From Werrington County to working with Fleetwood Mac
Marcus Catanzaro is living the dream: travelling the globe with some of the biggest music acts in the world.
Penrith
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Marcus Catanzaro is living the dream: travelling the globe with some of the biggest music acts in the world.
Raised in Werrington County, Mr Catanzaro is now travelling the world with Fleetwood Mac.
Since moving to Los Angeles, the 32-year-old has worked as a touring manager and guitar tech with major acts such as US rapper Childish Gambino and indie bands such as Gang Of Youths, DMA’S, Chet Faker and Neil Finn, who now performs with Fleetwood Mac.
It was thanks to his work with Finn which led him to join Fleetwood Mac on their world tour about 16 months ago.
“When (Finn) got the offer he was gracious enough to bring me with him, despite having some of the most iconic and legendary crew guys lining up for the job,” he said.
While he may now call the US home, Mr Catanzaro said it was Penrith City where his love of the music scene was developed.
“My entire teenage life was spent in all ages venues around western Sydney, playing, organising or attending gigs,” Mr Catanzaro said.
“I spent almost all my teenage years playing shows at places like the Penrith PCYC, Channel Cafe and Backdoor at Panthers Leagues.
“When I was about 15 I started the all ages venue at The Embassy Hotel, which ran for a few years and taught me so much about music business.
“The scene in Penrith around that era was so strong and I can honestly say 80 per cent of my life skills were learnt via those gigs and that community.”
The former St Dominics College and St Marys Senior High School student has worked with major music acts, worked as a booking agent, ran his own venue, played as a guitarist on The X Factor Australia for seven seasons and looked out at sold out crowds at Wembley Stadium in the UK.
But a big highlight was in a warehouse in the US.
“One day during rehearsals I had to go pick up some equipment I was borrowing from Mike Campbell from Fleetwood Mac and I arrived at the very normal looking warehouse address and walked in to find that I was standing in the infamous Heartbreakers club house.
“This is the room where Tom Petty and the band wrote and recorded almost everything in their career, as well as being floor to ceiling covered in racks of rare and vintage gear.
“I had to stop and lie down for a little while before I could go on with my day.”
Speaking to the Penrith Press from Austin, Texas, Mr Catanzaro said his heart still very much in western Sydney.
With his family still living in the west, he says he wouldn’t be where he is today without them.
“I must say that besides luck, it has been my work ethic that has gotten me to where I am. “That work ethic was learnt in the working class suburbs of western Sydney.
“My father is an Italian immigrant who worked three jobs to support my siblings and my mother is the most selfless human you will ever meet who gave up all of her time to not only be an amazing mum, to the point where she would even re string my guitars for me on the kitchen table.
“My brother and sister also played a big part in this story, both of them got me into music and touring and even saved their money to buy me my first instrument.”