RhythmMarch2015.pdf

the magazine for drummers march 2015 | 239

2015 gear special

38

Drum proDucts you must try this year

“Growth comes from pushing boundaries & owning what you already can do”

Dave Weckl Push your playing the Weckl way

mike mangini

matt halpern

nathan curran

dream theater

periphery

basement jaxx

cover image: James Cumpsty

Hello! Gearing up for the year...

January is always an exciting time of year in the drum world. the namm show is the world’s biggest music instrument show and the industry flocks to california to see what the gear gurus have been cooking up in their laboratories. releases range from new finishes (sometimes stunning new ideas, regularly a slight variation on the classics), or something completely off-the-wall that we’d never play but is crazy enough to raise a smile (or an eyebrow)… and then there are the innovations that you just know are destined to become future classics or industry standards. By the time you read this the show will have finished and the jetlag will have all but disappeared. you may have seen some coverage of the show here and there (and you can still catch up on the best of that coverage at musicradar.com), but in this issue i’m pleased to present to you our pick of the very best products from the show. these are the products that we’re all going to lust after in 2015 and send straight to the top of our wishlists. that starts on page 33. From pioneering gear to a pioneering player. Dave weckl’s career has already spanned decades yet his playing continues to evolve. we picked his brains about his development as a drummer and he shared plenty of advice on what helped him reach the very top of his game. on top of all this we have new interviews with Basement Jaxx/gorgon city drummer nathan curran, against me’s atom willard, Dream theater’s mike mangini and the clash legend topper headon. we also talk drum recording with Periphery drummer matt halpern and nolly getgood, the band’s bassist/producer. enjoy the issue!

playlisT

pumping on our STereo... Led ZeppeLin

Chris Barnes, Editor

i, ii, iii, iV… Prod Ed Chris got a turntable for Christmas and has been revisiting some classic Bonham just as it should be heard, on vinyl.

[email protected] Twitter @RhythmMagazine

Facebook /RhythmMagazine

BiLLy TaLenT

hiTs Can you believe that Aaron Solowoniuk and his Canadian crew have been around since 1993? They've certainly piled up the hits in that time – and here they are.

This monTh’s experTs Rich chambeRlain

First off Rich picked Atom Willard’s brain about what makes a great punk drummer (page 64), then rounded up 17 gig bag essentials (page 50). As always, he’s also corralled together the best gear that’s come our way this month, and all this before jetting off to NAMM to check out great new gear for 2015!

www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

James hesteR

James’s diverse CV includes Malakai, Geoff Barrow, Cars On Fire and Mark Clayden. He is Head of Drums at BIMM Bristol. From page 56 he spoke to Periphery’s Matt and Nolly to find out how the latter tackled production duties and got the best drum sound for the former on the band’s latest double album!

chRis buRke

Before joining Rhythm, Chris spent more than a decade interviewing rock stars and more for Loaded magazine. This month he spoke to Clash legend Nicky ‘Topper’ Headon and found out all about Topper’s contribution to four of the band’s classic albums including London Calling. See page 68!

enTer Shikari

The mindsweep More politically-driven rage from Rob Rolfe (interviewed on page 8) and the boys. Rob’s beats have matured even further with ferocious punk rock volleys working perfectly with bombastic hip-hop.

march 2015 |

3

contents

Issue 239 March 2015

44

30

nathan ‘tugg’ curran Basement Jaxx

dave weckl

The fusion star reveals how he’s stayed at the top of his game

regulars 06 beat

All the latest news and hot gear, plus tips, classic sounds and more

22

introducing

New bands and drummers you need to have on your radar this month

24

reviews

New stuff from Led Zeppelin, Enter Shikari, Polar Bear, Marilyn Manson and more

112

56

ask geoff

Your kit conundrums solved by our resident gear guru

matt halpern & nolly getgood Periphery rhythm section

68

52

topper headon Punk drum legend on his time in The Clash

mike mangini Dream Theater man’s 10 influential albums

97

gear reviews

Want to subscribe to rhythm?

Become a Rhythm subscriber and save 43% and pay just £20.49 for a six month subscription. Head to page 74 for details. www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk 4

| march 2015

77

lessons


HigHligHts

PeoPle | music | gear

10 toolkit 12 top five tips Embellish your grooves with Anton Fig gives his advice this simple triplet sticking

for career longevity

Headley grange revisited

Drum legends record in Bonham’s stairwell for sample library ■ Headley Grange in Hampshire is a place of considerable musical history, with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Genesis and Led Zeppelin recording and rehearsing there in its ’70s heyday. it’s also the location of the famous wooden stairwell where John Bonham and andy Johns created the definitive and oftensampled ‘when the levee Breaks’ sound. it’s been 40 years since the doors of headley have been opened for a recording project, but during the summer of 2014 virtual instrument and sample specialists spitfire audio convinced the owners to allow access to a crew of talented engineers for one more, historical drum session. over five days, the musical landmark played host to chad smith, Queen’s roger taylor and andy gangadeen, performing all manner of beats, grooves and fills, and fulfilling childhood dreams in the process. the result is the grange, a sample library and virtual instrument for native instruments’ kontakt Player that will allow musicians to add these iconic players to their own compositions. “i was having dinner with a friend of mine

Headley Grange, Hampshire, England, where Led Zeppelin and others recorded in the 1970s

6

| march 2015

who happens to be the son-in-law of the people who own headley grange,” says mark lo, one of the project’s coordinators. “the subject of headley grange came up and we said wouldn’t it be great to have someone go back there and play. But you’ve got to have players play and experience it. i went outside, rang christian [henson, spitfire audio) and told him i had an idea. then we had to go and persuade the owners of headley grange.” they were successful, but the next step was procuring the right drummers to do the space justice, and coordinating busy schedules. amazingly they managed to book chad and roger on consecutive days. christian henson: “chad rolled up on the saturday, did an incredible day of drumming – my god the man is loud, in a great way – and then we came back the following day and roger drove into the driveway. there are moments in life where you just go, ‘that is roger taylor!’ it was wonderful.” chad had the honour of being the first drummer to play at headley grange since John Bonham: “headley grange is hallowed ground for music and drumming, and to have the opportunity to record in the spot where John Bonham played is beyond my wildest dreams. when you sit down in that space and look up at that stairwell, you cannot help but launch into those famous beats!” the modern-sounding samples were

Andy Gangadeen brought his unique style to the recording

Want more? Want to see and hear more about this amazing drumming project? Head to www. spitfireaudio. com for more info, videos, walk-throughs and more.

recorded via a combination of the finest and rarest classic mics, preamps, and a two-inch 24-track studer multitrack recorder, with each drummer putting their own distinctive stamp on their beats. says christian: “we wanted the libraries to represent the personality and sound of the drummers, we wanted them to sum up their style, and to intersperse doing a series of loops with the individual drum hits. the drummers all insisted that they hit every single drum hit themselves, there are no techs or engineers playing.” andy gangadeen, known for his modern and innovative approach to drumming and recording, really clung onto the spirit of the project, turning up with a Bonham-style stainless steel ’70s ludwig kit! “it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in this space and to be in this building,” enthused andy, “and it’s something that will never leave me.” the results are incredible and the grange will prove to be a powerful tool for musicians and drummers alike. this was a special project on hallowed turf, following in the footsteps of a legendary player. roger taylor sums it up: “i was blown away when i first heard John Bonham play, because he was doing all this fancy bass drum stuff which nobody else could do… his technique was fantastic and, on top of all of that, was his great drum sound – as a player he had it all.”

Queen’s Roger Taylor in action in Headley Grange


14 neW gear Our 38 picks from this year’s NAMM show

Chad Smith playing in the famous stairwell where John Bonham achieved his much-sampled ‘Levee Breaks’ sound


march 2015 |

7

Beat! PeoPle | Music | Gear

Rob Rolfe says he “needed six hands” to play some of Enter Shikari’s new tracks

Shikari'S return Brit heroes Enter Shikari blast back with album four ■ Eclectic Brit rockers Enter Shikari returned in January with a brand new album, and drummer Rob Rolfe gave Rhythm an insight into the making of the band’s fourth record, The Mindsweep. rolfe explained that the band’s electronicsheavy approach creates a little extra work for him at the kit. “every time we’re writing new material it always starts programmed first,” he said. “we use Logic to get down our ideas. we had about 50 ideas, some were just lyrics, some were rhythms, some were formed verse-choruses. we sifted through that and developed them until we had 15 or 16 songs that we went into the studio with. Because the beats were originally programmed, i

8

| march 2015

needed six hands to play some of them so we had to work out the beats and what i would play acoustically and what would be supplemented electronically.” once his beats were nailed down, rolfe and the band headed into Lincolnshire’s chapel Studios with producer Dan weller, where a little forward planning soon paid off. “all the songs were pretty much finished before we went in so there wasn’t much experimenting musically. But we did experiment with recording techniques. we set up the drums and i had some electronic pads in the live room but it wasn’t just sending the miDi signals to the producer’s room, we also had monitors in the live room so the sample sounds would come out and we’d get that real live room feel of it with the big punchy electronic samples.” recorded on rolfe’s truth kit and a myriad of snares, the album is classic Shikari, and there’s one track in particular that the drummer is proud to call his own.

EntEr lord prEscott

It seems that Enter Shikari have an unlikely backer in their corner. “John Prescott sent us a tweet saying he was a fan,” Rolfe laughed. “We couldn’t believe it. Hopefully we’ll get him down to a show, he’d be great in the pit.”

“there’s a song called ‘myopia’ where we recorded a lot of samples in the bathroom in the studio, all these dripping and tapping noises, and we used those in the intro and i play them live in the SPD-SX. when it cracks into the main part of the song it flits between live drum sounds and these kick and snare samples in the choruses. it has a really nice balance.” the mindsweep is the follow-up to 2012’s a Flash Flood of colour, a record that hit number Four in the uk charts. could the mindsweep peak even higher? “everyone would like the album to do as well as possible, but cD sales have been diminishing for so long now that the charts don’t really make much difference, they don’t mean anything anymore. what does mean something is that we are continuing our careers and able to play live. Does anyone come to the shows, is anyone listening? you can’t always tell that from how many people buy your album.”


Deen casTronovo Revolution SaintS, JouRney

Three rock legends unite for rock supergroup Had you played with bassist Jack Blades before? “the first time i ever really got to play with him was when night ranger was opening for Journey. kelly [keagy] would be singing and i’d go up on the drum riser and start playing ‘Sister christian’, it was awesome. i think it’s on youtube.”

How did you meet Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich? “when whitesnake and Journey were in the uk in 2012 or 2013, but i’ve always known Doug. i’ve seen whitesnake a ton of times and Doug’s just a monster. i was in Sheffield and i had a tattoo party in my room. i told Doug to come on up. he got his son Skyler’s name on his wrist, i had some stuff put on me and we just bonded.”

Diamond recording Studios in Portland, oregon, with a really good friend of mine, an engineer named matt Jefferson. we did the drum tracks in three or four days, it was pretty quick. we sent the files to Jack then Jack sent them to Doug, and boom!”

Revolution Saints: Jack Blades (Night Ranger) Deen Castronovo (Journey) and Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake)

What kit did you use? “i have a Dw kit, single bass drum, 10", 12", 14", 16", 18" toms. it’s pretty easy to dial in a Dw kit, they sing without you messing with them. Steve toomey, my tech, actually makes drums as a hobby and he brought up a really killer Purple heart snare drum. he put wooden rims on it and, man, that thing cracked. and we ended up using a Dw edge for the ballads to make them thick and tight. it was a pretty easy process.”

How did you track your drums?

This album puts you up front as a vocalist. How was that?

“when we went in to record, i remember Jack giving me a call saying, ‘Don’t play like the demos, man. Be who you are. Play the way you play,’ and i kind of went overboard. i just tore it up. i did my drums at Black

“that was scary as hell, i’m not going to lie. alessandro Del Vecchio, the guy that wrote this stuff and produced my vocal tracks, is a ridiculous talent. i had a 10-day break between Journey legs, i took a day off, and

out now

RevolutionSaints byRevolution Saintsisout23 February

then i was in the studio and sang 10 days straight, just blazed through the stuff. alessandro guided me through everything. i would sing and he’d go, ‘mmm, no.’ i’d try something else, he goes, ‘that’s the one!’ thank god my voice held up.”

Will Revolution Saints be touring the new album? “Jack’s like, ‘man, we should do a little tour.’ i’m like, ‘hell yeah, i’d do it in a heartbeat.’ there’s a few songs i do lead vocals on with Journey and i know where to breathe so i can play Steve Smith’s intricate parts and still be able to sing. i’m going to have to sit down with this record and play drums and sing, because i just played drums and then sang, so it’s going to be a task.”

This monTh aT rhyThmmagazine.co.uk Highlights from the online home of the UK’s best-selling drum magazine

Duran Duran

gregg biSSonette

In this video, Roger Taylor, drummer for Brit hitmakers Duran Duran, shares his love of electronic drums and shows us around his Roland kit.

The session legend shares his top five tips for drummer success, from the importance of being a good person to the need to serve the song.

the ariStocratS

Marco Minnemann’s band of musical virtuosos have a live DVD on the way. Director Jason McNamara explains how the GoPro-heavy footage was captured.

Sabaton

Pity the poor roadie that has to set this up. In this gallery we take a look at Sabaton drummer Hannes Van Dahl’s huge tank drum riser.

PluS Drum heroeS heaDing to ronnie Scott’S in 2015, artiSt interviewS, gear reviewS anD much more… www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

march 2015 |

9


Drummer’s tool Kit

A simple triplet sticking

Taking the ruff with the smooth-er sticking…

T

Your tutor PEtE RilEy

[email protected]

01

the■sticking■also■means■there’s■a■dynamic■ his■issue’s■toolkit■explores■a■ within■it■that■single-strokes■won’t■offer,■as■ relatively■simple■idea■that■can■■ the■doubled■right■can■be■played■quieter■than■ be■used■to■create■a■subtle■ the■preceding■left.■one■final■point■is,■once■ embellishment■to■a■groove■or■fill.■ its■beauty■lies■in■the■fact■that■whilst■it■sounds■ mastered,■try■to■avoid■overusing■this■as■it■ falls■easily■into■the■hands■with■a■little■ like■a■four-stroke■ruff■its■sticking■requires■no■ practice■but■it■can■also■clutter■a■track■if■used■ change■in■hands■allowing■the■flow■of■time■to■ repeatedly■–■as■can■tend■to■happen■if■the■ be■maintained■whether■playing■it■within■a■ Rhythm -239 hands■aren’t■kept■in■check.■ groove■on■the■hats■or■as■a■pick-up■into■a■fill.■ Pete's Drummers' Toolkit

Rhythm - 2 3 9 Rhythm - 2 3 9

Pete's Drummers' Toolkit Pete's Drummers' Toolkit Examples 1A and B show two different ways of practising the basic sticking. Ex 1 Ex 1 Ex 1

02

3

÷ 224 ÷ 24 Rœ ÷4

Ex 2

3 3

œ œ R œ

R

œ œ R œ

R

R

Ex 3

¿ ¿œ œ¿ œ

¿ ¿ ¿

> >œ >œ

L

R

Pete Cater and his Big Band will be playing Buddy Rich hits in April

¿ ¿œ ¿œ œ

¿ ¿ ¿

R

L

¿ ¿33 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿R ¿R ¿L ¿œ œ R R L

¿ ¿ ¿Œ Œ Œ

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿R ¿R ¿L ¿œ œ R R L

R

R

3 Exthe 3 sticking between the ride cymbal and hi-hats. Example 3 splits 3 Ex 3 3

÷ 44 ÷4 ÷4

œ

¿œ ¿œ ¿Œœ Œ Œ

R

R

> œ œ >>œ œ œ œ 3

œ œ œL

R

L 3

Ex 2

÷ 44 ÷4 ÷4

> >œ >œ œL

Example 2 shows it played R in a groove onRhi-hats. R Ex 2

03

> >œ >œ

3 3

L

œ

R

R

œ

R

œL

R

R

L


¿ ¿ ¿

¿ ¿ ¿


¿ ¿ ¿

Cater’s big show Big Band maestro marks anniversary ■■Pete■cater■will■celebrate■20■years■with■his■ big■band■by■putting■on■a■special■show■later■ this■year. the■big■band■hero■will■perform■at■ cadogan■hall■in■London■on■20■april■to■mark■ the■event.■the■band■will■be■playing■through■ classic■Buddy■rich■cuts,■some■lost■gems■and■ more■at■this■exclusive■concert.■Discussing■ how■the■band■has■evolved■in■the■past■two■ decades,■cater■said:■“about■eight■years■ago■i■ was■offered■the■opportunity■to■present■an■ evening■performing■Buddy■rich’s■music.■to■ be■honest■i■wasn’t■keen■at■first■but■i■saw■ some■youtube■videos■of■some■rich■charts■ being■played■so■incredibly■badly■that■i■felt■it■

10

| march 2015

L

¿ ¿ ¿

L

L

R

was■my■duty■to■set■the■record■straight.■as■a■ result■of■everything■we■had■previously■ achieved■with■the■band,■and■because■we■ were■already■very■well-known,■i■didn’t■feel■ that■my■integrity■was■on■the■line. “this■music■has■been■a■part■of■my■life■for■ 47■years,■i■grew■up■with■it,■it’s■engrained■on■ my■consciousness■to■the■point■where■i■can■ play■the■entire■repertoire■from■memory,■and■ of■course■it■is■a■pivotal■part■of■the■ongoing■ history■of■the■drummer■as■a■big■band■leader.■ we’ve■done■over■100■of■these■concerts■now■ and■it■has■been■a■hit■from■day■one.” tickets■are■available■now■from■www. cadoganhall.com.■


The house Is RockIn’ Stevie Ray vaughan

Chris Layton recalls a blues-rockin’ hit from the late-’80s Did the track come together quickly?

“It’s a rock’n’roll tune. It was, ‘The song goes like this, I’ll start playing and you just start playing when it feels good.’ We ran through it and then thought, ‘Well, we could tweak this and change this a little bit.’ We cut it a couple or three times until we ended up with what you hear on the record. Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble were a pretty simple band in our approach. On all the records we came up with it at the studio, we didn’t come up with 50 songs and then choose the best 11 and tweak those and tear them apart. We would go, ‘Hey, check out this idea.’ We’d jump on it and take it somewhere. There wasn’t a lot of minute dissecting and going over things.”

What kit did you use on the track?

“I was using a Tama Superstar kit on that whole album and a 1943 Gretsch kick drum. I had Tama toms and went back and forth

between a 1988 Ludwig Black Beauty reissue and a 1936 original Black Beauty.”

Did you realise at the time what a strong song it was?

“The band sounded good. The band as a whole unit was in really good shape. We were excited and things were feeling really good. That’s how we thought about it, we

drummer: chris layton Album: in step YeAr: 1989

“The band as a whole unit was in really good shape. We were excited and things were feeling really good” didn’t think track by track or of singles. We just approached it that it felt good and the band felt great. We had an ongoing struggle with the record company. They’d say, ‘Where’s the single?’ We didn’t know, we were just making music. Something would emerge and radio would grab onto it but we

didn’t make music because we thought it’d be a top 40 track, we just made music.

It sounds like you had a very organic approach to writing and recording

“It was very organic. I did a story for a music magazine about the making of Texas Flood and they thought we were going to disclose some kind of Sergeant Pepper process. I was like, ‘No man, we just set up in a room, threw some mics up and went at it.’ They said, ‘There’s got to be more to it than that!’ No, we just played the music. Records are done a lot differently now. But we would just sit down and play the tunes and when we finished playing we were done.”

Drummers... Too late to unload? Too late to insure?

If you really love your instrument make sure it’s covered. Insurance can include theft from an unattended vehicle from just £32 a year Terms and conditions apply.*

0800 980 6697 www.allianzmusic.co.uk

Allianz Musical Insurance

*£100 excess applies to computer equipment. Allianz Musical Insurance is a trading name of Allianz Insurance plc.


“Drumming can keep you young,” says Letterman show drummer Anton Fig

DW buys Gretsch US titan takeS on iconic brand

■■Drum■workshop■has■announced■the■purchase■of■gretsch■ Drums■from■Fender■musical■instruments■subsidiary■kmc. “this■is■an■amazing■opportunity■to■extend■our■passion■and■ commitment■for■the■art■of■drumming,”■said■chris■Lombardi,■ President■and■ceo■of■Drum■workshop,■inc.■we’re■excited■to■ welcome■these■legendary■american■brands■to■the■Dw■family.” Dw■founder■Don■Lombardi■added:■“Both■myself,■my■son■and■ everybody■at■Drum■workshop■are■really■excited■to■have■the■ opportunity■to■make■and■distribute■gretsch■Drums.■that■means■ we’re■going■to■be■responsible■for■giving■you■that■great■gretsch■ sound.■the■gretsch■factory■is■going■to■stay■the■same,■there’s■a■ passionate■group■of■people■down■in■South■carolina■that■make■ the■drums■now■and■they’re■going■to■continue■to■do■that.■you’re■ going■to■be■seeing■a■lot■of■really■exciting■things■that■we’re■going■ to■be■doing■together.” the■deal■also■sees■Dw■take■on■Latin■Percussion,■toca■ Percussion,■gibraltar■hardware■and■kat■Percussion■from■kmc.■ Full■details■of■what■we■can■expect■from■these■companies■is■still■to■ be■announced,■however■it■has■been■revealed■that■Dw■production■ will■remain■in■oxnard,■california.■gretsch■Drums■was■founded■in■ 1883■by■Friedrich■gretsch.■Dw■first■opened■its■doors■in■1972.■

SUBSCRIBE! TO RhyThm’s cOmpleTe pRinT + digiTal bundle

■ only £32.49! ■ EvERy nEw ISSUE In pRInt,

on Ipad, IphonE and andRoId dEvICE ■ free cd with every issue ■ pRInt and dIgItal only paCkagES alSo avaIlaBlE

Full deTails On p74 12

| march 2015

my top 5 tips on…

Longevity

By Anton Fig (David Letterman show) Work hard 1 “Look■at■Joe■Bonamassa,■he■always■ has■a■project■he’s■working■on.■to■be■that■ gifted■and■to■always■be■working,■you■can’t■ help■but■to■get■better.■when■David■ Letterman■retires■next■year■i’ll■have■done■ the■show■for■29■years,■5,000■shows.■People■ talk■about■a■big■break,■i■think■it■comes■ down■more■to■there■not■just■being■one■■ gig■that■makes■or■breaks■you.■it’s■an■ accumulation■of■work.■you’ve■just■got■■ to■keep■doing■it■and■keep■doing■it.”

value every gig 2 “i■do■all■kinds■of■gigs■all■of■the■time.■ and■even■though■i■had■the■tV■gig■all■of■the■ time,■i■always■felt■i■was■just■one■gig■away■ from■being■back■in■the■pool■with■everyone■ else.■you■never■know■who■you’ll■meet,■you■ might■be■on■a■tiny■gig■that■pays■virtually■ nothing■but■you■might■be■playing■with■ someone■you■enjoy■playing■with■and■that■ can■lead■to■something■else.■you■never■know■ where■things■are■going■to■lead.”

Be personaBle 3 “if■you■can■get■on■with■other■people■ then■that■has■to■help.■a■lot■of■this■industry■ is■about■networking■and■just■being■able■to■

hang■out■with■people■and■relate■to■them.■ i'm■sure■that■has■something■to■do■with■it,■ especially■if■you’re■in■a■position■where■ you’re■playing■in■other■people’s■bands.■if■ you■have■your■own■band■and■you’re■a■ superstar■then■you■can■act■however■you■ want.■But■if■you’re■working■with■other■ people■you■have■to■fit■into■their■situation.”

stay healthy 4 “Staying■heathy■is■very■important.■i■ haven’t■been■on■the■road■that■much■because■ of■the■Letterman■show.■i■have■done■some■ gigs,■but■you■have■to■take■care■of■yourself■ because■drums■is■a■very■physical■instrument.■ one■of■the■good■things■is■that■we’re■getting■ an■aerobic■workout■every■night.■Drumming■ can■keep■you■young.”

keep groWing 5 “Stay■young■in■your■head■and■want■to■ keep■growing.■you■can’t■get■complacent■and■ you■need■to■listen■to■new■guys■and■you■need■ to■want■to■learn■new■things.■that■will■keep■it■ interesting■and■keep■everything■going.■i■do■ that■and■i■don’t■feel■much■different■to■when■i■ was■eight■years■old■playing■drums.■i■am■ always■listening■to■new■stuff■and■trying■to■ figure■out■what■is■happening.”■


Namm 2015 new gear special

2015 gear special Rhythm comes hot-foot from the Winter NAMM Show in California, and we’ve rounded up 38 drum products you must try this year!

words: Chris Barnes/riCh ChamBerlain

14

| march 2015


B

y the time you read this the dust will have settled on namm 2015, the world’s biggest music gear show in anaheim, california. team rhythm battled ear-shattering noise (mostly fusion and slap bass), intense jetlag and an endless wave of industry parties and adult beverages to bring you the absolute best from the show, and we’ve hand-picked the gear we think you’re going to love playing this year…

1

Evans Reso 7

2

Tama Star Walnut kit

the resonant head is regularly forgotten, with drummers taking their keys to the batter to try and control resonance and sustain. this is actually best applied to the resonant head, which is where the reso 7 comes in. the 7-mil coated head achieves a similar tone to a thicker resonant head but with a shorter sustain (or faster decay). heads are available in 6" to 18" sizes.

1

Joining tama’s flagship maple and bubinga star set-ups is this new line-up featuring walnut shells. not only does walnut boast a stunning, rich grain, it’s also incredibly durable and has a naturally eQ’d tone with plenty of low end as well as a cutting attack. coupled with star’s resonance-promoting attention to detail, this is definitely one to check out.

3

Roland RT-30 triggers

4

Zildjian Kerope

5

Premier The Beast snare drum

2

3 4

hybrid drumming remains a major area of innovation for roland, as seen by the launch of the rt-30 series of triggers. made up of the rt-30hr (ideal for snare), rt-30k (developed for use on your kick) and rt-30h (general use), these triggers benefit from ultra-quick installation, supreme sensitivity and support separate head and rim triggering for playing two different sounds from the same drum.

5

Following on from the launch of zildjian’s vintage-minded metals at last year’s namm show, 2015 sees two new weight ranges added to the kerope series. the 20" kerope medium now features a range of 2,126–2,381 grams, and the 22" kerope medium has a range of 2,523-2,721 grams.

Beast by name, Beast by nature, Premier’s latest snare is billed as the company’s most ferocious snare ever, thanks to its air Flow shell technology. this system sees sonic chambers assist with air movement within the drum, giving it its showstopping sound. the massive 50-ply (28mm) blended shell is hand-made in england from premium and unique woods: birch, tulip, sycamore, oak and maple.

6

Istanbul Tony Williams Tribute cymbals

crafted in tribute to tony williams, istanbul was granted access to the very same cymbals, made in istanbul in the ’50s, used by tony on the miles davis Quintet’s historic recordings. master artisans measured, weighed, gauged and recorded every facet of them to produce cymbal sets featuring 22"


7 ride, 18" crash, 14" hi-hats, deluxe leather bag and certificate of authenticity.

7

Gon Bops Commuter Cajon

as drummers move towards more compact and transportable kits, so too are percussion brands introducing portable instruments. the commuter cajon collapses to fit in a stylish backpack to take to rehearsals or gigs. it will also fit in a plane’s overhead luggage compartment. it builds into a full size cajon with impressive low end and diagonal internal guitar strings for the authentic Flamenco sound.

6

8 8

Paiste 12” Signature Combo Crisp hi-hat ’The Rhythmatist’

stewart copeland, whose work with the Police will forever make him worthy of ‘drum legend’ status, has teamed up with Paiste again (following up the Blue Bell ride). they’ve come up with a dynamic set of hi-hats designed for stick articulation, which are also crisp enough to cut through at all volume levels. top and bottom feature different alloys. the cusn20 Bronze top is responsible for warmth and fullness, while the signature Bronze bottom provides brilliance and precision.

march 2015 |

15

Namm 2015 new gear special 9

Yamaha DTX502 drum app

this new ios app has been built to complement yamaha’s dtX502 electronic drums. the ingenious app lets the user control all the features of the module using their touch-screen device when connected via usB. the app also offers easy sound editing and layering for each pad and allows the user to create up to 50 custom kits, as well as backing up custom click, menu and trigger settings.

FX 10 Zildjian while kerope sees zildjian recognising its rich

9

heritage, the FX line is a whole different prospect. zildjian has introduced five new models into this range of effects cymbals – the 10" and 12" FX spiral stackers; the FX oriental china ‘trash’ in 8" and 10" models; and the 7½" Volcano cup zil-Bel.

10

11

Mini Pro kit 11 DW ever wondered what a scaled-down dw would look like? wonder no more. the mini Pro kit, which is part of the design family, is made up of 16"x14" bass drum, 10"x6" rack tom, 13"x9" floor and 12"x5" snare. it is available in two finishes, classic matte Black and tobacco Burst.

Super-Pads 12 Aquarian Both a stand-alone pad for silent practice and a low-volume acoustic drum mute, the super-Pad can be placed on anything: drums, tables, snare drum stands, beds or even your lap. the low profile design fits comfortably into any set-up and, when being used as a mute, the cushioned super-Pad drumsurface reduces acoustic drum volume but still retains natural drumstick rebound and real drumhead feel.

sample pack 13 Drumforge Producer Joey sturgis is best known for his

12 13 15

14

work with heavier acts such as asking alexandria, but behind the scenes he’s been busy working on an ambitious drum and cymbal sample library. drumforge features a collection of drums and cymbals multi-sampled using a variety of clever engineering techniques to provide the user with endless possibilities in drum tone creation at the touch of a fader.

Big & Ugly collection 14 Sabian six unique new ride cymbals that are, as the names suggests, big and dark and rather distinctive in appearance. our favourites are the aa apollo, a versatile modern-sounding ride in 22" and 24" sizes, the hh king, a dark, dry and washy cymbal that offers huge complexity and the hhX Phoenix, a 22" cymbal that’s consistent, controlled and cutting.

15 Switchkick a kickstarter campaign that we really hope is successful, switchkick is a simple yet ingenious quick release system that allows drummers to quickly interchange bass drum beaters. From traditional two-way beaters to the company’s brush, leather and rod beaters, it opens up many new and exciting bass drum sound possibilities, without the need for a drum key.

16

| march 2015


PSTX series cymbals 16 Paiste if you like to nestle effects amongst your hats, crashes and rides then PstX is for you, with a sound to suit most styles and budgets. Paiste have worked with aluminium for the first time to create the piercing Pure Bells; the hole-riddled swiss splashes and crashes are great for swift accents, while the swiss hats are designed to evoke the sound of analogue drum machines.

16

17

SLP snares 17 Tama the idea behind tama’s sound Lab Project snare line was to offer optimum configurations for every type of drumming application. the latest additions are a 14"x5½" dynamic Bronze model with 1.2mm bronze shell and die-cast hoops, plus a classic maple in the same size with 7mm, 8ply shell and 10 hole sound arc hoop for extra resonance.

18

Firth Steve Smith 18 Vic Tala Wand Slats Jazz master steve smith has a new pair of sticks bearing his name. the tala wand slats feature a foam centre surrounded by bamboo slats. this gives players softer sounds than they’d get with traditional sticks but greater volume than with Vic Firth’s existing wand models.

Byzance 19 Meinl Extra Dry Dual cymbals

20 19

originally launched by meinl online, the overwhelmingly positive reaction that the extra dry dual range has received has led to it being given a full release. made up of 14" hats, 18" crash and 20"/22" crash ride, the series is characterised by a thick, dry-finish centre which is perfect for riding, and a thin, brilliant-finish edge which is ideal for crashing.

B8X series 20 Sabian the cymbal brand’s best-selling B8 range, launched in 1984, has been replaced with the B8X series. the new range boasts more hammering − including fully hammered bells – adjusted profiles, smoother bell lathing and also a new logo. the only thing that’s stayed the same is the price and the range of cymbals on offer.

21

22

23

24

Renown 21 Gretsch Walnut and Birch kits it’s been almost two years since gretsch reintroduced the renown series with a new spec and finishes. the renown has always been a kit aimed at the working drummer, with a focus on sound and quality but at a more reasonable price than gretsch’s us-made drums. the initial american rock maple configuration has now been joined by new walnut and birch models.

Gon Bops El Flaco cajon

Chad Smith snares 23 Pearl originally launched in 1994, chad smith’s

Mach 1 24 Ahead bass drum pedal

in our list) isn’t up your street, then what about this? it’s a super thin instrument with a full-size playing panel, but with an attached seat pad that keeps it secured in front of whatever you’re sitting on. despite its portability there’s no sacrifice in tone and it’s the perfect instrument for bedroom or tour bus practice.

signature snare is a prime example of a company smashing it out of the park with a signature snare drum. no pressure for this new version, then. the 2015 model comes in the guise of a 1.3mm steel-shelled, 14"x5½" drum in candy apple red finish. there’s also a super limited-edition Free Floating version which will be limited to just 25 pieces in europe.

having proved themselves in the stick, snare and drum case worlds, ahead have turned their hand to hardware with a new pedal. at first glance it’s a standard chain-driven pedal, but closer inspection reveals the Quick torque system that allows for easy adjustment of pedal action and tension. other features include a two-way beater and multipositioning hoop clamp.

22 if gon Bops’ commuter cajon (number 7


march 2015 |

17

Namm 2015 new gear special 16” bass drum heads 25 Evans drum brands are becoming increasingly savvy to the trend of compact 16" bass drum kits (see Ludwig’s Breakbeat kit). evans has responded to the craze by extending its most popular lines – emad, g1, eQ3 and eQ4 – to include 16" heads for bass drum. they will be available in both tom and bass drum hoop versions.

drum displays 26 Selectahead Fancy a piece of artwork with a difference?

25

26

selectahead drum displays are 22"x5" bass drums that can be produced in a design to suit your needs, perhaps with the artwork of your favourite album, and can then easily be mounted to a wall. the four-ply drums are wrapped in black PVc and feature black die-cast hoops.

Byzance 27 Meinl Dark Big Apple ride coming hot on the heels of the popular Big apple ride, this dark version comes in at 22" and packs a full-bodied ping. in common with its big brother, the cymbal features a tiny bell but has a doomier finish, which helps deliver complex character and a set of dark sonic characteristics.

27

28

Firth VicGloves 28 Vic if drumming gloves are good enough for dave grohl, they’re good enough for us. stick makers Vic Firth present these Vicgloves, crafted in premium cabretta leather with ventilated synthetic mesh palm. what that means for you is that your hands will stay cool and comfy throughout even the most punishing of sets.

Primero 29 Pearl Rock Tambourine

29

30

31

you might be thinking that there isn’t much room for innovation when it comes to a new tambourine. well, you’d be wrong! Pearl’s 9" Primero rock tambourine features a smart oval design and six sets of Pearl’s millennium chrome jingles that give it a bright tone.

22" Rude 30 Paiste Power ride ‘The Reign’ celebrating 35 years of the rude line, and based on the original ride that dave Lombardo played on slayer’s thrash metal classic album reign in Blood, this heavy cymbal was designed in conjunction with Lombardo and features a cutting, metallic ping that’s clear in extreme volume situations and boasts an aggressive, raw look.

Concept kit 31 PDP dw had a busy show, also unveiling a raft of products under the PdP banner, including this distinctively old-school concept kit. the classic wood-hooped kit packs a whole heap of vintage style, shipping with walnut-stained counter hoops and including a stand mounted rack tom. the kit looks right at home with flush-based hardware.

18

| march 2015


Namm 2015 new gear special 16" Contact 32 Dream and Energy hi-hats where Paiste have launched some smaller 12" copeland hats this year, dream have gone to the other end of the spectrum, adding 16" hi-hats to its existing energy and contact ranges. the former promise a controlled roar to their tone, while the latter deliver pure dynamite – a bundle of explosive sounds that sing out when crashed.

RG300V 33 Roland VDrums headphones Perfect for when you’re working on your licks at the e-kit, these foldaway V-drums headphones are packed with features like optimised sound quality, cushioned head strap and closed-back design for extra noise isolation. the long 2.5m cable means your head vs module position won’t be compromised either.

32

33

four-piece 34 Dream Ignition pack dream has expanded its popular ignition cymbal pack by adding an extra metal to the cast B20 bronze range. the set now contains 14" hats, 16" crash, 20" crash ride and an additional 18" crash, plus a padded bag to keep them safe in. we loved the original ignition set due to overall price and quality. no word on a price for this set as yet, but it will surely represent great value.

34

Leiva Junior 35 J.Omeya Cajon J. Leiva’s new Junior omeya cajon offers a professional quality and great-sounding instrument to credibly introduce kids to the world of percussion. the box measures 34cm (h) x 23cm (w) x 23cm (d), is constructed from Phenolic birch/beech plywood with a mokaly Plywood frontplate, features a direct tuning system and will cost a reasonable £89.99.

Ralph Peterson rides 36 Meinl the guys and girls at meinl sure have been busy in the run-up to namm, and among the treats unveiled at the show are these ralph Peterson rides. the cymbals were designed in conjunction with the renowned band leader and Berklee college professor and come in 21" nuance and 22" symmetry flavours.

36

35

37

38

Star hardware 37 Tama tama’s star drums were launched two years ago with a focus on high-end quality and maximum shell resonance. the new star hardware line – consisting of snare stand, tom mount and straight and boom cymbal stands – combines new features like ring true cymbal felts and insulation mutes within the stand tubing to promote maximum resonance, coupled with ultimate adjustability, strength and control.

Audio: The Grange 38 Spitfire three world-famous drummers head to the drumming mecca in hampshire and play for a day. a team of recording experts capture everything and create a ground-breaking sample library for your delectation. you can read more about chad smith, roger taylor and andy gangadeen’s exploits at headley grange with spitfire audio on page 6.

20

| march 2015

For all the news from the NAMM 2015 show floor visit

MusicRadar.com www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

© Xxxxxxxxxxx


Jeremy Irons And The Ratgang Malibus with drummer Henke Persson

Jeremy Irons And The rATgAng mAlIbus Spacey psychedelic rock from Scandinavia

O

ur beautiful name was made up by the very first drummer,” says drummer henke Persson of Jeremy irons and the ratgang malibus. “i joined in 2004 and we did a few shows and broke up shortly after when our bass player moved away. then in 2007 we got back together and Viktor [källgren] joined on the bass. the band was originally mostly an excuse to drink beer but has evolved into

psychedelic rock. Persson started drumming at the age of 15, jumping straight into playing with local bands. “when i started high school i got a real teacher who taught me proper technique which i had very little of. my technique hasn’t really improved since then now that i think about it,” he says. Spirit knife was recorded at Puch Studios in Stockholm and Persson restored an old kit for the sessions. “i had bought an acrylic kit from a friend a year before that was just lying around, and i thought it would be cool

“It’s easy to mistake dynamics for ‘play quiet then loud then quiet’ when in my opinion it’s more about keeping things interesting” serious business – but i think businesses are supposed to make money.” the Swedish quartet – Persson, källgren, guitarist micke Pettersson and vocalist/guitarist karl apelmo – hails from the town of eskilstuna but has made Stockholm their base of operations for the last eight years. Last year saw the arrival of their third album, Spirit knife, showcasing their superb and spacey

22

| march 2015

to fix it up and use it on the recording since we wanted a raw, heavy sound,” he says. “i always want the drum kit to sound like a whole instrument, instead of separate sources that have nothing to do

with each other. we were on a tight budget, but we managed to round up some good mics and preamps and tried different combinations the night before recording started until we had a nice sound.” Persson is very aware of the importance of making his drumming sympathetic to what’s happening musically. “apart from deciding how hard to hit the drums, or not hitting them at all, dynamics are about variation and it’s something that the whole band needs to be in on, you have to listen to each other,” he says. “it’s easy to mistake dynamics for ‘play quiet then loud then quiet’ when in my opinion it’s more about keeping things interesting.” in october the band made their uk debut with a week-long tour of London’s finest dive venues. “everything was great except for the crappy hostel we lived in and all the traditional english breakfasts that never tasted the way i wanted them to,” says Persson. “But it was great to have so many people come to our shows even though it was our first time there.”

Sounds like: tame impala, Jeff Buckley, can Key kit: Sonor drums, Ludwig snare, zildjian, Sabian and Paiste cymbals, remo heads, Vic Firth sticks Download: ‘Point growth’ Go to: www.jirm.se


roAm

ROAM with drummer Charlie Pearson

From Eastbourne to sunny LA…

F

ormed in eastbourne in 2012, pop-punk upstarts roam caught the eye of california’s hopeless records who signed the band in 2014. asked about attracting the label that all time Low and we are the in crowd call home, drummer charlie Pearson replies, “not 100 percent sure how they heard of us to be honest. thank

something new from everyone,” he says. roam recorded their latest eP, Viewpoint, with producer Drew Larson in Steel city Studio in Sheffield. “we had an idea of the sound we wanted,” says Pearson. “i had recently upgraded to zildjian a customs so straight away i knew it was going to be a lighter crash for the cymbals. i tried loads of different snares and ended up

“Being able to travel around with your friends playing drums; it doesn’t matter how little money we have, it’s always jokes” you, internet!” Pearson may hammer out pop-punk, but he picks tony royster Jr as a rhythmic hero and finds inspiration across the musical spectrum. “every drummer has his/ her own style so you can learn

using a 1980s Ludwig.” the drummer has taken to life on the road like a duck to water. “it’s all been a highlight so far, being able to travel around with your friends playing drums most nights; it doesn’t matter how little money we have it’s always jokes.”

Sounds like: all time Low, neck Deep, the wonder years Download: ‘warning Sign’ Go to: www.musicglue.com/roam

Dengue Fever with Paul Dreux Smith

dengue Fever

Alright The Captain with drummer Jamie Cattermole

AlrIghT The CApTAIn

Reviving Cambodia’s forgotten pop legacy

Math-rock – way more fun than algebra!

■ Based in La and fronted by cambodian vocalist chhom nimol, who sings entirely in khmer, Dengue Fever brew an intoxicating cocktail of cambodian pop with surf guitar and ’60s psychedelia. their repertoire includes arrangements of

■ it took Derby’s power trio alright the captain just 12 days to raise the budget to record their new album on kickstarter, testament to their rapidly rising profile in the math-rock and post-rock world. contact Fix is the trio’s first release with drummer Jamie

cambodian pop hits from the ’60s and early-’70s alongside their own original compositions. the band’s trippy sound is hypnotic and seductive – rich in sinuous grooves from drummer and percussionist Paul Dreux Smith.

Sounds like: the B-52s, the Lovin’ Spoonful, holly golightly Download: Still waters run Deep Go to: www.denguefevermusic.com


cattermole and he rips through the group’s complex instrumental arrangements like he was born playing odd time signatures. catch their thrilling and experimental musical chaos live at a uk venue near you in February, march and april.

Sounds like: maybeshewill, Primus, Don caballero Download: ‘Ben & Barbara’ Go to: www.facebook.com/alrightthecaptain

march 2015 |

23


John Bonham on stage with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page in 1975

GreG Sundel

Slaytanic Drum techniqueS Book

Learn to slay it like Lombardo if you're a fan of Dave lombardo and slayer (and hey, who isn’t?) and you fancy a crack at drumming like Dave, this book aims to help you learn and emulate some of the thrash legend’s technique, via notation of tracks from south of heaven. as well as notated tracks from that 1988 album, Greg sundel has also transcribed a number of lombardo’s fills, as well as exploring thrash beats and breaking down what sundel claims was the first ever blast beat, from ‘live undead’. Greg goes at the subject matter with a true fan boy’s tenacity, examining Dave’s drums and his rock influences too. (cBu)

Extras: n/a Go to: www.gregsundel.com

Physical Graffiti CD

Bonzo&co’s40-year-oldclassicremastered in deluxe package By 1975, led zep were a rock behemoth and could do no wrong. it was decided their sixth album would be a double album, and as such alongside new tracks would be outtakes from previous album sessions. once again the band decamped to headley Grange, scene of those amazing iV sessions, with ronnie wood’s mobile recording studio and taped eight new tracks – as robert Plant called them, “belters” – including the pacey blues of ‘in My time of Dying’, raunchy ‘custard Pie’, and the eastern tinged epic ‘kashmir’. added to these are outtakes from led zeppelin iii (‘Bron y aur’), iV (‘Down By the seaside’ and ‘Boogie with stu’) and houses of the holy (‘the rover’ and that album’s unused title track). But despite this chequered content, not one track feels out of place or out of time. such was the

24

| march 2015

quality of zeppelin’s output that none of the outtakes feel like an afterthought, and the album hangs together coherently. once again the unmistakeable powerhouse of John Bonham forms the backbone, and his drumming here is up there with his best. ‘the rover’ features one of his best intros (and he had a few); ‘trampled underfoot’ has a tight funky groove to it; ‘sick again’ has a crashing opener and swinging odd-sounding meter; on ‘wanton song’ Bonzo follows the galloping guitars with style and instinctual groove. the 40th anniversary release three-cD version also includes seven unreleased tracks including ‘everybody Makes it through’ (an early version of ‘in the light’ with alternate lyrics) and ‘rough orchestra Mix’ of kashmir under the song’s original title ‘Driving through kashmir’. (cBu)

Download: ‘the rover’ Go to: www.ledzeppelin.com

DVD/CD

Clash of the fusion titans a chance to the see the fusion trio put their otherworldly chops into action live on a performance captured in six different locations across the globe. splitting the screen between the three players (Guthrie Govan, guitar; Bryan Beller, bass; Marco Minnemann, drums) so you don’t miss a lick, and with a heavy use of GoPro cameras, it’s a jaw-dropping watch, and it’s inspiring to see all three virtuosos at work. Minnemann is, of course, one of modern rock and fusion’s great players, and his mastery of the kit (and the size of it) cannot fail to impress, while the communication between the players verges on the telepathic. (cBu)

Download: live cD, Marco’s tokyo drum solo, demos, making-of vid Go to: the-aristocrats-band.com www.rhythMMaGazine.co.uk

© Gijsbert hanekroot/redferns/Getty images

Led ZeppeLin

The AriSTocrATS

culture claSh live

ClassiC albums featuring…

Richard Bailey 1 BLoWBYBLoW (1974) JeffBeCk

2 earthCrisis (1984)steeLPuLse

3 PositiVitY (1994) inCognito

All instrumental, produced by George Martin, with the 17-year-old Richard flashing his Cobham influenced, Caribbean-nurtured chops. Hugely inventive and daring drumming from the fearless youngster. A fusion classic, injected with soul and groove by the inclusion of two Stevie Wonder cuts. Key Track: ‘Thelonius’

Steel Pulse combine sophisticated musicianship, accessible melodies and politically probing lyrics. It’s ’80s discofriendly post-Sly Dunbar reggae, with Richard’s snare fatter than usual. Richard also recorded the Pulse’s Babylon The Bandit (1986) which scooped a Grammy. Key Track: ‘Earth Crisis’

Richard’s trademark tight, clipped but fat snare propels this London jazz-funk institution on their fourth album. Bailey is smooth and in the pocket on the Tower Of Power-influenced ‘Talkin’ Loud’ and ‘Do Right’, with its Shaft-style guitar and smooth vocals in the Anita Baker-vein. Key Track: ‘Talkin’ Loud’

MArilyn MAnSon

the Pale emPeror CD

The Lord of Goth returns to form Perhaps reinvigorated by his acting stint on sons of anarchy, Manson brings a more honest approach of substance over style to Pale emperor, as he combines gothic with biker rock on tracks like ‘killing strangers’, ‘Birds of hell awaiting’ and hook-filled epic stomper ‘third Day of a seven Day Binge’. there are more real drums here than electronic too. ex-Dillinger escape Plan drummer Gil sharone brings his eclectic range to bear – if subtly – on Manson’s mostly straight-ahead grooves like ‘slave

PolAr BeAr

Same aS you CD

only Dreams to Be king’ and ‘the Mephistopheles of los angeles’ with their classic Manson, stomping, glam rock industrial beats. the syncopated rhythms of highlight ‘the Devil Beneath My Feet’ display a great touch but enviable restraint from sharone – who we know has chops to burn. For Manson, it’s a particularly strong and mature musical offering after years spent in a wilderness created by his own infamy and misguided belief that shock imagery and swearing would bear him up, even as his disaffected ‘outsider’ fans grew up and started paying taxes. that’s not to say the album doesn’t have a wealth of freakshow/ burlesque/goth imagery to it, just that there’s a whole lot more substance behind it this time. (cBu)

Download: ‘the Devil Beneath My Feet’ Go to: www.marilynmanson.com

enTer ShikAri

the minDSweeP CD

Seb’s second album in a year

Album four from Brit electro rockers

hot on the heels of Merc-nommed album in each and everyone, it seems there’s no stopping seb rochford, Bear-leader and drummer, as he unleashes a much more funky album, with vocals. a real highlight is ‘Don’t let the Feeling Go’, with seb himself taking vocals alongside hannah Darling, reminding us of seb’s versatility (he’s also worked with the likes of Beck and Paolo nutini), as well as providing an access point for those who may be slightly jazz-phobic. Drumwise, seb’s busy brushwork and lush grooves support the tenor sax and electronics that characterise the album – which is, on balance, less ‘jazz’ than groove, as on the lengthy ‘we are the echoes’ and ‘unrelenting conditional’. ‘the First steps’ starts, falteringly – like taking first steps – but builds percussively into an irrestible, percussive rhythmic groove. (cBu)

it’s been three long years since enter shikari hit the top five with a Flash Flood of colour. the band's unabashed eclecticism played a big part in their breakthrough success, and the Mindsweep ramps their genre-hopping tendencies up a notch. opener ‘the appeal and the Mindsweep and i’ is ushered in by rob rolfe’s pounding toms backing rou reynolds’ faux-rap intro. ‘the one true colour’ takes a different tack, with a punky verse groove opening up into a floaty pop chorus. ‘the last Garrison’ is the standout, splicing metal and eDM with aplomb. Drum-wise, as noted by the man himself on page 8, ‘Myopia’ is rolfe’s finest moment, showcasing his stellar kick and snare chops alongside a deft understanding of juggling acoustic drums with samples and electronics. a brave, bold album, and one that will no doubt see rolfe and co back up the charts. (rc)

Download: ‘Don’t let the Feeling Go’ Go to: www.polarbearmusic.com

Download: ‘the last Garrison’ Go to: www.entershikari.com

www.rhythMMaGazine.co.uk


Sta Letterr

© michael Putland/hulton archive/getty images

Write in & Win! The writer of the Star Letter each

month wins an Evans Level 360 drum head and Pro-Mark sticks

blaMe it On ‘bOOM’ i hate to be pedantic, but i felt i needed to tug your coat about an inaccuracy in your ‘classic albums Featuring…’ on max weinberg last month. while he did indeed power most of Born to run, the drumming duties on the title track were in fact handled by ernest ‘Boom’ carter. that track is in fact the demo version of the song, recorded before max joined the band. Springsteen worked in the studio on that track for six months during the Born to run sessions, but in the end had to admit he couldn’t better the original demo, which had been receiving heavy airplay on american college radio. carter plays a tricky paradiddle across snare and hi-hat during the middle section which max readily admits he has never been able to replicate. Surely an interview with the mighty max is long overdue, as he does the best job in the world?

Phil de Jong, Springsteen Nerd Thanks for the clarification Phil, a great story about both the track and Mighty Max, who would indeed be a welcome return to the pages of Rhythm! – CBu

fleetWOOd bacK as a long-standing rhythm subscriber, i find the cover features especially rewarding: what makes the legends past and present tick, newcomers and so forth. there happens to be a drummer, born and raised in the uk and who now lives in hawaii, for whom i have the utmost respect. he may not be a drummer’s drummer, but there’s much to be learnt from his style of leading from the back, and of course some oddities in his set-up. i don’t think mick Fleetwood was featured in this magazine during Fleetwood mac’s last tour stop in the uk back in 2013, but i’d be very happy to see him adorn the

26

| march 2015

Keith Moon was a true inspiration to a great many of us

On Keith MOOn…

I’ve been a subscriber for over five years now and as with all your readers, I find the magazine excellent as it covers interviews, gear, lessons and what’s new in the world of drumming. However, this month’s issue (Feb 238) has surpassed all others to date for me, as it featured the drumming of my boyhood idol, the late, great, Keith Moon. From about the age of 10 (in 1963) I began to take a keen interest in popular music, particularly anything that had a lot of drums in the song. Naturally, I was drawn to The Who and the first single that I ever bought was ‘I’m a Boy’ in 1965. When I saw Keith perform on the television, which was rare in those days, I became a confirmed fan and my lifetime ambition was to see them play live. In 1976, while I was attending Dundee University, The Who did a three-date tour of the UK, playing with other groups at football stadiums (Glasgow, Cardiff and London). I knew that it was probably the only chance that I would ever get to see The Who play live. On Saturday, 6th June 1976, I saw Keith play at Parkhead Stadium in Glasgow, even though it was only two days before my final exams. It was a phenomenal show and the drums sounded like thunder. I was glad that I had made the trip as sadly, just over two years later, Keith joined the many hard living rock icons who “died before they got old”. In later years, I read and heard many debates as to how good Keith Moon really was and opinions varied from “all show and no substance” to the sort of views expressed in your article. However, there is no doubt in my mind that he put drumming on the map in the 1960s and inspired a great many people, including myself, to take up drumming. Robert Monaghan, Downpatrick, N. Ireland Thanks for sharing, Robert. We enjoyed putting together our Moonie tribute last month – I’m sure you’ll all agree Geoff Nicholls did a fantastic job of encapsulating just what was so special about Keith and his drumming legacy. You’re lucky to have got to see him live with The Who, it sounds like it was an amazing experience. Do any other readers have any Moonie experiences they’d like to share? – CBu


cover come may/June this year, when this legend of a band perform what will probably be their last tour on uk soil. Fleetwood’s an eccentric character and given half the chance, he’d be my favourite drummer to interview out of them all. i’d most certainly ask him about how he found himself playing on a kleenex box for one of Fm’s recordings!

Stuart McLaren, London, UK Trust us, we are MASSIVE fans of Mick Fleetwood here at Rhythm, and we have many ‘tentacles’ out there trying to get a hold of him for a cover feature soon. We’re excited about the Mac returning to these shores this summer, and you’re right – he led from the back and was so important to the band’s sound. Watch this space, Fleetwood fans! – CBu

dOn't fOrget deadbeats on looking through this month’s edition of rhythm i have come across a feature on cymbomute, stating it is an “ingenious bit of kit”. i am sorry but you guys have got it wrong because i have been using Deadbeat cymbal silencers made by Bill Sanders Practice kits since the 1980s, and these cymbomutes are a copy of his Deadbeats. i’m a great admirer of Bill Sanders products and his practice pads have been around since the ’70s, so i think it’s only right that you make this clear to your readers.

Bill Billington, High Wycombe Hi Bill, you are correct that Cymbomute is not the first time something like this has been tried, and Deadbeat cymbal silencers were indeed made by Bill Sanders back in the 1980s. We’d stand by our assertion however that the Cymbomutes are “an ingenious bit of kit”, which is to take nothing away from Bill Sanders’ version. We contacted Cymbomute, and the company’s Hugh Lawrence had this to say about how their product compares with Bill Sanders’ Deadbeats: “The concept of rim-mounted cymbal mutes goes back a long way, with many variations over the years. The principal difference between the ‘Deadbeat’ mute and Cymbomute is the material. Cymbomute worked with a top elastics manufacturer to design a custom material with ‘ready to go’ cymbal rim fold actually woven into the fabric, they also specified stronger grades of thread than a standard elastic. The Cymbomute material is not commercially available and a lot of testing was done to

determine the right stretch, impact resistance and durability for Cymbomute. The Deadbeat uses standard elastic. Unless you are an elastic nerd, the products would appear to be almost identical – however, they are fundamentally NOT. “So, Cymbomute and Deadbeat both use the same tried and tested cymbal rim-mount concept, but Cymbomute is the only product made with a researched and developed custom woven material. Cymbomute also offers ALL individual sizes from 6" right up to 24" diameter cymbals in both Black and Gold. Another detail is that, as it’s cleverly housed by the label, the sewn Cymbomute join is totally flat which is especially important with hi-hat use, as there’s no join ‘lump’. We believe all this attention to detail sets Cymbomute ahead in quality, effectiveness and usability.” – CBu

rOcK and grOhl Love the top 10 Drum intros article and like the top 10, as well as the other 91. But too much grohl! three tracks in the top 10? Seriously? he’s done some great things i agree but i can’t help thinking that his intros are at the forefront of your/our minds because of his high public profile right now. ‘teen Spirit’ ok, but ‘Song For the Deaf’, while being decent, hardly seems to fit up there with Bonzo and alex Vh’s offerings which rocked the music world for decades. ‘my hero’? LoL… there are far worthier examples from the other 91 such as the Blondie tracks, ‘honky tonk women’, ‘we will rock you’ and many others. moreover, some of those 91 aren’t intros at all (‘Funky Drummer, Back in Black’) but are iconic grooves anyway. had a lot of fun reading through the list though – good job well done!

Ricky, London We’re pleased you enjoyed the feature and the list. Of course, such things are subjective, and whether decided by reader polls, panels of ‘experts’ or just your humble Rhythm staff, we’re never going to please everyone. We rate Mr Grohl very highly, and not just because of his current profile – we've been fans since first hearing Nevermind; and I’m sure you must agree that his way with a drumming hook together with his hard hitting style has given us some pretty irresisible beats, fills and intros for QOTSA, Nirvana and the Foos, including those we listed. Whether they deserve to be up there with ‘Rock And Roll’, we could debate till doomsday… – CBu

get in tOuch @RhythmMagazine

RhythmMagazine

[email protected]

on twitter Kaz & anika, together!

to a positive and good 2015… new drum videos coming soon, plus my special collab with my friend @anikanilles @1Kaz2

Excited about Kaz and Anika’s collaboration, with them both featuring in Rhythm really soon – watch this space! giving us a rush

it’s the first day of @namm and what better way to start it off than with neil Peart’s kit. #namm15 #dwdrums @dwdrums Jojo rocks kudos @rhythmmagazine for another great issue feat Jojo mayer & the philosophy behind his foot techniques #drums @BizeeIbrahim

Jojo’s great, isn’t he? What that man doesn’t know about technique just isn’t worth knowing.

on facebook We asked: What’s the best (short) bit of advice you’ve been given by a drum tutor? Kyle Cullen: “get an ‘a’ in your practise not a ‘c’. meaning master something before moving on.” Mike Gill: “Stop hitting my drums that hard!!!” Alexandra Allex: “Feel it, stop thinking.” Ollie Tanner: “if you can say it, you can play it.” Ciaran Doyle: “Stop counting in your head and count out loud.” Drum Medd: “whatever you learn on your right side learn it on your left… try to get all your limbs to listen to what you’re saying.”

Or send it the old way: The Editor, Rhythm Magazine, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, Somerset BA1 1UA


march 2015 |

27

Competition

Win! T

his month you can get your hands on a sumptuous cymbal to complete your collection and make a real difference to your sound. Turkish company Bosphorus developed the Samba range firstly for the Brazilian music market, but these beauties have a wider appeal, as Rhythm reviewer Jake Stacey noted last month. In his

four-star review, Jake said: “Bosphorus says that the range is aimed at those jazz players looking for that classic Turkish sound, but owing to the sizes available it hopes to see players in other genres giving them a go.” The cymbal we have up for grabs this month is the 20" Samba ride, a metal which retails for a whopping £302.

A Bosphorus sAmBA ride cymBAl worTh £302! how To EnTEr To stand a chance of winning head to www.futurecompetitions.com/sambaride and answer the question below.

Terms & conditions Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this competition. Answers must be received between 6/2/15 and 9/3/15. The winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received between the relevant dates and will be sent the prize free of charge. Winners will be notified within 28 days of the closing date and will be required to supply details of a UK delivery address. By entering this competition, you consent to us using your personal details to send you information about products and services of Future which may be of interest to you. For full terms and conditions visit www.futurenet.com/futureonline/competitionrules.asp

Samba muSic originated from Which country?

A) Brazil B) Belgium C) Belarus

28

| march 2015


cover feature dave weckl

One Of t he mOs t remarkable p layer s Of t h i s Or any Ot her generat iOn , rhy t hm talk s tO Dave Weckl abOu t h i s jOurne y tO t he tOp words: DaviD West photos: james cumpsty

I

n a field of endeavour as subjective as music, trying to pinpoint the best drummer in the world quickly becomes an exercise in futility with arguments about indefinable qualities like feel and musicality butting heads with devotees of chops and speed. Yet there are a handful of players at the top of the rhythmic heap that possess the combination of technique, confidence and vocabulary behind the kit to be able to express themselves with a clarity and fluency most drummers can only dream of. And there are few to rival Dave Weckl on that score. Born and raised in St Louis, Missouri, Weckl

30

| march 2015

started to attract attention in New York in the early ’80s with the band Nite Sprite. In 1983 he landed the highly sought-after Simon And Garfunkel gig, previously filled by his drumming idol Steve Gadd, and his career sky-rocketed. He became an in-demand session player and cut hit records including Madonna’s Like A Virgin, Diana Ross’s Swept Away and The Honeydrippers’ self-titled debut with Robert Plant. In 1985 he established himself as one of the leading lights of the jazz-fusion scene when he joined Chick Corea’s Elektric Band. During that tenure Weckl was a pioneer in the use of electronic drums in a jazz context when he incorporated Simmons pads, then the state of the art, into his acoustic

kit. Alongside his fruitful partnership with Corea, Weckl frequently collaborates with guitar master Mike Stern in a body of work that runs from Stern’s 1986 album Upside Down right through to 2012’s All Over The Place. In addition to a prolific career as a sideman, Weckl started recording and releasing his own albums as a bandleader beginning with 1990’s Master Plan, and he has continued to hone his skills as a producer and composer alongside his formidable drumming ability on every successive release. He’s a successful educator and instructor sought out by other drummers, including industry professionals looking to refine their own technique. Seeking greater creative and financial autonomy he



march 2015 |

31


“spend the time learning from and watching those that know how to do what you want to do, much better than you,” advises Dave

now runs his own record label and continues to produce new and innovative music, most recently with The Dave Weckl Acoustic Band, while balancing a busy touring schedule with veterans like Stern and next-generation fusion stars such as guitar virtuoso Oz Noy. Inspiring, groundbreaking and tirelessly pursuing excellence, there are none better behind the kit than Dave Weckl. How much did your experience playing with Chick Corea shape your approach to music? “chick is one of the most organised, prolific people i know. his ability to positively invite people into his world, to help satisfy his needs both musically and

32

| march 2015

personally – they go together quite profoundly – is remarkable. i quote him in theory and practice quite a bit these days, when leading my own band, with one aspect in particular, and that is to ‘provide an environment to give people the freedom to create’. i learned so much, hard to really put a lot of it into words; but in the areas of playing together on stage with a great deal of communication, and overall organisational skills are concerned, those stick out as two of the most profound.” Do you ever listen back to your early recordings, and if so, what do you make of your younger self? “i don’t make a habit out of listening to myself –

unless i’m mixing something – but to answer the question, it depends on the era and with whom i was playing. “i was quite passionate to play the drums as a youngster, well, i still am, but my tendency was to play that way; a bit excited and on top of things. But after studying – mostly – the playing of steve gadd in my late teens and early twenties, i started to be able to lay back a bit and with certain bands could really practice and work at it. “honestly though, most of the time if i listen to myself [playing] when i was young, i tend to cringe. i am sure that’s something that most of us can relate to!”


Dave on teaching: “For me it is about sharing what i do with anyone that wants to understand the approach, and better themselves in the process”

“ t h e bOt tOm l i n e i s , t h e mOr e yOu l e a r n a n D t h e m O r e y O u p r ac t i s e , yOu r l e v e l Of a bi l i t y i nc r e a s e s ” How much are you aware of your reputation within the drumming community, and is that something that is important to you, to be acknowledged for your ability and accomplishments, or is it a distraction? “of course it is very nice to feel appreciation for what you do – and not so nice to feel the opposite! i learned a long time ago that you cannot please everyone so i stopped trying a long time ago as well. having said that, it used to be a distraction, because i let it be one. i wanted my music and drumming to be a positive experience for anyone that listened, and took it personally if someone didn’t have a positive reaction, but eventually realised that it was an


unrealistic expectation. so it is important to me to give the listener a positive experience, if they are willing to accept it, because that is my intention. after that, for me it is about sharing what i do with anyone that wants to understand the approach, and better themselves in the process.” The ‘10,000 hours of practice’ concept seems to have a lot of traction at the moment. What’s your take on it and when did you complete your 10,000th hour? “it’s of course an estimate but somewhere around my mid to late-twenties is what i came up with. i had heard about the concept, and then read outliers by

malcolm gladwell and that book drove it home i suppose. my feeling on it is, as with anything you want and expect to do well, at an extremely high level of ability, you need ‘seat time’; a phrase used in auto racing, applicable to myself as a hobby for the last few years. it basically means you have to spend the time practising and studying the fundamentals, learning from and watching those that know how to do what you want to do much better than you, and in music, listening, absorbing all you can, as often and as much as you can. the bottom line is, the more you learn, and the more you practise over and over again, it becomes second nature, and your level of ability increases. i’m not so sure how much the ‘number’ really has to do with it, but it’s not a bad number to shoot for!” What constitutes good, constructive practice? “well for me, i always had a plan, an organised ‘worksheet’, of what i needed to work on, and spent time each day working on most everything

march 2015 |

33

cover feature dave weckl on it, time allowing. time is the key; the more of it you have – make – the more you can get done. if you have or make little time to practice, you cannot expect to get results, at least not quickly. it will take more time. i believe spending more time on fewer things, in these ‘short on time’ instances, will yield better results. so ‘short term’ goals, to me, is the most constructive practice approach when time is limited. other than that, i would suggest to try to be as organised as you can and try to work on general time management so the time to practise is there!” Do you still have a practice routine now? How do you gauge your own progress and set goals? “i’m, thankfully, working too much to have a ‘routine’. if i’m off the road between tours, and at home doing recording work, i really don’t have much time, need or interest to practise, and can stay pretty well ‘lubed’, as i am playing a lot in the recording process. when not recording, with either down time or mixing something then i need to be on the kit every day for a bit, to at least ‘maintain’ things. in this case, with this ‘maintenance practice’, i try and multi-task as much as i can; that is to involve multiple things in the practice session all at once – like independence, time, feel, sound, for example – in anything i play. i also try and do some of this ‘short term goal practice’ to work on things i can’t do very well (like my left foot on the bass drum, or tricky independence things) so i do feel some progression along with the maintenance.”

Dave on practising: “i believe spending more time on fewer things will yield better results”

© F. desmaele

Does growth come from pushing against your limits and leaving your comfort zone? “of course. you have to train the mind and body in the ‘unknown’ to advance in anything to broaden your knowledge base for more depth. But it also comes from analysing what you are already doing, in whatever area you want to look at – like time, feel, technique – and working on finding consistency and flow, and ‘owning’ what you already can do.

WecKL oN recorD

Six key recordings by the fusion master Chick Corea elektric Band (1986)

Living up to its title, Elektric Band saw Chick Corea playing keyboards, rather than piano, while Weckl added Simmons pads and a LinnDrum machine to his set-up. Moving away from Corea’s jazz-rock with Return To Forever, it’s full of lively and playful tracks like ‘Got A Match?’ and ‘Elektric City’.

Chick Corea Akoustic Band chick corea akoustic Band (1989)

Corea’s return to acoustic jazz, in a trio with Weckl and bassist John Patitucci, won the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance. The set combines standards, including a lovely performance of ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’, and Corea’s own compositions including the wonderful 'Morning Sprite', and the playing is superb.

34

| march 2015

Dave Weckl Band transition (2000)

Ten years into his solo career, Weckl hit the sweet spot with Transition, recorded as a quartet with Steve Weingart on keys, Brandon Fields on saxophone and bassist Tom Kennedy. ‘Wake Up’ is sinuous funk, while ‘Amanecer’ saw the drummer incorporate percussion into his kit, further expanding his vocabulary.

Chick Corea Elektric Band to the stars (2004)

The reformed Elektric Band sounds sharper than ever on the album that brought Corea back to electric music. John Patitucci’s fleet-fingered bass playing gives Weckl a run for his money in ‘Check Blast’. Latin flavours abound in ‘Mistress Luck – The Party’, while ‘The Long Passage’ exudes grand musical ambitions.

Dave Weckl Band multiplicity (2005)

With Gary Meek taking the sax spot, alongside Kennedy and Weingart, the Dave Weckl Band digs into jazz-funk on Multiplicity, touching stylistically on The Yellowjackets and Weather Report. Weckl’s exquisite drum breaks in ‘Watch Your Step’ are tremendous while ‘Mixed Bag’ is a lesson in how to groove in odd-time.

Dave Weckl, Jay Oliver convergence (2014)

Convergence marks Weckl’s reunion with his old friend and musical partner Jay Oliver, who played on the drummer’s early solo outings. An undisputed highlight is Weckl’s double drumming with Chris Coleman (Prince, Chaka Kahn) on a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground’, but the album is packed full of high energy jazz fusion.


© F. desmaele


Dave in action with his acoustic Band, and artwork for their latest album Of the same mind

although it’s all about tiresome, repetitive practice, you don’t want to be ‘repeating’ the wrong things.” How would you like your own playing to develop going forwards? “honestly, at this stage, i’m happy to just be able to maintain and keep playing what i want, when i want, for as long as i can. i want to find time to study more keyboards and composing, to be honest.” In comparison with recording and touring, how important is the clinic and educational side of your career now? Is it vital in order to survive in an industry where album sales can no longer be relied upon? “album sales have really had little or nothing to with my survival, until now that is, that i am basically my own record company, owning everything and producing/selling it myself. i think for the first time in my career as a recording artist, i’m actually seeing money being made from my cd sales. crazy! in the jazz market, we just don’t sell that many records, never have. But, we can and do sell a good amount of cds at live gigs, which really helps offset tour expenses. i also keep my newly produced/owned music oFF of any streaming sites like spotify or pandora, where we, the artist, get completely

36

| march 2015

“ i t r y a n D m u lt i - t a s k a s m u c h a s i c a n ; i n v O lv e m u lt i p l e t h i n g s i n t h e p r ac t i s e s e s s i O n , a l l a t O n c e ” shafted financially – the residuals are a joke they are so low – because it makes our music easily accessible ‘in the moment’, therefore thwarting sales. i wish more artists would boycott these types of streaming sites. we are killing ourselves and the industry by allowing this to happen! i realise the reach may not be as broad by not appearing there, therefore i will make this music available eventually – soon – on itunes and the like, but for now, it is only available on my website, daveweckl.com, in hard copy or downloads, or at the gigs. “For me the joy of playing the drums, playing music, is with other people, in a live band situation. i’ve been doing more clinics the last year or two to celebrate my 30th-year anniversary with yamaha drums, and along with those clinics, i have started to do my own ‘drum intensives’ – eight-hour days for a maximum of 12-15 people – that have been very successful. i will always teach when i have the time, but for now playing and touring are still the focus. i think the main aspect for readers and

young players to think about regarding this topic is to try and diversify within the industry. Being ‘just a drummer’ is really not enough to survive these days! Learn how to write music, play other instruments, record and mix music, etc. it can all only be a positive!” You’re having a productive patch with new material of your own with Convergence and Of The Same Mind. Has crowd-funding been a boon? “yes, it’s been a very busy couple of years! as i said, wanting to do this on my own, we used the crowd funding approach for the making of convergence, with pledge music, and yes, it worked very positively, beyond my expectations actually, and really was the only way we could afford to produce such a ’mega’ project – not just a cd, complete play-alongs and other things available. if i had to do it over again though, i would set the goal limit a bit lower, not offer quite as many things, and make sure the project can be doable and [continues on page 40]


cover feature dave weckl Dave's Gear Drums

Yamaha Phoenix: 18"x16" kick (with Remo Coated Ambassador Batter, Standard issue Yamaha front logo head, no hole. No muffling inside drum, only slight damping with a prototype external muffler being developed with Remo); 14"x5½" Brass shell, 30th Anniversary Signature Snare (“At times I will use two snares – 13"x5" Signature snare on my left – so the 16"x15" floor tom moves back next to the 14" floor tom.”), 12"x8" rack tom, 14"x13" floor tom, 16"x15" left side floor tom. (“Only differences on my fusion kit is a different bass drum size – either 22"x16" or 20"x16" – and the addition of a 10"x7" rack tom, mounted on Hex Rack. It will depend on the music and band as to how the bass drum is tuned – hole or not – and muffled.”)

Cymbals

Sabian HHX Evolution and Legacy series: 22" Legacy Heavy ride with one rivet, 20" Legacy ride, 14" Legacy hi-hats (Evolution hats with Fusion kit), 18" Evolution crash and 14" Evolution China stack, 17" O-zone (special order) (18" with Fusion set-up), 17" Evolution Effeks with three rivets, 10" Evolution splash (upside down on top of 20" ride – Acoustic Band kit only), 7" Evolution splash (upside down on top of 17" Effeks – Acoustic Band kit only), 12" Evolution splash with fusion kit – 7" mounted upside down, 17" or 18" Evolution crash on Fusion kit in place of 20" Legacy ride. (“The 20" ride gets replaced with either a 17" or 18" Evolution/Legacy crash. The O-zone is an 18" with this kit.”)

Plus

Percussion: 14" Latin Percussion Tito Puente timbale (on snare stand next to 14" floor tom), Latin Percussion Mambo Cowbell (mounted off ride cymbal stand with multi-clamp); Yamaha hardware including 9500C double foot pedal with nylon straps (in place of chains), DS-840 drum seat, HS-1200T hi-hat stand, Yamaha Hex Rack II; Yamaha O1V96i (“This is my FoH mixer as well as my in-ear monitor mixer for all on stage,”); Shure mics and monitoring (Beta 52 for kick – Beta 91 inside on 18" kick – SM57 on snares, SM98 on toms, KSM44 overheads, SM81 on hi-hat, in-ear pack with E550 ear pieces); Remo heads: all toms have Remo Coated Ambassador heads on top, Clear Ambassadors on bottom; snare has Coated Ambassador on top and Ambassadors snare-side; active snare muffler and bass drum mufflers designed in conjunction with Remo; Vic Firth sticks and products: SDW and SDW2 (“I mostly use the latter,”), Rute 505, brushes, mallets, etc; QSC monitors; Gator/XL cases

38

| march 2015


GeariNG up dave on getting in the zone with the right gear and the evolution of his own set-up You’ve been with Yamaha for 30 years. Is a drummer only as good as their kit? “Yes and no, to answer the question. To correlate; a good race car driver can jump into any car, quickly acclimate to it and drive very fast around a race track. Any good drummer can jump on any kit and sound pretty darn good, or should be able to. However, at a high level, where one is very sensitive to the details of good gear – car or drumset in this case – the driver/drummer will be able to perform easier, and be free to achieve their ‘vision’ of what they want to do, and therefore it should be better. For me, Yamaha drums – along with all my other gear; Sabian, Vic Firth, Remo, LP, Shure, etc – helps me to be in that ‘zone’ I strive to always be in. With lesser gear, the absolute result may not be achievable, at least at the level or vision of the individual attempting the performance, and is certainly the case for me.” Talk us through the evolution of your kit over the last 30 years. Have you reached your optimum set-up, or is there still room for manoeuvre? “My set-up changes based on the music I play, always has. This is especially the case in the studio, depending on individual songs, and the sound I want to create – or am asked to create – in that moment. If you dig up pictures of my kit from 30 years ago, you will find a similar rack tom set-up that I use now, which is offset to my left from the centre of the bass drum. When I got into the Elektric Band, the use of electronics/pads forced another set-up, then going back to mostly acoustic drums, and studying with Freddy [Gruber], forced yet another approach with different heights and angles. Basically though, for the most part, I think yes, I have achieved the optimum set-up, or set-ups, for me. The ergonomics, ie: the heights and angles of the kit, and getting things in a place so natural body motion can prevail, has been the biggest adjustment over the years. This becomes more important the older you get, so that you are not taxing your body simply by putting it in distressing positions, risking injury. But, ideas are always coming and possibly in the ‘moment’ of what I may want to hear or play, so things can always change.”


march 2015 |

39

cover feature xxxxxxxxx dave weckl [continued from page 36] deliverable in an acceptable time frame. we had really good intentions, to make so many things available within the project, but the reality is it just took way too long. in fact it really is still not finished! the documentary dVd is still being made – close to, if not finished, by the time this interview is released. our problem, Jay oliver and i, is that we suffer a bit too much from the ’perfectionist’ dilemma. we just can’t let something go out that doesn’t live up to our expectations, so therefore it takes more time than it would, say if we just didn’t really care that much about the integrity of the final product. so to our pledgers, i personally apologise for the wait. But, i think in the end, most are happy with the final outcome. “i took it upon myself to fund of the same mind, which is my new ‘band’ project, with makoto ozone

(piano/B3), tom kennedy (electric upright bass) and gary meek (sax) as it was only a cd being produced. again, being that it’s my own ‘record company’ in theory, producing and selling the cd, as with convergence, i have almost recouped the initial production costs within the first six months of sales, which is a positive thing. at this stage you can only buy it from my website or at the gigs we do. i will, however, be making both products available to broader markets soon.” What are the most common issues that people seek help with when you do masterclasses and lessons? “it’s not so much what people seek, as i think most come to be ‘evaluated’ and have me tell them what i think they need. i don’t try and profess that i know

“ i D O n ’ t t ry a n D p rO f e s s t h at i k n OW e v e r y t h i n g O r ‘ m y Wa y ’ i s t h e O n ly Wa y, n O t e ac h e r s h O u l D ”

everything, or ‘my way’ is the only way; no teacher should. But i do try to get people to be comfortable in their space, from a physical aspect, first. this was the one thing i took away from Freddy gruber’s teachings that made a huge difference for me at the kit. i have to say, that from a ‘natural body motion’ standpoint, a lot of folks set the drums up, and sit at them, in very unnatural, if not awkward, positions. this has nothing to do with a ‘drumming’ approach. it has everything to do with a common sense, ergonomically proficient approach that allows the mind and body to be free to create what you want at the instrument. after that, i try to get them to allow the emotional, spiritual individual soul to come through the instrument, so the sounds and feel are theirs, and not just ‘drum stuff’ coming out. everything else is repetitive practice – technique, independence, reading, listening – and can be achieved in the ‘10,000 hours’ quest!” What have you learned personally from doing the workshops and classes? “i’ve learned i have to actually spend time thinking about what i do! i share all the good

Dave outside Ronnie scott’s in London, where he recently rounded up a yamaha 30th anniversary clinic tour

40

| march 2015



Dave on teaching workshops and classes: “i share all the good things i’ve learned from all my wonderful past teachers and then analyse a good part of what i do at the drums as a player”

things i’ve learned from all my wonderful past teachers, and then also analyse a good part of what i do at the drums as a player, so that i can somewhat intelligently convey what i do, and answer questions people may have.” It looks like you and Chris Coleman had a blast cutting ‘Higher Ground’. How did you guys approach that? Was it very off-the-cuff or were your parts quite orchestrated? “we did have a blast! it was great fun making that song happen. For me, the total ‘off the cuff’ approach can be fun in a jam situation, with high level players, but not for making a recording, especially for a song like this where there is so much orchestration, and a lot of instruments involved. i had a pretty good idea of a ‘template’ for our approach, where we would alternate the ‘lead’ drum part role, and some ideas of parts for us each to play within that structure. however, i wanted chris’s input as well, so i invited him over to work out the parts and sections together. of course it was just the ‘basic’

42

| march 2015

grooves and role playing ideas that were ‘written’. within that framework, pretty much everything we played was ‘off the cuff’, and i wouldn’t want it any other way.” You’ve had a long creative relationship with Mike Stern. When you’re working with someone who has such a strong musical identity, is that a different experience to leading your own groups? Is being a sideman still a fulfilling role? “i enjoy doing sideman work, with mike and others, for lots of reasons, but yes it’s a very different head space than the ‘leader hat’. Being a sideman means you’re working for someone else who is taking on the responsibility of ‘leading’ a band, whether it be in the studio making a record, or live on tour. it is respectful to understand this, and to work towards the goals of that leader, without compromising too much of what you want to put forth in the music. if you can’t do that, and you have too strong of an opinion about how things should be done, then you need to be a leader. i go back and forth between the desires, joys

and pains, of both hats. so i do go back and forth between doing them both.” What do you have lined up for 2015? “i have many things happening already for 2015. i’ll be working off and on with a group called the nomads, which is chris minh doky’s group (bass), with george whitty (keys) and dean Brown (guitar). i have a south american tour scheduled with mike stern in march, and other possible work with him later in the year. i’m trying to squeeze in some gigs with oz noy as well. i’m currently mixing a live cd we did on our last tour of asia which will release spring 2015. my new acoustic Band will be doing some touring as well, with a spring eu tour and early-fall asian tour currently being booked. my website will have all these tours listed, as well as a full store to purchase the convergence cd/play along, of the same mind cd and other products. Besides that, maybe a few ‘drum intensives’ here and there… again, stay tuned to my website or my Facebook fan-page for updates and details of all tours!”


Tugg The Drummer talks to Rhythm about worshipping the click, finding the spaces to play in EDM, bringing live drums to grime and why it’s good to be a bit bonkers with Basement Jaxx words: DaviD West photos: aDam Gasson

44

| march 2015


IntervIew NathaN ‘tugg’ CurraN


march 2015 |

45

IntervIew NathaN ‘tugg’ CurraN nathan Curran: “if people see you performing and vibing and being happy on stage, they”ll get a lot more vibe from it”

machines and drum synths”. after attending music college in London tugg joined a band called Beautiful people in 1991 where he had his first experience of playing with sequencers. But it was when he hooked up with Basement Jaxx on their third album, kish kash, in 2003 that he returned to incorporating electronics into his kit. “there is a lot of electronic stuff in their music so that’s when i started using sds-s pads,” he says. “i’ve got a simmons up there tonight for the o2 gig, a special old sds-1 which is real old school.” while Basement Jaxx is his main gig, tugg has worked with grime artists Lady sovereign and kano, rapper roots manuva, dance act pnau (on a collaboration with elton John) and Lily allen, as well as electronic dance music duo gorgon city. How did you meet simon and Felix of Basement Jaxx? “i used to dJ a lot in Brixton when remedy came out, the first Basement Jaxx album, and Felix used to come down and see me dJ. he knew that i was a drummer because i used to play in this band called Faze action who were a dance band but they were more disco, and he came to see us play. we hung out quite a lot when i was dJing and he said, ‘would you like to come and play drums on kish kash?’ which was their third album, so i said i’d love to. i played drums on the track ‘good Luck’ and the rest is history. i was like, ‘well, are you going to do this live? it’s all well and good being in the studio, but i want to do that on stage with you.’ they had dancers and other things but they never had a real live drummer and that was in ’03 that i joined on that third album.” Why do you think they wanted to have a live drummer? “it’s a good visual thing having a live drummer up there. it’s a bit boring seeing two guys dJ with some dancers and we’ve incorporated loads of percussion with oli savill who’s been in the band the same amount of time as me. it works as a unit having live drums and percussion. it makes it more interesting. that’s the thing with the Jaxx, there’s a lot going on and that’s why their music is exciting but we have to choose the gaps to play in and that means we have to work as a team.”

athan curran, better known as tugg the drummer, might be one of the most high profile players in the British dance music community, but his introduction to drumming came from a very different style and era. “it was Queen basically,” says tugg. “my mum was heavily into Queen and one day i picked up a pair of knitting needles and ice cream cartons and

46

| march 2015

started playing along. within two weeks i wanted to be a drummer. i was only nine years old and then for my 10th birthday my mum and dad bought me my first drum kit. all i’ve ever done is play drums from the age of 10.” two years later the young drummer got his hands on his first synth drum – a clone – which kick-started his interest in electronic drums. while his original clone packed up after a year or two, tugg recently tracked down an old clone on eBay to feed what he calls his “obsession with old analogue drum

Did you start out playing rock music growing up on Queen? “i played with reef for the last two years before they split up, i know they are back on the road now, and then i formed another rock band with those guys from reef. we did a thing called them is me and that was great fun. generally i’m into all different kinds of music and at college i used to go to ministry of sound, go clubbing and that’s when i really got into dance music so i’m really open minded. i think it’s good to be into everything but my vibe is i play kind of dancey but then i’ve got a smash, rock vibe as well. i put myself in any situation and model my drumming on the music, so if i’m playing in a punk band i’ll play trashy, if i’m playing in a dance band i’ll adapt to what’s needed. i think being a good drummer is playing simple and playing for the song. you can obviously do your chops but when you’re playing with bands, especially with the Jaxx and www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

gorgon city, there is a lot of pop stuff so it doesn’t need loads of mad drum fills.” What’s your set up for Basement Jaxx? “i’m using acoustic drums with a simmons sds-1 which is actually a steel drum [sample] that sounds bonkers. that’s what they like, something a bit individual and a bit bonkers. you have the acoustic drums on top of the beat. it makes it more vibey, more live, the hi-hat, cymbals and everything, and this bit of weirdness every now and then with the simmons. i used to have an spd-s set up and my clone next to it but for this i just have one simmons pad and acoustic drums. nothing is different from any other drummer’s kit. it’s tuned nicely, one rack tom, one floor tom, one snare, cymbals, hi-hat and one bonkers steel drum simmons sound pad. that’s it. i just play with a click on top of the backing track.” Why did you choose that approach? “Because i’ve dJ’d and made my own dance productions, Felix knows i have a dance head on when i’m drumming with Basement Jaxx so they were always happy for me to play acoustic drums on top of their set. they have thousands of hard drives that have the old stuff on with the individual hits but there is no way of sourcing them anymore because their catalogue is ridiculous, trying to put that all back together and do it as an electronic thing like gorgon city would be very difficult at this stage. they’re quite happy with the way me and oli work together on the tracks. in a way we could do it fully electronic, but i think it would lose a bit of its energy. there is so much going on and we’re adding another layer to the madness. the great thing about the Jaxx is there’s a lot of trust and we’ve all been doing it for well over 10 years now as a team, so the other night i did maybe too much cymbal work in one of the operatic songs, but he just says maybe calm that down. generally we get free rein to do what we like but if Felix says, try this, then we’ll try that. he’s the boss but he has trust in what we do and that’s why we’ve been long term members of the band.”

“I played on kIsh kash . I was lIke, ‘well, are you goIng to do thIs lIve? It’s all well and good beIng In the studIo, but I want to do that on stage…”

Jaxx percussionist oli savill on partnering tugg Tugg’s partner in rhythm with Basement Jaxx is percussionist Oli Savill, but as Oli tells it, the rhythm section is bigger than the two of them. “We’ve always looked at it as three drums – me, Tuggy, and the backing track,” says Savill. In addition to his extensive collection of hand percussion, Savill is constantly evolving his electronic library of self-produced sounds to draw upon. “I’ve always stayed away from using stock sounds so I’ve always had an SPD-S because you can put your own sounds into it, rather than use stock sounds,” he says. “For example I’ll use some subs or kicks that I’ve made for my own tunes. I make sure I put some time into making sound effects for the show


rather than taking them out of a box. As an example there is a tune called ‘Buffalo’ – I actually got a very high quality buffalo snort that I put into my SPD-S, because it makes it individual.” Savill is a master at blending acoustic and electronic elements, and his rig for Basement Jaxx includes a Brazilian drum called an Alfaia. “It’s used in a tradition called Maracatu drumming, a rhythm from northeast Brazil,” says Savill. “I put a trigger on it that’s attached to the SPD-S with one of my big subs so when I play this it’s just a giant sound.” The end result should be one cohesive unit. “It has to sound like this big machine of rhythm,” says Savill. “It’s organised chaos.”

march 2015 |

47

IntervIew NathaN ‘tugg’ CurraN nathan’s set-up with Basement Jaxx

tugg's gear Drums

Premier Modern Classic in Mother Of Pearl finish: 10"x9" tom; 16"x16" floor tom; 22"x18" kick drum, 12"x8" snare; 14"x5" Pearl Chad Smith Signature snare

“you have to thInk carefully about where you’re goIng to fIll the spaces up. there Is a lot more goIng on wIth the Jaxx. It’s mayhem” You must be very comfortable with the click by now? “i worship the click. i think it is the most amazing thing and every drummer should play with it. if they don’t play with a click then they’ll have problems in the future. i think using the click can be very tribal. you can just go into a real mad one and switch beats around as long as you know where the ‘1’ is. i love the click. playing dance music, you need to have that.” Does the gig need someone who performs as well as plays? “generally, anything i do i have to perform. i get quite upset if i see a full-on band going and the drummer’s head is down and he’s not contributing to the performance. it makes me feel like, yeah, he’s probably a good drummer but leave him in the studio. a lot of it is to do with the playing but a lot of it is to do with putting in a big performance because people see that. if people see you performing and vibing and being happy on stage, they’ll get a lot more vibe from it. some things you have to be a bit

48

| march 2015

cool. when i was doing the Lily allen gig, i wouldn’t do what i do in the Jaxx. i stand up with the Jaxx and get people to clap their hands and it’s mental, but i’m allowed to do that because it needs that. Lily allen, you can’t do that. you sit in your black suit and play your thing.” How did you get involved with Gorgon City? “gorgon city’s md andy gangadeen gave me the call to do the job. i used to watch andy on the Jonathan ross show when i was 15 years old and when i moved to London we used to bump into each other. i was like, ooh, it’s andy gangadeen! i was a bit nervous to meet him, but then we hung out over the years every now and then and he was like, ‘Look man, i think you’d be great on the gorgon project,’ because they supported Basement Jaxx last year so we got to hang out quite a lot. he’s a great guy.” is your set-up for Gorgon City more electronic? “it’s all triggers, it’s very simple but i added my own flavour where i’m doing a lot of cymbal work in between breakdowns. with gorgon’s music, it’s a

Cymbals

Sabian: 21" HHX Groove ride; 18" Evolution O-zone crash; 18" Saturation crash; 14" HHX Groove hi-hats

Plus

Simmons SDS-1 pad; Remo heads – Coated Pinstripes on toms, CS Reverse Dot Coated on snare, Powerstroke 3 on kick; Premier pedal; Vic Firth 5A wood tip sticks

house beat all the way through but then you have to make it interesting with all the little side bits which are conga hits and weird rim sounds. the great thing about gorgon is, if you take the kick out it’s like you’re eQing the whole song. sometimes dJs take the bass drum out on the eQ, whereas with gorgon you just take your foot off, you’re not doing that four-on-the-floor beat. you can have some real fun with it depending on how the crowd is. you can take them to a different level – if they need to go higher you can pump the kick more. you’re more in control because with gorgon city there are no backing beats at all, it’s completely played, everything, all the beats, because that’s the way andy gangadeen wants it. he believes that if you get the right players we can do that. you don’t need to have a drummer playing on top of a backing track. it’s a different approach. it’s not a good thing or a bad thing, everyone is different. if i drop anything, the whole gig is going to www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

S

W

E

D

E

N

/

D

U

R

A

B

I

L

I

T

Y

&

F

E

E

L

nathan: “my theory is to smash it and i perform and play for the song”

Quality

you’ve

Do you use a snare with a trigger or a pad? “i use a pad. i’ve noticed after two weeks of rehearsals, i woke up one morning and my arm was in serious pain because i’m hitting a rubber pad quite hard and i’m not used to that. i need to do my warm-ups beforehand. it is different but you have to adapt to it otherwise you don’t get the gig!” How does Basement Jaxx compare with Gorgon City? “with the Jaxx it’s more about performing and fitting in where you can with the beats whereas gorgon is performing but you’re playing everything. i do have a lot more space with gorgon but with this you have to think carefully about where you’re going to fill the www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

Did you enjoy playing grime with Lady sovereign and Kano? “i loved it, that was brilliant. that was playing live drums as well, a lot of half-time grooves, it was wicked, and working with mcs so you can pull out things when they rhyme, which really gives impact to the show. i loved working with Lady sovereign and kano. i used an spd-s for their stuff as well but the same thing with the Jaxx, painting on top. with roots manuva i did a few things where i used a full electronic drum kit, but only for a few gigs to see what it was like. it was cool, but he preferred it to be a mixture of both, so that’s what we rolled with. acoustic drums are great but what’s very popular at the moment is the dance side of music. there is a lot of dance music charting and with that comes the dance beats and people like andy gangadeen who want to create that live, so that’s why we need to have electronic triggers or pads. i think for modern music it’s a bit dated to use acoustic drums on sequenced drums tracks within a song. my theory is to smash it and i perform and play for the song. those three things – smash it, play for the song and perform. in whatever musical environment you’re in, electronic, acoustic drums, just always play for the song and it will always work.”

never experienced

before Distributed by Pearl Music Europe bv.

What are the acoustic elements? “two cymbals, one hat, and two toms. that’s it. everything else, kick, snare, rim shots, all that stuff, echoes of reverb congas, and the hi-hats are electronic. i’ve got electronic hi-hats on the bass drum, so i can chip away on the hi-hat on the left to give it a bit more tinsel. i use the other drums as filler.”

spaces up. there is a lot more going on with the Jaxx. it’s mayhem. that’s why it’s so good and that’s why they are longevity artists because they’re interesting and they’ve been doing it for 20 years.”

www.wincent.se

go downhill. you feel that pressure as well which is good because it’s a challenge. you know the click is running but you know with the Jaxx if the beat goes a bit funny, if you play a little bit off, you’ve got the backing track beat slamming it anyway, where with gorgon if you make any mistakes you’ll hear it.”

feature gig bag essentials

17 GiG BaG EssEntials

1

2

It's not just sticks that you need to pack in your gig bag, avoid a nightmare come show time by remembering these must-haves words: Rich chambeRlain photo: Joby sessions

3

O

n a gig, us drummers have enough to worry about, what with keeping the band on course, preventing the guitarists from drinking their body weight in beer before the encore and making sure we nail that fill in the third song. so, we need to turn up prepared. taking it as read that you will arrive with a wad of sticks of different sizes and styles (just in case your rock band turns up to find you’re booked into a tiny club with a limiter), there are 17 key items you need to make sure you have in your gig bag if you want to avoid injury, embarrassment, withering looks from your frontman and all-round disaster on the night.

1

towel

3

A towel is vital for wiping the sweat from your brow and hands between songs. Additionally, bringing a towel to gig is also a sign of courtesy as you can wipe the throne down, post-performance, during kit shares.

2

sugar snack

Did that energy drink not quite hit the spot? A sugar-heavy snack can give you a quick energy boost to see you through the set.

50

| march 2015

torch

We’ve all done it – a cymbal topper flies off and, thanks to the absolute lack of any light on stage, simply cannot be found. Whip out your trusty torch and it’ll be located in seconds.

4

tape

Good old gaffa tape, the drummer’s best friend. Handy for all sorts of things, including dampening heads/cymbals, and strapping cables to the ground.

5

Practice pad

Head out on stage cold to your peril. Whip your trusty pad out and run through a few exercises before show time and you’ll be far more relaxed, therefore cutting the chance of injuries.

6

4

5

6

lanyard

From those heart-warming gigs when you’re given your own stage pass, why not look ultra professional by popping it (and a drum key) on a lanyard?


7

Hearing protection

We cannot overstate the importance of this one! Avoid tinnitus by packing a pair of ear plugs for every show.

8

Multi tool

A Swiss army knife for drummers, a handy tool like this can ease nightmares like your bass pedal collapsing halfway into your first song.

9

spares

Hi-hat clutches and cymbal felts, surely the most elusive items on the planet. They’ve disappeared more times than David Copperfield, so pack some spares.

10

Plasters

14

The meaty shot intended for your snare instead connects with your finger and here comes the claret. Plaster it up to keep the dirt out and keep that brand new snare head the colour it was meant to be.

11

Moon Gel

15

This may be a bugbear for some drummers, but when you’re in a tight spot with a particularly unhelpful sound man, a spot of Moon Gel could be just what you need to sort your snare sound.

12

Phone charger

Once you’ve used your maps app to find the venue, done your last-minute promoting on Facebook and shared pre-gig pics on Instagram you’ll be out of juice and unable to film those mid-gig iPhone videos. And that just will not do.

13

Pen and paper

Squinting at your phone or peering through your cymbals at the guitarist’s setlist is far from ideal, so make sure you pack a pen and paper so you can scrawl your own list or last minute charts.

Key

Any drummer worth their salt won’t just have one of these for gigs, they’ll have one (or more!) about their person at all times. And one in the stick bag. And one in the glove box.

Cash

Not all pubs have made it to the 21st Century, y’know, so keep some readies in your pocket for those times when your debit card is as useful as a chocolate teapot.

16

spare t-shirt

The sweat-drenched post-gig T-shirt is not a good look. Pack a spare and you can keep fresh as a daisy and stay warm as your sweat turns to ice during the load out.

17

Drink

It might be cooler to say you down a shed-full of pints every gig, but a bottle of water is key for staying hydrated during a performance, and the sugar boost from an energy or isotonic drink might just be a gig-saver.

17

16

15

14

13

11 8

9

10 12

7


march 2015 |

51

10 essential drum albums by mike mangini

“For me, what makes a great drum album is the combination oF skill and musicality” words: Joe Bosso Photo: daniel Byrne

52

| march 2015


F

or me, what makes a great drum album is the combination of skill and musicality,” says mike mangini, dream theater’s master sticksman. “it’s about balance – how a drum part brings a song to a new level. when i hear a song with those elements and that balance, that’s when i want to hear it again, and even learn it.” mangini started listening to records early – he was already playing drums by two-and-a-half – and he credits his brother Paul, 10 years his senior, with furthering his musical education. “For the first 10 years of my life, Paul would buy records for me,” says mangini. “every time he gave me one, he’d say two words: ‘Learn it.’ it’s interesting, though: he always gave me high-powered things, never anything mellow. he knew i couldn’t tolerate that.” according to mangini, compiling a list of those albums that influenced him the most as a player is a different task from assembling a rundown of his top 10 drummers. “if you asked me to name my top drummers, dennis chambers and horacio hernandez might be one and two – or tied for first,” he says. “they’re incredible, but the reason why i didn’t pick out any of their records is because i don’t have just one – it’s a collection. not that the collection of rush or Led zeppelin records aren’t amazing, but this is really about me answering questions about my life and how these people and albums came into it.” as befits a drummer, timing is everything. “the important thing about the albums on this list is that each drummer gave me a piece of something,” says mangini. “But what’s equally important is the period in my life when they gave me that something. For example, a max roach record that might have influenced thousands of drummers isn’t [on my list] simply because it didn’t come onto my radar, and if it did, it would have done so at a time i wasn’t interested in it.” on the following pages, mangini cites his top 10 most influential drum albums, stressing that his choices are in a specific chronological order. “not for the year they came out, but for when and how they entered my life,” he says. “these albums, and the drummers who play on them, are, in many ways, my musical evolution – my journey.”


1

2

buddy rich

billy cobham

the new one! (1968) “i was given this record by my older brother Paul. i was around nine years old at the time. there’s a song on the album, ‘diabolus’, and it had a drum solo on it. i played it thousands of times on 16rpm to try to dissect it. i can remember bits and pieces of that experience like they were video clips in my mind. “it affected me as far as slowing something down and taking the time to try to digest it. it gave me a natural insight, without being intellectual – i mean, come on, i was nine! – into playing odd time, and it gave me a love for swing and an understanding of notes not being even all the time. that’s an extension of some of the Beatles’ stuff – swing. But this really made me dig in. it was extremely influential and required a lot of thought on my part.”

3 blood, sweat & tears blood, sweat & tears (1968)

“i learned every note to every song on this album, and it’s the first time i ever did that, digging into every note of every single solitary song. “Bobby colomby’s use of polyrhythms and his dynamics – to this day, i cannot listen to this album and perceive it the way the time signatures actually are. i perceive it the way i did as a child, meaning that i didn’t know what the stuff was. and i can still play it spot-on without knowing what it is. that, to me, makes it a pretty special record.”

spectrum (1973)

“this was given to me by a friend of my sister’s. Basically, he said, ‘you have to hear this!’ although the record affected me greatly, i didn’t learn to play it. it hit me differently than the new one! it impressed me as though the entire album was one thing. “Billy’s playing represented a different use of speed than what Buddy rich was doing. it was my first exposure to… i don’t want to call it ‘high-powered funk’ – i don’t know what to call it, but fusion-funk is what i heard, especially him playing in 7. high energy, man. this was the first time i really heard that frantic use of speed.”

4 led Zeppelin

led Zeppelin iV (1971) “i had never listened to a record before and pictured things in my head. Led zeppelin iV made me do that. it was like i could see movie scenes as well as drums. the recording was so unbelievable. the sound… i never had rock’n’roll hit me so potently since the first Boston record, which really got me into rock’n’roll. Boston isn’t on this list, though it affected me hugely. Bonham’s entrances to songs, coming on an up 16th note, and his use of feel without a metronome – that stuff struck me hard. “even though i could sense that his timing sped up here and there – he’d rush some things – it didn’t seem like a bad thing to me. it’s all in the feel as it relates to the music. Bonham’s feel, his power – what he did made me learn everything on the album. at least i had to try.”

march 2015 |

53

Feature 10 essential drum albums

5 uk

6

7

night aFter night (1979)

a Farewell to kings (1977)

rush

al di meola

“terry Bozzio’s playing here is, to me, the most artistic use of the drumset and drum sounds. For me, this will always be number one. the way the different hi-hats and stacked cymbals were used and the amount which they decayed – it’s unbelievable. there’s a song called ‘rendezvous 6.02’, and to this day i can’t escape how it affected the way i construct drum parts. ‘caesar’s Palace Blues’ gave me my first reason to practise hitting single strokes on the kicks. Before that, when i was 16, i was double strokes and double-stroke rolls on yellowjacket pedals. that’s how i made bass drums sound fast. But hearing terry Bozzio on ‘caesar’s Palace Blues’ changed the way i played. it was like, ‘oh my gosh, i have to pound my legs up! i can’t do that.’”

“it was so pivotal for me at the time. i was in the school band, and a lot of kids didn’t think this was a cool thing – it wasn’t rock’n’roll. But when i heard this it gave me the strength to not fight my wanting to be in the school band – and finding the purpose to practise at it. a Farewell to kings opened my eyes to the combination of percussion. i mean, who uses a vibraslap? hello? what is that? But it was used perfectly here. the music, it’s always so over the top. the visuals – with a Farewell to kings, man, it’s like, if other kids were experimenting with pot, all i had to do was listen to this album and get what i needed. i could close my eyes and just go somewhere. it’s aggressive, it has time changes and dynamics – it’s truly incredible.”

“the drummer on this record is steve gadd. now, the gadd album that impacted me the most was Friends by chick corea, but casino makes this list because it’s the top 10 drum albums. Friends can be a side note here, because i heard musicality in his drum fills. the Brazilian stuff, too. it was a fusion record; he was fusing jazz and Brazilian – it wasn’t just a Latin record. so Friends was an important record because it led me back to jazz, which took me to al di meola. But casino is the album that just kills me. it’s unbelievable.”

8

9

10

JeFF beck

king crimson

blow by blow (1975) “richard Bailey is the drummer. i don’t know what kind of description i can give this album other than to simply list it. But i have to give it some purpose. it was important to me because of the timing of it – post-steve gadd, the whole Jeff Beck thing gave me some purpose in my life, the calling to be with guitar players. i ended up with guitar players, not by choice but because of a calling. “what richard Bailey’s playing did for me was keep me on track with polyrhythms and time changes. i could hear the tempos on this record going up and down, but i could feel the musicality in it, and i could see how the musicality of the drum parts fit the music. that’s the main thread running through all of the records on this list.”

54

| march 2015

discipline (1981)

“Bill Bruford’s use of toms to act as ride sources – i mean, hello? [Laughs] and the sound. the sound of the rototoms’ ride… wow! “Bill’s playing is so innovative, especially the criss-cross kind of thing – again, it kept me from being either total rock or metal. it kept me in the fusion-y zone but on the rock side of it.”

casino (1978)

planet X

Quantum (2007) “what Virgil donati does on the album with his side-to-side coordination is the final frontier of the drums to expand the body. my tiny little contribution to drums on a technical level is the criss-crossing thing that nobody had done, which is the full lefty – not just the hands but the feet – and full righty as an orchestral approach to rock’n’roll. that’s my little calling thing that made me bond with Virgil and marco minnemann. we help one another progress. Virgil tapped into this first, as far as i’m aware, and his use of it on Quantum is utterly astounding. i have to include this album as a jump to the next level of drumming. [honourable mention to] state of euphoria by anthrax. charlie Benante’s single strokes with his feet are the best i’ve ever heard. to this day, that record is just freaky.”


IntervIew periphery

For Periphery’s new double opus the prog metal giants roped in bassist Nolly to produce, and it turns out he knows a thing or two about recording drums…

words: James Hester photos: alex WoHleber

56

| march 2015



march 2015 |

57

IntervIew periphery usic has always been about telling stories. From folk to pop and everywhere in between, the idea of telling a story via a song dates back thousands of years, but a collection of songs where the stories interlink is less common. the idea of the ‘concept album’ is certainly nothing new, however. woodie guthrie’s album dust Bowl Ballads was released in 1940 and followed the story of life and economic hardships in california. progressive music has always had a deep seated association with the format and washington dc’s prog metallers periphery have continued this association with their 2015 double album release Juggernaut: alpha and Juggernaut: omega. whilst the albums themselves carry all of the character descriptions and story lines that you’d need to fuel your plot line imagination, the music and lyrics hide another story; that of the making of the album itself (due to be released alongside the album is a full length documentary entitled Juggerdoc). one of the most interesting aspects of this story is the relationship of bass player nolly getgood and drummer matt halpern. By now you should all know

“my scientific background leads me to want to formalise recording concepts in a way that can be repeatable from session to session” - nolly getgood about progressive groove machine matt (and if not then you have some serious catching up to do), but nolly’s story itself is worthy of a concept album and should be a statement of intent for anyone who wishes to succeed in the industry. hailing from Bath, uk, nolly began studying applied physics and then moved on to study at Bimm Bristol. during his time there he made contact with and began working for periphery, eventually landing the role as bass player. not content with developing his musical talents to the level needed not only to perform this complex and involved music but also to write it, nolly spent his limited spare time developing his recording and production chops so he could sit behind the wheel of the periphery lorry and steer it through its journey as the producer. matt and nolly took some time out of their hectic pre-release schedule to give us a unique insight into the drum recording process and what they’ve both learned from it.

Nolly, had it always been your goal to record Periphery one day? Nolly Getgood: “i’ve been developing my recording skills for a good few years, but it’s been my goal to be able to take on the responsibility of recording a full album with the band. Being a band member gives me a pretty good insight into the way the band want to come across on record, and a large part of that is the drum sound.” and how did you go about doing this, both theoretically and practically? NG: “Firstly i’ve spent a lot of time recording and mixing with other bands as well as my own projects. i’m not a drummer but i own a couple of kits and lots of snares that i’ve used to really get to know how to achieve the results i want when recording drums. plus, i’ve had the luck to record some amazing drummers like matt [halpern] as well as matt garstka

‘22 Faces’ How did the drum part come about? MH: “It came together over time based on the way the arrangement of the song developed. This was actually a song that took many iterations before we were happy, and changed a lot over the course of well over a year. By the time we hit the studio I had a really clear picture of how I wanted it to come out and it was really just a case of making sure we didn’t miss any accents – the song has so many specific parts that needed to be perfect so we had to keep our eye on the ball at all times.” How was the drum sound developed at the recording stage? MH: “For this track I envisaged a tight, cracky snare sound with loads of punch. My snare has a really wide tuning range so we were able to crank it fairly tight without losing body.” NG: “This song has a lot of double kick so it was important to get a lot of attack out of the drum. Matt has very powerful footwork, and we took the time to make sure that the final takes all had the tightest, most consistent hits so the intensity never dips.” Can you take us through some practical production techniques that the readers can apply based on this song? NG: “When working with higher-tuned snares, I find I end up using a lot of the room mics and even artificial reverb in the mix in order to get across the power of the sound in the room.”

58

| march 2015


from animals as Leaders, Jake Fogarty [red seas Fire/my project ghost] and many others, and there’s no substitute for experiences like that.” Did your background in physics help you at all? NG: “having a knowledge of acoustics can be useful when recording but mainly i suppose my scientific background leads me to want to formalise recording concepts in a way that can be repeatable from session to session.” Was it a difficult decision for the band to say ‘yes’ to Nolly recording and producing? matt Halpern: “nolly expressed a very clear interest in taking the role of ‘main’ producer, and we trusted him enough to do it… pretty simple!”

‘PsychosPhere’ How did the drum part come about for the track ‘Psychosphere’? MH: “As with all of the songs on the record, I really tried to pay attention to the meaning and vibe of the song. In this case it’s a slow, powerful riff with a lot of space so I didn’t want to overcrowd things with busy parts.” How was the drum sound developed at the recording stage? MH: “We went with fairly low-tuned drums to get a powerful sound that would carry the slow tempo. I also used larger crashes than on most

songs, so they’d be more about sustain and wash than tight attack.” Can you take us through some practical production techniques that the readers can apply based on this song? NG: “Knowing how to use compression is a key part of achieving power from your drum mixes. Try using compression settings with a slow attack time and fast release to emphasise the impact of the stick hitting each drum.”

How has your practical relationship with Nolly changed with regards to recording the drums for this album? mH: “it hasn’t changed all that much aside from becoming even closer friends through working together throughout the process.” How has Nolly’s developed knowledge about recording drums changed your approach? mH: “[Laughs] i let nolly do what he wants and


march 2015 |

59

IntervIew periphery

‘the Bad thIng’ How did the drum part come about? MH: “For this song we had a really heavy groove and killer vocal melody that we wanted to utilise as a chorus, so we wrote the whole song around that part. “At the start of the song, the groove is fairly sparse and spacious, but through the song I build it up with a lot more detailed parts to keep the energy ramping up towards the song’s climax.”

How was the drum sound developed at the recording stage? MH: “We knew the drums needed to be very powerful and aggressive. We were really excited to use the Wraith snare for this song because it’s got a great aggressive character even when tuned low.” NG: “From the engineering and mixing perspective, I wanted to really focus on the bottom end of the drums, making sure they punched hard in the bass area especially on the kick and toms. The mid

section build-up is a good example of the low-end power of the tom sound on the album.” Can you take us through some practical production techniques that the readers can apply based on this song? NG: “When mixing drums, EQ’ing out mid-range can increase the perceived depth of sound of the drum. Sometimes that can be a lot more effective than trying to boost the bass instead.”

don’t really get in the way! But seriously, he and i have spent a lot of time talking and getting on the same page about what tones we both like, so it’s a fairly straightforward, instinctive process that doesn’t need much over-thinking.”

“i see myself continuing to focus on the songs and the pocket over technical ability” – matt halpern

Nolly, what control does matt give you? Is it true that he lets you tune his drums live now? NG: “yep! i actually really enjoy it, it’s almost meditative for me and it lets matt concentrate on playing his best every day. it also means that we don’t need to bring a dedicated drum tech out on the road. through working with him day in, day out, i know the exact pitches of each head on the kit that correspond to the sound and

feel he wants from each drum; i can make sure that his drum sound is completely consistent at every show.”

60

| march 2015

Did you guys make any considerations for playing these releases live whilst writing and recording or did you have a ‘we’ll figure it out later’ attitude? mH: “i think we knew there are certain songs

we would want to play live immediately, and eventually we’ll want to play all of them! “on this release i wanted the drumming to be more about playing the right parts at the right time than showing off constantly, so if anything, these songs are less technically demanding to pull off live. the cool part of that is i can really focus on performing with the most conviction and energy that i can.”


'stranger thIngs' How did the drum part come about? MH: “When we demoed ‘Stranger Things’ out as a band, the middle section immediately inspired me to come up with an ostinatobased groove that could build through the section, using various accent cymbals to keep interest. It’s one of the parts on the album where the drums get to take centre stage and drive the section while the guitars take a more textural role.” How was the drum sound developed at the recording stage? MH: “This song is epic in nature, and it was clear the drums needed to have a massive ambience to close the album out the right way.” NG: “Despite the density of the song, there is quite a lot of intricate drumming going on throughout, so my attention was on making sure every part of Matt’s kit had the necessary clarity so the listener could be fully immersed in his playing.” Can you take us through some practical production techniques that the readers can apply based on this song? NG: “If you have enough inputs, cover yourself by close-miking the hi-hats, ride and accent cymbals. You don’t have to use these tracks if they aren’t needed, but you can use them to add detail and punch to any intricate parts you may have recorded.”

Feel halPern's wraIth!

Matt discusses his new 14"x6" 1.2MM brass black panther wraith snare How did you first get involved with designing your own snare drum with Mapex? “I initially approached Mapex about the development and design of this drum. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It was a great experience. I learned a ton and was able to build a much stronger relationship with my friends at Mapex.” What were you looking for specifically in the drum when you initially gave Mapex your ideas? “I knew I wanted brass, and I knew I wanted a bit of venting. The size was also something I was very set on. The goal was to have a versatile and lively drum.” How quickly did Mapex arrive at the finished model? “There were a couple of prototypes and a bit of testing, but overall it was a very fast turnaround. Once we started working on it we were able to turn it all around within the span of 2014.” Is the snare aimed at a particular type of drummer or is it a multi-purpose drum? “The snare is definitely supposed to be multi-purpose and is very flexible for different situations – live and in the studio. It should be a new ‘go-to’ drum for producers and drummers alike!”


march 2015 |

61

IntervIew periphery

matt’s gear DRUMS

Mapex Saturn IV: 10"x8", 12"x9", 14"x14" and 16"x14" toms, 22"x18" kick; 14”x6” Black Panther Wraith 1.2mm brass snare drum

CYMBALS

Meinl: 14" Byzance Vintage Pure hats, 10" Byzance Dark splash, 18" Byzance Jazz Medium crash, 22" Byzance Vintage Pure ride, 18" Byzance Medium Sand crash, 18/16" stack – 18" Byzance China with 17" Byzance Jazz Medium crash, 20" Byzance Extra Dry China

PLUS

Mapex Falcon hardware and double pedal. Pro-Mark 2B sticks, Evans heads: G2 clear tom batter; G1 clear tom resonant; Heavyweight snare batter; Reso 300 snare resonant; EMAD Heavyweight kick batter; EMAD Reso kick resonant.

62

| march 2015

Did any issues arise in the studio that on reflection you could have avoided? mH: “it all went pretty smoothly, but i think next time we’d really like to find our own private space to record where we can lose ourselves in the process in our own environment. we’ll be even more adjusted to working together so we can’t wait to get stuck into the next recording project we do.” as with any team, the way it works evolves. How has the process of recording this album changed the band dynamic? mH: “working on this album has taken our cohesiveness as a team to the next level. in order to make it through the process without external guidance we’ve all had to find ways to communicate efficiently and be responsible for our own actions in all aspects of the band.”

as a band and as individuals, Periphery seem to always be about developing, improving and learning. What are the next steps for you two, personally and as a band? mH: “i see myself continuing to focus on the songs and the pocket over technical ability at this point. i’d like to continue thinking about telling a story with my playing, and it seems like the band is all on the same page about that too.” NG: “Juggernaut... was a fantastic experience with plenty of learning along the way. the more that we work together, the more matt and i understand where each other is coming from, so i’m sure that by the time we’re going into the studio again we’ll be even more in sync. in the meantime i’ll be working on as many production and mixing projects as i have time for around our touring schedule.


IntervIew atom willard

64

| marcH 2015


Atom WillArd's tips for

k c o r k pu n g l o ry The punk rock journeyman shares the secrets that have kept him in demand for the last 25 years words: Rich chambeRlain photos: james cumpsty

T

he story of punk rock paints a picture that any kid off the street picked up an instrument, strummed a few chords, bashed away at the kit and before they knew it they had a hit record on their hands. the truth isn’t quite so straightforward. yes, punk was born out of a back-to-basics approach, and packed an accessibility that allowed musical newbs to latch onto it. But, go back and listen to your favourite punk tracks and you’ll hear some incredible drum work, whether it be head-down, 220bpm kick and snare, inventive syncopation or just a beat that fits the song like a glove, punk drummers are no slouches. san diego sticksman atom willard knows a thing or two when it comes to punk rock. willard made his name as drummer for rocket From the crypt, joining the band while still in his teens. since then he has linked up with everyone from tom deLonge’s angels and airwaves to against me, via the offspring, social distortion and many more. so, when we wanted to get some tips on how to make it as a punk rock drummer, we knew who to call. embrace the punk mindset “i got into drums at such a young age that i was tuned into stuff like rush, stuff that is obviously drummer-centric. when i was 14 i met some guys

1


that wanted to be in a band and they gave me minor threat and Black Flag tapes to check out. the production on those wasn’t great, you couldn’t tell what was going on, it was just super fast. it took me a while to come around to that mindset. then Fugazi came along and that was the bridge for me because they had such interesting parts. i wasn’t totally sold until then.” strip back your kit “in punk you don’t have a lot of time to use lots of different drums. what is there to use? you can use a couple of toms. or you can get away with snare, kick, floor tom, hats and a couple of crashes. with the tempos being what they are in punk you need to be creative in a way that doesn’t involve having a huge drumset. Just having an extra splash and a china won’t make your parts interesting, when you’re playing at 220bpm you can’t do anything with those that would mean anything. i was really into the melvins, and dale crover always played huge drums, so i got into that because i thought that would be loud and punishing. ultimately it only punished me, trying to make a 28" kick drum audible over two guitar stacks and a bass amp. i was just playing harder and harder and that developed my style early on. i wanted an 18" rack tom and i had to beat the s**t out of it. way later i realised that rim-shotting a 13" tom is way louder than playing an 18".”

2

build your speed slowly “the offspring was some of the fastest stuff that i’ve played. i had to think how to keep it true to what they needed while saying what i wanted to say. that took some experimenting. you couldn’t put your mark on it in every chorus or verse, but you find places where you can fit in. Building your speed is all about repetition– if you keep doing it, and you should also record yourself. you might think you sound awesome, you won’t have a good perspective on how it sounds because you’re busy making that sound. if you listen objectively to what you’ve done you will learn so much. you need to slow beats down and figure out where each hit will fall, that way you can work out any syncopation. if you get caught up in focusing on the snare then your kick drum will falter. you need to slow it down and make it solid. play it at 155bpm or 160bpm and get it really solid and then push it up gradually 5bpm at a time.”

3

play to a click “a lot of people don’t want to play to a click, but it depends how committed you are. if you want to do it right and do it well then you need to play to a click. the click is part of my drumset. i play with a lot of different people and i can’t say i will be able to pull the right tempo from any given song out of the air. you might be jacked up on adrenaline and that can ruin the song.”

4

marcH 2015 |

65

IntervIew atom willard be consistent “it’s really important to have consistent hits. i want all my kick and snare hits to sound just below triggering. i want them to have very little variation. to get that at volume is difficult to do when playing at speed. the faster you go there comes a point where you can’t get the stick up high enough to get the power, but there is a sweet spot in there that you’ll find anywhere between 160bpm and 210bpm. that has often dictated what parts i play because i would rather play hard and loud than extra fast. my fills are usually a little simpler because of that because i want them to be audible.”

5

Find the technique that works for you “there is no right technique, what is right for one person is not right for someone else, so you need to experiment and see what works for you when it comes to technique and grip. no one would ever say what i do is fundamentally correct, but it works for the way i play and it has worked for many years for me, because i’m old as f**k! you get a lot of drum teachers that will say this or that is the wrong way, but that might be the wrong way for jazz but the right way for punk rock. technique is definitely important, but i can’t say which technique.”

6

avoid injuries, stay fit “i started running in 1997 and i got into mountain biking. i still run almost every day because it’s important to be in shape. you don’t want the feel of the song or the consistency of what you’re doing to suffer because you’re not in shape, that’s bulls**t. i have chronic pains in my shoulder and elbow but you have to just be smart and ice it, don’t be a d**k to your body.”

7

Don’t drink and drum “it amazes me that some people get loaded before they play, i never drink before i play. i’m there for something i love to do, so i treat it as such. the only time i’ve felt like i was running out of gas was when we’d do two shows a day along with a full day of press. i have these sports gels that i learned about through running. you take this packet of gel energy, i think it’s just sugar and bulls**t but it does help.”

8

perfect your playing, not your mohawk “there is an element of having to have the right look in a punk rock band. if you walk into a jazz gig in full leather metal get-up you’ll get some funny looks. But if you play great you may still get the gig. it’s unfortunate that looks have become such an issue, entire bands are put together now on looks rather than musicality. First and foremost you need to be yourself, if you’re trying too hard to be something it won’t come off well. you need to concentrate on the music and what is going on around you rather than being more concerned about your mohawk.”

9

broaden your mind “Listening to styles other than punk will not hurt your playing at all. it’s good to have an open mind in drumming and also in life as well. i have no interest in playing super-fast double bass but i can respect the fact that it is really hard. i don’t like that

10

66

| marcH 2015

atom Willard has played with Rocket From the crypt, the Offspring, angels and airwaves and against me

“i’d rather play hard and loud than extra fast. my fills are simpler because i want them to be audible” stuff at all, but i have a lot of respect for people that can do it. it’s important to have that perspective in music.” jam to your favourite tunes “playing along to your favourite records at home is the beauty of punk and even bands like nirvana. you can sit there and learn how to play the songs in a day and be inspired by it. you’ll never play it like dave grohl, but you can play it. that’s an important thing, to have a genre with that accessibility. nothing that i play is technically very difficult, but the parts are interesting and that’s where i find my enjoyment. anyone can do it.”

11

play for the song “no matter what the speed of the song, you need to still play for the song. you need to be mindful of what is going on with the lyrics and the vocals. you need to have fun too, you should do fills that make you excited and keep you happy, but your job is to provide the anchor point for the song. don’t get wrapped up in the flash.”

12

learn the foundations “i don’t think you need rudiments to be able to play punk but you will benefit from anything you learn. if you spend time practising your single-stroke rolls you will find that all of a sudden you can do these snare fills that sound like a machine gun. as soon as you make that connection you’ll get it. a lot of people connect rudiments with homework, no one wants to make drumming not fun, but you’ve got to walk before you can run. it helps to learn the basics.”

13

make the best of battered kits “you should pay attention to gear and getting a good sound out of the gear you have. For me it was about, what could i find that was cool in big sizes? none of my drum kits matched. i’d have one colour tom and another colour kick drum, it just sounded good. i did that rather than having a kit that looked cool but didn’t sound great. you can play great on a kit that is a piece of s**t, though – no one should blame their drum kit for how they are playing. a good kit will help but you need to play well. i didn’t know s**t about tuning. i could make it sound okay but i didn’t put all of it together until much later.”

14


© ian Dickson/redferns/getty images

68

| march 2015


The

interview

“It was wonderfuLLy naïve, we’re goIng to p**s off the record company whenever we can, It was LIke beIng In a gang of… troubLe-makers! It was wonderfuL”

Topper Headon The Clash drummer recalls his jazz background, his brief but bright career with the punk rock legends, recording four classic albums and imploding at the top of his game

L

ondon calling, the lauded album by iconoclastic and stylistically ground-breaking punk rockers the clash, has just turned 35. Providing the perfectly judged yet genre-hopping grooves on sure classics like ‘rudie can’t Fail’, ‘guns of Brixton’ and ‘Jimmy Jazz’ was nick ‘topper’ headon, the band’s longest serving sticksman. From the moment he joined the band for their second album, give ’em enough rope, in 1978, topper made the clash drum throne his own, lending his established jazz and funk chops to the music just as the band itself began to experiment and broaden what punk rock could be. topper’s playing is at the forefront of the band’s sound over four albums, including the triple album Sandinista!. the ever inventive drummer embellished many of the clash’s tracks with percussion, marimba and piano, and he even penned one of their biggest hits, ‘rock the casbah’ from 1982’s combat rock. however, with the band exhausted from non-stop touring and a huge creative output over a short space of time, the cracks began to show in the close cameradarie that had always defined the band as a www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

worDS: Chris Burke PhotoS: redferns/getty

kind of gang. meanwhile, topper’s drinking and heroin use spiralled out of control, and he was sacked from the band on the eve of their huge uS stadium tour supporting the who, as ‘rock the casbah’ gave the clash their only uS top 10 hit. although he managed to put out a solo album, waking up, in 1986, topper spent the next couple of decades off the radar – and very much on the drugs and drink – before he finally kicked his habits 11 years ago. Last year he rejoined surviving bandmates mick Jones and Paul Simonon in putting together the last word in clash box sets, Sound System. now 59, topper has returned to his “first addiction”, drumming, which first began when a broken leg forced an energetic 13-year-old lad to find something other to do than run about the football pitch. he loved the Beatles, and was mesmerised upon seeing keith moon on top of the Pops. “i made the fatal mistake of thinking, ‘wow, he’s the best looking one in the group, the camera’s on him all the time, he’s right at the front – i’ll have some of that,” says topper. “By the time i was bitten by the drumming bug i realised, you’re sat at the back, did what you were told, kept the beat together… but that’s how it started. then i just played

and played and i was lucky that i had some flair for it straight away.”

Your first band was a jazz band, wasn’t it? “there was a jazz scene in Dover at the time based around a pub called the Louis armstrong, we had the marines from Deal who were the music marines, in the evening they all played in jazz bands and there was a big scene around the Louis armstrong. my friend’s dad who played jazz suggested i go down and sit in. that was brilliant, because when i was playing with jazz musicians, they were all a lot older than me and they taught me some incredible stuff that i wouldn’t have learnt from fellow school kids playing, they taught me about making things swing, they taught me how important it was to keep a good tempo, dynamics, feel, a lot of stuff i probably wouldn't have picked up just playing in rock bands.”

How much time were you putting into your drumming at this point? “a hundred percent. i am an addict… as you probably know from my later story [laughs]! i always do things 100 percent, compulsively and when i started playing the drums it was my new addiction, my

march 2015 |

69

interview

first addiction probably, and i just played every spare moment i could. i loved watching top of the Pops and then running to my drum kit and copying what i’d seen.”

You moved to London and you lost a few gigs because you didn’t hit hard enough, didn’t you? “i learned at my parents’ house so you had to keep the noise down, and then playing down the Louis armstrong which was just a small pub, and being taught about how you never overpower the band… so, though i’d learnt a lot of styles and i had all the chops from that, i didn’t really have much power.”

So when did that power come? “it came overnight when i joined the clash! For a

known mick from a band i’d played in very briefly [manager Bernie rhodes’ proto-clash band the London SS]. he’d had his hair cut and he was wearing a tie and looked very smart and cool, and he said, ‘why don’t you come down and audition for my band? i thought right, well the one thing that’s not going to happen is i’m never going to be accused of not hitting the drums hard enough again! i auditioned, and bashed the drums as powerfully as i could and got the gig.”

What do you remember about going in to record Give ’Em Enough Rope? “i was really, really excited, but at least this time i’d made it into the studio! we had a top record producer, Sandy Pearlman, who got some amazing

“I worked with Pete Townshend and Pete helped me… but if I’d been asked to join The Who I would have bloody remembered!” year and a half i played with Pat travers – rehearsed, did demos – and as soon as Phonogram records moved in to sign him he got rid of me because they obviously said to him, ‘great band, but the drummer isn’t powerful enough.’ he was a nice chap though, he put me onto a couple of his friends from canada and once again we were just about to get a record deal and at the crucial moment i was thrown out. the first time it was bad, the second time it was devastating. So i went to the rainbow theatre that night to watch the kinks, and i was standing at the bar and i bumped into mick Jones again. i’d

drum sounds and was very complimentary about my drumming – and by then i was starting to contribute to the band. ‘tommy gun’, i came up with the intro, the ratatat snare drum; ‘Julie’s Been working For the Drug Squad’, the night before that i’d been to see Little Feat, richie hayward was a hero of mine so i got that gumbo [feel], very Little Feat-esque, so i was starting to contribute little bits and pieces. and then by the time London calling came out it was kind of like a dream come true because we were playing all different kinds of music, there was a little bit of jazz thrown in and

© richard e. aaron/redferns/getty images

The

MY PROUDEST MOMENT ■■“The■first■gig■in■America,■the■first■time■we■went■over■and■ sold■out■the■New■York■Palladium.■What■used■to■happen■in■ the■States■is■that■bands■from■England■would■go■over■there■ and■play■maybe■a■support■tour,■support■a■bigger■band■and■ work■your■way■up.■Our■very■first■gig■in■the■USA■was■sold■out■ at■the■Palladium.■We■didn’t■work■our■way■up■in■the■States.■ Then,■next■visit,■we■played■Bonds■Casino■where■we■were■ supposed■to■be■seven■nights■and■it■ended■up■with■riots■in■ Times■Square,■and■going■on■for■21■nights.”

i was given a free hand to play percussion. the music had just evolved.”

Did you encourage the band to move in different directions, stylistically, because of your background playing jazz, funk and soul? “i didn’t intend to but i think how it worked was everyone had input. we would never say no. if someone had an idea we would try it. it was never, ‘you can’t do that...’ or, ‘that’s not punk rock,’ things just happened. if mick wrote a song i’d say, ‘try this,’ and we all would just contribute. we didn’t have any time off, if we weren’t in the studio we were in the rehearsal room and if we weren’t in the rehearsal room we were on the road. we all just talked, why don’t we try this, or maybe one of us should come in with a new album that had just come out. i remember mick playing me taj mahal’s album and i used an influence from that for one of the tracks on London calling.”

“we were hoping we were going to outlast punk, we were hoping we would go on forever. we were just stuck in the day really, we just wanted to make albums, and better albums, and we were on a roll. we just knew that what we were doing was going down well. there were no real set-backs; the first album sold well in the States even though it was not officially released over there, give ’em enough rope did well, London calling broke us worldwide. “and then the triple album [Sandinista!] was great fun because we’d got away with recording a double for the price of one [London calling], and when mick said we wanted to release a triple for the price of one, cBS went ballistic and we had to take a huge cut in our royalties. But it was exciting, it was great to push boundaries and get away with stuff. it was great not to have any constraints.” Joe strummer, Paul simonon, Mick Jones and topper headon arrive in new york in 1978

70

| march 2015

At the beginning you were a very tight-knit unit, weren’t you? “what i loved about the group was that we said, ‘right, we want to be the biggest band in the world


© michael Putland/getty images

Did you have any inkling that what you were doing was groundbreaking and would give the band longevity way beyond punk?

and we want to travel to the States and we want to take our girlfriends on the road, and we want to have Bo Diddley and Lee Dorsey supporting us, but while we’re doing that we’re not going to mime, we’re not going to go on top of the Pops, we’re gonna release double albums for the price of one, we’re going to do triple albums for the price of one, we’re gonna do all sorts of charity shows whenever we have a day off. it was wonderfully naïve, we’re going to piss off the record company whenever we can, it was like being in a gang of… trouble-makers, i suppose! it was wonderful.”

And London Calling is now 35 years old, and very much considered a classic… “to be associated with an album like London calling is a fantastic achievement, it’s something that i’m very proud of and i’m aware that i was incredibly lucky, i was in the right place at the right time, the right period of history. the late ’70s, this country was in a dreadful state so there was plenty to sing about, there was plenty to rebel against, the police were heavy handed, there were race riots. i think even if the clash had formed today we wouldn’t have had the same effect, it wasn’t just the music, it was what we stood for as well.”

© Virginia turbett/redferns/getty images

What kit were you playing at this point? “when i first joined the band i bought a Pearl mirror-finish drum kit with a 22" bass drum, 14"x10" rack tom, 16" and 18" floor toms, and i used a Ludwig Black Beauty, 15" zildjian hi-hats, a 16" and 18" crash above the hi-hats, a 21" rock ride and an 18" and a 20" crash on the right-hand side. and i used that kit right the way through the clash. i always used to use a Premier 250S pedal. i went onto eBay the other day and saw a 250S pedal and my girlfriend managed to get it for me for christmas. it was a fantastic pedal, very very fast and light.”

Tell us how you came to write ‘Rock The Casbah’. “when we recorded London calling we loved being together, we loved each other’s company, we loved the music and we were all incredibly happy to be in the group. gradually, because we were on the road so much and we were in each others’ pockets through Sandinista!, splits began to appear, i unfortunately started to get involved with some pretty heavy drugs, which was a drag, Joe and mick weren’t seeing eye to eye on a lot of the material. there was a definite split between mick and myself and Joe and Paul. mick and i were the musicians and Joe and Paul were more into the ideal of the band, the punk ethic. “and by the time we came to record combat rock we were not getting on that great. we were in the studio, electric Ladyland, we were supposed to start at two every afternoon, so i turned up at two and there was no one there. and i’d been messing about with these chords on the piano, so i thought seeing as the others aren’t here i’ll put down the drum track and then i’ll play the piano over the top just to show them the piano riff. and there was still no one else there. So i said to the engineer, let me try putting a bit of bass on this, and there was still no one there, so i said let me put some percussion down… and by the time Joe, mick and Paul turned up i said, ‘i’ve got this idea, have a listen to it. we played it, and they


topper started out in jazz bands, before learning to hit hard with the Clash

went, ‘[gasps] that’s brilliant!’ But it was supposed to be twice as long, so we spliced the tape, made it twice as long and Joe went off and wrote the words.”

How do you think your drumming evolved over the course of those albums? “unfortunately, my addiction to drugs, i’d maybe got a little sloppy. But having said that, my drug use meant i was experimenting with all different styles of

of the last gig when i was sacked, and there was nothing wrong with the playing. it wasn’t my playing that suffered. i listen to Sandinista! and combat rock and i think, man there’s some great playing, some very inventive playing. i’m 11 years sober now, and i know what it’s like to be around someone who’s always drunk, always stoned. once in a while you can humour someone who’s drunk, humour someone who’s stoned, but to actually have to live with

“For five years all I ever did was drum. I used to push myself physically on stage, and in the studio I’d have to keep learning new songs” drumming. none of it was planned. i think because i played so much, i was always on the road, always in the studio, my playing obviously improved because for five years all i ever did was drum and i used to push myself physically on stage, and in the studio i’d have to keep learning new songs, so i improved greatly as a drummer. as did the band. each of us developed as a musician, you couldn’t get left behind. we just brought out the best in each other.”

someone who’s always in that state isn’t fun and i think that’s what happened. Joe and Paul just got fed up of someone who’s always a bit of a nuisance – that’s what drunks are, aren’t they? i had lost the plot. Some of the drugs and alcohol had taken over my love of drumming and my love of the band. So i don’t think they had a lot of choice.”

The hedonism got the better of you, but was it to the detriment of your playing?

“in a way it’s great that it split up when it did, though that certainly wasn’t planned and it really hurt to get thrown out of the group. where

“a couple of years ago someone sent me a tape

Do you regret now that your time with The Clash ended when it did?

march 2015 |

71

The

interview

would we have gone? i think we’d gone as far as we could. i know that Joe was very unhappy with the way we’d become what we’d set off not to become. we were living the high life, touring the world and we’d become just one of the bands we used to rail against when we started. we tried not to. But i don’t think you can help it, you just become totally divorced from the reality on the streets, which used to upset Joe.”

“no, it should have obviously, but alcoholism and addiction is the same as mental illness really – the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. i knew every time i started drinking i couldn’t stop. i only stopped 11 years ago. But when i was thrown out of the group my whole world stopped. everything i’d been doing for five years, day in day out constantly, was whisked away from under me and i felt very sorry for myself, and i thought it was totally unfair. and obviously if you’re an alcoholic you’re going to drink on that.”

You still had plenty of opportunities to make music, successfully, after The Clash – you were friends with Pete Townshend… “i was in a band with Pete Farndon from the Pretenders, henry Padovani from the Police, Steve allen from the original mirrors, and Pete was producing us and he tried to help me, he was wonderful to me. he actually paid for me to go to Los angeles for Black Box addiction treatment and he was wonderful, Pete. Because he’d been down the same route as me.”

Could you have drummed for The Who? “Possibly if i’d got my act together. yeah, i think i could have, and i’d have loved to, but i didn’t for one reason and another. in fact i did read somewhere that i was asked to join the who. But… i’m sure if i’d been asked to join the who i’d remember! and i wasn’t, i worked with Pete and Pete helped me and i was hanging around at the studio, but i’m sure if i’d have been asked to join the who i would have bloody remembered!”

We hear from Roland that you’ve recently taken delivery of one of their new TD30s… “it’s for practice, although it’s reawakened my love of drumming. i’d just like to say what an amazing piece of kit it is. the thing is, where i live i can play my acoustic drum kit, but you can hear it when you pass the house – if you’re trying something out in practice you don’t really want people hearing it, thinking, ‘how come he managed to make money doing that?’ “Because i’m playing it so much, tymon Dogg came down, he was the fiddle player on Sandinista! and he was in the mescaleroes, one of Joe’s closest friends. and we were working out some numbers last week and we’re joining up together in January to do a bit of recording. nothing earth-shattering, it’s just nice to be playing again. Since i stopped using i’ve done a few gigs, and i play again for my own pleasure, and it’s great to get back to drumming, you know?”

72

| march 2015

topper in action with the Clash, circa 1980

Topper headon on record Key albums you musT hear THE MAGNIFICENT FOUR

signature■beat■on■the■sticks,■and■laid■ the■album’s■big■hit,■‘Rock■The■Casbah’,■ down■a■tidy■bit■of■brushwork■behind■it.■■ laying■down■piano,■percussion■and■ bass■too.■Sadly■Topper■would■not■get■ 1978-1982 to■tour■the■album,■as■he■was■fired■ The Clash from■the■band■shortly■after. ■ The Clash Sandinista! (1980) Give ’Em Enough Rope (1978) CBS CBS A■triple■album■and■the■ LIVE AND LATER band’s■most■eclectic■ Topper’s■arrival■in■the■ 1978-1986 and■ambitious■ band■heralded■great■ recording,■taking■in■ times■for■The■Clash,■as■ The Clash more■styles■of■music■ they■broke■the■US■and■ From Here To Eternity Live (1999) than■most■people■knew■existed■in■ began■a■four-album■ EpiC 1980.■Topper■was■allowed■free■rein■ run■that■would■cement■their■place■in■ Recorded■in■London,■ with■percussion,■adding■congas■to■ rock■history.■‘Tommy■Gun’,■with■ New■York■and■Boston,■ ‘The■Magnificent■Seven’.■Covers■of■ Topper’s■incisive■machine■gun■snare,■ highlights■for■Topper■ and■‘Julie’s■Been■Working■For■The■Drug■ Eddy■Grant’s■‘Police■On■My■Back’■and■ fans■include■‘Complete■ blues■pianist■Mose■Allison’s■‘Look■ Squad’,■with■its■Little■Feat■gumbo■ Control’■and■‘Guns■Of■ Here’■sit■side■by■side■with■more■typical■ Brixton’,■recorded■at■the■band’s■ groove,■benefitted■from■the■new■ Jones■tracks■like■‘Somebody■Got■ drummer’s■versatility■and■ triumphant■run■of■shows■at■Bonds■ Murdered’■and■Strummer■tracks■like■ wide-ranging■styles.■Producer■Sandy■ International■Casino,■New■York■in■1981.■ ‘The■Call■Up’.■Topper■was■at■his■peak■ Pearlman■praised■Topper’s■playing,■ It’s■also■a■good■chance■to■compare■and■ calling■him■a■‘human■drum■machine’. ■ and■in■his■element,■the■soup■of■styles■ contrast■his■and■Terry■Chimes’■ suiting■his■own■eclectic■tastes■and■ drumming■styles,■as■Terry■plays■on■the■ broad■stylistic■palette. ■ 1982■Shea■Stadium■tracks. ■ The Clash

4

5

London Calling (1979) CBS

A■punk■masterpiece,■ written■by■a■band■all■ flying■high■on■a■mixture■ of■love■of■music,■gang■ camaraderie■and■ authentically■provocative■punk■ posturing.■Topper’s■massive■ contribution■to■the■band’s■sound■can■ be■heard■on■the■cross-stick■and■Bo■ Diddley■grooves■of■‘Rudie■Can’t■Fail’,■ dub■beats■of■‘Guns■Of■Brixton’■and■ hi-hat■16ths■of■‘Clampdown’.■On■‘Jimmy■ Jazz’,■Topper■clicks■out■the■tune’s■

4

The Clash

Combat Rock (1982) CBS By■1982■Topper’s■drug■ use■was■an■increasing■ problem■for■his■fellow■ band■members.■But■ there’s■nothing■amiss■ in■his■drumming■here.■From■the■subtle■ beats■and■stick■clicks■of■‘Straight■To■ Hell’■to■blues■rocker■‘Should■I■Stay■Or■ Should■I■Go’■and■the■tight■funk■of■ ‘Overpowered■By■Funk’,■Topper’s■right■ where■he■should■be.■He■even■wrote■

3

Topper headon Waking Up (1986)

MErCury Thematically■reflecting■ Topper’s■heroin■ addiction,■the■album■is■ a■mix■of■funk,■soul■and■ r’n’b■and■featured■US■ soul■singer■Jimmy■Helms.■Topper’s■ tight■playing■gives■no■indication■of■any■ slow-down■or■diminishing■of■his■ talents.■Highlights■include■the■ super-soulful■‘Leave■It■To■Luck’■and■a■ Booker■T■cover,■‘Time■Is■Tight’. ■

3


© Fraser gray/rex Features

Was there even a point, after you were sacked from the band, where it occurred to you to get straight, to get back into The Clash?

Subscribe to print

choose your package

only £26.99

digital

only £12.99

Every issue delivered to your door plus get a

Instant digital access on your iPad, iPhone and Android device.

Rhythm CD packed full of video & audio drum lessons.

Includes interactive video, audio & gallery content.

Your subscription will then continue at £26.99 every 6 months - SAVING 24% on the shop price.

Your subscription will then continue at £12.99 every 6 months - SAVING 33% on the shop price.

choose your package

74

| march 2015


get the complete package

print + digital Get a Rhythm CD packed

best value

full of drum lessons, every issue Every new issue in print and on iPad, iPhone and Android device Never miss an issue, with delivery to your door and your device Huge savings, the best value for money, and a money-back guarantee Instant digital access when you subscribe today

Only £32.49

Your subscription will then continue at £32.49 every 6 months SAVING 24% on the shop price and giving you a 72% discount on a digital subscription.

TwO easy ways TO subscribe... Online

myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/RHYsubs

call

0844 848 2852 (please quote PRINT15, DIGITAL15, BUNDLE15)

Terms and CondiTions: Prices and savings quoted are compared to buying full priced UK print and digital issues. You will receive 13 issues in a year. if you are dissatisfied in any way you can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription at any time and we will refund you for all unmailed issues. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. For full terms and conditions please visit:myfavm.ag/magterms. offer ends 10/03/2015


march 2015 |

75

Get in print and diGitally! try a free digital issue today from itunes!

The UK’s best-selling drum magazine, packed with exclusive interviews, practical features, audio and video drum lessons and the latest gear reviewed

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

eXclusive video & audio drum lessons

welcome…

contents

‘One’ seriously great playalong track… this month’s fully-notated playalong track is metallica’s epic ‘one’, from their 1988 album …and Justice For all. Lars ulrich negotiates the time signatures and many different sections with great technique and musicality, and consequently there are so much here to notate that we’ve given it an extra page – find it on three pages, starting overleaf. elsewhere, Pat garvey creates some interesting phrasing using everyday sticking patterns, kyle cullen shows you how to notate your favourite tracks, and erik Stams continues his series on the rhythms of new orleans. colin woolway’s 8-Bar challenge takes on a jazz perspective this month, while i present a foot ostinato ‘101’ in my column on drum solos. enjoy!

learn how to play better at news • reviews • tuition samples • forums

community

Pete Riley rhythm cD editor

your

tutors Pete riLey

Rhythm’sCD editoralsohasa numberofinstructional booksandaDVDentitled TechnicalDifficultiesunder histutorialbelt.

Jason BoWLd

RockSchool contributorJason isdrummerformetal supergroupAxewound.He alsorecentlydidsessions forKillingJokeandPWEI.

Get to Grips with…

fun with flams p82 Go fiGure!

more fast fills p84 rhythm concepts

second-line grooves pt 4 p85 foundations of drumminG

notating your first track p86 beat builder

8-bar challenge pt 4 p90 teaser

flams with grace notes on the bass drum p91 improve your soloinG with…

mike sturGis

Mikeisa long-time Rhythmcontributorandhas workedwithnumerous artistsincludingA-ha,Asia, andBobJames.

erik stams

‘one’ metallica p78

CoLin WooLWay

Aprofessional drummerfor30 years,long-standing RhythmcontributorColinis originatoroftheDrumsense teachingsystem.

Pat Garvey

Asabusy freelance drummer,Pathas playedonhundredsof recordingsandonTV.Heis nowHeadofDrumsatBIMM inBrighton.

foot ostinato ‘1o1’ p92

kyLe CuLLen

Erikbuiltupan impressive résuméstudyingand recordinginNYC.Heisnow HeadofDrumsatTech MusicSchool.

KyleCullenisa Bristolbased drumteacher, sessiondrummerandthe authoroftuitionbooks ParadiddleCreativityand HowToPractiseDrums.

standardised drumset notation key

all our Drum Lessons contributors are using what is increasingly being regarded as the standardised system of drum kit notation, as outlined by norman weinberg in his guide to Standardised Drumset notation. this book is published by the Percussive arts Society, and is available from www.pas.org. to gain a full understanding of all aspects of the system, we recommend you check out this book.


MARCH 2015 |

77

Drum lessons michael ochs archives/getty images

Full track

‘One’ Metallica Mixed time signatures from Lars Ulrich and the metal masters! Track inFo

From the album: …And Justice For All (1988) 101bpm

your TuTor MIKE STURGIS

[email protected]

01

78

M

etallica have been one of the defining voices of metal for over 30 years, and drummer Lars ulrich has the distinction of being one of their founding members. taken from their …and Justice For all album, ‘one’ is an epic track that features ulrich navigating the band through a myriad of different time signatures. he displays a consummate blend of technique and musicality in his patterns and fills, including some ferocious work on the double kick drums that has become his trademark. when playing the chart, it is worth noting that there are number of different grooves as you move from section to section, culminating in a massive Double-Time Feel to finish off. there are no dynamics to be aware of, but the various changes in the patterns create their own musically contrasting sound. hi-hats should generally be played very loosely, and the frequent use of crash cymbals toward the end of the track increases the intensity and provides differentiation. in contrast, there are a number of crashes that are choked in the first half of the song, matching the staccato phrasing employed by the rest of the band. the kick drum patterns tend to vary in each section, especially as you move between different time signatures. without question, you will need to use a double pedal or a second kick drum to cover the sextuplet figures in the second half of the chart. these figures need to be played very precisely as

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich displays a great blend of technique and musicality on this track

they are in unison with the bass and guitars. Similarly, the long sextuplet fills on the snare drum and toms found later in the chart match the rhythms played by the rest of the ensemble. it’s a powerful sound if you can play it tight with the band, but can be very messy if you don’t. therefore, take the time to practise these patterns and fills slowly to achieve speed and accuracy. ulrich’s ultra-heavy grooves and fills are relentlessly powerful and energetic. however, it is also a musically thoughtful performance that often sees the basic patterns expanded and embellished as indicated in the chart. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you spend some time listening to the original recording as, even though this month we’ve afforded our track an extra page overleaf, space considerations do not allow us to include all of the variations that were played.

PLAY DRUMS WITH 18 CLASSIC SONGS

Drum notation (with lyrics & chord names), 96pp. £18.95 ref. AM999361 Play Drums with 18 classic songs. This pack includes two CDs with both demonstration and full backing tracks and a matching music book so you can join in and play along with your favourite classics such as ‘Back In Black’ (AC/DC), ‘Chop Suey’ (System Of A Down), ‘Master Of Puppets (Metallica), ‘Pinball Wizard’ (The Who) and 14 more. Featuring full drum score with lyrics, chord names and melody line in standard notation. Available from www.musicroom.com

HeaDS UP!

Double-Time Feel

A double-time feel creates the feeling of doubling the original tempo and is achieved by changing the frequency and placement of the snare drum or the subdivision of the ride voice.

During the intro, make sure you choke the crash cymbals where indicated.

| march 2015


Full track ‘One’ metallica

02

Build and develop the basic pattern as you progress through this section.

03

You briefly switch to 4/4 time here, so stay alert for the transition.

04

The 6/4 section contains some challenging double pedal work and a big double-time section with unison fills with the band – keep counting!


march 2015 |

79

Full track ‘One’ metallica 05

Note the double time feel created by the kick and snare pattern. All sextuplet-based fills are played in unison with the rest of the band.

Music & Lyrics by Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield © 1988. Creeping Death Music. Universal Music Publishing Limited. UK/EU reproduced by kind permission of Music Sales Limited. US/CAN reproduced by kind permission of Hal Leonard Corporation. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.

80

| march 2015


Drum lessons Get creative with

Flam phrasing

Create some interesting phrasing using everyday sticking patterns!

T

aking the flam and thinking differently is one way of stumbling across a lot of different phrasing and groove ideas. this month we’re going to look at what happens when you split your hands on different voices, specifically the ride and snare, playing repetitive phrases based on patterns incorporating flams. First of all you must achieve full technical control of the flam and each of the patterns presented here. Focus on achieving the correct dynamic control between the Grace note, the principal note of each flam and the rest of the notes in any given phrase – if you don’t, then when you split your hands onto different voices, it won’t sound very nice! this month we have one exercise with four clear section markers. these indicate a section with a different pattern each time: the Flam, Flam accent, inverted Flam tap,

Your tutor pAt GArvey

[email protected]

hEaDs Up!

Pataflafla, displaced Flam mill and a variation on the Flamacue – all flam rudiments. make sure you practise each section before putting it all together, and once you’ve got it working, repeat the exercise as a whole, round and round as one, observing the repeat marks. in the first

Grace note

Grace notes are often confused with ghost notes but unlike a ghost note, a grace note has no time value other than that defined by its musical application. How close you play the grace note to the principal note (the note immediately following a grace note) depends on the type of grace note written (appoggiatura or acciaccatura), the music, tempo and musical context in which it’s used. A grace note is used to ‘thicken’ or ‘add texture’ to another note.

video example i’m keeping the quarter note with my left foot so you can hear how each section and the exercise as a whole works against the pulse. Practise to a click and start to memorize the exercise. ex. 2, i’m adding the bass drum to the quarter notes – this gives the exercise ‘legs’ – a bit of bounce and groove. in ex. 3 i’m splitting the hands onto two different voices – right hand on the ride, left hand on the snare. you’ll notice the different phrasing it gives you with each hand and highlights any inaccuracies in the hands.

examples 1-4 feature the entire exercise below. In ex. 1 I’m keeping the quarter-note pulse with my left foot. In ex. 2 I’m adding kick to the quarter notes to give it a bit of bounce. ex. 3 the hands are split across two different voices, ride and snare. ex. 4 adds hi-hat, stepping offbeat eighth notes.

Jason Bowld's MILITARY METAL Part 1

Rhythm - 2 3 4

Ex 1

6

>>>>>>>

>>

>>

>

>>

6

>>

÷ 44 .. œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ R

L

L

R

R

L

Ex 2 1

6

>>>>>>>

>>

>>

>

6

>>

6

>>

6

÷ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ .. R R L R R L R L

L R R L

Ex 3 2

>

6

>

6

6

>

6

>

6

>

6

>

6

¿

÷ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ Then play the whole sequence at 130bpm

82

| march 2015


Drum lessons go figure!

This month’s exercise will sound fast, but it’s actually quite chilled

More fast fills Uptempo fills with a dotted feel

Y youR tutoR Jason Bowld

[email protected]

Rhythm - 2 3 9

ou’ll be reaching speeds of 220bpm this month with an eight-bar sequence based around a dotted quarter-note figure. Don’t worry, it’s not going to be single strokes all the way! in fact, it will be quite chilled as the feel of the dotted quarter-note being accented can create a feel just as powerful and dramatic as fast singles at this speed – it’s the Phil Rudd trick! the important aspect is that these examples all start on the ‘4 &’ or ‘push’ of the previous bar. ex. 1 literally just accents the figure with crashes and flams leading to ex. 2 where this expands into an eighth-note roll around the kit whilst maintaining the figure throughout. this lasts for the two bars and the phrasing lines show the four repetitions within the roll. ex. 3 features a grohlesque snare flam/kick interaction phrase to complement the figure (again snare and kick interaction is a repeated phrase played twice that plays around the figure). ex. 4 does in fact unleash super-fast singles played around the kit from the end of bar 1 through bar 2. these fast singles are formed from a thrice-repeated phrase of six 16th notes that lead with the left hand around the kit – yikes! Jason Bowld's GO FIGURE - 3

HeaDs UP! Phil Rudd

Phil Rudd seldom plays fast 16th-note rolls in aC/dC’s faster moments. Check out the middle section to the track ‘Riff Raff’ and you’ll hear true eighth-note genius as Phil plays powerful accents with attitude around the kit.

This is as simple as feeling the figure through the dotted quarter-notes through the crashes and flams – don’t forget that the bar starts on the ‘4-&’ 01 Rhythm - 2 previous 39 of the bar. Jason Bowld's GO FIGURE - 3 >j > > Rhythm - 2 3 ™™º 9 Jason Bowld's > > > GO FIGURE - 3 > j ¿ ¿ j j j j œ œ 4 œ œ ‰ œj >œ >¿ Rhythm 2 3 4 Jason Bowld's > . œ œ ™™º ÷4 Ó Œ MILITARY ‰ œjMETAL. ŒPart 1 >œ ‰ > Œ ‰ > >j œ¿ j ¿ ¿ j j œ œ > ‰ œj >œ Œ œ ‰ œj >œ > œ > ÷ 44 Ó ™™º Œ ‰ >œj .. Œ ‰ > j ¿ ¿œ ¿œ j j j j j œtwoœbars are extremely o 4 œ œ . œ œ Building from Ex. 1, the figure is accented by flams through the These satisfying to play due to the 6 > >to>hit the6flams ‰ with>great>‰ force!œ >œ > œ scope . Œ the snare. >Ó > >>roll> played >Œ > around > ‰ > theœ kit from >>>œ ‰> >> 03Œ available 02÷ 4 eighth-note > j ÷÷ 44 ‰ .. œœ jœ >¿œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœj œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœj œœ œœ œ œœ >œœ œ >¿œ œ ‰œ œ jœ œjœœ œ œ œœ >œ¿o œ œ œ > œœ¿ œ œ > œ¿ œ > œ ¿ œ > j j j j > > > œ œ œ >¿o œ œ >œ œ œ œ jœœ œ > ÷ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ ‰ œ¿ œ j> œ¿ ¿ œ j ¿ o j j œ œ œ 6 o j œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 6 6 6> > > > > > > > > >> œ > >œ œ> ‰ œ> > > ÷ >‰ > œ> > >>> > œ œ ¿ > ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿œo give this could be painful! But seriously, it a go anyway learn a different and .. œ ifœyou’reœrightafterhanded œ andœ you’ll œ œ œœ approach œ œ œ œ forœnotrolling œa>¿olefty œ œ >œ .. > > œœyou’re œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 04÷÷ œœjIfsound around the> kit. You might endjup> rolling around on the floor inœtears though! ‰ œ œ œ > > > œ œ œ œ œ¿ > ¿ ¿ o o ¿ ¿ j >œ > ‰ j >œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ > .. ÷ œ >œ œ >œ œ œ¿ œ¿ 6œ 6 ¿ 6 ¿ ¿ 6 j > 6 6 6œ > > > > > œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œœœœœ .. ÷ œœ œ ‰ œ œ œœ œœ Target tempo bpm. All sticking is hand to hand

Ex 1

Target tempo bpm. All sticking is hand to hand

Ex 1

Target tempo bpm. All sticking is hand to hand Ex 1 Ex 2

Ex 1

Ex 3

Ex 2 Ex 2 Ex 2

1

Ex 3

R

L R

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R 4 Ex

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R Ex 4

L/R

L

R

L/R

L

R

L

R

R R L R R L R L

Ex 3

Ex 4

L

R R Ex 3

L

L R R L

L R L R L R L R L R

L R L R L R L R L R L R L

L R L R L R L R L R

L R L R L R L R L R L R L

2

÷ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ ¿œœ

œœœ œ œœ œ œœœ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœL œ Rœœ Lœ Rœœ Lœ Rœœ Lœ Rœœ Lœ Rœœ œL œœR œL œœR œL œœR œL œœR œL œœR œL œR L œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

Then play the whole sequence at 130bpm

84

| march 2015


Drum lessons rhythm ConCepts

New OrleaNs GrOOves parT 4

More rhythms of the Big Easy from Second-Line legends like Zigaboo Modeliste

T your tutor ErIk STAMS

www.erikstams.co.uk

his month, some slinky and funky beats from the rich repertoire of Lee Dorsey, Dr John, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino and the meters. the meters were the house band on many classic recordings through their association with producer allan toussaint. Play these grooves with a loose, slightly swung feel and bags of swagger. example 1 is in the style of ‘Sneaking Sally through the alley’ by Lee Dorsey. zigaboo modeliste’s drumming is simple, yet elegantly funky, with syncopation created by Dropping a backbeat off the second bar. example 2 illustrates Freddie Steahle’s ragged 2-3 clave feel on

Dr John’s ‘Little Liza Jane’. accent the upbeats on the hi-hat. a manic, syncopated groove in the style of Johnny Vidacovich on Professor Longhair’s ‘Big chief’ is shown in example 3. try the hi-hat part on the rim or side of the floor tom. example 4 is in the style of Freddie Steahle with Dr John on ‘Blow wind Blow’. the displacement, sticking pattern and open hi-hat notes make this groove supremely funky. Don’t rush it. Just sit back and groove. example 5 is in the style of another Dorsey/ meters song, ‘everything i Do gonh Be Funky’. again, zigaboo drops the backbeat off beat ‘4’ and leaves the bass drum off beat ‘1’. the greasy groove on ‘Fiyou on the

Bayou’ by the meters is basically a 3-2 clave with a displaced backbeat on the ‘&’ of ‘4’ (example 7). Stay ‘on top’ of the beat and keep it swinging. ‘i’m walkin’’ by Fats Domino is a new orleans classic (example 8). it’s basically a loose ‘train’ beat with added syncopation on the bass drum, giving it a 2-3 clave feel. enjoy and explore!

HeaDs Up!

Dropping a backbeat

Literally removing one of the backbeats (beats 2 or 4), which creates syncopation.

01

In the style of Lee Dorsey’s ‘Sneaking Sally Through the Alley’.

02

In the style of ‘Little Liza Jane’ by Dr John.

03

A manic groove in the style of ‘Big Chief’ by Professor Longhair.

04

In the style of ‘Blow Wind Blow’ by Dr John.

05

In the style of ‘Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky’ by Lee Dorsey. The bass drum on beat ‘1’ only happens occasionally.

06

In the style of ‘Look-ka Py Py’ by The Meters.

07

In the style of ‘Fire On The Bayou’ by The Meters.

08

A driving groove in the style of ‘I'm Walkin’’ by Fats Domino.


march 2015 |

85

Drum lessons The FounDaTions oF Drumming Being able to notate grooves is a great skill to have as a drummer

HeaDs uP! Figure

A figure is a group of notes. Sometimes you’ll want to notate figures/rhythms and not whole grooves to help you remember parts of songs or fill ideas.

NotatiNg your first groove Learn how to write down your favourite rhythms

B Your tutor Kyle Cullen

[email protected]

86

| march 2015

eing able to quickly notate rhythms, grooves and important figures in songs makes learning new tunes a lot easier. if you ever get asked to fill in on a gig with a lot of songs to learn you’ll be happy to have this skill. you can download the tracks for this lesson at rhythm’s website, musicradar.com – http://bit.ly/foundations239. the first thing to do when notating a groove is find the pulse. tap your foot to the music. in this case it’s quarter notes. then find a simple repeating part. the hi-hat is playing every eighth note so write that down. we will base everything else around this. next find the main snare accents. in this groove that’s ‘2’ and the ‘a’ and ‘3’ in the first bar and ‘2’ and ‘4’ in the second. next add in the kick drum, which is playing ‘1’ and ‘3’ in the first bar and ‘1-&’ ‘3-&’ in the second. now you have the main groove it’s time to add in the snare ghost notes. which are the ‘e’ of ‘3’ and the ‘a’ of ‘4’ in the first bar and the ‘a’ of ‘2’ in the second. the final thing to do is add the right textures to the groove. listen along and watch the video to get these right (print and iPad editions only).

Rhythm - 2 3 9 KYLE CULLEN's HOW TO NOTATE A GROOVE

First find a repeating figure to base the rest of the groove around. Here we 01Rhythm - 2 3the 9 eighth notes on the hi-hats. are using KYLE CULLEN's HOW TO NOTATE A GROOVE

Rhythm - 2 3 9

¿ KYLE ¿ CULLEN's ¿ ¿HOW TO¿ NOTATE ¿ A GROOVE ¿ ¿ . ÷ 44 .. . ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Rhythm 2 3 9 .. ÷ 44 .. KYLE CULLEN's HOW TO NOTATE A GROOVE ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ accents. 02 ÷ 4next..add¿ in¿the¿main¿ snare ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ .. 4 œ œ œ œ .. ÷ 4 .. ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ œ .. ÷ 44 .. ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ÷ 44 .. ¿ ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ ¿ .. . falls. 03 ÷ 4now..find¿œ¿where Œ¿the¿¿bass¿œ¿ drum Œ¿¿ ¿¿ œ¿¿ œ¿¿ Œ¿¿ ¿ œ¿ œ¿ Œ¿ ¿ . ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ œ .. ÷ 44 .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ Œ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ÷ 44 .. ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ œ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ .. ÷ 4 .. œ œŒ Œ œ(œ) œ ŒŒ (œ) œ œ ŒœŒ (œ) œ œ ŒœŒ .. ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ÷ 44 .. œœ œ Œ œ(œœ) œ Œ (œ) œœ œ Œœ (œ)œ œ œ œ Œœ .. Œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ¿ ¿ ¿ œ notes. 04 ÷ 44Finally.. ¿add¿in Œ¿œthe¿snare¿ (œghost œ œ œ œ . œ Œ œ ) Œ () œ œ Œ ()œ œ Œ . ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ ¿ ÷ 44 .. œ œŒ œ(œ) œ Œ (œ) œ œ œŒ (œ) œ œ œŒ .. www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

DID YOU MISS OUR

20 guitar lessons to change the way you play?

20

TH

SA RY ANNIVETRION EDI

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW

The No.1 website for musicians

Looking for a new drum kit? Get the best advice at musicradar.com Thousands of gear reviews and killer video demos

Tips and techniques to help you play and sound better

Drum lessons beat builDer

8 Bar Challenge part 4 Left-hand snare independence

W

Your tutor Colin WoolWay

[email protected]

elcome to another 8 Bar challenge! this month we are going to take a bit of a departure from previous examples and play the 8 Bar challenge as a left-hand snare drum independence exercise. this is a precursor to next month’s lesson which will have more of a jazz feel, but to get us warmed up we are going to play quarter-notes on the ride cymbal with your right hand, stepped hi-hat with left foot on beats 2 and 4, and introduce a new technique, which we will call technique 2, which is to play the eight-bar pattern on the

The 8-bar challenge will help develop your sense of phrasing and orchestration

snare drum, left-hand only. example 1, as usual, is the eight bar pattern just in case you haven’t seen it before. example 2 is our new template; this is template number 4; practise this on its own, and maybe just add bars one and two from the eight-bar pattern

just to get used to playing it. then example 3 shows us technique 2 with template 4 applied to it. concentrate especially on keeping the hi-hat on ‘2’ and ‘4’ throughout and watch out for bars five and six! and remember, you will need this for next month’s lesson!

Rhythm - 2 3 9

01

Colin Woolway's 8 BAR CHALLENGE

The eight-bar pattern.

Ex 1 EIGHT PATTERN Rhythm - 2 3 BAR 9 Colin Woolway's Rhythm - 2 3 9 8 BAR CHALLENGE Colin Woolway's 8 BAR CHALLENGE Ex 1 EIGHT BAR PATTERN 1

÷ 44 œ

œ

œ

œ

j j j œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ

œ

j j j j œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ

j j j EIGHT BAR PATTERN j j 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ÷÷ 4œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ j ‰ œ œj ‰œ œj œœ œ œ ‰ œœj œœ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ÷ 44 œ œ œ œ j j j œ ‰ #4œj œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ Ex ÷ 2 œTEMPLATE œ œ ¿ ‰ 2:œPlayœthe eight-bar œ ¿ using œ the left œhandœonly.‰ œ œ ‰ ¿onœ the œsnare drum, ¿œ œ pattern 02÷÷ 4 Technique 4 Œ Ex 2 TEMPLATE #4 ¿ ¿ Œ Ex 2 TEMPLATE #4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ÷ 44 ¿ ¿¿ ¿ ¿¿ Œ #2 with TEMPLATE Œ ÷ 344 TECHNIQUE Ex #4 ¿ ¿ Œ Œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ 4 ÷ Ex 34 TECHNIQUE Template 4: Play #2 with quarter TEMPLATE notes on #4the ride cymbal, stepped hi-hat with left foot on ‘2’ and ‘4’. 03 ¿ ¿ Œ Œ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ Ex 3 TECHNIQUE #2 with TEMPLATE #4 ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ ÷ 44 œ¿ œ¿ œ¿ œ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ÷ 44¿œ œŒœ ¿ œ¿œ ¿œ œŒ ¿œ œ¿ œ ¿ œŒœ œ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿œ Œ œ ¿œ ¿ œ ¿œ œŒ œ ¿ œ¿ œ ¿œ œŒ ÷ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ œ ¿ œ ¿œ ÷ œ¿ œ ¿ œ œ¿ œ¿ œ ¿ œ œ¿ œ¿ œ¿ ¿œ œ ¿¿ œ ¿œ Œ Œ ÷ œŒ œ ¿ œ œŒ ¿œ œ Œ œ ¿œ œŒ ¿œ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ Ex 1

1 5 1

5

j j œ œ ‰œ œj œ‰ jœ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰

j j œœj ‰ œ œjœ œ œ ‰ œ œ

œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ

œ œ

5

1

1 1 5

5 5

90

| march 2015

œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿¿ œ œ ¿¿ œ œ¿ œ ¿ ¿œ œ ¿¿œ œ ¿

¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿œ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ ¿œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿œ Œ œ ¿œ¿ œ ¿œŒ œœ ¿œœ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ ¿œ ¿œ ¿œ œ ¿œ ¿œ ¿¿œ ¿œ œ ¿¿œ Œ Œ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

teasers

graCe on the Bass! Giving flams a lower case!

t

his month’s teaser exercise goes slightly against the grain. Rhythmwe - 2 3spend 9 so long trying to get bass Colin Woolway's Rhythm - 2 3and 9 snare drum drum to play in unison; TEASER - GRACE ON THEbut BASS Colin Woolway's TEASER - GRACE ON THE BASS

01

why not take our flam rudiments and play the grace notes on the bass drum? For a further challenge, try playing flam taps and the flam accent on the high and low toms.

Rhythm - 2 3 9 flam with the grace on the bass! Standard

Colin Woolway's TEASER - GRACE ON THE BASS

Ex 1 Ex 1

÷ 444 Ex ÷ 14 ÷4 Ex 24

02

Ex 2

j œ j œ j œ j œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œ œ œ j œ j œ j œ j œ œ right hand and left œhand on different toms. œ Try playing flam taps with the

÷ 444 ÷4 Ex ÷ 344 Ex 2

Ex 3

03÷ 4

j œj œ j œ

œ œ R R œ

œ œ R œ R 3

j œj œ j œ

œ œ L œL 3

œ œ L œ L

j œj œ j œ

œ œ R R œ

œ œ R œ R 3

j œj œ j œ

œ œ œ œ œ L œL 3

get the full interaCtive rhythm experienCe

œ œ L œ L

R R L L R R L L 3 3 flam 4and now the œ3 accent, œ againœwith œthe right œ and left handsœ3playing œ high andœ low toms. œ œ

Ex 3

÷ 44 ÷ 44

j œj œ j œ

œ œ R R œ

œ3 L œ L

œ R œ R

R

L

R

j œj œ j œ

œ L œ L L

œ3 R œ R

œ L œ L

R

L

j œj œ j œ

œ œ R R œ

œ3 L œ L

œ R œ R

R

L

R

j œj œ j œ

L L

œ œ

R R

œ3 œ

œ L œ L

L

R

L

Did you know that you can get full audio and video of these fantastic rhythm lessons on the cD covermounted with the print edition, or with the fully enhanced digital edition available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch? Follow this link to find out where to get hold of rhythm with video and audio content – http://bit.ly/zkxmre

Drumming essentials What you need to know before you start

01

Matched Grip

Both hands hold the sticks in the same manner: thumbs on the side of the sticks; forefinger opposite the thumb; middle, ring and little fingers curled under the sticks; palms held down, facing the floor.

02

traditioNaL Grip

the right hand is as matched grip, but the left-hand stick is held differently (vice versa for left-handed players). the stick is lodged in the fleshy bit between the thumb and forefinger and the fore and middle fingers curl over the stick, while the ring and little fingers curl under to support the stick.

03

Quarter Notes

also known as ‘crotchets’. if a standard bar of music is regarded as a ‘whole’, then four evenlyspaced notes within that bar are regarded as ‘quarters’, hence the term ‘quarter note’ (in other words, four beats in a standard bar).

04

eiGhth Notes

classically referred to as ‘quavers’. if a standard bar of music is regarded as a ‘whole’ and four evenly-spaced notes within that bar are regarded as ‘quarters’, then eight evenly-spaced notes within that bar are regarded as ‘eighths’,


hence the term ‘eighth note’ (in other words, eight beats in a standard bar).

05

eiGhth-Note tripLets

the musical definition of a triplet is ‘three evenly spaced notes occupying the same space as two evenly spaced notes’. in the case of eighth notes, two would be replaced by three eighth-note triplets.

06

ostiNato

an ostinato is a repeated pattern, usually not very long, often three or four notes played over and over again. the most famous drum ostinato is the snare drum pattern in ravel’s ‘Bolero’, but contemporary drummers often refer to ‘bass and hi-hat’ ostinatos.

07

16th Notes

also known as ‘semi-quavers’. if a standard bar of music is regarded as a ‘whole’, then 16 evenly spaced notes within that bar are regarded as ‘16ths’, hence ‘16th note’.

08

cross-sticK

Played on the snare by holding the stick at the tip end, laying it across the drum and striking the rim with the ‘butt’ end, keeping the tip in contact with the head.

09

riM shot

10

head tYpes

Played by striking the head and the rim of the drum at the same time. it makes a loud, sonorous sound, good for accents in a snare pattern or heavy rock backbeat.

the ‘batter’ head is the drum head you strike and the ‘resonant’ head is the head on the underside of the drum that gives it a full and resonating sound.

s

GettiNG started

itting behind a drum kit for the first time can be a daunting thing. however, once you get to grips with the basics you’ll be playing in no time. and if you’ve never picked up the sticks before we can help you. head to the links below, and you’ll find the following content just for beginners. ■ take your first steps into reading music with our guide to drum notation – http://bit.ly/147icLI ■ Find your way around the kit with our anatomy of a drum kit guide –http://bit.ly/WGLM7R ■ Five video drum lessons covering basic rock, funk jazz and the shuffle – http://bit.ly/15pOGx9 ■ Video guides to accompany the drumming essentials above – http://bit.ly/ZJHOZU

march 2015 |

91

Drum lessons Improve your soloIng wIth…

Foot ostinato ‘101’ A useful trick for creating a solo

R

eaders of a certain age will recall seeing rhythm’s own geoff nicholls demonstrating the drumming requirements of a range of different styles on the BBc’s rockschool programme back in the ’80s. and on the programme dedicated to rock drumming geoff proceeded to show how a rock drum solo could be created over a basic ‘walking’ kick/ hat quarter-note foot pattern. needless to say for a drummer in the essentially becoming more demanding early days of their playing this was to prove as it progresses. however it can easily a lot harder than geoff was making it look, be broken down into lines that can be and so after the last few issues’ challenging mastered individually. solos it seemed a good time a hit the reset as always when there are dynamics button and apply some essential rudiments marked you should try to maintain a over this foot ostinato ‘101’. relatively wide difference between the ostinato itself can be played accented and unaccented notes, with either heel up or down while the rudiments the unaccented ones usually benefitting in question are single paradiddles in lines from being played a little quieter than 1 and 2, double paradiddles in line 3 and comes naturally. the single drag in line 4, with the piece DRUM SOLO - PETE

Your tutor Pete Riley

[email protected]

Rhythm - 2 3 9

>>

>

1

L

R

R

L

R

L

L

>>

>

ostinato

An ostinato is simply a repeating pattern that in this instance is played by the feet, though could be played anywhere on the kit. A classic example would be the snare drum part in Ravel's ‘Boléro’ which remains unwavering throughout the piece.

>>

>

>

>

>

R

L

R

R

>

L

R

L

L

R

L

R

>

>>

R

L

R

>

L

L

R

>

L

L

R

>

L

L

R

L

>

! ! ! ÷ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ R

L

>

9

>>

HEaDs UP!

÷ 44 œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ R

5

>

The foot ostinato is combined with single and double paradiddles and a single drag to create a nice solo

R

R

L

R

L

L

R

L

R

>

>

R

L

>

R

L

L

R

L

L

>

>

R

L

L

R

L

L

> >o

>

3

R

L

L

R

L

>o>

R

L

3

o

3

3

÷ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ R

L

R

L

R

R

L

R

L

R

L

L

R

L

R

L

R

R

L

R

L

R

L

L

R L

R L R R

L R L R

L

L

> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > >!!! > >> ! ! œ ! ! œ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! œ œ ÷ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ .. œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ Œ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ 1

2

R L R L R L R L

R L L R R L R

3

3

13

R L R L R L R L

92

| march 2015

R L R L R L R L

R L R L R L R L


Presents...

100 Drum

Heroes • 100 of the greatest drummers of all time interviewed and profiled

• Includes exclusive interviews and photos from Rhythm’s 27 years as the UK’s biggest drum mag • Drum heroes discuss their music, playing techniques, gear and career highlights • An essential read for fans of drumming and drummers across all genres of music

on sale noW only £9.99

Outside the uK? subscribe tO and save up tO 35% Never miss an issue of Rhythm again, with 13 issues per year delivered to your door for up to 35% less than the shop price!

Europe

Subscribe from just £63.99 per year www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/rhyeu

North America

Subscribe from just $23.21 per quarter www.imsnews.com/rhy-a005

sAvE up to 35%

Rest of the World

Subscribe from just £73.99 per year www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/rhyrow Own a tablet?

Subscribe to Rhythm on your iPad via www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk/digitaledition or www.zinio.com/rhythm for Android. TERMS & CONDITIONS: This offer is for new overseas subscribers only. You will receive 13 issues per year. Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Minimum subscription term is 12 months. If at any time during the first 60 days you are dissatisfied in any way please notify us in writing and we will refund you for all un-mailed issues. 35% saving is based on buying 13 issues from the US newsstand at $10.99. Savings in other countries will vary.

100 GREATEST

DRUM BEATS & HOW TO PLAY THEM

PLUS LEARN TO PLAY DRUMS TODAY! Includes beginners guide to get you up and running

ON SALE NOW

Available from all good newsagents, on Apple NewsStand & from myfavouritemagazines.com

NEW gEaR

Welcome!

Form an orderly Q for these beauties

B

y the time you read this the annual gear fest that is the namm Show will have been and gone. you can read all about the halls of drum goodies found at the mega anaheim event in our huge round-up starting on page 14, but in short namm is basically where all of the gear you’ll be lusting after in 2015 is unveiled. well, almost all of the gear. there’s still plenty of gorgeous kits released last year that you should have on your radar. take this month’s lead review from fast-rising west coast brand Q. the company is developing a stellar reputation with the likes of adam marcello and ilan rubin using

their kits in arenas all over the world. we sent a Q kit to geoff nicholls for the full review treatment. From Los angeles’ finest to the best of British. Seasoned uk drum builders carrera sent us a brace of snares to check out, you can see our verdict on page 102. we keep up the British theme by reviewing a pair of snares from Liberty on page 108. elsewhere this month we run the rule over the mapex mars kit and get to grips with toontrack’s latest ezX software pack, made of metal. that’s it for this month, enjoy and we will see you all next time.

looking for a Particular review? check out our huge archive of reviews, round-uPs and buying guides at www.musicradar.com

106

mapex marsdrumkit

Contents REVIEW Q DRum Co copper drum kit REVIEW CaRRERa snare drums REVIEW toontRaCk made of metal ezx REVIEW CRush DRums hardware pack REVIEW mapEx mars drum kit REVIEW lIbERty DRums snare drums VIntagE gEaR slIngERlanD satin flame pearl kit ask gEoff your gear questions answered

98 102 104 105 106 108 110 112

108

LiBerty drums snaredrums

star ratings explained During the review process we investigate three key areas in detail Build quality Is it consistent? Are components up to the task? Are shells round? And so on. Playability Does the product convincingly do the job it was designed for? Value for money Does the price reflect the product fairly, and how does it compare with competitors? Each area receives a star rating out of five. These ratings are then collated to arrive at an overall Rhythm Rating.

Poor: sub-standard Product average: accePtable but uninsPiring good: above average excellent: suPerior Product outstanding: imPossible to fault www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

Look out for these

98

q drum co copperkit

The Rhythm Recommends award is given to those products that score four out of five. These are products that, although not scoring top marks, are strong products in their field. The Rhythm Star Buy is awarded to those products that score five out of five for design, construction, function and value.

march 2015 |

97

Gear revieW

Q Drum Co Custom Copper kit

£2,599 Metal shelled drum kits are rare, but Q Drums of LA specialise

in kits made from steel, brass and - as with our review kit - copper

worDS: Geoff Nicholls

W

hen we have several top class scratch drum builders in the uk i am often at a loss to understand the attraction of uS custom drums imported at great cost which are often simply blinged-up keller shells with generic hardware. there are exceptions though, like SJc drums – and now SJc’s uk importers, colchester’s Sound attak, present this copper kit by the Q (for ‘Quality’) Drum company of La. although Q offers kits in maple or mahogany, it’s the metal kits, made from sheet steel, brass or copper, that draw the headlines. Scot Lewis of Sound attak says, “we have known Jeremy Berman, Q’s owner, for a long

inch and then joined by a double row of rivets. on the outside the copper is doubled over at the join to present a rounded rather than a sharp edge. this makes it stick out rather noticeably and at the bearing edge it has to be filed down in order not to jut into the head collar. the result has been described as an industrial look and it is certainly eye-catching. the shell material is, according to Jeremy, “24oz copper (0.032" gauge) which is sourced locally in flat sheets. we roll them, rivet them, add the [maple] re-rings and finish them all in-house. nothing is outsourced.” Firmly fixed inside the top and bottom edge are 10-ply reinforcing rings of maple:

the maple rings provide the bearing edges, whiCh means you are playing on the maple edge, more than the Copper time. in 2000 he was the main craftsman at orange county Drums and Percussion. as ocDP’s uk agents we would see him every year at the namm show. Last year we were blown away by the copper and brass kits and plate snares, and, more importantly, by the sound. this is not your normal custom drum company, this is totally unique.” Jeremy Berman left ocDP to tech for various name drummers – one of whom, ilan rubin (nine inch nails etc), has recently joined Q as part owner. “he brings a lot to the table and has been pivotal in helping the company grow,” says Jeremy. what we have for review is a copper kit with custom Dark Brown Patina and aztec Brushed copper Design.

Build i don’t recall seeing shells made this way before. the thin sheet copper is simply bent round into a circle, overlapped by about an

98

| march 2015

“the re-rings are keller, shell blanks that we cut accordingly.” these maple rings provide the bearing edges, which means you are actually playing on the maple edge, more than the copper. the edge is 45° with a clean round-over on the outer two plies. Bearing edge quality is always a good indicator of the care taken in manufacture and these edges are purringly smooth. the metal-wood combination seems to work structurally as the drums are impressively round – the 16" floor tom was almost perfectly circular, which is a rare thing. inside, the shells have a goldencopper burnish. Lugs are secured with high quality bolts with steel and black plastic gaskets. the shells are finished in a mottled Dark Brown Patina with a centre brushed copper aztec pattern. the aztec design has the same finish as the insides of the shells and this is also used in the inserts

COPPER SHELLS Q Drums specialise in building kits with sheet metal shells, including steel, brass and copper www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

Essential spec

FINISH Shells have a Custom Dark Brown Patina finish, hand-applied with a Custom Aztec Brushed Copper design

PRICES QDrumCoCopperKit withCustomDark BrownHandPatina FinishandAztec BrushedCopperDesign: 22"x16",13"x9",16"x16", £2,599

SHELL MATERIAL 24ozcoppersheet

BASS DRUM HOOPS Hoops are 12-ply rock maple while internal shell reinforcing-rings are 10-ply maple, cut down from Keller shells

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Rolledcoppersheets withrivetedseams,plus reinforcingringsof mapleply

THICKNESS 0.032"gaugecopper sheet

BEARING EDGES 45°maplewith round-overouterradius. Accurateandsmooth finish

FINISHES AVAILABLE Multipleoptions, includingbrushed finishesandcustom patinaswithpatterns (aspictured)

HOOPS Bassdrums:12-ply maplewithinlayof choice

SHELL AVAILABILITY Widerangeofcustom sizes

SUPPLIED HEADS RemoClearCSbatter, AmbassadorClear resonant;bassdrum: RemoCoatedPinstripe batter,blacklogohead with7"centralporthole

LUGS PER DRUM ClassicSlingerlandstyle beavertaillugs:small tom,12;floortom,16; bassdrum,20

TOM MOUNTS Nomountonsmalltom; threegenericlegson floortom

CONTACT SoundAttak,Colchester 01206368999 www.soundattak.co.uk enquiries@soundattak. co.uk www.qdrumco.com


march 2015 |

99

Gear revieW They say…

HARDWARE

Jeremy Berman is the founder and president of the Q Drum Company, Los Angeles, USA

All metal hardware is generic, including the hoops, legs, spurs and classic Slingerland-inspired ‘beavertail' design lugs

Jeremy, what made you start Q Drums? “Honestly,IstartedQbecauseI lovebuildingdrums.Ilovethe ideaoffusingtraditionalwith modern.Andtryingtoforgenewground.The metaldrumsetsdothatforme.Theyhavean amazingbalancetonallythatyoucannotfindin othermaterials.Weusecopper,brassandsteel andeachhasitsownuniquecharacteristics. Usingmapleasareinforcementringadds warmthandthenecessaryattackforthat addeddefinition.Ibelievetheyhavethemost well-roundedtoneyoucangetfromany drumset.Youcanlayintothemandyoucan playthemsoft.Youwillgetarticulationoutof thedrumsatanyvolume.” how many work at Q? “Atthemomentwearesix.Mostofourguysare touringtechsordrummers,sowetypicallyhave threeintheshopatatime.MaxCuzorandIdo allofthebuildsandtheguysthatareinandout assistwhentheyareavailable.MaxandIhave beenworkingtogetherforlongerthanIcan rememberandwebothbuildsimilarly.This allowsustotacklemultipleprojectsatthesame timewithoutworrythattheywilldiffer drastically.Consistencyiskey.”

to the 12-ply maple bass drum hoops. Jeremy explains, “we offer all sorts of finishes for our metal drums. most popular is classic brushed satin. we also use chemicals for various patina finishes. we can actually patina images and patterns onto the shells. it’s not a paint, it’s a controlled oxidisation of the metal.” For the chromed hardware, Q, like most small companies, must turn to familiar generic fare – classic Slingerlandstyle ‘beavertail’ lugs and standard spurs

drum down a fraction, aided by the front logo head which has a 7" diameter 1980s-style centre port hole. the effect of this is almost like having no front head at all, so you get a massive attack while the report is shortened. i suspect Q has done this to rein in the mighty ‘blam’. Played with no internal damping you feel the whole metal shell reverberating. not advisable for your lounge trio then, but for any powerful rocking style this will

yowsa! the bass drum! if ever there was a time to dig out the old Chestnut, ‘sounds like a Cannon’, this is it and floor tom legs. although the shells are copper they are not that much heavier than a normal good quality wood-shelled kit.

Hands on yowsa! the bass drum! if ever there was a time to dig out the old chestnut ‘sounds like a cannon’, this is it. thin metal shell bass drums do have an obvious tendency to be resonant and bangy, more so than wood. the nice thing about this shell being copper is that it has a more woody timbre than, say, steel – a warmer, darker thud. it’s a 22"x16" but sounds more like a 24" with that extra depth and ‘oomph’. the supplied coated Pinstripe batter is a good choice, calming the

100

| march 2015

make you king. it’s doubly intriguing because initially i was sceptical about those riveted shell joins. Surely without an airtight weld there would be a loss of resonance? maybe there is, but removing a head on the small tom and tapping the shell, its ring was double what you’d get from a thin wooden shell. Perhaps that’s not surprising, it being the ring you’d expect from knocking on any metal can. But if that can were brazed together at the seam, maybe the ring would be even greater? and maybe that would simply be too much? Fine for a performance of ‘Stomp’, but too boisterous for a musical drum kit. So, in short, the riveting, as well as looking funky-industrial, might also make

Also try…

1

Echo Apollo

We say: “TheEcho ApolloCustomdrum kitsaremanufactured from3mmaluminium. Availableinavarietyof finishesinbothrockand fusionsizes.”

2

SJc cuStom hybrid

We say: “Withthetruest shellsandthesilkiest bearingedgesIhave seeninalongwhile,SJC provesitscommitment toquality.”

sonic sense in the overall scheme. that’s the copper, but remember, the bearing edges are actually maple. Jeremy says, “using maple as a reinforcement ring adds so much warmth and the necessary attack for that added definition.” the maple edges are slightly flattened which again warms the sound and combined with the copper timbre the drums hold their tuning and clear tone at any tension. the cS batters offer extra reinforcement for hard hitters, just slightly rounding off the attack without reducing resonance as much as perimeter-damped heads. tuning the 16"x16" floor tom right down to just above wrinkles produced a great growling roar. But then tuned right back up to bebop tension the drum retains its fat tone and doesn’t choke. in fact, all three drums, including the bass drum, are sensitive to the smallest stroke yet give loads of volume when you lay in. the response, attack, sensitivity and tone are all really impressive. VERDICT: striking, funky, semiindustrial image, powerful warm sound and exceptional dynamic range courtesy of the riveted copper shells combined with the excellent maple edges. cost of import is the downside.

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money rating


Watch it, hear it, read it Guitarist magazine on Newsstand for iPhone, iPad & iPod touch

Packed with video, audio, picture galleries and a whole lot more…

Gear revieW

CARRERA DRUMS CUSTOM PINSTRIPE SNARE DRUMS

£399 Two superlative custom snare drums hand built from

scratch in the UK that look and sound awesome worDS: Geoff Nicholls

S

ince 2009, Dave carrera has forged a serious reputation for building top class drum shells from scratch in his uxbridge workshop. these shells form the basis of carrera custom drums, and are also supplied to other drum makers, from individuals to companies including Pork Pie. as examples of his craft we have two snare drums from the custom Pinstripe range.

Build as carrera states, “it all starts with the shell.” most companies either buy ready-made shells, or mould sheets of pre-formed two- or three- cross plies. carrera actually works from single plies. as Dave explains, “we are one of only a few drum shell makers worldwide who have their own in-house veneer presses allowing us to make our own two- and three-ply panels. we then cut each panel to length by hand, and lay the shell in our moulds.” carrera can supply birch, maple or Bubinga and all sorts of exotic veneers. Both review snares are 14"x6" shells, one in rock maple, the other in ice Birch. “when we buy our birch veneers, some have this extreme figuring in the grain, known as ice Birch, a rare version of Finnish birch.” So the first drum has nine plies of ice Birch to which is stitched a further outer veneer of ice Birch with a thin (3mm) ‘micro’ Pinstripe of ebony. the other drum has an eight-ply core of rock maple with an inner veneer of curly maple and an outer consisting of ebony, with a wider central Pinstripe (25mm) of curly maple. in both cases there are 10 plies each of 0.6mm, making both shells a thin 6mm. the Pinstripes are not inlaid, which is what many

102

| march 2015

Also try…

1

Premier modern ClassiC

We say: “Modern Classic snares are faultlessly constructed with top quality components throughout, giving a distinctive, dark yet lively sound.”

2

sakae snares

We say: “These drums are expertly made, full of original design features and sound superb.”

companies do. in carrera’s case the outer layer is achieved by butting up three individually cut veneers – top, bottom and the central pinstripe band. carrera: “the outer veneer is stitched by hand then sealed as the first ply layer of the shell, so it is part of the shell’s construction, not cut out afterwards.” the shells are finished in hand-rubbed oil with a wax sheen, or in a high gloss lacquer (which takes longer and is more expensive). the review drums have a superbly applied lacquer with a waxed inner. each shell is personally signed and dated inside by Dave carrera. although thin, these two shells are almost perfectly round and the 45° cut-back, ‘head matched’ edges are outstanding. customers can specify shell size and pinstripe lay-up, even multi-pinstripes, and in any of the woods carrera stocks (including maple, birch, mahogany, oak, beech, black walnut and Bubinga). the carrera ‘badge’ is an airbrushed logo under the lacquer, so there is no extra metal placed on the shell. the metal work is inevitably generic, with 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops and chromed steel tube lugs. carrera has sensibly fitted

the top class trick multi-position throw-off with the carrera logo laser-etched on both the throw and butt sides.

Hands On with thin shells and eight (not 10) tube lugs, these are pretty lightweight drums. the lugs

“ThERE IS A CONTROllED RINg TO ThE RIM-ShOT ‘ClONk’ ThAT RISES AND SETTlES IN A PERfECT ARC, DEvOID Of hARSh OvERTONES” www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

Essential spec

pinstripe Outer layer is achieved by butting up three individually cut veneers

throw-off

BADGe

Snares have Trick multi-position throw-off with Carrera logo laseretched on throw and butt sides

Logo is airbrushed under the lacquer so there is no extra metal placed on the shell

PRICES 14"x6" Ebony/Maple Custom Pinstripe, £399; 14"x6" Ice Birch/Ebony Micro Pinstripe, £399

SHELL MATERIAL Wood

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Carrera constructs and moulds shells from individual plies using its own in-house veneer presses

NUMBER OF PLIES 10 plies, 6mm thick

BEARING EDGES 45° cut back ‘Head Matched’ edges. Excellent finish

FINISHES AVAILABLE High gloss hand-buffed lacquer outer and waxed inner (as pictured); hand-rubbed oil/wax sheen adds seven days to your order; high gloss lacquer (dearer) 21 days

HOOPS 2.3mm triple-flanged, but customers can request ‘S’ hoops or die-cast hoops.

SHELL AVAILABILITY Customer can specify required shell size

SUPPLIED HEADS Remo Controlled Sound Coated batter, Hazy snare side

LUGS PER DRUM Eight double-ended classic steel tube lugs

SNARE STRAINER also minimise any shell constriction so that resonance is maximised. thin shells naturally produce darker, reverberant tones, while the sharp bearing edges pinpoint accurately articulated sound, aided by the properly cut snare beds and the exacting trick tensioner. Starting at medium-low tension on both top and bottom heads i couldn’t detect a great difference between the two drums. they both sounded glorious from the off, the looseness merely accentuating the uncluttered, unfettered tone of the shells. applying progressively more tension, the usual characters of birch (tighter, more


focused) and maple (warmer, more open) started to make themselves known. the birch drum had a concise, almost glassy crispness, a slightly brighter and tighter vibe. the maple drum was a touch warmer, darker, fatter, punchier and rounder. the sound of both drums is versatile. there is a controlled ring to the rim-shot ‘clonk’ that rises and settles in a perfect arc, devoid of harsh overtones. whether tuned high or low the snare wires provide a rich response – so the drums never turn boxy (tuned high) or hollow and empty (tuned low).

Trick multi-position throw-off with Carrera logo laser-etched on the throw and butt

CONTACT VERDICT: in just five years carrera has developed into a master drum builder. i was blown away by both the construction and finish of these drums, with their pure yet versatile sounds.

Carrera Drums 01895 256436 www.carreradrums.com [email protected]

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money RAting

march 2015 |

103

Gear revieW

TOOnTraCk Made Of Metal

Essential spec

Kits Four

£49.95 Metal drums on a budget? Acclaimed metal producer

Presets

Colin Richardson has the answer…

Five

system requirements

worDS: Stuart WilliamS

Toontrack EZdrummer 2 Windows 7 or later, Pentium 4 or Athlon processor with 2 GB RAM; Mac OS X 10.6 or later, Intel-based Mac with 2 GB RAM

C

apturing the sound of drums in a way that stands up to today’s slick production values isn’t easy; you need to find the right balance of power, tone and clarity. a decent, well-tuned kit is a given, but you’ll also need a complete recording set-up, the technical nouse to make it all work, and an acoustic space that does it justice. this is exactly what metal production legend colin richardson, engineer carl Bown and uk drum supremo Jason Bowld have, and with the latest ez Drummer ezX expansion, made of metal, they’ve bottled it up, offering it to you for just under £50.

ContaCt Time And Space 01873 55200 www.timespace.com www.toontrack.com

Build “colin richardson? i’ve heard of him, haven’t i?” if you’re a fan of metal and have read any sleeve notes in the last 20 years, then, yes, you’ll know colin from his work with the likes of Slipknot, machine head, Bullet For my Valentine and loads more. now, Belgium may not be the first place you think of when it comes to the creation of groundbreaking metal drum sounds, but when toontrack’s mattias eklund gave colin richardson the green light to go anywhere in the world to record this project, richardson chose galaxy Studios in mol, Belgium. armed with an arsenal of microphones and outboard gear, richardson, Bown and Jason Bowld set about sampling four kits (tama Starclassic Bubinga, mapex Velvetone, truth custom walnut and Dw Blue oyster). as well as these shell packs, you get five snares (Ludwig 402 and Black Beauty, Brady Jarrah, mapex Black Panther Seamless Steel and a yamaha custom maple), plus 16 cymbal variations from Paiste, zildjian and Sabian covering just about every sound you’re likely to need. there’s also a set of miDi grooves recorded by Jason – less useful to drummers in their own tunes, but a brilliant way of checking out Jason’s playing at any tempo!

Hands On toontrack’s philosophy with its ez line of products means that there’s very little messing about, and this one follows suit. the kit sounds have been made into five presets:

104

| march 2015

KITS The samples are from four different kits, five different snares and 16 cymbal variations

one for each kit with control over the grouped microphones, overheads and ambient mics, as well as additional compression and reverb. the extra ‘original mix’ preset spreads all of the close mics for each drum across the mixer, giving you comprehensive control between, say, the top and bottom snare mic balance. the sounds are aimed at modern metal and hard rock, and they do this brilliantly, in a number of flavours. the snares – although dimensionally similar – range from rockier, fatter sounds (402, Black Panther) to more Lamb of god/Slipknot-style cutting sounds (yamaha and Brady), and we found that adding some ambience to the yamaha got us very close to the Deftones’ white Pony snare sound.

we mentioned clarity earlier, and even with the ambient mics cranked, all of the kits here offer pin-sharp note definition. the kicks are pointy, yet full. the toms have great attack and plenty of round sustain, making each note heard, but also sound full. VERDICT: toontrack has no shortage of metal sounds in its catalogue, each one produced by world-class people, but think of this as an extra palette. Of course you’ll need EZdrummer 2 to run it, but at £50, it’s almost robbery.

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money raTing


CrusH Drums & PerCussiOn M4 Hardware Pack

£399 Roadproof set of stands and pedals from vibrant US brand worDS: adam jones

C

rush Drums and Percussion has a strong affinity with the uS military and has named both its hardware ranges after american tanks. while its flagship m1 series is currently restricted to bass drum pedals and a hi-hat stand, the m4 series on review is more comprehensive. the five-piece hardware pack contains two boom arm cymbal stands, a snare stand, hi-hat stand and single bass drum pedal.

Build crush describes these uS-designed, taiwanese-built m4 stands and pedals as medium weight; in reality they are sturdy enough to cope with all but the most brutal of players. the stands sit on double-braced tripods and the legs splay generously, guaranteeing stability. hefty 1.1" diameter tubing is used on the bottom section of each stand and twopart memory locks are found at each subsequent junction. Both of the cymbal stands have three sections of tubing and disappearing booms; crush doesn’t manufacture an equivalent straight cymbal stand but a top section with boom for clamping onto rack systems is available. the pedal section of the hi-hat stand can be swivelled within the tripod legs to accommodate a double pedal and the spring tension is easily adjustable via a large knurled knob. the bass drum pedal shares the black coated footplate with the hi-hat stands and also features a double chain, adjustable stroke and two-sided beater.

Hands On Judging by the weight of the hardware case it is clear that this is a set of heavy duty stands. once planted, the cymbal stands feel as though they have taken root in the stage – nothing i do persuades them to budge. with the three sections extended and the boom left vertical the stands are tall enough to reach the ceiling. Precise adjustment of the angle of the cymbal is


Essential spec

PRICES CrushDrumsand PercussionM4 hardwarepack,£399; Individualcomponents: singlebassdrumpedal, £75;doublebassdrum pedal,£209;snare stand,£75;hi-hatstand, £99;cymbalstand, £89;clamponboom arm,£39

PEDAL FEATURES Doublechain; high-gradebearings; ABScams;heavyduty coatings;brassbearing hinge;two-sidedbeater

STAND FEATURES

STABILITY Stands sit on doublebraced tripods and the legs splay generously, guaranteeing stability

Toothlesstilter; double-bracedlegs; 1.1"tubing;swivelhi-hat base;fasthi-hatspring adjustment;mating memorylocks;large rubberfeet

CONTACT SoundTechnologyLtd 01462480000 www.crushdrum.com

possible thanks to the toothless tilter (tightened by the equally user-friendly large aBS handle). the snare stand is similarly solid, cradling the snare gently while remaining impervious to stage creep. Both the hi-hat stand and bass drum pedal function smoothly and can be quickly adjusted to preferred feel. any absent bells and whistles – such as interchangeable cams or beater weights – are compensated for by good design fundamentals and quality build.

VERDICT: Crush drums can’t be confused with any other brands on the market and similar design credentials inform the company’s hardware. These are elegant, well-made stands that are both full of intelligent features and strong enough to withstand years of use.

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money rating

march 2015 |

105

Gear revieW

Mapex Mars series kit

£539 Birch shells, innovative finishes and colour coded hardware

at budget level – Mapex’s Mars series means business

wordS: AdAm Jones

M

apex launched its mars and armoury series together at namm 2014, in the process introducing the company’s Soniclear bearing edge to the drumming world. though mars has been used as a series name by mapex previously, it stresses that the new drums bear no resemblance to the former range.

Build Four mars shellpacks are available, all of which are identically priced. on review is the rock Fusion five-piece kit which is made up of a 22"x18" bass drum, 10"x7" and 12"x8" rack toms, 16"x14" floor tom and a 14"x6½" snare. the shells are all-birch and are a uniform 6-ply/7.2mm across all drums. inside they are sanded and lightly sealed and bear the classic light hues of birch. a choice of four new wrapped finishes is available, all of which are ribbed (so the vertical detailing stands proud). the result is reminiscent of artisan wallpaper, but it works and provokes anyone in touching distance of the kit to run their fingers over the drums. the low mass lugs are based on the design that was

combinations of hardware and wrap, but only as a special order which will involve a wait of 12-16 weeks. a colour matched hardware pack consisting of 600 Series pedals and stands is also available. mapex’s Soniclear bearing edge differs to the company’s existing edges by placing the peak more centrally and then cutting with a smooth rather than sharp profile. this, says mapex, allows the head to sit flatter – increasing shell contact, so giving more tone – and also makes the drums easier to tune. the angle and cut of a drum’s bearing edges is a science of its own and rhythm could probably publish an entire issue dedicated to the myriad of variations and still not reach a consensus. whatever claims mapex has made for the Soniclear bearing edge, it clearly feels that it offers an advantage, particularly for these drums.

106

| march 2015

1

Yamaha Stage CuStom BirCh

We say: “Yamaha’s credentials run through this kit like the words in a stick of rock. It’s beautifully made and produces a quality of sound that defies its price tag.”

Hands On in fact two different styles of Soniclear bearing edge are found on the kit. the smaller drums (snare and rack toms) are cut at 45° while those on the floor tom and bass drum are 60°, with a slightly wider point of contact. this influence is immediately

the floor toM produces a big punchy note that fades as sMoothly as it does quickly with the MiniMuM of fuss developed for the Black Panther series while mapex’s elegant Soniclear tom mounts are fitted to the toms. contrasting with the off-white Bonewood finish of the review kit is the black hardware, which comes as standard with two of the finish options (the other two have chrome hardware). mapex employs an electroplating process to coat the hardware which it claims is significantly more durable than powder coating. the black coating extends to every part of the shell hardware with the glaring exception of the two tom arms and the inner tubing of the bass drum spurs. it is possible to request non-standard

Also try…

apparent as it’s striking how much bottom end is offered up by the bigger drums, despite the relative thinness of the chinese-made remo ut heads. the bass drum, undampened and unported, is deep, powerful and remarkably focused. overtones are almost non-existent and the swift natural decay means no tweaking is required – it’s good to go as it is. Similarly the floor tom produces a big punchy note that fades as smoothly as it does quickly with the minimum of fuss. the two rack toms hold their own in terms of volume and projection. if anything, they’re a little on the belligerent side.

2

PDP ConCePt BirCh

We say: “The standard of build, components, finish and performance of the Concept Series is exceptional, all the more so considering the pricepoint.”

ADDITIONAL DRUMS Extra drums can be ordered from Mapex to build a kit to your individual specifications


Switching the clear ut heads for coated uSa ambassadors takes the attack down a notch, allowing the note to round out without diluting the inherent feistiness of the birch. that the kit has been built to a price is apparent with the snare as the throw-off

SONICLeAR TOM MOUNTS Mapex’s elegant SONIClear tom mounts – a drop down from the Saturn IV series – are fitted to the toms

and butt-end are cheap and flimsy while the snare wires are unbranded and a mere 16 strands across. despite this, the snare produces a pretty decent sound. at higher tunings the response is drier, but in and around the sweet spot it gives a thick warm note with good degree of expression.

VERDICT: This kit looks good, gives an assured performance and is great value. The build quality and standard of equipment is generally high with the only oversight being the puzzlingly lightweight snare fittings.

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money Rating

Essential spec

PRICES Mapex Mars Rock Fusion kit, £539; colour matched hardware pack (600 series pedal, hi-hat stand, snare stand and 2 x boom stands), £269

SHELL MATERIAL Birch

CONSTRUCTION METHOD Ply

NUMBER OF PLIES 6-ply/7.2mm

BEARING EDGES Mapex SONIClear – rounded peak with smooth backcut, 45° (snare and rack toms) and 60° (floor tom and bass drum); accurately cut

FINISHES AVAILABLE All wraps: Bloodwood, Bonewood (as pictured), Nightwood and Smokewood

HOOPS Triple-flanged, matching wood hoops on bass drum

SHELL AVAILABILITY Toms: 10"x7" & 12"x8"; floor toms: 14"x12", 16"x16" & 16"x14"; bass drums: 20"x16", 22"x18" & 24"x16"; snare drum: 14"x6½"

SUPPLIED HEADS Snare: Remo coated UX batter and clear UX snareside; bass drum: Remo clear UX batter and ebony front head; toms: Remo clear UT batters and UX resonants

LUGS PER DRUM Snare: 8 double ended lugs; 10" & 12" toms: 12; 16" floor tom and 22" bass drum: 16

TOM MOUNTS Mapex SONIClear, bass drum mounted

CONTACT Korg UK 01908 304600 www.mapex.co.uk


march 2015 |

107

Gear revieW

LiBerty Drums SNARE DRUMS

From £482 Prepare yourself for a fine pair of hand-crafted snare

drums fresh out of Liberty Drums’ County Durham workshop worDS: DAVE HOLMES

A

s this review gets underway, Liberty’s ceo and master craftsman, andrew Street, is a day or two from heading over to the winter namm show in Los angeles. he’s going to be busy exhibiting wares from his uk-based custom drum company of complete kits, individual snares and also revealing the new ‘tenius’ series.

Build today we are checking out two snares from Liberty Drums – at a cursory glance, both appear to be equally stunning drums. First up it’s the Flame Birch, a beautifully finished drum with a finely-grained ‘blazing’ birch veneer. andrew says “the troughs and crests of the grain reflects light in different directions”, creating a fire-like effect which appears to flicker when viewed at a variety of angles. Sporting a wispy-thin 3mm shell, this is the significantly lighter of the two snares. it has been given additional strength and rigidity with 3mm-thick internal reinforcement rings fixed top and bottom. the other model, the elm Burr and Birch, boasts a whopping 15-ply birch shell. this is nicely topped with a slice of rare elm burr veneer, creating an impressively thick but tightly-packed 9mm shell. the overall finish is simply captivating with its random and complex grain, typical of any top-notch veneer. Both drums feature the Liberty ‘iconic’ metal badge and share similar chrome-plated hardware including snare strainer, throw-off, counter hoops, and lugs. these semi-circular Liberty ‘beetle’ lugs are, of course, isolated from the precious veneer walls by nylon gaskets. they are chunky but slick, each with a retro-esque elegance of their own. as with many of their snares i have road-tested, Liberty has opted for the superb george way ‘beer tap’ snare

Also try…

1

AD Drums Cherry/BirCh snAre

We say: “Demonstrating an imaginative use of materials and colours, this is an ideal snare for those looking for a subtle partner to brushes and light sticks.”

throw-off and butt-end for both drums. these are surely one of the world’s most simplistic but cunning levers, relying on nothing more than the tension of the strainer and lever angle to keep everything in place. once adjusted to the optimum position, the butt-end has a knurled adjuster with four machined recesses to stop it from rotating. heads of choice for both drums here are evans – with a Level 360 white coated St for the batter and a hazy 300. incidentally, St stands for Super tough as these batters have two 7.5-mil plies to thicken up the sound and give extra stick resilience. the strategically drilled air holes provide venting while also providing a fine tonal balance with good levels of overtone.

Hands on

2

Premier moDern ClAssiC snAre

We say: “Combining birch and mahogany in cutting-edge shell craftsmanship with classic hardware, this Modern Classic snare is faultlessly constructed with top quality components throughout.”

it’s the elm Burr which is the first to be lifted from within its protective packaging – after a couple of the usual finger flicks shows this to be tightly tensioned and evenly tuned. a number of stick blips aimed directly at the centre demonstrate this drum’s potential – it is going to be a loud drum! taking a step back and giving time for the ears to settle, it is possible to detect the inherent crispness provided by the thick shell, coupled with an aggressive snap from those 15 plies of birch. with the elm Burr, there is a feeling of immense controllability which provides confidence to my playing, plenty of attack and bags of volume – with each component

thERE iS A fEEliNg of coNtRollAbility which pRoviDES coNfiDENcE to My plAyiNg, plENty of AttAck AND bAgS of volUME 108

| march 2015

part helping to supply the optimum resonance and the desired overtone. this much sought-after combination will provide any drummer with a great working platform for anything from tight backbeats and tantalizing rolls to delicate ghosted notes – simply put, this is a highly desirable snare. once taken up to a similar pitch, the ‘tenius’ displays comparable sound characteristics to its elm Burr counterpart. having the same heads (which plays an

Badge Drums have solid metal Liberty ‘Iconic’ badge www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

enormous part in the overall drum sound), shell material, etc, this is to be expected. however, this drum has a much, much thinner shell which, as Liberty says gives it a “focused girthy sound”. Perhaps there might not be quite so much volume or projection to hand but, overall, as the sound is both mouth-wateringly woody and rich, i feel this more than compensates… anyway, it might just need hitting a little harder – i can do that! it’s worth mentioning the

superb evans St Dry heads and the Puresound strainer which assist both snares with their superb stick definition – each strike clear and responsive, precise and accurate. the well-engineered components respond smoothly and accurately so obtaining your preferred pitch and snare sound is a breeze, whether increasing or decreasing the tuning – we can go right up into timbale territory and down again for something a little more meaty.

VERDICT: These are exceptional, beautifully hand-crafted snares but now, as they head across the Atlantic for those Americans to drool over at NAMM, I fear we may just be losing two national treasures!

Build Quality PlayaBility Value For Money rAting

Essential spec

PRICES Elm Burr snare, £522; Flame Birch snare, £482

SHELL MATERIAL Elm Burr: Finnish Birch with Elm Burr veneer; Flame Birch: Finnish Birch with Flame Birch veneer

lugs Semi-circular Liberty ‘Beetle’ lugs are isolated from the veneer walls by nylon gaskets

CONSTRUCTION

elm Burr and Birch Snare has a 15-ply birch shell topped with a veneer of rare elm burr

Each ply applied by hand in a “cold moulding process”, cross-laminated plies

NUMBER OF PLIES Elm Burr: 15 plies of Finnish Birch, 1 ply of Elm Burr; Flame Birch: 6 plies, 1 ply of “specially selected” Flame Birch, Birch reinforcement rings of 6 plies

SHELL THICKNESS Elm Burr: 9mm; Flame Birch: 3mm with 3mm reinforcement rings

BEARING EDGES 45°

HOOPS 3.2mm triple-flanged chromed steel

FINISH Natural with gloss lacquer

SUPPLIED HEADS Batter: Evans ST Dry white coated; Snare: Hazy 300

NUMBER OF LUGS PER DRUM 20 Liberty Beetle Lugs

SNARE THROWOFF George Way ‘Beer Tap’

CONTACT Liberty Drums Ltd. 0845 009 0672 libertydrums.co.uk sales@libertydrums. co.uk

flame Birch With a thin, 3mm shell, the Flame Birch snare is the lighter of the two drums www.rhythmmagazine.co.uk

march 2015 |

109

Gear revieW VINtAGE GEAR

SLINGERLAND TANGERINE SATIN FLAME PEARL KIT

Circa early 1970s

Psychedelic stunner showcases the product of Slingerland’s purpose-built factory, at the time the most modern in the world wordS: Geoff Nicholls PhotoS: Jesse Wild

O

ne of the fun things about collecting and playing vintage drums is to identify a niche area and to seek out all the variations. coventry drummer Simon wagstaff honed in on Slingerland’s psychedelic-era Satin Flame Pearl kits, perfect showpieces for his unerringly accurate period band, Sixties retro (http://60sretro.co.uk). Slingerland, hitherto a byword for tasteful white marine pearl, seized the spirit of the flower-power ’60s and offered seven variations of these prismatic wraps during the late ’60s and early ’70s. we previously featured Simon’s Lavender Satin Flame Slingerland in may 2011 and this month we have his latest in tangerine Satin Flame, probably the most

appalling… sorry, appealing, colour! in passing, i’d like to mention here that Simon has been a huge help to this column in recent years, lining up contacts and arranging kits for us to photograph at the uk national drum Fair, of which he is a prominent committee member. So to this dazzlingly carroty vision. Sizes are 12"x8" rack, 14"x14" and 16"x16" floors and 22"x14" bass drum. Simon says, “i've only ever seen one other kit in this finish. it’s very rare and as far as i’m aware the company only featured it in their 1973 catalogue, so there can’t be that many around. it came from the same contact as my previous Slingerland – anthony defusco, who owns and runs Village drum and music Store in rhode

“ThE ShELLS ARE IN Good coNdITIoN ANd hAvE ThAT FAMILIAR SLINGERLANd ToNE ThAT I LovE” OwNER, SImON wAGStAff

island, north Scituate, uSa.” the kit has oval black-on-silver ‘niles of illinois’ badges indicative of the early 1970s. at this time Slingerland boasted ‘the world’s largest, most modern drum plant’. it’s interesting to compare this ’70s kit with the style that immediately preceded it, as exemplified by the capri Pearl kit from 1959 that we recently saw in rhythm’s november 2014 issue. although that kit looks broadly the same, it was built in Slingerland’s original home in downtown chicago proper and has chicago badges. it also had the omnipresent walberg and auge

■■TOM■MOUNT

■■SHELL

■■RIM■SHOT■HOOPS

Sleek Set-O-Matic design was one of the first attempts to design hardware for the heavy-duty post-rock era.

Interior shows streaked African mahogany with scarfed joint and solid maple reinforcing rings.

Slingerland’s hoops were distinguished by bending over and in towards the centre, not out like other American hoops.

110

| march 2015


ClassiC kit consolette tom mount, whereas this month’s kit has the sleek Set-o-matic, clearly inspired by rogers’ ground-breaking Swiv-o-matic. there are other detail improvements too, including the stabilising splayed floor tom legs and the later sculpted bass drum ‘t’ handles. another fun aspect of vintage collecting is finding an oddity, an inexplicable variation. and indeed there is a head-scratching aspect

■■FIERY■ORANGE■FINISH Stunning Tangerine Satin Flame Pearl was one of seven psychedelic wraps offered by Slingerland

to this kit in the 22" bass drum which should have 20 lugs but for some reason has only 16, like a 20" drum. and yet the drum is surely original. Simon comments, “the bass drum has only 16 lugs, which is a bit weird, but it still sounds great. i've gigged the kit with my 1960s tribute band on a number of occasions, the shells are in good condition and so have that familiar Slingerland tone that i love”.

Need to know

■■TOM■HOLDER Set-O-Matic tom holder is a forerunner of the heavy duty hardware designs, commonplace by the 1980s

■■BASS■DRUM■HOOP Although 22" in diameter the bass drum, mysteriously, has only eight lugs on each side

STAR Slingerland’s Star reached its zenith in the 1970s with players from Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich through to Nigel Olsson and Neil Peart.

SATIN■FLAME■ PEARL Satin Flame Pearl wrap finishes were offered by many companies in the 1960s and 1970s. Slingerland had White, Green, Gold, Blue, Red, Lavender and Tangerine.

‘RIM■SHOT’ ‘Stick Saver’ hoops had the top flange bent over and in towards the centre, the reverse of other American hoops.

In assocIatIon wIth…

www.ukdrumfair.com


march 2015 |

111

Gear revieW rhythm gear guru Geoff Nicholls bashes out your kit conunDrums

Random selection of new and old 7A and 2B sticks (three of each) shows how different manufacturers’ models vary subtly but significantly

ASK GEOFF Hi Geoff,

I have been recently looking for some size 7A Premier drum sticks but can’t seem to find them. Years ago I used Premier C, but they vanished. Do you know if any equivalent size exists? This situation got me thinking, has anybody produced a drum stick conversion chart, so drummers could look up past and present sizes to compare? Would it not be a good idea to standardise the size of drum sticks? What do you think? ray Brodrick, romford

Hi ray, Premier does not make sticks at the present time. however, one of the uk’s oldest drum stick manufacturers, Shawstix (dating back to 1866), is today owned and distributed by the music Shipping company. craig Fenney of music Shipping, says, “Shaw did in the past make sticks for Premier. our Shaw c, c-Plus, e and Super Soul models are pretty much the same as the original Premiers as far as i

Big or small, there isn’t a gear query that Rhythm expert Geoff Nicholls can’t grapple with. Email [email protected]

112

| march 2015

Standard practice as for wondering if it would be a good idea to standardise the size of drum sticks, craig points out, “i agree that standardisation would be really good, but sadly i fear it’s a bit late for it now. all 5a sticks, etc, are (marginally) different between manufacturers, so the model name is

i’m afraid it is a matter of finding by trial and error which stick is closest to your taste know. But we have no Premier stock to check against. we went back to the original Shaw models – which we have samples of – to get the sizes. it’s my belief that Shaw actually coined the model names originally, but i have no real proof. i’ve been told that Shaw made these model sticks from 1962.” Further confirmation comes from marillion’s drummer ian mosley, who tells me, “as far as i know the [signature] Shaw sticks that i use are the same as the old Premier c.”

Do you have a kit question for geoff?

chart to compare past and present sticks… hmmm, i doubt it, though i may be wrong. i delved into the whole stick subject in depth in my book, the Drum handbook (2003). (i don’t get any royalties, so i am not trying to make a quick buck here!) Digging out my original research i see that at the time we photographed, “Four 7a sticks by different manufacturers which all have different sizes and shapes.” however, looking through the book now i find the said picture didn’t make it onto the final pages, so i’ve tried to take a new pic to illustrate the point (see above). i also discovered back in 2003 that, “6a zildjian and 7a Vater sticks are the same size and shape.” i no longer have that photograph either, but it’s yet another aspect of the potentially confusing situation that you highlight. craig Fenney adds, “we don’t currently make a Shaw 7a, but we do make a 5a, which is slightly bigger than the average 5a, which makes it close to an old style english 5a, which was heavier. Basically, it’s a bit of a Black art!”

Go compare regarding your other question, ray, about whether anyone has produced a conversion

more of a ‘starting point’ really.” this is true. there is some loose standardisation of stick shapes and weights, but it’s perhaps not that surprising that each company makes its own variations. and often a signature artist will take the company’s ‘standard’ 5a, or whatever, and get them to tweak it to his/her exact liking. So i’m afraid it is a matter of finding by trial and error which one is closest to your taste. as with so many things these days we are blessed with too much choice rather than too little, which is often a wonderful thing, but can also have its downsides.


Next moNth iN on sale

TroubleshooT 102015mar your drumming! Quick and easy fixes for common drumming problems

iNterviews

Jeremy Stacey • Jason Cooper • Paul Burgess

New gear

Tama • Echo Custom Drums • Ahead

learN tracks by

© Stephane Daoust

Mastodon • Pvris • Miles Davis *contents subject to change

advErtising & markEting

For Ad enquiries please contact Alison Watson, [email protected] Music Group Marketing Manager Laura Driffield Marketing Manager Kristianne Stanton

Registered office: Future Publishing Ltd, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1UA Tel 01225 442244 Editorial dEpartmEnt

Editor Chris Barnes [email protected] Art Editor Carlton Hibbert [email protected] Production and Community Editor Chris Burke [email protected] Staff Writer Rich Chamberlain [email protected] Contributors

Jason Bowld, Kyle Cullen, Pat Garvey, Danny Gill, James Hester, Dave Holmes, Adam Jones, Geoff Nicholls, Chuck Parker, Erik Stams, Andy Staples, Mike Sturgis, David West, Stuart Williams, Colin Woolway Multimedia Editor Pete Riley Gear Photography Joby Sessions Feature/Interview Photography Adam Gasson, Robert Downs, Gavin Roberts, James Cumpsty, Getty images, Rex Features, Photoshot Music Engraver Chris Francis

114

| march 2015

Future is an award-winning international media group and leading digital business. We reach more than 49 million international consumers a month and create world-class content and advertising solutions for passionate consumers online, on tablet & smartphone and in print.

produCtion

Production Controller Frances Twentyman Production Manager Mark Constance Printed in the UK by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Overseas distribution by Seymour International

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR). www.futureplc.com

managEmEnt

©Future Publishing Limited 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Future Publishing Limited is Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccu racies in such information. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agent or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage

Content & Marketing Director Nial Ferguson Head of Content & Marketing, Film, Music & Games Declan Gough Group Art Director Graham Dalzell Group Editor-In-Chief Dan Griffiths liCEnsing

International Director Regina Erak [email protected] +44 (0)1225 442244 Fax +44 (0)1225 732275

Chief executive Zillah Byng-Maddick Non-executive chairman Peter Allen Chief financial officer Richard Haley Tel +44 (0)207 042 4000 (London) Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 (Bath)

subsCriptions UK/overseas reader order line & enquiries:

UK: 0844 848 2852 Overseas: +44 (0)1604 251045

Online enquiries: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk Email: [email protected] Though we try to acknowledge and respond to all correspondence and emails received in the editorial office, sheer volume does not always make this possible. Thanks for your understanding.

Print 6,372 Digital 923 the aBc combined print and digital cirulation for Jan-Dec 2013 is 7,295 a member of the audited Bureau of circulation

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).


9000

RhythmMarch2015.pdf

Recommend Documents