Revision as of 09:42, 23 February 2012

Chris Vrenna
Background information
Birth name	Chris Vrenna
Born	February 23, 1967 (age 45) in Erie, Pennsylvania
Genre(s)	Industrial rock, Industrial metal, Alternative rock, Electronica, New prog
Occupation(s)	Musician, drummer, record producer
Instrument(s)	Drums, Keyboards, Singing
Years active	1980–present
Label(s)	Six Degrees Records, Waxploitation, Interscope, Nothing
Associated acts	Marilyn Manson, Tweaker, Nine Inch Nails, Die Warzau, Stabbing Westward, Jack Off Jill, Scarling., Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Billy Corgan, Gnarls Barkley, The Rasmus, Econoline Crush

Chris Alan Vrenna (born February 23, 1967), is a professional musician and was Marilyn Manson's live drummer from 2004 to 2005 and keyboard player from 2007 to 2011. He is also founder of the electronic band Tweaker. Vrenna also played drums for Nine Inch Nails from 1989 until 1997. His stage name is Podboy.

Biography

Vrenna was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He moved to Chicago in the mid to late-1980s, quickly becoming a part of the Chicago industrial music scene and was briefly a member of Die Warzau and Stabbing Westward.

He later reconnected with Trent Reznor, whom he met in the early 1980s, when they both were in local Cleveland, Ohio band the Exotic Birds. Also toured as a live drummer for KMFDM during the Money era tours, in 1992. He is currently recording under the name Tweaker, and has released two albums under that name, The Attraction to All Things Uncertain and 2a.m. Wakeup Call. Tweaker toured select North American dates with Skinny Puppy in 2004.

Career

In music

As a producer, remixer, and engineer, Vrenna has worked for Rammstein, The Rasmus, U2, Weezer, P.O.D., David Bowie, Cold, underwater, Scarling., The Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Green Day, the Wallflowers, and the Japanese rock band Dir en grey. He has also worked with the underground industrial group Pigface and produced songs and albums for underground girl groups Jack Off Jill, and Rasputina.

Vrenna has also worked on music for several video games including Doom 3 (as producer with Clint Walsh), Quake 4, American McGee's Alice (with additional vocals from Jessicka of Jack Off Jill and Scarling.), Enter the Matrix, Sonic the Hedgehog, Area 51, and Need for Speed Most Wanted. In 2004 he started soundtrack work on Tabula Rasa, a massive multiplayer online game. He also helped compose the theme song to the animated series Xiaolin Showdown.

Chris Vrenna

He can be seen performing in the music videos for the songs "Gave Up", "Wish", and "March of the Pigs" on the Nine Inch Nails video compilation Closure, and also makes a brief appearance in "The Perfect Drug".

Vrenna won a Grammy award as a member of Nine Inch Nails for "Best Metal Performance" for "Happiness in Slavery" in 1995 for the live performance of the song at Woodstock '94.

Vrenna was Billy Corgan's programmer for four months in 1997. While he was on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins, Vrenna got a call from Axl Rose, who invited Vrenna to spend time with Guns N' Roses. "I did for a couple weeks, but then decided I didn't want to join the band," said Vrenna.

Vrenna was chosen to take over the drumming responsibilities for Marilyn Manson after Ginger Fish was injured in 2004. He became the live keyboardist for Marilyn Manson after the departure of Madonna Wayne Gacy, starting with the Rape of The World Tour. He played the dual role of writer and producer on Marilyn Manson's seventh studio album, The High End of Low and toured in support of that album.

In November 2011, it was announced that Chris Vrenna has officially left the band after contributing to the writing and production of Marilyn Manson's eighth album, Born Villain.

Discography

Nine Inch Nails

• Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
• Broken (1992)
  • Fixed (1992)
• The Downward Spiral (1994)

Marilyn Manson

• Portrait of an American Family (Played additional percussion on "Dope Hat" and "Snake Eyes and Sissies") (1994)
• Antichrist Superstar (Played drums on "Kinderfeld" and "The Reflecting God") (1996)
• The High End of Low (2009)
• Born Villain

Tweaker

• To All Things Uncertain (2001)
• 2am Wakeup Call (2004)

Filmography

• Woodstock 94 (1995)
• Closure (1997)
• My Generation (2000)
• maniaTV (2008)

External links

• Official website
• Chris Vrenna at The Internet Movie Database