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Name : Nicolas ROPERS
Birthdate : 16 / 10 / 1980
Instrument : Drums

Despite his deep Breton roots, this charming young man came to the world in France, in Fontenay-aux-Roses (92), and during teenage years he tried many physical or cultural activities without finding anything really suitable. After a short Benny B period at school, he discovers saturated sound when he's 12, through his big brother, with Ugly Kid Joe, Guns N' Roses, Metallica and falls in love immediately. As every respectable teenager, indecision and desire to do as his buddies push him to learn guitar at that time. But it was before Matt Sorum and Vinnie Paul passed through his ears and first set foundations of his love for percussions. Some day later he goes to see one of his friends rehearse with his band and tries drums for fun. At this very moment his life comes to a watershed ! He understands that he likes to hit drums and that this instrument will be a major part of his life.

A few months later comes the subscription at the conservatory of his town to get lessons. This is followed by the purchase of his first drumkit and after 4 years of pratice he joins his first pop-rock band Dirty Fingers through his drums teacher. Second revelation ! At a time when he was beginning to doubt and to feel alone playing at home, Nico discovers how good it is to play in a real band and it revives once for all the flame devoted to sticks and to "poum tac power". After 2 years of rehearsal, several shows and many changes in the line-up, the band finally bursts, other members choosing to take new directions to follow their own professional career.

Then, Nicolas founds the heavy-rock band Big Djim with one of his school pals. This band will last for two years as well before Nicolas quits it, musical objectives of each others not going in the same direction. Nicolas then joins Black Stripe and meets Jérôme and Aurélien with whom he quickly gets on. A year, a few gigs and a demo later, Nicolas quits Black Stripe. Feeling that his musical future is calling him elsewhere, he takes his leave along with Jérôme and Aurélien to create Eleventh Plague !

Just as Igor, Nicolas is very close to his family, his friends, and likes music and rythmics hard as stone. He also likes beer, to be rock n' roll in his life, video games, kebab sandwiches with ketchup and mayonaise, skateborad, bassdrums that crush your chest and to be on stage. Nico is a drummer coming directly from Hard-Rock but everything that contains "metal" pleases him except maybe small musics for teenagers like Neo-Metal, Kidz-Metal, Emo-Punck-Rock-Ska-Core-Ugly-Trash and other neverending names that don't mean anything... his major influences are Megadeth, Machine Head, Metallica, Corrosion Of Conformity, Ugly Kid Joe and his favorite drummers are named Vinnie Paul, Kris Kontos and Matt Sorum to speak only about those there (there are so many... Vinnie Colaiuta, Nick Menza, Pierre Belleville, Aquiles Priester...). Nico hates to be serious, doesn't like authority, power, people turned sour by their mildewed life, seafood, car tuning, religions and spiders.


Nicolas's hardware :

- Drumset TAMA Artstar II + snare drum TAMA Starclassic Performer
- Double pedal TAMA Iron Cobra RTW
- Cymbals Zildjian A and Stagg DH
- Electronic drumset Yamaha DTXpress IIIs
- Sticks Vic Firth and Easton Ahead
- Remo and Evans skins
- Micros Sure and Rode
- Bass guitar Cort B4 mahogany