the rhythm and passion of drumming
I’m not sure what John would have thought about it, but XBox has launched The Beatles Rock Band. Paul McCarney and Ringo Starr were in LA to promote the launch. Greeting gamers and fans during their short onstage appearance, the former Beatles playfully joked as though they were still kids. Alas, they’re not kids anymore. Hopefully those of us who are, or like to think we are, will enjoy the new Rock Band title.
In my search today for something new and interesting in the world of drum sites, I discovered DrumSoloArtist.com. It ain’t pretty, but neither is my favorite genre of drumming. My favorite section of the site is as you might expect…the Drum Solos page. Among the solos that I viewed today were Benny Greb and Buddy Rich. Greb is awesome, but wow! Buddy Rich still blows me away. The first time I saw a recorded solo of Rich’s, I felt like I’d stumbled upon the greatest influence to all my favorite drummers. He’s still incredible, even by today’s standards.
DrumSoloArtist.com appears to be somewhat new, and probably paid for its current search rankings. It looks like they’re trying to amass a great deal of informational resources, and may be struggling to complete they’re content, but I really like what they’re going for. In addition to the solos section, there’s some decent news, a lot of written content on technique, and a respectable forum.
The site has some nice potential, and I’m hopeful that the founders continue building upon the project.
The Drum Channel recently posted a brilliant video series called The Zappa Drummer’s Roundtable, which features Terry Bozzio, Ralph Humphrey, Chester Thompson, Chad Wackerman, and Ruth Underwood. I confess to not having been privy to the history of Zappa’s drummers. This is really great stuff!
Drum Channel appears to be recently launched and is in beta mode. It looks like they’ve created a quality list of video interviews and performances, which I’m looking forward to exploring. I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that they will launch the rest of their planned content, especially the lessons section. Find them on Twitter at twitter.com/DrumChannel.
~r
As I was contemplating a post on the topic of recording preparation, I received a great comment from RecordingHacks. They turned me on to a new product for bass drum mic placement – the Kelly Shu. Here’s the great review by RecordingHacks.
As fate would have it, I recently purchased a Shure Beta 52A for use as a kick mic, which should serve me well for both recording and live performance. The Kelly Shu looks like a great option for placement of my new mic. Special thanks to the guys at RecordingHacks. Your comment gave me the kick in the pants that I needed to follow through on this week’s inspiration.
My inspiration for recording prep discussion is based on recent experience. A couple of weeks ago, I got into a panic, as the band that I spend most of my time performing was about to start sessions for what will evolve into an album. We have a couple of somewhat new members, who have naturally brought new influences to our music. With new creative influence, our songs have changed significantly, and have done so outside of our group rehearsals. A week before our session, we began rehearsal. The songs, as I heard them at this rehearsal, were filled with new rhythmic changes. Not a huge problem, except that the feel within these songs had changed enough that my existing drum grooves no longer pulled things together as they should. With only hours of rehearsal time, rather than days, my panic began. I fortunately had one good day of rehearsal to sort this out, but this brings me to my point.
As a drummer, preparation is priceless. This is particularly the case when you have ample time to share ideas with your collaborators. I happen to be a drummer with a considerable amount of opinion and enthusiasm for arrangements. My bandmates are also extremely creative. In a situation where preparation is minimal, there will be lost opportunity for the type of full collaborative development that fosters quality performance. My advise to drummers is to spend as much time as possible sharing ideas prior to your recording session. Do so until you’re satisfied that you’ll be able to give your best performance.
I like to say that there’s no do-overs with recording. One of my bandmates points out that you can always rerecord. He’s right, however, I contend that a session done outside of one’s comfort level either gets canned or goes on record as a performance that should have gone better. Another of my bandmates wisely says that recording is all about time. He went on to say that first track is often the first to be scratched. I may be thankful of this fact as our recording project progresses.
As a drummer drawing from this and another recent session experience, my suggestion is this. If your planning to record with a group of musicians with whom you work regularly, be conscious of your creative and collaborative prep time. Meaning, give your self plenty of time to get comfortable with what you’re planning to record. If you’re recording project is more as a session player, share your ideas in advance of the session. If you’re set up to demo your ideas in advance of the session, all the better. The option to creating a pre-session demo for your collaborators, is a live rehearsal. Ample preparation with your collaborators will result in a much higher likelihood of your performance being one with which everyone is happy. All of this said, I found myself in need of “going with the flow” for this most recent session.
Fully prepared or not, the work ethic that applies to live performance and session work is the same. One must always strive to give their best; and preparation goes a long way toward achieving one’s best. There really are no do-overs.
~r
I recently ran across an Internet advert for Mono cases, and found that Mono has created a couple of very hip bags for drummers, the M80Cymbal and M80Stick bags.
Upon initial inspection of the M80 bags, I read this on the attached product labels. Waterproof Sharkskin shell? What the…upon reading further I found the following statement.
“This case is animal free 
”
The bags look as good up close as they do in pictures on Monocase.com, and were designed rugged. I play a vintage Premier kit that sports a couple of suspended toms. I’ve never wanted to hang a stick bag from either of these toms. The stand for said toms is a road worn, so I’ve always been concerned that a stick bag might be more weight than than my 18″ tom needs hanging from it. I took a chance anyway. The bag proved to be light weight, no problem for my aging suspended tom stand. The M80Stick bag comes with bungee straps that easily stretch to fit the lug nut spacing of any drum. I’m sure it was by design, but the bag stayed surprisingly snug and close to the drum from top to bottom, even with the drum mounted at an angle. Mono also had the forethought to integrate special drum key and accessories pockets. The accessories pocket is a great place for cards, cell phone, keys, etc. However, it was a spring-loaded hook made for holding car keys (I think) that caught my attention. I often remove my wedding ring when playing, in order to avoid bending it on a rim while occasionally playing bare handed. That little spring loaded hook is perfect for such an unlikely need.
I was really anxious to try the cymbal bag. I’ve been a Zildjian Cymbal Safe guy forever, and I’m partial to the hard exterior of the Cymbal Safe. However, I loaded the Mono cymbal bag with two Zildjian rides (22″ and 20″), a crash, a splash, Sabian hats, hi-hat clutch and a bulky mountable tambourine in the exterior pocket, more than I typically carry to gigs. Fully loaded, the bag proved easy to carry and is padded in such a way that my gear felt well protected. Unlike my Cymbal Safe, the M80Cymbal bag has a soft interior, three cymbal compartments (the largest of which has dividers) and separate hi-hat compartment with accessory pocket. Arguably the best feature of this case is that it comes with easy-to-adjust backpack straps for super-easy carrying. Nice!
Mono built these cases to be resistant to the elements and abrasion. They definitely feel and function like high quality gear. Mono got it right on both of these products. The M80Stick bag and M80Cymbal bag are currently offered for $69.99 and $139.99 respectively at Monocase.com, mid-range pricing for bags of similar style.
~r
Our good friend Jared Falk suggested we check out this DVD. The Drum Tuning System is a two-DVD set, that currently ships with bonus goodies. I received the bonus Drum Gear Buyers Guide. The first thing that struck me is that disc one is hecka long. Having viewed disc one in its entirety and previewed disc two, I’m impressed. Narrator Mike Michalkow takes principles and best practices, puts them together in great detail, and does so with in-depth, useful demonstration. I’ve been a performing drummer for many years, and can honestly say that I picked up some great tips from this DVD. I plan to watch it a few more times.
After starting with a simple yet useful drum maintenance section, Michalkow shows you how his proven tuning principles and best practices can be applied with a little experimentation to the get best sounds possible out of your drum kit. Disc two gets into tuning for different styles, and appropriately starts with tuning for all styles of rock. Michalkow also takes time to demonstrate his skills with different drumming styles, which will establish street cred with pretty much any drummer. I’m looking forward to the info about tuning for different styles on disc two, and will likely blurb about it once I’ve finished it.
Drum-Tuning.com states that they “will be selling this training pack for $79.97.” At the time of this review, the site was promoting a sweet offer for $47. There appears to be a solid money-back guarantee and good customer support. I called customer support, and reached an actual human (a big plus in my book). This would be a cool holiday gift for your favorite drummer. In fact, I’d recommend this DVD to any drummer, beginner or advanced.
This was actually a nice compliment to the drum kit maintenance series that we’ve started and will continue through year-end. Contact Robonzo.com with questions about any drum kit maintenance topics your interested in reading about. I’ll leave you with a great drum-solo by Drum Tuning System narrator Mike Michalkow.
~r
Today, the world of rock music and entertainment was shocked by the death of Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell. Although saddened by the news, his death brings back great memories from my earliest days of drumming. Along with John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell was one of my earliest influences. At the time, I had no idea what fusion drumming was; and although I recognized the unmistakable jazz influence in his style, it didn’t register for me that he had in fact laid the ground work for a style that truly put the drums out in front. His stick work was as fast as could be heard on any rock record of his generation and remains among the fastest in all rock recording. Stylistically, I’ve truly not heard anyone like him since. I’m still blown every time I hear Fire and If 6 Was 9. As a young drummer, I found learning Mitchell’s chops challenging and would likely still be challenged to learn them today. Because the drums are so clear in recording quality, Axis: Bold as Love has always been my favorite Hendrix album. As I write, I’m listening to track two (Up from the Skies) from Axis: Bold as Love, a true sample of Mitchell’s jazz roots.
Mitchell had spent recent months on the Experience Hendrix tour, which was a celebration of the music and life of Jimi Hendrix. The tour recently featured Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Eric Johnson, along with many other noteworthy rock and blues guitar greats. A DVD compilation release Experience Hendrix captures the tour in what Blog Critics Magazine calls “an extremely well-crafted showcase of superb talent.” Another performance worth catching is Mitch Mitchell with the impromptu group “Dirty Mac,” formed for the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus film, in which Mitchell performs with John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.
Although I have all the great memories, I’ll have to start scouting out DVD footage that captures Mitchell’s performances, old and new. Thanks for the memories Mitch.
~r
(From left: Mitch, Jimi & Noel)
I had a recent discussion with Ryan, owner of San Jose, California’s Lemmon Percussion about the image of a beat-up looking vintage drum set, versus the image of a beat-up looking vintage electric guitar. We agreed that a beat-up vintage guitar looks cool, because it’s been played so much and has earned its right to passage. As for the beat-up old drum set…no matter how vintage, rusted hardware, tarnished cymbals and chipped paint on wooden hoops just makes a drum set look neglected. It’s like looking at an classic car that needs some TLC and a new paint job to help it come to life.
With this in mind, I pulled out my old 1964 Ludwig Black Diamond trap set and am detailing it in preparation for an upcoming blues gig. I have begun with what would seem to be the simple task, the polishing of cymbals. I first flashed back to the nightmare of a time when I polished my cymbals for the first time—it was a nightmare. Over the years, I’ve learned some definite do’s and don’ts where cymbal polishing is concerned. These tips will save you time and frustration.
I suppose if you really want to go crazy you can use a powered buffer, but I recommend you still use the following as a guideline.
Product: You can use just about any cymbal cleaner available at music stores, but I use basic BRASSO ® brand brass cleaner, which you can pick up at any local market or drug store. It’s less expensive then cymbal cleaner and does a great job.
THE DO’S
THE DON’TS
Using these tips, you’re polished cymbals will make your whole kit shine. That shine is what I like to call the symbol of a shining cymbal.
G. Brandau
Before                                    After
Several sources including San Francisco local radio station KFOG have reported that former Zeppelin members and Jason Bonham have been rehearsing with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler for a world tour. As speculation has grown about a replacement for Robert Plant, Plant himself has shown limited interest in touring with his former bandmates and offspring of longtime friend John Bonham. Plant has been working and touring with Allison Krauss as of late. While the Plant/Krauss collaboration on Raising Sand is an interesting contribution and worth a listen, many fans will scratch their heads over Plant’s decision not to participate in a Zeppelin tour.
My initial feelings on a replacement singer have been, “please God, no!” However, following this morning’s rumor mill, I’d be happy to hear such news. Having seen what Queen has recently done with Paul Rodgers on vocals, I feel good about Tyler doing the honors for Zeppelin. Obviously it will have a slightly different vibe, but Page, Jones and young Bonham couldn’t pick a better big name to fill Plant’s shoes. My guess is that Plant won’t be terribly happy over the decision to tour without him, but the show must go on, as the saying goes.
~r
At a recent rehearsal with new Redwood band members, I played one of my favorite fills-for-laughs, the intro to Phil Collins‘ In the Air Tonight. The following day, I received in my inbox a fantastic video advert from Cadbury Chocolate’s 2007 brand revival campaign. It’s a must watch for almost anyone, especially if you’re familiar with this Phil Collins classic.
We recently posted news on Phil, which didn’t gain much traffic (sorry Phil), but I’m hoping this will finally draw attention to his musical genius. OK, that could be considered a stretch by many, but few will argue that this video ad is genius. Produced by Glass and a Half Full Productions, the ad’s Gorilla costume was superbly created by Stan Winston Studios. Possibly the best moment of the ad is the sound of the Gorilla’s breathe heard moments before he rips into the Collins anthem. As a viral marketing success, the ad was created to help uplift Cadbury’s public image in the wake of a 2007 product recall.
There have been a couple of variations and hack knock-offs of the video ad, but this one is hands down the best. How I managed to go all this time without seeing it, is beyond me.
~r
Much has been said about Ringo Starr’s recent announcement that he’s no longer signing autographs. He’s apparently got too much on his plate. Many of our readers know I’m a fan of Ringo’s work, so it will come as no surprise that I forgive him for his curt statements, which were prefaced with his usual “Peace and Love, Peace and Love.” Since the announcement, the former Beatle has come out and apologized for his “gruff demeanor,” according to Telegraph.co.uk.
I can’t begin to imagine life as a former Beatle, but we can consider ourselves blessed that he’s still around to do things like the All-Starr Tour. In brighter news, Ringo recently launched a photo contest for any fan that caught images of the All-Starr band. The winner will have their photo featured on Ringostarr.com, and will receive an autographed Ringo Starr Drumhead. So he hasn’t completely stopped signing stuff.
Wishing peace and love to Ringo,
~r
And the drummer is… As best I can tell, the man on drums for the new Oasis album Dig Out Your Soul is Chris Sharrock. No, wait! It’s Zak Starkey.
Thanks to one of our readers, I’ve been corrected. The winner was Zak Starkey. Today, information is flowing on the new album and I’ve been able to confirm from multiple sources, including digital spy that Zak is the man on the kit for Dig Out Your Soul. Though I’m a bit embarrassed at my initial claim that Chris Sharrock played on the record, I’m not surprised to learn that it’s Zak, given the specific work done on ‘The Shock of Lightning.’ Perhaps our reader said it best in claiming that Starkey is “the greatest drummer Oasis has had or ever will have.”
According to our reader sources, the British born Sharrock, formerly of The La’s and Robbie Williams, has replaced Zak Starkey in support of the current Oasis tour. Starkey replaced Alan White, who replaced Tony McCarroll. Obviously the the brothers Gallagher have decided that a permanent drummer is not their thing. Noel and Liam Gallagher, the only original members of Oasis, continue to make headlines as feuding siblings. This may continue, as Chris Sharrock comes from Liam’s nemesis, Robbie Williams. Really? His nemesis? That’s what sources call him anyway. I’m not sure what that drama is all about, but it probably means we’ll hear about another drummer joining the band once the current leg of their tour concludes.
All that silliness aside, Starkey (not Sharrock) does a commendable job on an album that sounds great from start to finish. The band apparently shares writing contributions, and Noel and Liam share lead vocal spots throughout. The album’s engineer achieved a number of great sounds that compliment Starkey’s (not Sharrock’s) drum tracks, as heard on the standout tracks ‘Ain’t Got Nothin’ and ‘The Shock of Lightning.’
I suppose that despite my initial misinformation, I can still confess that I’ll miss knowing that Zak’s working with the band. He did, after all, bring the Gallagher brothers closer to their primary influence The Beatles. That said, I’m sure that Sharrock will do a bang up job (pun intentionally inserted) on the band’s triumphant return to the road. Best of luck Chris!
~r
