𝙍𝘼𝙐𝙎𝘾𝙃

name: lukas zwanziger fc: kevin ratajczak age: 39 birthday: august 7 birthplace: cologne, germany appearance: 6'3", broad build, numerous tattoos. highlighted dark hair that's been through questionable bleach and dye jobs over the years. dresses comfortably, a lot of oversized layers current residence: jacksonville, fl (but already itching to move) occupation: live audio engineer / production audio tech for aew

about 4 months into the job and he’s already become weirdly known backstage 

manages arena audio, mic packs, entrance cues, backstage comms, etc.

edits entrance themes or titantron audio when needed (but he’ll probably say your theme ‘really needed a bassdrop’ and send you an edited track you didn’t ask for)

not-so-secretly wants to become an official theme composer/music producer in the world of wrestling

side project: vocalist and producer of small german electronicore band, raveyard shift

edm + metalcore. all about fun and ridiculous music, not taking itself too seriously (think electric callboy on a way smaller scale). small but loyal following, local scene energy. he still records remotely, returns home for occasional shows when possible.

previously fronted a wildly successful and respected metal band, cathedral fire, before abruptly disappearing from the industry several years ago (more in bio below)

sexuality: pansexual relationship style: poly-friendly / relationship-open / non-judgmental

after a lot of self-discovery in his 20s, he’s very much comfortable in himself. pretty relaxed about labels and not possessive.

doesn’t view love and attraction as something limited to one person. not against monogamy, just believes different people can fulfill different needs (with honesty and respect ofc)

personality: loud music, louder personality. playful, warm, secure in himself, not easily rattled, chaotic but dependable, emotionally intelligent

likes: cats, live music, strange roadside attractions, eurodance, obscure indie wrestling clips, spicy food, convenience store runs, dumb tattoos with good stories, peace signs in every selfie

dislikes: elitism, pretentious musicians and artists, people taking themselves too seriously, red meat, unread texts, when people skip songs too early

lukas had a mostly unremarkable childhood growing up in cologne, germany. he was a good kid but he never fit the mold his parents wanted. he was expressive, loud, and rather nonconformist. to this day, he still won’t forget the time his father kicked him out of the house for a week after he snuck off to get a piercing. the relationship remained rather tense as lukas wanted to pursue music, having started a small band with childhood friends. 

with his parents pushing for stability and education, and using financial support as incentive, lukas ultimately went to school for business. he graduated, but music had already taken over his life. what began as a small band grew into something bigger. more members and production crew were brought on. recording budgets were higher. lukas found himself fronting one of germany’s more respected metal acts as vocalist, touring internationally, headlining festivals, and playing to crowds bigger than he ever imagined possible. the thing he had once fought his parents over had become the very thing that finally made them understand him.

the longer the touring cycles grew, the more music became an obligation instead of passion. expectations were higher, creative freedom was no longer there, and he found that he wasn’t happy anymore. lukas quietly and abruptly stepped away. the disappearance came out of nowhere. rumors spread quickly, mentioning things like burnout, drugs, rehab, behind-the-scenes drama. the reality was far less exciting. for the next few years, lukas disappeared across europe, living quietly. he tried to remember what it felt like to enjoy things again.

he stumbled into the UK wrestling scene on a whim while traveling. it was a small, indie show and it was enough to make him think ‘this is ridiculous. i love this.’ he fell in love with the energy of the crowd and the showmanship of wrestlers. they were performers after all, much like him. he found inspiration in it. live audio and production came naturally to him after years of touring. somewhere along the way, he realized wrestling gave him something music no longer had before: fun.

after picking up more production work and spending time around the european wrestling scene, lukas eventually made the jump to the united states. about four months ago, he joined aew as a live audio engineer, handling everything from arena sound and entrance cues to backstage comms. though still relatively new to the company, he’s already become weirdly familiar backstage. he’s known for blasting terrible music over the speakers at load-in and sending everyone unsolicited playlists (even when the receiver has no idea how he even got their number).

music never fully disappeared from his life. lukas reconnected creatively with an old friend from his former band and started ‘raveyard shift’, a purposely unserious electronicore/rave-metal project born out of wanting to have fun again. at work, he can usually be caught jotting down nonsensical or harmlessly profane lyrics he can plug into songs later. no pressure or pretending to be profound. just the reminder that joy is reason enough to create. 

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