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Javier Weyler
Javier Andres Weyler is the drummer for the Welsh based rock group Stereophonics. Despite being born in Argentina, Weyler lived most of his life in Caracas, Venezuela, and now resides in London, England. He was previously drummer in the Venezuelan band Claroscuro for over nine years, until he left the country in 2001 to study audio engineering in London. In 2008 he released his first solo album, Lagrima, under the pseudonym of Capitan Melao.
Weyler was given his first drum kit at the age of thirteen by his father's band drummer, and was taught how to play them by Venezuelan drummer Jose Mato. In January 1992 he set up his first band, Claroscuro, consisting of himself on drums, Carlos Eduardo Reyes on lead guitar and vocals, and Miguel Delgado on bass guitar. In February of the same year they played their first gig in a venue named 'Dark Hole' in Caracas. At seventeen he was already playing professionally in Venezuela and neighbouring countries with Claroscuro, releasing an EP and two albums with them. In March 1997 they became the first Venezuelan band to be in regular rotation on MTV, with the music video for their single "Mantarraya". In October 2001 he left the band to move to London to study audio engineering at the SAE Institute. He was consequently replaced by Javier del Castillo on drums, with Claroscuro officially breaking up not long after in 2002 anyway. He then went on to work in several recording studios as an audio engineer/session drummer.
It was at one recording studio, where Javier was working as an Audio Engineer in 2003, that he met Stereophonics whilst they were recording their fourth studio album (You Gotta Go There to Come Back) for which he played percussion and programmed drums. Weyler later met the band again when they were arrested at a party in Buenos Aires, aiding their release with his ability to speak Spanish. In April 2004 Javier assisted in recording demos for Stereophonics' next studio album, later on that year Kelly Jones and Richard Jones wrote to Javier inviting him to drum permanently within the band. Javier accepted the offer and met up with the rest of the band to make Stereophonics' fifth studio album Language. Sex. Violence. Other?. He describes learning the band's back catalogue ready for touring as "More challenging than difficult" and his favourite songs from the band's first four albums are "Local Boy In The Photograph", "The Bartender And The Thief" and "Mr Writer".
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