralded a new era in this country, with fans flocking to each show and possibly finally putting to rest the public indifference to international tribute acts.


"That tour was fantastic," enthused drummer and founding member Andre Joyzi. "I'm so grateful we got to bring a tribute band across the world to play in Australia. It was something I started doing about four years ago to fill in the gaps between my bigger international tours because I am also a roadie. Tribute bands are a fantastic way for me to keep active as a drummer and also I get to play songs from bands that I love. I don't have to release an album or anything like that so it's pretty cool (laughs)."


Joyzi is a man who lives and breathes his passion. From being on the road with successful bands as part of their road crew to touring with bands as their drummer, he has long believed in the notion that success is something that must be earnt and never taken for granted. He has played with, and for, some of the biggest names in metal, in the meantime constantly learning and growing as a musician and person. His work ethic and commitment is beyond reproach and should be the case study for any aspiring musician looking to turn their passion into their life.
"When I was 23 - I'm 37 now - I realised that if you want to be authentic and write your own music then your chances of making it as a professional are slimmer," he said. "To me, the priority was to make it as a professional metalhead. I just didn't want to be surrounded by normal people. Also, there's nothing more I like doing than playing drums so I realised that if I was playing covers or playing in tribute bands or playing in originals bands, it didn't matter. I decided to play everything that came my way which would increase my chances so that's literally what happened. I'm probably never gonna be the drummer of System of a Down (laughs) but now I have five tribute bands and it never gets boring."


Joyzi is best known as skinsman for Breed 77 who seemingly called time on their career just over four years ago, but he shakes his head when I suggest the band had played their last show.


"To be perfectly honest, the way it happened we never said goodbye," he stressed. "We went to do the last show, knowing it was going to be the last show for a while, and we just... it's weird because the band has been going for 20 years and obviously there are strong personas there. Everyone has their own and... again, we never said goodbye to each other. We all want to do it and we all love it and we talk to each other sometimes. We do want to get back together and do something but... we're waiting. It is an awesome band and it would be a shame to not get back together."


From touring as an active member of Breed 77 to touring as a roadie for Dragonforce and Cradle of Filth, Joyzi insists life on the road is basically similar as a member of the band or crew, with one main difference.


"I would say the main thing is when you have your own roadies you're a rock star," he laughed. "When you're a roadie yourself you're an assistant rockstar. The main difference is when you're a roadie you work your ass off for longer hours and the glamorous part is pretty much gone - apart from the travel and seeing the world on your days off. I definitely prefer doing it as a drummer, that's for sure (laughs). Its been a fantastic learning experience though. I love doing a bit of everything and I have to say as a roadie I love doing the big festivals. You have to be so precise with things and everything has to be perfect. I love that high pressure but tours were fun maybe the first 100 shows or so but now its more of the drumming and less of the roadie work. You work long hours but it can be a lot of...