Meet Ben Katzman, The Rock + Metal Maniac Competing on ‘Survivor’

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 may have one specific contestant to root for!

The ultra-competitive actuality recreation present has been a fixture of twenty first century tv, having debuted in 2000. Practically 1 / 4 century later, it stays true to its authentic 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 Folks that Season 46’s group “is humorous,” whereas positing that it “could go down as the perfect 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 may probably 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 lower straight from certainly one of a lot of your most beloved rock and steel motion pictures. The dude lives rock ‘n’ roll in full, a lot in order that he might 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 really his genuine self who has discovered a house on this music, identical to the remainder of us — he simply lets it present greater than most. And perhaps that is one thing we are able to all study from and take with us. Being daring, outrageous and even hyperbolic is a rewarding distinction to an amazing quantity of lifeless and bitter parts of life. If you come throughout folks with a real and charismatic spirit comparable to his, you are likely 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.

Take a look at 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 + Steel 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 needed to do it.

My complete 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 reveals 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.

Paradoxically sufficient, when Gabler voted out that woman who lied about listening to Mastodon, that is when the seed behind my head sort of obtained planted. I used to be watching that season and that business 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 they usually hit me up.

You are a fairly charismatic man and you’ve got obtained precisely what it takes to be on Survivor. You have to be a little bit bit loopy!

As Ozzy says, some folks had been going off the rails on a loopy practice. I is perhaps certainly one 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 to be like 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 arduous and discuss and rock their approach by.

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 loads.

Every single day I advised myself that this factor goes to be intense. However I’ve lived on the street 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. I might bike, meditate and swim loads.

You possibly can solely put together a lot as a result of numerous it comes right 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 skilled, I used to be on tour. And if you’re on tour, you do not have time to go to the gymnasium or go operating. I used to be in Europe taking buses, partying, performing, not resting… I obtained dwelling, had like per week off after which headed out to Fiji.

Ben Katzman, “Do not Be a Poser (To Your self)”

READ MORE: The Excellent Rock or Steel Album for Every Zodiac Signal + Why, By Ben Katzman

Did you put together for various persona varieties, researching psychology to see how your persona goes to mesh with others or the way to easy over persona 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 undoubtedly turned sort of was a dick as soon as I obtained snug since you’re so used to taking shit that you simply deflect.

You’ve gotten to have the ability to self-examine and ask in case you are being actual with your self. The one persona check I might have is, “Am I answerable for my feelings? Can I be that approach? Will I be ‘hangry’?”

I considered all of the worst folks in my life and all the perfect 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 option to be myself above all else and try to handle no matter comes my approach.

There’s numerous completely 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 huge on loyalty. My finest buddies are from elementary college. I nonetheless play music with the man I’ve recognized since highschool. I’ve recognized my supervisor for eternally. I hoped, if something, perhaps I am going to discover people who find themselves right 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 be concerned.”

However I spent numerous time choking the aspiration and discovering it arduous to breathe — by no means dwelling as much as the expectations I had in my head.

One factor I centered on, particularly going out to the sport, is try to be current. Deal with the whole lot 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 might take full accountability of the whole lot proper in entrance of you, no matter transfer you need to make, no matter canine poop you have to clear up, I actually assume what you need will come subsequent.

So, manifesting the shred is all about, “I do know what I would like, however I will be current. And I hope no matter’s proper in entrance of me will lead me to what I would like.” And I am not going to place expectations on it, as a result of in case you 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 perhaps more durable than competing on Survivor… What are your three favourite bands?

On the high, you’ve got obtained KISS — the basic lineup. Ace Frehley is my man.

…It is actually humorous as a result of in my interview course of, I’ve obtained the Van Halen guitar, I talked to Jeff loads 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 really like the Ramones, I really like ABBA, however I believe I’ve to go together with Oasis and their first two data.

To me, it is all about sporting your coronary heart in your sleeve and celebrating life. These three bands sum that up fairly arduous.

To not point out I do love Spinal Faucet, too…

Due to 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:

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