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 right now (Feb. 28) on CBS and Paramount Plus.

This season, the forged travels to Fiji for an opportunity on the a million greenback prize and rock and steel followers may have one explicit contestant to root for!

The ultra-competitive actuality recreation present has been a fixture of twenty first century tv, having debuted in 2000. Nearly 1 / 4 century later, it stays true to its unique intentions whereas exploring new methods to maintain competitors recent and these daring contestants on their toes.

Survivor (and former Rock & Roll Jeopardy!) host Jeff Probst tells People that Season 46’s group “is funny,” whereas positing that it “may go down as the best season of the new era.” There is gameplay “like no other,” the 62-year-old attests.

With Katzman among the many 18 individuals present process a life-changing expertise that can doubtlessly push them to the brink of bodily and psychological exhausting, enduring excessive situations, it is easy to see why Probst calls this a humorous forged.

Kaztman, the 31-year-old namesake musician fronting Miami, Florida storage rockers Ben Katzman’s Degreaser, is nearly minimize straight from considered one of lots of your most beloved rock and steel motion pictures. 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

But 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 perhaps that is one thing we will all study from and take with us. Being daring, outrageous and even hyperbolic is a rewarding distinction to an awesome quantity of lifeless and bitter parts of life. When you come throughout individuals with a real and charismatic spirit similar to 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.

Check out a teaser for Season 46 of Survivor and get to know Ben Katzman extra within the interview beneath.

Survivor Season 46 Preview

Meet Ben Katzman, The Rock + Metal Maniac Competing on Survivor Season 46

Watch the complete interview within the video above or learn the Q&A beneath.

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, everyone 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’m not going to sell my soul to do reality TV.”

But I’m a Survivor fan.

Ironically sufficient, when Gabler voted out that woman who lied about listening to Mastodon, that is when the seed at the back of my head sort of acquired planted. I used to be watching that season and that business with Jeff Probst — “Do you got what it takes?” —  and I’m like, “Man, I want to rock this shit.”

I despatched a 30-second video on a whim and so they hit me up.

You’re a reasonably charismatic man and you have acquired precisely what it takes to be on Survivor. You’ve acquired to be a bit bit loopy!

As Ozzy says, some individuals have been going off the rails on a loopy practice. I may be considered one of them.

How did you mentally put together and bodily put together your self to be on Survivor? This is a really excessive problem. Even 46 seasons later it seems to be precisely just like the present that I watched when it first premiered.

I’m not probably the most bodily particular person, however a few of my favourite gamers aren’t that bodily. People who chill arduous and speak and rock their means by way of.

To put together, 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 Just Your Life,” the Power Rangers theme, [Survivor’s] “Eye of the Tiger,”  quotes from [Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles and Rocky II… it was lots.

Every day I advised myself that this factor goes to be intense. But 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’ve been by way of. I’d bike, meditate and swim lots.

You can solely put together a lot as a result of numerous it comes right down to who you are forged 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 fitness center or go working. I used to be in Europe taking buses, partying, performing, not resting… I acquired residence, had like every week off after which headed out to Fiji.

Ben Katzman, “Don’t Be a Poser (To Yourself)”

READ MORE: The Perfect Rock or Metal Album for Each Zodiac Sign + Why, By Ben Katzman

Did you put together for various persona sorts, researching psychology to see how your persona goes to mesh with others or how one can easy over persona clashes?

I did not put together for that on goal. 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 turned sort of was a dick as soon as I acquired snug since you’re so used to taking shit that you simply deflect.

You have to have the ability to self-examine and ask in case you are being actual with your self. The solely persona check I may have is, “Am I in control of my emotions? Can I be that way? Will I be ‘hangry’?”

I considered all of the worst individuals in my life and all the perfect individuals in life and all of the loopy conditions I’ve been in and the way I felt then and who I used to be then and who I’m now. Whoever I’m caught with, I can discover a option to be myself above all else and try to handle no matter comes my means.

There’s numerous totally different methods that contestants undertake. How did you wish to play the sport?

Maybe this reply is generic, and I do know individuals will roast me for this, however I actually did my finest to not take into consideration stuff like that.

I questioned, “What if I’m cast with a bunch of meatheads? What if I’m on a tribe of dorks? What if I’m on a tribe they’re setting up to fail?” You by no means know.

It’s 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’m huge on loyalty. My finest mates are from elementary college. I nonetheless play music with the man I’ve recognized since highschool. I’ve recognized my supervisor for without end. I hoped, if something, perhaps I’ll discover people who find themselves right down to play loyally. Those 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 individuals understand me as a cartoon character like I’m 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’ll be like, “I’m shredding the dishes right now, don’t worry.”

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

One factor I targeted on, particularly going out to the sport, is try to be current. Focus on the whole lot that is proper in entrance of you and never day 26 in Survivor phrases or being a rock star at Madison Square Garden. If you are totally having fun with and might take full accountability of the whole lot proper in entrance of you, no matter transfer it’s a must 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 know what I want, but I’m going to be present. And I hope whatever’s right in front of me will lead me to what I want.” And I’m not going to place expectations on it, as a result of if you happen to enable your self to be shocked, you can be shocked. And you possibly can all the time be shocked in a great way.

This is the final query right here and this may be more durable than competing on Survivor… What are your three favourite bands?

At the highest, you’ve got acquired KISS — the traditional lineup. Ace Frehley is my man.

…It’s actually humorous as a result of in my interview course of, I’ve acquired the Van Halen guitar, I talked to Jeff lots 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 feel I’ve to go together with Oasis and their first two data.

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

Not to say I do love Spinal Tap, too…

Thanks to Ben Katzman and CBS for the interview. Tune into the premiere of Season 46 of ‘Survivor’ tonight (Feb. 28) and cheer Ben on! Follow him and the present on the hyperlinks beneath:

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