133

INTERVIEWED: MIKE PORTNOY, JAMIE PERKINS, BEN KENNEDY, DYLAN HOWE

DRUMMER MAGAZINE
Issue 133 OCTOBER 2014

WWW.DRUMMERMAGAZINE.CO.UK
DRUMMING MATTERS

WIN! NEW
SIMON PHILLIPS • MIKE PORTNOY • JAMIE PERKINS • BEN KENNEDY • DYLAN HOWE • PLUS : NEWS • REVIEWS • FEATURES • TUITION

A SONITUS
KICKER! BIGGER
TUITION SECTION!

GUEST TUITION PAGE

RALPH
REVIEWED: SALMINS
MAPEX MARS KIT METAL TUITION
STAGG SENSA CYMBALS
ALESIS DM10X KIT MESH
HANNES
EVANS HEAVYWEIGHTS GROSSMANN

SIMON
>

PHILLIPS
10

9 771741 215060
UK £4.50 Issue 133 October 2014

GOING SOLO: HIS NEW ALBUM & LEAVING TOTO

PLUS: MARK SCHULMAN CLINIC, NEW-LOOK A PROBLEM SHARED + MUCH MORE
001 Cover 132_rev3.indd 1 28/08/2014 17:13
002.indd 2 27/08/2014 13:19
003.indd 3 27/08/2014 13:07
 CONTENTS

ISSUE 133
Editor: Gemma Hill, gemmah@blazepublishing.co.uk
Sub-editors: Alex Ormiston, Nick Robbins
Assistant editor: Dean Hendy
Feature writers: Gemma Hill, Brent Keefe, Andy Hughes, Jay
Joseph, Tom Derryman, Dave Major, Martin Oldham, Spike
Webb, Hannah Butler, John Griffin, Jamie Dawson, Ollie Tanner,
Craig Barton, Deborah Wildish, Nicky Brown, Marcellus Frank
Design: Matt Smith
Ad Design: Katherine McArdle
Advertising manager: Neil Golding, 01271 858941,
neil@blazepublishing.co.uk
Studio photography: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic & Richard
Ecclestone
Cover image: Richard Ecclestone
Music (Note) engraving: Kevin Sanders
Tuition contributors: Phillipe Castermane, Hannes Grossmann,
Dean Hendy, James Hester, Pete Lockett, Ethan Lewis Maltby,
Steve Rooney, Ralph Salmins, Jamie Smale, Steve Timms
Published by: Blaze Publishing Ltd.
Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire,
CV32 5SZ
ON THE ONE…
Welcome to the October issue of Drummer! With page 44, Dylan Howe talks about his new album
the London Drum Show getting close (check
out our show special next month), times are
Subterranean, a re-interpretation of Bowie’s late
70s Berlin era.
extra busy and exciting here. We’ve got some On page 20, three lucky readers have the
great things to share with you, starting with our chance to win a Sonitus Kicker! Dave Major
expanded tuition section. We’re introducing a takes over our new-look ‘A Problem Shared’ on
guest tuition section to kick off our top tuition page 94. We have event reviews from the Mark
pages, bringing you expert advice from big Schulman clinic tour (page 12) and the Montreal
name drummers – Ralph Salmins starts with tips Jazz Festival (page 62), plus more recording
for the studio (pages 83-84) – while our new insights from Nicky Brown and Marcellus Frank
metal expert, Hannes Grossmann, kicks his new (page 52). Our regular features are still here too –
page off on 91. with audition tips this
Simon Phillips is our cover interview (page 24) month courtesy of top
with an insight into his new solo album Protocol MD John Jenkins on
II and leaving Toto. Jamie Perkins, drummer for page 60, fitness advice
The Pretty Reckless, tells us about non-stop on page 58, news,
tour life and rental kits on the road (page 31). gear reviews and lots
Mike Portnoy gave us a phone call (page 34) more. Enjoy Drummer
to tell us what he’s been up to of late with the issue 133!
Winery Dogs, Flying Colors and Transatlantic.
Ben Kennedy (page 38) gives us the lowdown Gemma,
on his gig with Foxes and their upcoming
Pharrell Williams stadium support. While on editor

31
Distribution: Distributed to the news trade by Comag
Magazine Marketing, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE
Operations director:
James Folkard
Assistant publisher:
Ruth Burgess
Publisher:
Wes Stanton
Accounts:
Dave Deo
Subscriptions:
subs@blazepublishing.co.uk
01926 339808
Subscription rates:
UK £64.20
For all subscription offers and overseas
prices visit www.virtualnewsagent.com or
telephone the subscriptions hotline on
01926 339808.
Printed in the UK
© Blaze Publishing Ltd 2014
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any form, stored in a retrieval system or integrated into any other
publication, database or commercial program without the express
permission of the publishers in writing. Under no circumstances
should this publication and its contents be sold, loaned out or used
by way of trade, or stored or transmitted as an electronic file without
the publisher’s prior written approval.
Disclaimer REGULARS
While Blaze Publishing Ltd prides itself on the quality of the
information its publications provide, the company reserves the right 6 Newsbeats
not to be held legally responsible for any mistakes or inaccuracies
found within the text of this publication. Drummer Magazine is an
10 Letters
independent publication and as such does not necessarily reflect the 12 Caught Live: Mark Schulman
views or opinions of manufacturers or distributors of the products
contained within. All trademarks are acknowledged. 13 Gig Guide
14 Audioscreen
16 Vintage Drums
20 Competition
48 The Riser
50 Drum Tech Diaries
Follow us:
twitter.com/DrummerMagazine 80 Musicians’ Union
facebook.com/drummermag
youtube.com/drummermag 94 A Problem Shared

72
When you have finished with this
96 The Future Drummer
98 Mad, Bad and Dangerous
magazine please recycle it.

DRUMMER magazine is proud to support the Music Industries Association

Subscribe Today – Page 22

4 DRUMMER October 2014

004-005 Contents_Rev4_NR.indd 4 28/08/2014 16:31

 OCTOBER 2014

FEATURES
55 Recording
Nicky Brown and Marcellus Frank on
bringing more to the studio

58 Drumming Fitness
Tips for looking good by Craig Barton,
Drummer’s new personal trainer

60 Auditions
Joseph Ross and Example and Lily Allen
drummer/MD John Jenkins give more
top advice

62 Montreal Jazz Festival

Andy Hughes reports back from Canada

INTERVIEWS
24 Simon Phillips
A new solo album, the Hiromi trio and
leaving Toto

31 Jamie Perkins
Life on the road with The Pretty Reckless

34 Mike Portnoy
New Flying Colors and Transatlantic
albums, plus how it was spending the year
with the Winery Dogs

38 Ben Kennedy
The Foxes drummer on working his way up
in the session world

44 Dylan Howe
On his Bowie interpretation album and
good news about Wilko Johnson

REVIEWS
66 Evans Heavyweight heads

24
68 Alesis DM10X Kit Mesh
72 Stagg Sensa series
76 Mapex Mars kit

34
TUITION
83 Guest Tuition:
Ralph Salmins
85 Jamie Smale
86 Dean Hendy
87 Steve Timms
88 Philippe Castermane
89 James Hester
90 Ethan Lewis Maltby
91 Hannes Grossmann
92 Pete Lockett
93 Steve Rooney

October 2014 DRUMMER 5

004-005 Contents_Rev4_NR.indd 5 28/08/2014 16:32

 NEWS

NEWSBEATS
ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF DRUMMING

BOWIE BANDMATES REUNITE

Legendary Bowie bandmates, producer/bass player Tony Visconti
and drummer Woody Woodmansey, are performing together for the first
time since 1971. Fronting the band is Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17, and on
saxophone and guitars is Spandau Ballet’s Steve Norman. They will be joined
by Woody’s stellar supergroup Holy Holy.
Woody Woodmansey says: “The first set we’ll be playing is the whole of The
Man Who Sold The World, which has never happened before, though we did
do a couple of songs from the album during the Ziggy period. To perform that
album with Tony Visconti, who played bass on the album and also produced
it, will be amazing. It’s been a long time since we grooved together!”
Wednesday 17 September – The Garage, London (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 18 September – O2 Academy 2, Sheffield
Saturday 20 September – O2 ABC, Glasgow
Monday 22 September – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
1001 DRUMMERS NEEDED Holy Holy will release their debut single, ‘We Are King’, written by Steve
Norman, on 17 September.

FOR DRUMBEAT UK’S WORLD

RECORD ATTEMPT NEW ALEX ACUÑA DVD
In memory of Kate Fenney, co founder of The Music Shipping Company, Drum Channel is proud to announce Rudiments On Congas, featuring
and also to mark the deaths of the wife of Kip McBay (Guitar Guitar founder) world-renowned drummer and percussionist Alex Acuña (Weather
and Jon Brookes (Charlatans drummer) who died last year, Marshall Report, Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston,
Amplification, Natal Drums and The Music Shipping Company has organised Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and more).
an event to bring together 1001 drummers to play the same drum pattern It contains nearly two hours of lesson
simultaneously on full drum kits, at EventCity, Manchester on 21 November. The material, featuring the master discussing
aim is to beat the current Guinness world record of 798 drummers. Full details and demonstrating how drumset
and registration to take part in the biggest drumming event of the year are drummers can quickly become conga
available at www.drumbeatuk.com drummers by applying traditional drum
The 2014 record attempt will be a non-profit making event. All money raised rudiments to conga drums. During the
will go to the Brain Tumour Charity. Aquarian Accessories, Cympad, Hearos and unique series of 13 lessons, Alex covers
several other manufacturers are also throwing their resources behind this event topics such as single strokes, double
by providing drumheads, hearing protection and other items free of charge to strokes, rolls, paradiddles and flams and
all who take part, while those who raise over £100 will be entered into a prize drags – giving drummers a foundation to
draw for some top gear. expand their technical and musical skills.
Confirmed to take part on the 21 November are: Don Powell (Slade), Paul Rudiments On Congas is available
Burgess (10CC), Graham Hopkins (Glen Hansard), Craig Blundell (independent), by instant download and DVD at the
Robin Guy (independent), and Jason Cooper (The Cure). DrumChannel.com store.

6 DRUMMER October 2014

006-007 Newsbeats_Rev2_NR.indd 6 28/08/2014 09:04

 PHILIP SELWAY’S SECOND ULTIMATE
ALBUM ANNOUNCED PLAY-ALONGS
Philip Selway’s second album Weatherhouse is set for release on 6 APP PLEDGE
October with Bella Union. Four years after the unexpected and exquisite
treat that was Philip Selway’s debut album Familial, the drummer of Ultimate Play-Alongs is an app that
Radiohead returns with his sophomore record, Weatherhouse. allows you to play with the likes of Jojo
Weatherhouse was made in collaboration with Adem Ilhan and Quinta Mayer, Nathan East, Mike Stern and John
– artists in their own right who had previously performed in Philip’s Patitucci – its makers claim it will ‘change
backing band. “From the the way the world practises music’. The
outset,” Selway recalls, app looks and sounds great – the only
“we wanted the album catch is that it is relying on pledgers to
to be the three of us, reach completion. Pledgers at any level
and we covered a lot of receive an immediate download of a
instruments between play-along (donating at the second level
us. With a studio full gets the Jojo Mayer/NERVE play-along
of inspiring gear and a track). For more information, and to see
great-sounding desk, we interviews and artist performances for the
felt like a band.” Working app, visit ultimateplayalongs.com.
mostly out of Radiohead’s
studio in Oxfordshire,
Adem also produced and
engineered the album.

MANCHESTER DRUM SHOW

2015 DATE ANNOUNCED!
The second Manchester Drum Show has been confirmed for 17 May
2015. Put the date in your diaries! See last issue for our report of 2014’s show.

DOUG MEOLA TO HEAD

KICKPORT’S NEW SOUND
SPECIALIST PROGRAMME
KickPort International has unveiled its ‘Sound Specialists’ drummer
support/education program and announced that drummer and drum
educator Doug Meola is to lead it. The new programme has been
developed to share information about the nature of drum sound (and
the ability of KickPort’s kick drum, snare drum and tom devices to
improve it) with drummers, teachers and dealers.
“Traveling around the world and talking to players, I’ve learned that
every drummer has their own theories and beliefs about drums and
drum sounds,” Doug says. “However, very few really understand what
I like to call ‘The Science Of Sound’. During my presentations I explain
the differences between opinions and facts and why sound matters in
every playing situation. The
more a drummer knows
about the basic principles
of drum sound and tuning,
the easier it is for him or her
to get a great drum sound
and take advantage of the
proven acoustic benefits of
KickPorts and FX Ports.”
For more information,
visit www.kickport.com.

October 2014 DRUMMER 7

006-007 Newsbeats_Rev2_NR.indd 7 28/08/2014 09:04

NEWSBEATS: SPECIAL

AT EST N
L E
E

W
TH

S
w…
f ro

th
m

ho
is y s
ear ’
s biggest d rum

The company also offers a range of in-ear

monitors; from an entry level, modular system,
up to the flagship triple driver R302.
Team Read will be on hand throughout the
weekend to offer advice, take impressions and
talk about the latest developments in their

CHRIS JOHNSON
groundbreaking in-ear monitor range. To find
out more visit www.read-audio.com or call 020

LAUNCHES NEW
3397 8837

WEBSITE SHAW
PERCUSSION
Chris Johnson, who will appear on the main
stage on the Sunday of the LDS has revealed his

CONFIRMED FOR
new-look website – www.johnsonout.com. Chris is
currently playing live every week on ABC’s new TV LIVE STAGE TIMES
THE SHOW
show Rising Star and is well known for providing
the beats for Stevie Wonder and Rihanna. Check CONFIRMED!
out our London Drum Show special next month to Shaw Percussion will exhibit at this year’s SATURDAY
find out what to expect from Chris’ performance! London Drum Show, with a stand featauring its 11.15 - Gavin Harrison
full range of drumsticks, brushes, beaters, snare 13.00 - Eric Harland

READ AUDIO
wires and snare strainers, kit volume control 15.00 - Keith Carlock
discs, gloves, RimWrap, Portals and many other 17.00 - Todd Sucherman
SUNDAY
CONFIRMED
accessories. Even more importantly they will be
announcing the launch of a brand new major 11.15 - Matt Halpern (above)

TO EXHIBIT AT
drum product – made in the UK – at the show. 13.00 - Brian Tichy
The stand will also have available a wide 15.00 - Christopher Johnson

STAND 17!
range of items including Aquarian Drumheads,

This year sees the first outing for Read Audio

Cympads, Earpeace and other hearing
protection, and Drum T-shirts and goodies. THIRD STAGE
to the London Drum Show, and the team will be
bringing its innovative selection of professional
www.shawstix.com
PERFORMANCE
hearing protection and in-ear monitoring for
visitors to find out more about and purchase at
TIMES
the event.
Used by musicians, sound engineers, stage crew,
CONFIRMED!
SATURDAY
venue staff, students and industry, everything 11.00 – Guru Drums with Michelle Drees
manufactured at its London HQ is ready within 13.00 – Jeff Davenport, in association
48 hours of having your ear impressions taken. with Remo
Read Audio has a range of professional hearing
protection to suit all situations, with the Read BOOK YOUR 15.00 – Korg UK/Mapex bearing edge clinic

Amplified becoming the popular choice for

drummers and percussionists. The Read Amplified
TICKETS NOW! SUNDAY
11.00 – Kaz Rodriguez/Headstock
Head to www.londondrumshow.com to buy
reduces volume by 20dB and gives a flat response, 13.00 – Evans/Daddario UK clinic
tickets at the online exclusive price of £20 per
ensuring that you can hear everything that you More TBC
day, or £30 for the whole weekend.
need to at a safer volume.

8 DRUMMER October 2014

009.indd 9 27/08/2014 17:25
LETTERS WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/DRUMMERMAG | GEMMAH@BLAZEPUBLISHING.CO.UK | @DRUMMERMAGAZINE | 01926 339808

Letters
GOT A QUESTION OR OPINION? LET US HEAR IT

TWEET
TWEET ALL ABOUT
ALL ABOUT IT IT
LETTER OF
THE MONTH
Laura Grist @LauraDrums
Perfect beach reading material :) @DrummerMagazine #summer
#drums #drummer pic.twitter.com/HzwID954Dk

Brian Coulombe @bcoulcustoms

@andycdgreen @DrummerMagazine @vicfirth never thought
anyone really wins anything, thought it was all just marketing
scams. Good for you!
Paul Michael Saward @PaulSaward
Drummer’s bathroom #LivingTheDrumLife #Drums @
DrummerMagazine pic.twitter.com/o2JbzsLydr
Muzic4Lyfe @m4lyfe36
@DrummerMagazine Working on some new grooves with Ableton
Live 9 & BFD3 !
GEOFF DUGMORE
I just wanted to thank you for doing an interview with Geoff Dugmore in the
September magazine – he is my absolute favourite drummer! He’s not in much
music press in the UK, but he should be because he is really flying the flag for us
around the world. Anyway, it was great to hear from him and good to see that he is
as busy as ever. He really inspires my playing.
Matthew, Swansea
Hi Matthew. Thank you. Geoff is one of our favourites too! Not only as a top class
drummer, but as a genuinely fantastic person – it’s no wonder he is in such high
demand for sessions. We’re pleased you enjoyed reading the interview and wish you
HOT CHIP
Firstly, thanks for a great magazine, I always look forward to it falling
through my letterbox each month. Also, I’m looking forward to the
London Drum Show this coming November.
I don’t know if you have ever come across Chip Ritter. I have
been following this guy for some time on Facebook and I am always
impressed at how he always makes drumming fun. Chip has a number
of videos floating around and they always make me smile, watching him
play and interact with the audiences at the clinics he performs. I think
he even appeared on the David Letterman show a number of years ago,
playing drums and juggling at the same time.
I hope you don’t mind but I have included a link to the latest video
that I can find. It’s a bit long, but I think this video, out of all that I have
seen, gives a really good glimpse of Chip at work. http://bit.ly/1uRDquk.
David, via email
Hi David,
Thank you so much for bringing this video, and Chip, to our attention –
it’s great to see showmanship and a love of drumming like that. Because
we’re all for supporting each other as drummers, we’ve made you our
letter of the month, so hopefully you will now have even more to smile
about! ED.

CONTACT US
every success with your playing. ED.

AUDITIONS
Thanks for the auditions feature in the last issue. I had my first audition for a www.facebook.com/drummermag
band this month and it was good to read some of those tips before I went. It
helped me feel a little bit less nervous! gemmah@blazepublishing.co.uk
Tom, Manchester
@drummermagazine
Hi Tom. Glad to have helped! Keep an eye out for more tips on auditions in
future issues too – we’ve got even more experts lined up to give advice. Hope
01926 339808
you enjoyed your audition! ED.

WRITE IN AND WIN: OVER £100 WORTH OF VATER GOODIES FOR THE LETTER OF THE MONTH

12 DRUMMER September 2014

011.indd 11 27/08/2014 13:20
 Caught Live
y
Mark Schulman’s
Nerve Breakers Seminar Where: Wembley Music Centre When: 31 July 2014
I
turned up at Wembley Drum Centre a little
early, and when I asked the boys what Mark
Schulman was like as a person, they replied
“You know Gregg Bissonette...”. I knew exactly
what they meant, since I had the privilege of
meeting Gregg a few years ago – I knew this was
going to be an involved, if theatrical, performance.
I was not wrong. The ‘show’ opened with
TV screens showing snippets of videos of the
various artists Mark has played with over the
years, then he came on stage and played a
medley of many songs from those artists. Such
a variety of genres and tempos made a great
introduction, and they were all recognisable
songs.
Throughout the performance (he didn’t like
the word ‘clinic’, he said he wasn’t a doctor), we
got to know more about Mark. He told a story
of how he auditioned for a band years ago and
didn’t get the gig, but he realised why, and
came up with a theory, which would focus not
12 DRUMMER October 2014
012 Caught Live_Rev2AO.indd 12
Words: Deborah Wildish Images: Matthew Cook
only on his playing but also his life: the three
Cs – clarity, capability and confidence. This
was a particularly interesting concept, which
encouraged me to assess my own playing
and life in the space of about 20 minutes. He
made it funny and interactive by getting the
audience to stand up and clap at different
tempos, explaining that the space between
beats is what you should pay attention to.
Mark took this even further and inspired us by
telling us about his book Nerve Breakers, in which he
has interviewed people in all walks of life, who have
achieved what is considered to be the impossible,
and how this supports his own theories.
He spoke about when he was diagnosed
with testicular cancer, and how after surgery he
was told he would never father children – but
through determination, and a little help from
science, Schulman now has a beautiful daughter.
He then went on to explain how he practised
and achieved what he wanted. He played some
tracks that he has written, and also a song
that he plays with Pink – perhaps the artist
for whom he is most recognised as working
with. Although he described himself as a pop
drummer, I found him to be more of a modern
rock drummer, with a lot of tom fills.
Another concept he had was to take
someone’s idea and develop it. Mark explained
that since most things have been done already,
there’s no harm in taking something that
has been done and building on it. To give an
example of this, he took his friend’s idea of
speeding up a Bollywood song and, rather than
just playing along to it, he changed the time
and feel. It sounded quite prog-rocky, and it was
fascinating to see how he went about it and
how it sounded.
I came away wondering if I had been to a
drum clinic or a therapy session, but I certainly
learned a lot of things that I can apply to my
approach in playing, and even my life.
27/08/2014 21:02
 GIG GUIDE

Drummer’s guide to who’s coming to a venue near you!

In association with Ents24
More tickets and tour dates available now at Ents24.com

Art Garfunkel Funeral For A Friend

Friday 5 September – Friday 12 September – The Brickyard,
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Carlisle
Sunday 7 September – New Saturday 13 September – Citadel Arts
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Centre, St Helens
Monday 8 September – Royal Thursday 25 September – Hobos, Bridgend
Concert Hall, Glasgow
Friday 26 September – King George’s Hall,
Wednesday 10 September – Blackburn
Colston Hall, Bristol
Saturday 27 September – Brighton
Thursday 11 September – Royal Racecourse, Brighton
Festival Hall, London
For more details and tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/1AawyIK
For more details and tickets,
visit: http://bit.ly/1oGNPFZ Photo: Adam Schartoff
Nik Kershaw
Wednesday 10 September –
Martha Reeves Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
Friday 5 September – Think Tank?, Newcastle upon Tyne Thursday 11 September – The
Sunday 14 September – Pyramid, Warrington Lights, Andover
Wednesday 17 September – Corn Exchange, Cambridge Saturday 13 September – Union
Chapel, London
Friday 19 September – The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
Monday 15 September – City
Wednesday 24 September – Grand Pavillion, Porthcawl
Varieties, Leeds
Thursday 25 September – Concorde Club, Eastleigh
Thursday 18 September – The
For more details and Apex, Bury St Edmunds
tickets, visit: http://bit. Friday 19 September – St Paul’s
ly/1q6yiLO Photo: Andrew Hurley
Centre, Worthing
Sunday 21 September – The Lowry, Salford
Thursday 25 September – Robin 2, Wolverhampton
Friday 26 September – Sage, Gateshead
Saturday 27 September – ARC, Stockton-on-Tees

For more details and tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/1mFNcrp

The Magic Numbers

The Saturdays
Sunday 7 September – SECC, Glasgow
Tuesday 9 September – Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
Wednesday 10 September – Memorial & City Hall, Sheffield
Friday 12 September – Theatre Royal & Concert Hall, Nottingham
Sunday 14 September – O2 Apollo, Manchester
Monday 15 September – The NIA, Birmingham
Wednesday 17 September – Olympia Theatre, Dublin
Thursday 18 September – Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Friday 19 September – SSE Arena,
Wembley, London
Saturday 20 September – Brighton
Centre, Brighton
Monday 22 September – The BIC,
Bournemouth
Tuesday 23 September – Plymouth
Pavillions, Plymouth
For more details and tickets, visit:
http://bit.ly/1uKc2M4
Wednesday 10 September – The Garage, Glasgow
Thursday 11 September – East Village Arts Club, Liverpool
Friday 12 September – Manchester Academy, Manchester
Saturday 13 September – LMUSU, Leeds
Monday 15 September – Leadmill, Sheffield
Tuesday 16 September – The Institute, Birmingham
Wednesday 17 September – Bierkeller, Bristol
Saturday 20 September – Cambridge Junction, Cambridge
Sunday 21 September – O2 Academy, Oxford
Tuesday 23 September – St George’s Church, Brighton
Wednesday 24 September
– Wedgewood Rooms,
Portsmouth
Thursday 25 September –
The Forum, London
Sunday 28th September –
QUBSU, Belfast
For more details and
tickets, visit: http://bit.
Photo: Simon Fernandez ly/1oGRRhD

October 2014 DRUMMER 13

013 Gig guide_rev3AO.indd 13 28/08/2014 10:09

 FEATURE
Audioscreen
WE TAKE A LOOK AT A SELECTION OF New alBums aND DVDs
DeeP PuRPle
Graz 1975
www.ear-music.net
The Purple (Overseas) Live Collection expands with
a vinyl release of Copenhagen 1972 and this superb,
previously unreleased 1975 Austrian show, one of
the last from the MkIII line up, released on CD and
vinyl. Featuring the soulful vocals of David Coverdale,
this is arguably Purple’s finest period, with this set
combining material from their Burn and Stormbringer
albums, coupled with the obligatory ‘Smoke On The
Water’ and a 20-minute ‘Space Truckin’. Glenn Hughes’
occasional vocal shrieks are somewhat irritating, but
Ian Paice’s drumming incorporates a fantastic energy
and sense of swing, plus some impressive chops on a
searing ‘Burn’.
GINGeR BaKeR
why?
www.motema.com
The notorious Baker sounds spirited with his current
quartet, comprising saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, bassist
Alec Dankworth and percussionist Abass Dodoo, on
his first release in years. He revisits three of his own
compositions from previous albums: the possibly
‘Afro Blue’-inspired ‘Ginger Spice’, where he lays
down a trademark afro 9/8 groove, ‘Cyril Davis’, and
the gently swinging ‘Ain Temouchant’, additionally
interpreting the standards ‘St Thomas’ and ‘Footprints’.
The album’s highlight, however, is probably Baker’s
self-penned ‘Why?’. Although Baker fans will
doubtlessly be jubilant at this release, his 1999 album
Coward Of The County still remains his jazz peak.
RaY BaRReTTo
eye of The Beholder: can You Feel It?
www.expansionrecords.com
The legendary conguero’s two 70s Warner Brothers
albums, combined here, are more funk, soul and
disco than the Latin music that he was known for,
but are still highly enjoyable. Eye Of The Beholder,
a funk/fusion affair produced by The Crusaders, is
arguably the better of the two, featuring Terry Bozzio
(two tracks) and Steve Ferrone. ‘Salsa Con Fusion’
(Bozzio) and the more latin-infused ‘Tumbao Africano’
(Ferrone) are the standout tracks. Can You Feel It? is
more a soul/disco vocal album, featuring drummers
Richie Morales and Andy Newmark, but still includes
four great instrumentals.
JImmY eaRl
Renewing Disguises
www.severnrecords.com
Bassist Earl’s third album is an instrumental
collection, including six originals, a burning version
of Gershwin’s ‘Gone’ and Prokofiev’s ‘Night’ with the
awesome Gary Novak on six of the 10 tracks. Earl
combines beats/samples to great effect alongside
Novak’s drums and Lenny Castro’s percussion, giving
several tracks a spacey, futuristic vibe – especially the
opener ‘Africa Cento Cinquanta’, which also includes
some searing trumpet from Tim Hagans. Steve
14 DRUMMER October 2014
014-015 Audiobeats_Rev4.indd 14
WORDS: BRENT KEEFE
Tavaglione’s saxophone contributes to ‘Renewing
Disguises’, while the influences for ‘Weather
Reporting’ should be obvious. Earl’s great production,
musicianship and casting significantly contribute to
this fine album.
cHaRles lloYD
arrows Into Infinity
www.ecmrecords.com
This fascinating, almost two-hour DVD documents
the remarkable life and career of saxophonist Charles
Lloyd. So what’s it doing in a drum magazine?
Over the course of his career, Lloyd has worked
with several legendary drummers, including Jack
DeJohnette, Eric Harland, Billy Higgins, Billy Hart and
Zakir Hussain and these, along with the Doors’ John
Densmore and Jim Keltner, are featured in the film.
The latter two feature only in interview, while the
others all appear in live footage, with all except Hart
and Higgins also interviewed. Lloyd also recorded
‘Of Course, Of Course’ with Tony Williams but his
only appearance here is on a great promotional
still. Lloyd speaks extensively, recalling his Memphis
beginnings, arriving in New York, his ground breaking
1967 Russian visit, drug use, moving to Big Sur and
being sought out by Michel Petrucciani, the influence
of Lester Young, his comeback on ECM records and
more. The musical footage includes some superb
live and poignant home movie segments with Billy
Higgins, along with several vintage Jack DeJohnette
clips, while other interviewees include Robbie
Robertson, Herbie Hancock, Manfred Eicher and
Lloyd’s wife and DVD co-director/producer Dorothy
Darr, making this essential viewing for Lloyd and jazz
fans alike.
RaNDY BRecKeR
The Brecker Brothers Band Reunion
www.moosicus.com
This release comprises a studio CD of all new material
plus a live DVD (with different track list) filmed in
New York in 2011. The 98-minute DVD (which is the
focus of this review) opens appropriately with ‘First
Tune Of The Set’, an animated funk romp featuring
solos from George Whitty (keyboards), Mike Stern
(guitar) and Dave Weckl, who’s in blistering form.
One can only guess what inspired ‘The Slag’, but it
has a dirty funk groove with Will Lee’s bass playing
being a significant factor. ‘Adina’ is dedicated to
Randy’s wife, saxophonist Ada Rovati, who has the
unenviable task of filling Michael Brecker’s shoes,
while Randy Brecker’s alter ego Randroid makes a
vocal appearance on ‘Really In For It’. Normal service
is quickly resumed with ‘Straphangin’, before vocalist/
keyboardist Oli Rockberger guests on the soulful
Rockberger/Rovati composition ‘Merry Go Town’. He’s
excellent, but the soul vocal seems somewhat out
of place here. The DVD closes with two Heavy Metal
Be-bop classics: the driving shuffle of ‘Inside Out’,
featuring another burning Weckl solo, and an encore
of ‘Some Skunk Funk’. In spite of the vocal intrusions,
it’s still a killer set.
27/08/2014 20:45
 New Releases
Drummer’s recommendED new releases

Pat Mastelotto & Tobias Ralph – Manu Katché – Live In Concert

Toparama (Manu Katché – drums)
(Pat Mastelotto & Tobias Ralph – www.actmusic.com
drums)
www.7dmedia.com

David Sancious and Tone – John Coltrane – Offering:Live At

Transformation (The Speed Of Love) Temple University
(Ernest Carter - Drums) (Rashied Ali -Drums)
www.esotericrecordings.com www.vervemusicgroup.com

Christopher Cross – Secret Ladder Mike Ellis – Me/LP v.1

(Keith Carlock – drums) (Mike Ellis – drums)
www.ear-music.net www.mike-ellis.co.uk

Antonio Sanchez – Three Times Mark Guiliana – My Life Starts

Three Here
(Antonio Sanchez – drums) (Mark Guiliana – drums)
www.antoniosanchez.net www.markguiliana.com

October 2014 DRUMMER 15

014-015 Audiobeats_Rev4.indd 15 27/08/2014 20:45

 Feature
F
rom its humble beginnings in Chicago,
Illinois over a century ago, to its present
place at the centre of the drumming world,
‘Ludwig’ and ‘drums’ have become synonymous
with one another. With drumming heavyweights
like Joe Morello, Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell,
John Bonham, Buddy Rich, Bun E. Carlos, Ed
Shaughnessy and perhaps most notably, Ringo
Starr, all playing Ludwig for most of their careers,
it’s not surprising that Ludwig dominated the
drumming landscape throughout the 1960s
and 70s, and continues to be at the forefront of
vintage and modern drum production.
This month we’re featuring a wonderful
1962/63 Superclassic kit, in original Blue Sparkle
Words: Jay Joseph Images: Pete Norton
This month, our new
vintage expert Jay
Joseph delves into the
history of the iconic
Ludwig Superclassic
16 DRUMMER October 2014
016-018 Vintage_rev3_NR.indd 16
Jay Joseph Drums specialises in desirable,
museum grade American vintage drums,
sourced directly from Chicago, Illinois, where
these drums began their life. If you’d like to
know more about the kit featured here, or any
of our extensive vintage for-sale collection,
visit jayjosephdrums.com, instagram.com/
jayjosephdrums or email jamonjay@icloud.com
wrap, from Ludwig’s pre-serial era. This outfit
consists of a 22”x14” kick drum, a 13”x9” rack tom,
a 16”x16” floor tom and a 14”x5” ‘Jazz Festival’
snare drum. There were two popular outfits
during Ludwig’s golden years: the Superclassic
and its little brother, the Downbeat, which
comprised the same four-piece set-up, but in
smaller sizes (20”x14” kick, 12”x8” rack, 14”x14”
floor and 14”x4” ‘Downbeat’ snare drum), and was
mainly marketed towards jazz and bop players.
Due to its larger shell sizes and broader tuning
ranges, the Superclassic became the kit for a lot
of drummers working in larger bands, televised
performances, on large stages and festivals,
especially when the golden age of rock‘n’roll and
amplified bands came into full swing around the
mid-late 60s. The Superclassic has become the
vintage kit of choice and it often outperforms
many modern drum kits. It’s robust, provides all
the fundamental highs and lows needed by an
expressive player, sounds great miked up, works
well in acoustic settings and has an expansive
and impressive tuning range, which is way in
excess of the Downbeat. Getting your hands on
a decent example won’t break the bank either.
Comparatively, you get way more bang for your
buck with a vintage Ludwig Superclassic than
you would with any modern day competitor.
Shells
The early 60s Ludwig shells were constructed
using three-ply mahogany, poplar, mahogany
across the whole kit, with added maple
reinforcement rings. Re-rings provided rigidity to
the thin shells to stop them warping or going out
of round. Some say they added an extra tonality
to the shell, but this is purely opinion. Sonically,
mahogany is a wonderfully resonant material
28/08/2014 10:28
017.indd 17 27/08/2014 13:20
 Feature

with a beautiful natural tone, and it was used by

Ludwig and many other drum manufacturers for
its strength, durability, broad tuning range and
its ability to age well and improve sonically with
age. Good quality mahogany was also available
in abundance. The inner ply of poplar was used
for no other reason than it was cheap, soft, easy
to work with and was available in unlimited
quantities. It proved to be a tonally perfect
contrast to mahogany, and added a brightness
and warmth to what would have otherwise been
a very dark sounding shell. Poplar is sustainable
and grown quickly, so Ludwig and many other
manufacturers still use it as a first choice inner ply
material for most of their flagship lines today.
The shell hardware was made of chrome-
plated brass. Some say the hardware makes
no difference to the tone of a drum, but when
chrome plated brass is the material of choice,
the difference is noticeable. Brass is strong,
durable, doesn’t fatigue easily and gives an
amazing tone enhancement to any drum, old or
new. If you use brass hoops, you will know how
good they sound.

Snare Drum
The snare drum that completed the Superclassic
outfit was the 14”x5” Jazz Festival. Don’t be
fooled by that name – these snare drums are
anything but just for jazz. Given the versatility
that the Superclassic offered, it was only right

that it included a snare drum that could do it all.

The Jazz Festival snare copes effortlessly under
any musical direction, from a mere whisper
to a roaring fat back train beat. The shell is
constructed in the same way as the rest of the
kit and the drum features eight classic ‘bow-tie’,
double-ended lugs and the simple and elegant
P-83 strainer, a design that hasn’t changed much
in over 60 years. The ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’
approach is certainly one that has worked for
Ludwig to this day. These snare drums really sing.
You would be forgiven for thinking a 5” shell is
limited, but they don’t only do cracking high
tones – with a single ply head, tuned just above
finger tight with a good dose of muting, this
drum gives a tubby, buttery, fat back depth that’s
often only associated with drums that are 6.5”
deep and more. Even if you don’t own the rest of
the kit, this snare drum is a reliable and capable
drum and a serious must-have in anyone’s set-up.
The toms and snare drums from the pre-serial
era came with ‘Ball-Bat’ mufflers, aptly named
because the muffler handle resembles a baseball
bat. No internal mufflers were added to the kick
drums. The kick drums feature a tom mounting
system called the Consolette rail mount. It’s a
simple design and fairly sturdy, although a lot of
drummers from that era either ordered the kick

18 DRUMMER October 2014

016-018 Vintage_rev3_NR.indd 18 28/08/2014 10:28

 Ludwig Superclassic

drums with straight centre-mounts, a Rogers Swiv-O-Matic mount (as used

by Ringo) or they simply removed the Consolette rail mount.
The pre-serial era ran from 1960 to around 1963, and as the name
suggests, this was the era that Ludwig didn’t include serial numbers on
their drums. Between the early 1900s and 1960, Ludwig went through
many company ownerships, acquisitions and eras. Without going into too
much detail, you had Ludwig & Ludwig, Leedy & Ludwig, WFL, the Keystone
Transition period in 1959, and finally back to the Ludwig Keystone period,
which is how we identify Ludwig drums to this day, with the exception of
the Blue/Olive badge which came about in 1970… but we’ll cover that in
a later issue. Ludwig’s modern flagship line, the Legacy Classic, bears the
same shell construction and brass keystone badge as you would have found
on a new kit from the 60s. Again, more about that at a later date.

Prices, Condition & Availability

The 60s pre-serial Superclassic drum kits range from approximately £1000
for a well-used ‘player’s’ grade kit, without the matching snare, to £2500+ for
a collector’s grade kit with the matching snare drum in original, out-of-the-
box condition. The Blue Sparkle kit featured in this article will set you back
a cool £2500… but in such original, time warp condition, with not a single
sign of damage, corrosion or mis-care, it’s a small price to pay for these
steadily appreciating beauties.
These kits make fantastic pension investments that you can use to great
benefit in the meantime and aren’t showing any signs of depreciating in
value. With good quality kits becoming rarer and harder to find, the time to
buy is now. We’re fortunate as drummers that the vintage drum market has
been so slow to react when compared with the vintage guitar and other
instrument markets. A 62/63 Fender Jazz bass in similar museum grade
condition would set you back six to eight grand. A 62 Fender Stratocaster…
well you’d be lucky to get change from £15,000!

October 2014 DRUMMER 19

016-018 Vintage_rev3_NR.indd 19 28/08/2014 16:34

 WIN WIN
A SONITUS KICKER FOR
WIN
THREE LUCKY READERS!
THE SONITUS KICKER
IS MADE IN WHICH
The team at Korg UK has generously
COUNTRY?
given us three Sonitus Kickers to give
away this month! Winners can select the
A) CROATIA
size that best fits their kick drum.
Kicker is the world’s first head to head B) AUSTRALIA
C) BRAZIL
kick drum muffler that dampens both front
and rear heads, eliminating unwanted
frequencies without reducing volume or
tone. The Kicker enhances pedal feel, as it
reduces unwanted vibrations on the head
(Tip: Visit the Sonitus website to find out
and improves sensitivity. more: www.sonitusacoustics.eu)
The Kicker is custom designed for
all kick drum diameters and depths, Closing date for the competition is Tuesday 7 October with winners being
to ensure dampening is always chosen at random shortly after. Usual terms and conditions apply. Good luck!
proportionate.
Sonitus devised the perfect polyester
structural formula that best suited
kick frequency behaviour. The result
transforms any kick drum tone to a clear,
focused, deep note. It will eliminate
muddy mid and high frequencies in one
easy move – no glue, tape or adhesives.
Remove the head, place the kicker in, fit
the head and away you go!
To be in with a chance of winning,
all you have to do is head over to our
website – www.drummermagazine.co.uk
– or fill out the form below and answer
this simple question:

*Required details to enter the competition

Answer* ........................................................................................................................................................
Name* ................................................................................................................................................. DOB* ..............................................................................................................................
Address*........................................................................................................................................................
Email*.............................................................................................................................................Tel. No.* ..............................................................................................................................
Do you subscribe to Drummer Magazine?* Yes No Do you buy/subscribe to another publication? Yes No If Yes which publication? ..............................................
Please tick if you do not want to hear from Drummer Magazine or the London Drum Show
*Competition entries must arrive no later than the closing date specified. Only the winner will be contacted. One entry per household. Image(s) of winner may be used for future editorial or advertising purposes.
The winner will be selected at random from all the correct entries. No cash alternative is offered. Drummer Magazine reserves the right to substitute the prize for an alternative of equal or greater value.

20 DRUMMER June 2014

020 Competition_Rev2_NR.indd 20 27/08/2014 21:06

021.indd 21 27/08/2014 18:23
 DRUMMER MAGAZINE PRIORITY RENEWAL FORM

SUBSCRIBE
TODAY AND GET A FREE GIFT
WHICH PACKAGE WOULD YOU LIKE? 133
(OFFICE USE ONLY)

Please start my NEW Subscription to Drummer Magazine from issue:

Please renew my EXISTING Subscription to Drummer Magazine

SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Please TICK the appropriate box below

SAVE OVER 43%

UK: £40.25 Europe: £51 Rest of World: £71

YOUR DETAILS
Please complete in BLOCK CAPITALS. All information is private and will never be disclosed.

Mr/Mrs/Miss Forename
Surname
Address

County Postcode
Daytime Phone Mobile
Email Year of Birth

PAYMENT OPTIONS
1 DIRECT DEBIT - Get 13 issues, Annual DD £40.25

LTD

Direct Debit Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit
Service user Number 2 5 4 3 8 9 ref. No. (For official use only)

Please fill in the form and send to: Blaze Publishing Ltd, Lawrence House, Morrell St, Leamington Spa, Warks. CV32 5SZ

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society

To the manager (Bank Name)

Address

Postcode
Account holder(s) name(s)
Branch sort code

Bank/Building Society account No.

INSTrucTIoNS To your BANk or BuIlDINg SocIeTy. Please pay Blaze Publishing ltd Direct Debits from the
account detailed on this instruction, subject to safeguards assured by the Direct Debit guarantee. I understand
that the instruction may remain with Blaze Publishing ltd and if so, details will be passed electronically to my
Bank or Building Society.

Signature Date
Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions for some types of account.

CHEQUE/CREDIT CARD
2 I enclose my cheque for the above amount made payable to Blaze Publishing Ltd

3 Please charge my Visa Mastercard Maestro Delta with the above amount
(Please no Amex)

Card number Security code START DATE EXPIRY DATE

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

SIGNED TODAYS DATE

RETURN TO: BLAZE PUBLISHING LTD Lawrence House, Morrell Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5SZ

022-023 Subs 133 Page_Rev1.indd 22 27/08/2014 17:13

 SUBSCRIBE TODAY
+SAVE OVER 39%
+ GET FREE PAIR OF

Developed with Paul Wertico, Professor

of Jazz at Roosevelt University Acousticx
RIBE to are hollow polymer tubes that resonate
SUBSC e
agazin
er M
at their own frequency when played
Drumm and we’ll on any surface or object. This unique
today ur FREE
o u y o alternative sound source is great
send y ight away
gift st ra E on drum sets, hand drums
yo u SAV
– PL U S
* and auxiliary percussion.
39%
OVER
Perfect to teach youngsters
how to find their rhythym!
Anyone can use Acousticx,
creating different authentic sounds
and easy to use. Grab your free
pair today with every subscription to
Drummer magazine!

For further info visit

www.acousticx.com
NOW AS A DIGITAL MAGAZINE TOO!
ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.DRUMMERMAGAZINE.CO.UK
OR CALL OUR SUBSCRIPTION TEAM ON 01926 339808
*Offer open to UK subscribers to print version only and while stocks last.
Savings based on comparison against cover price (inc p&p)

022-023 Subs 133 Page_Rev1.indd 23 27/08/2014 17:13

 INTERVIEW
OBSERVING
PROTOCOL Simon Phillips discusses his new solo album Protocol II, playing in
the Hiromi Trio Project, and why he decided to leave Toto
Words: Brent Keefe images: Richard Ecclestone
S
imon Phillips has enjoyed a stellar career, from his teenage
years as a first call London session player in the studio heyday
of the 70s and 80s, through to relocating to LA in 1992, when
he was asked to join Toto after the unexpected and tragic loss of Jeff
Porcaro. Simon recently left Toto, but even in today’s ever changing
and certainly more challenging music business, he remains constantly
busy and still at the top of his game, working on his solo projects,
sessions, running his own studio and, since 2010, being a member of
pianist Hiromi’s Trio Project. Drummer spoke to Simon during the trio’s
recent three-night run at London’s Cadogan Hall, and Simon began by
explaining how he became involved with Hiromi’s trio.
“it was a call out of the blue. in 2010, i was working on post-
production on a Toto DVD, when somebody emailed me a clip of Chick
Corea and Hiromi playing ‘Spain’ on two interlocking pianos, and it
was stunning. Then, a day or so later, my phone rang and the voice at
the other end said, ‘Hello, my name is Laura Hess Hay and i manage
Hiromi. Do you know who Hiromi is?’ so i replied, ‘Actually, i do. i was
just watching a YouTube video of her.’ She said, ‘Well, she would like
you to play on her next record with Anthony Jackson.’ So i said, ‘oK. Are
you aware of what i do and what kind of player i am?’ and she said, ‘oh
yes, Hiromi is a big fan of yours.’ That’s how it started and i really didn’t
know how it was going to work volume wise, but here we are, four
years down the road.
“i’d never really been in a situation previously where i played
without a guitar. When you take guitar out of the equation, it’s
amazing how thin and empty the sound is on stage. in the trio, you’ve
got two percussion instruments; a piano and a drum kit, and the only
thing really occupying any space is the bass. on the first few concerts
we played, everything felt hugely loud, which i’d never noticed before.
it was a huge challenge, especially playing two 24 inch bass drums the
way i play, but, over the years, i had begun to play a lot quieter than
i used to, largely because of my hearing and the fact that i realised i
didn’t have to play so hard. i still produce the same sound, but i found
i had a lot more energy and a much wider dynamic range. it’s about
developing the technique to be able to get the most out of the drum
with as little energy as possible, and that takes years to achieve. i also
started taking the drums out of my monitors because of my hearing. i
did the 2010 Toto tour on in-ears just for the ear protection, but it was
horrible – i couldn’t hear any detail or finesse – so i went back to using
monitors, took the drums out and just used the monitors to hear what
i couldn’t hear otherwise.”
sick and no click
The trio’s third album Alive was recently released, but, as Simon
explained, the recording was challenging – and not just musically.
“We recorded Alive over four days at Avatar, which is the old power
station in new York, and it was all live except for a couple of fixes. We
didn’t use a click for anything; Hiromi looks at me very strangely when
24 DRUMMER October 2014
024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 24
i mention using a click! For the first two days it was all going well, but
the engineer, michael Bishop, had some sort of flu at the end of the
second day. it was really cold in new York and i woke up the next day
and was sick as a dog; by the end of the day i had a fever of about
101. i don’t really remember much about recording on the last day.
Fortunately, we had got all the really tricky stuff done because i was
starting to feel sick the day before, so i pushed to get the final tricky
song done then. it was the worst flu i’ve ever had; it lasted about three
weeks. So that really distorted the fun of the sessions for me because
it’s not much fun having to play in that state.”
Simon continued, explaining how new material evolves in the
trio. “Hiromi gives us charts, which are essentially lead sheets with
some figures, all of the meter changes and a solo piano demo.
The grooves that i play are totally up to me, although sometimes
Hiromi will make a suggestion. i always listen to what the music
is doing and that tells me what to play, but it has to feel right. i
don’t really think about it and it’s always been that way. i was
taught like that by the people i played with.”
The album contains some difficult music and Simon went on
to discuss some of the more challenging tracks.
“in ‘Alive’, the groove section in the middle is in 27/16. We
start in seven, play the intro, and then we play four bars of
27 and the whole piano solo and drum solo is in 27. if you
don’t listen closely, you could hear it as two 7s badly played,
but it’s very definitely 27 and i have to say i’m responsible
for that; i felt we had played in seven a lot, so to make it
different i suggested that we play it in 27. it’s something
that Billy Cobham did on the track ‘Total Eclipse’.
keeP calm and lisTen
So how does Simon deal with playing in 27? “i just listen
to the music and hear the phrase. There are certain
little tricks that you can use to get you through it and
once you get past that stage, you try to be a bit more
creative and maybe shift the accents. With odd meters,
the first thing that i look for is whether it’s a prime number
or not. Then i see if it’s divisible by three, because three can get you
out of a load of problems if you just count straight through it. it also
opens things up because a lot of people get trapped or boxed in when
playing odd meters. The first thing to check out is whether it’s divisible
by something and it’s either going to be two or three. if it’s two, then
it’s just like playing in four, but if it’s three then it could be much more
intricate. in this example, three times nine is 27, so you could play
nine triplets and you could start those triplets wherever you want.
Sometimes we make mistakes, though; i noticed sometimes when
we started playing it, during the drum solo, they started falling back
into seven, so i need to really emphasise the ‘one’ at times. There were
also a few mistakes last night, but we struggled because of the sound.
08/09/2014 14:49
 Simon Phillips

October 2014 DRUMMER 25

024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 25 08/09/2014 14:50

 INTERVIEW

“Over the years, I had begun to play a lot quieter than I used to,
largely because of my hearing and the fact that I realised I didn’t
have to play so hard. I still produce the same sound, but I found I had
a lot more energy and a much wider dynamic range”

We could hear, but when I played the hi-hats
Hiromi was hearing two hits as the sound was
bouncing around. The reverb of the room was
so loud that it was really difficult to figure out
where we were, unless I literally nailed every
downbeat, which is not a nice way to play
music. It was extremely difficult. On one of the
straight ahead sections, we totally got out. I
dropped out and they carried on and then I
came back in and it was like, ‘Where are we?’ so
we were kind of chasing each other and Hiromi
and I hooked up, which is what we normally
do, and just sit there and wait for Anthony.
It’s very funny. It’s like Tom and Jerry; cat and
mouse. The secret is to not let anybody know
about it, not worry about it and not to get
pissed off.
“Playing the music is a challenge, obviously,
but the real challenge is getting back when
you make a mistake, and that’s what sorts out
the men from the boys. The first thing you do is
you don’t panic. It’s like driving a racing car; if
you miss a gear you mess up, but you can’t get
it back, so forget about it. Don’t get pissed off
because you cannot drive when you are pissed
off. It’s the same as playing. I know so many
musicians who get so bent out of shape when
they or somebody else makes a mistake. The
audience can see it and I’ve never understood
that. The best thing to do is laugh because
people see that you are human and that you
are a good musician because you can get out
of the problem. Many of them probably don’t
even notice anyway, so if you are laughing and
having fun on stage, they probably won’t know
what the hell happened. That’s very important
to remember.”
Refining and Remembering
“‘Dreamer’ is one of the most popular tracks on
the record, especially live. We had played many
songs in 7/8 and I was feeling a little tired of
playing similar rhythms in seven, so I tried to
approach it from a totally different angle; more
like I would in a rock/pop setting. I put Hiromi’s
demo into ProTools, chopped out one section,
looped it and just played along with it. I kept
refining my part until I was happy and ended
up with that linear groove. That particular song
really benefited from that approach; it’s almost
like being a drum machine for a while and I’ve
always loved playing parts like that.
“‘Warrior’ is also a tough one. It’s a very
specific piece with every bar written out
and every bar line in a different place. From
memory, I think it was written 9/8, 6/8, 12/8,
9/8, 6/8, 5/8, 5/8. That head is very difficult and
it took a while to firstly figure out and then to
remember, especially after having a break of a
couple of months before playing it live. Every
time I play it I’m almost relearning it and, as for
the sticking, forget it – it’s different every time!
It’s starting to be more consistent now that
I’ve figured it out and I also play it using three
snare drums, so that’s really fun.”
Those wishing to witness the trio in action
in their own home may want to investigate the
trio’s excellent new DVD, Move Live In Tokyo,
filmed in Japan over two nights in 2012.
Time For Protocol
Simon’s last solo project, Vantage Point was

26 DRUMMER October 2014

024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 26 08/09/2014 14:50

 Simon Phillips

October 2014 DRUMMER 27

024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 27 08/09/2014 14:50

 INTERVIEW
in 2000, and his latest album Protocol II is
released in Europe in September. It’s an electric
fusion album and, in addition to some great
playing, the album is sonically fantastic. Simon
explained the reason for the sizeable gap
between releases.
“I had been too busy with Toto in recent
years to do anything. I had been writing
material for all that time, but wasn’t
particularly knocked out with it. I did some
sessions in New York with Mike Stern, Bill
Evans, Anthony Jackson and Jim Beard. We did
three songs; one of them is great but I felt that
I still needed to write some material that I was
really happy with. Then last year Toto activity
was finishing by a certain time and Hiromi was
busy doing A Night At The Proms, so I knew
I would have some free time. I contacted my
UK agent and I asked him whether I should
arrange another tour with PSP [Phillips, Pino
Palladino and Phillipe Saisse] or tour with
a solo project with my own band. He said,
‘Definitely solo’, so then I thought, ‘It would be
28 DRUMMER October 2014
024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 28
great to have something to sell on the gigs.
Let’s make a new record.’ This was in 2012, so I
rang Andy Timmons and Steve Weingart, who
were both available and up for it, but when I
rang Melvin Lee Davis, he was only available
for the recording but not the live gigs. I wanted
the same person for both, so I called Ernest
Tibbs and that was it. I booked the studio time,
sent all of my demos to everybody in one big
file and said, ‘Here’s what I’ve got. I’m not that
knocked out with it, but if you like any of it,
then you can use it… even if it’s just two bars.’
“Much to my surprise, they all said, ‘What
are you talking about? This is great’, so we
worked it all out in the studio and what you
hear is what we did. We began with my demos
and the co-writes came in as we were working.
‘Wildfire’, the opening track, and ‘Gemini’ are
mine and the rest was stuff that grew from my
demos, where the guys just took them and
made other suggestions.
“There are also two songs that we wrote
from scratch; ‘Upside In Downside Out’ was a
total group effort and ‘Octopia’ is something
that Steve and I put together.”
Frankentrack, But No
Drum Solo
“‘Upside In Downside Out’ is mostly in 13,
and there’s a section in nine but it depends
how you count it. We all count it differently!
Everybody is phrasing it differently; nobody
can agree on it but I love that. Andy came
up with that. With the 13, I sang the basic
Indian Konnakol to Steve and he came up with
something but I was looking for something
a little more angular, so he altered it and we
eventually got it. We did it in sections. Then
I chopped up a few things in Pro Tools, until
we came up with the final thing. It was really
great that we all came up with something on
the spot. At 10am we had nothing and by 6pm,
we pretty much had the whole track, although
I actually did some rethinking after we’d
recorded it. I felt that the form, as we originally
recorded it, could be improved, so I changed it
08/09/2014 14:50

up and then we decided to recut part of it with
just Ernest and Steve because Andy had gone
home. Andy re-recorded his guitar part, sent it
back and I was able cut that into the existing
solo section because we’d cut that track to
a click. It was a bit of a ‘frankentrack’ in it's
origination but it worked out great.
‘Octopia’ starts in 15 (split as 7 and 8)
and goes into 3 later, and was largely Steve
Weingart’s idea. Steve asked if I was going
to do a drum solo on the album and I said,
‘No, not on a record. That’s just boring and I
probably would never be happy with any of
them anyway.’ Steve then suggested that we
do a duet, so we set up facing each other,
tried all sorts of things and wasted most of the
day. Then, all of a sudden, it came together
but I had to work on the co-ordination of
everything."
Clearly happy with Protocol II, Simon was
hopeful that he will play live in the UK in 2015.
“This is one of the best bands I’ve ever
been involved in and I’m very happy with the
024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 29
album. It’s always tough doing a solo record;
sometimes you finish it and you feel a bit
unsure about it but I’m really happy with it
musically and sonically. Protocol II is released
on CD and vinyl on 29 September and will be
distributed by Proper in the UK. We plan to
tour Europe in April 2015 and hope to play
some UK dates then. I’m also starting to write
material for the next Protocol album, which
I hope to record in January 2015, as it’s been
two years since we recorded Protocol II.“
Leaving Toto
Simon joined Toto in 1992, and their recently
released 35th Anniversary Tour: Live In Poland,
available on CD/DVD/Blu-ray and a deluxe
edition box set on Eagle Rock, is a stunning
document of both Simon and Toto. Sadly,
however, it also documents Simon’s farewell
tour with the group. Simon explained his
reason for the decision.
“I was with Toto for 21 years. We disbanded
and took a bit of a hiatus in 2008 and then in
Simon Phillips
2010, Luke [Steve Lukather] and Dave [Paich]
spoke about putting the band back together
just for a short European tour and to see what
happened from there. It was a very different
band because Bobby Kimball was not asked
back and Mike Porcaro was not able to play
due to his illness. Lee Sklar, who had originally
subbed for Mike until 2008, wasn’t available,
so Nathan East became the bass player.
Obviously, we needed a new singer, so Joseph
Williams was asked back and Steve Porcaro
re-joined, so we had two keyboard players
again. There was also a lot of stuff going on
behind the scenes as we had a management
change, and a lot of stuff that I felt was pulling
us in two directions. I had been excluded
from certain decisions and, after being in the
band for so long, I wasn’t happy with that. The
thing about being in a band is that it’s 80 per
cent business and 20 per cent music. You are
running a company and it’s a partnership but
the partners have to have one common goal,
and when that ceases to exist something has
October 2014 DRUMMER 29
08/09/2014 14:50
 INTERVIEW

to give. I hung in there until last year and then

we had another management change; I felt
that I was getting to the stage in my life where
I needed to pursue other things. First of all, I
wanted to pursue my solo project much more
seriously; secondly, the Hiromi project was
going extremely well and I have my studio in
LA – it’s very difficult to run the studio when
you’re on the road all the time. I thought '21
years is long enough' and I was ready for a
change, so I gracefully bowed out. Obviously,
pushing a new band (Protocol) is tough but it’s
just time in my life to do that, you know. I’m
getting to that age where I don’t really have a
second chance any more.”

www.simon-phillips.com
www.protocol-2.com

Gearbox
Drums: Tama
Starclassic Monarch Signature drums and
hardware
2 x 24"x15" kick drums
Monarch Signature Snare Drum
12" Pageant Signature wooden snare
drum
18"x14” floor tom
10"x7" mounted tom
12"x9" mounted tom
13"x10" mounted tom
14"x11" mounted tom
15"x12" mounted tom
16"x13" mounted tom
20” Gong drum
4 x Tama Octobans, low set

Cymbals: Zildjian
Armand 14" hi-hats
Armand 17" crash
Armand 18" crash
Armand 19" crash
Armand 22" ride
Armand 12" splash
Avedis 24" Swish Knocker

Heads: Remo
Snare: Coated Ambassador
Toms: Clear Ambassadors (top and
bottom)
Kick drum: Clear Ambassadors (front and
back)

Sticks: ProMark
'Simon Phillips' drum sticks

30 DRUMMER October 2014

024-030 Simon Phillips_Rev4_NR.indd 30 08/09/2014 14:50

ust
JAMIE Perkins
aying,
I get
sed
with

up
ally
body.
tely
hole

and
t
ave
t that,
me

ur

st
ing. It
bout
career
nts
d I am,
hile.

g To

Jamie Perkins on the perils of the rental kit, and his almost non-
stop tour life with New York band The Pretty Reckless
Words: Andy Hughes images: Rob Fenn & Little Press

M
ost drummers dream of being part
of a successful band and touring
the world. It sounds like heaven, but
beware the rental drum kit. Unless you are
established superstars who can afford to bring a
drum kit around the world, you can either store
one on each continent, or hire a rental kit out
when you land.
This is the situation for Jamie Perkins,
drummer for The Pretty Reckless, who are
currently seeing their star ascending thanks to
hit singles and a punishing, almost continual tour
schedule. This latest visit to Europe has seen the
band opening for Fall Out Boy, and also access to
decent rental drums for Jamie. But this was not
always the case, as he explains backstage before
the band’s Manchester show. “I have been very
lucky on this tour. I have had a Pearl Reference
kit, which has been great to use. [What kit you
get] does depend on various factors such as
where you are and what is available. Most people
have horror stories about rental kits. Mine is from
the first time we went to Brazil. We got to the
show and the kit was there, but it was not even
set up. I said, ‘Look guys, that kit is not going to
do the job.’ I went straight to the tour manager
and told him I needed another kit for the rest
of the Brazil gigs, but it was too late to change
the one that had been provided for that night,
so I had to suffer with it. Playing under those
circumstances is all part of being a professional,
but I was not happy, not at all. It was falling apart
as I played it! I’m not a demanding person, but
I pointed out that I needed stands that would
hold things in place while I played them – that is
pretty fundamental. Times like that are when the
fans pull you through. We have some real intense
fans, especially in Brazil, and they helped me pull
through that night.
“One lesson I have learned is to bring my
own cymbals with me. Cymbals can be…
variable, let’s put it that way. It’s part of feeling
comfortable with your own kit, which you know
and feel right with. The cymbals are the most
portable aspect of a drum kit, so I can take
them with me wherever we play. Cymbals are
very individual and specific. I like a diversity of
sounds from my cymbals, which I wouldn’t get
from a rental set, so I am pleased to know that
wherever I am, my cymbals are always going to
sound how I like them.”

October 2014 DRUMMER 31

031-033 Perkins_Rev3_NR.indd 31 08/09/2014 14:56

 INTERVIEW
Understated
Because The Pretty Reckless are a band on the
rise, their pedigree allows them to play stadiums
under their own right, as well as being guests on
the Fall Out Boy tour – a step up that presents
a new set of circumstances for the musicians.
You’d imagine that playing massive arenas means
making your visual presence felt from the back
of the stage – plenty of arm waving and full-on
kit attack – but as Jamie explains, the opposite is
actually what is required. “I tend to rein it in a little
more when I am playing a bigger venue. A lot of
the flashy stuff that might work in a smaller venue
doesn’t really translate well when you have bigger
acoustic spaces to fill. I know you would imagine
that the instinct is to be more flamboyant and
push for bigger, more flamboyant strokes, but if
you do that, and you can hear that the sound is
just getting lost in the size of the room, then it
is time to rein it in. There is a surge of adrenalin
when you hit the stage in a stadium, and your
instinct is to really give it some full force, but you
have to remember that you have a job to do –
your job is to anchor the sound of the band, and
32 DRUMMER October 2014
031-033 Perkins_Rev3_NR.indd 32
that can mean dialling things down and keeping
everything tight. I am still learning that balance,
but I am aware that my fundamental task is to
support Taylor [Momsen, the band’s singer], and
underline what she is doing. If that means putting
in some chops here and there, then I will do that,
but I think that mostly my job is not to be noticed.
There is the oft-used phrase that the drums are
the engine room of the band, and it is true. There
is a definite image of a drummer as a caveman
who hits things, but that is an image put about
by people who don’t understand what it is that
drummers do in a band, the part they play in the
sound, and how important that part is.”
Getting the right style
An essential part of playing drums in a band is
knowing your band’s music, its audience, and
ensuring that your playing style matches both.
You wouldn’t put Mike Mangini with Status
Quo, just like you wouldn’t put John Bonham in
Coldplay. It’s all about getting your technique
and style right for the occasion, a lesson Jamie
Perkins understands completely. “I do see my role
Gearbox
Drums: Pearl
VBX
24"x22" kick drum
14"x6.5" Sensitone Elite Black Brass snare
16"x16" and 18"x16" floor toms
13"x10" rack tom
Cymbals: Paiste
14" Signature Dark Crisp hi-hats
18" Signature Full crash
19" Signature Feflections Heavy Full crash
20" Signature Reflections Heavy Full crash
20" Signature Full ride
18" Twenty Custom Metal china
Heads: Remo
Snare: Controlled X Sound
Toms: Emperor coated
Kick: Powerstroke 3
Sticks: Vater
Power 5B Wood
Hardware:
Tama Iron Cobra Double Pedal
Electronics: Roland SPD-SX
08/09/2014 14:56

as holding the bottom end down to allow Taylor
and the rest of the guys to do what they do over
the top of that. I do get encouraged by the band
to do more, but I am only willing to do that if I am
sure I am not sacrificing the overall sound and
atmosphere that the band has.
“On the road, I have carte blanche to do my
own thing; they trust me to get it right. In the
studio, there is more of a set way of doing things.
Taylor and Ben write the songs together, and
they usually have a very specific idea of what
they want for each song, to make it sound how
they want it to work. I have to come in and
work out how to interpret what they want, and
what our producer wants in terms of overall
sound. Sometimes they will have an idea of the
sound they want, we discuss it, and I work it out
from there. Other times, they like me to try out
different ideas and they will pick the direction
they want to follow – we develop from there to
the finished song.
“The best person to interpret what Taylor and
Ben are after is Kato Khandwala, our producer. We
all sit down and work out roughly where we are
going, and when they hear what they want, they
know, and we move on. If I try something and they
don’t like it, I will ask specifically what it is they
don’t like, which will give me some idea of where
to go next. It is all a matter of working through
ideas, and seeing what fits – you just have to be
031-033 Perkins_Rev3_NR.indd 33
patient. There are times where I work out a drum
part and I really like it, then they don’t like it and
we try something else, but I have learned to trust
their instincts. I am here to support the songs and
the band, and not to try and force my own ideas
on things. Everyone has the end result in mind –
being precious doesn’t help.”
Looking after number one
Another vital aspect of playing drums in a
touring band is the endless travel which plays
havoc with your body. You ride buses for days on
end, sleep in endless numbers of strange beds
in strange rooms, and still have to be on top of
your playing for five or six nights a week for a
lengthy tour schedule. Jamie is keen to explain
the importance of physical health in terms of
prolonging your career as a player, and ensuring
that your playing technique is top notch to
counteract the damage caused by the grind of
getting around to the next show. “The travel is
hard,” says Jamie nodding in agreement. “But the
two favourite things I love to do on the whole
planet are to travel and play drums, so I am
totally in the right place now. I am lucky because
even if I feel really tired, or I am sick, or I have just
had enough today, when I get up on stage and
I am playing, that all goes away and I love the
show so much. When I get off stage, that’s when I
collapse, until the next night. I used to have some
Jamie Perkins
back issues, but I have sorted them out with
proper stretching during warm-ups.
“People underestimate the importance of
warming up before you play and warming down
afterwards; it is really important to look after
your muscles and your whole body. Posture also
is vitally important – if you are not completely
balanced when you sit behind your kit, it ruins
your whole night’s playing. If you have your pedals
out of line from what you are used to, then you
are reaching for drums and cymbals because
your positioning is not right, and that leads to
aches and strains really quickly. You need to have
an economy of movement when you play, and
without that, you won’t enjoy playing, and you can
be storing up some physical issues for later on.
“Another important aspect of playing is
holding your sticks properly from the start. If you
don’t learn to hold your sticks correctly, you can
get thumb problems, wrist problems, strains and
aches in your arms, the whole thing. It can be
really bad for you, and you don’t always know
about that damage until it’s too late. If you want
a long-term career as a drummer, you have to
sort out those vital ingredients before you do
anything else. If you are a hard hitter, and I am, it
is even more important if you plan to do this for a
while. And I certainly do!”
The Pretty Reckless return to the UK with their
Going To Hell tour on 17 November
October 2014 DRUMMER 33
08/09/2014 14:56
 INTERVIEW

34 DRUMMER October 2014

034-037 Portnoy_Rev3AO.indd 34 28/08/2014 10:33

 Mike Portnoy

connection Mike Portnoy on the Winery Dogs, new albums, connecting

with the crowd and who he likes to see playing drums
Words: Gemma Hill Images: John Zocco, Cosa Nostra PR, and Jim Arbogast

M
ike Portnoy has been a busy guy
since Drummer last spoke to him;
he’s been out on the road with the
Winery Dogs, including playing at Sonisphere,
and has new albums out with Flying Colors
and Transatlantic. Somehow he found time to
squeeze in a quick phone call to tell us what
he’s got coming up next…
How was Sonisphere?
It was awesome -– it was really great. I love playing
festivals and it was the first one for the Winery
Dogs. We’re a band made up of veterans that have
been doing this for 25 years but we’re still a baby
as a band, so it’s our first time doing a lot of things
and being able to play at Sonisphere was an
honour. I think we killed it. We did our job and tore
it up, so mission accomplished.
Are the Winery Dogs thinking
ahead to the next album?
Well, we’ve been out on the road for almost a
year now so we’ve been working really hard
on developing it and establishing the band.
Like I said earlier, the three of us have been
around the block for many, many years, but
it’s different when you come together and
start from scratch. We’re hitting every nook
and cranny that we could possibly play. It’s a
great band, we have great chemistry and we
absolutely love the music; it seems that the
fans are really embracing us. We’re working our
arses off and doing it the old fashioned way –
we’re not just taking the easy route because
the three of us have done this before. We’re
coming towards the end of the cycle at this
point – we’ll take a little time off for the rest of
the year for each of us to do other things, and
then we’ll reconvene at the top of 2015 and
bang out another album so we can get back on
the road for spring and summer of next year.
After the huge success that
you had with Dream Theater,
have you felt under pressure
to make sure that the Winery
Dogs is successful?
No. I’ve done so many things outside of Dream
Theater, even while I was still in the band.
Every band has its own identity and I think my
name and reputation has standing on its own.
I don’t look at it like I’m the drummer from
Dream Theater and I’m doing this and that... I
look at it like I’m Mike Portnoy and I’m doing
this and that. I’d like to think that at this point

How have you found the UK

dates so far?
It’s been from one extreme to the other. We went Gearbox 14" Ambassador snare bottom
Drums: Tama Bubinga Starclassic in Mirror 13" Ebony Emperor (EU:12")
from 50,000 people at Sonisphere to playing at the
Chrome finish 16" Ebony Emperor. (EU: 14")
Underworld in London, which is by far the smallest
Winery Dogs US kit (smaller EU kit sizes in 18" Ebony Emperor. (EU: 16")
gig I’ve ever played in London. Even my very first brackets) Ebony Ambassador bottoms
time here over 20 years ago was in a bigger place 18"x22" kick drum Double Falam Pad
than this. It’s fun and good in that way. 9"x13" rack tom (12")
16"x16" floor tom (14") Sticks: ProMark
Do you like playing in those 16"x18" floor tom (16") Custom Mike Portnoy Model 420 Sticks
small venues? Do you play 5.5"x14" Mike Portnoy Custom Melody
differently in a smaller Master Snare Bubinga Hardware
environment? SpeedCobra Double Pedal
Cymbals: Sabian – Brilliant Finish SpeedCobra HiHat Stand
To be honest, I don’t think I play differently. I try
14" Vault V hi-hats 1st Chair Round Rider Hydraulic Throne
to give it my all, no matter where I am. I always
18" AAX-Plosion crash RoadPro Snare Stand
try to have that connection to the audience. 18" AAX Ozone crash Combo Tom/Cymbal Stand (RackTom / 11"
It’s easier to connect on stage when you’re 19" Artisan crash Splash)
playing in a small club. At Sonisphere it’s hard to 20" AAX V crash RoadPro Straight Cymbal Stand x 5
really connect to the people, and for me that’s 19" Paragon china RoadPro Boom Cymbal Stand x 1 (Ride
so important, that interaction. That’s the most 11" MAX splash Cymbal)
important part of being on stage and it’s really MAX STAX Low 12"/14" Multi Clamp to small cymbal boom arm (for
hard to have that at Wembley Arena or on stage 22" Custom Shop V ride MAX STAX Low)
at Sonisphere or Download; it’s just a sea of
Heads: Remo Percussion: LP
people, where as when you’re in a club you have
With custom Winery Dog logo Cyclops Mountable Tambourine
that total interaction and connection. Last night
22" PowerStroke Pro Ebony
we played a small club in Wolverhampton and 14" CS Batter Clear with black dot Microphones: Audix
the front row was literally spitting distance from
me – and that’s a dangerous place.

October 2014 DRUMMER 35

034-037 Portnoy_Rev3AO.indd 35 28/08/2014 10:33

 INTERVIEW
my career and track record stands on its own,
and it’s no longer exclusively linked to Dream
Theater. I think if you look at what I’ve done
throughout my whole career, there’s a lot of
variety there that doesn’t necessarily relate
to each other. Dream Theater did what it did,
I’ve been doing Transatlantic now for 16 years,
which is very much its own sounding style
of prog. I did the Avenged Sevenfold record,
I have Flying Colors, which is still actively
working, and that’s more of an alternative,
poppy sort of thing. Now the Winery Dogs is
a whole other thing again, so they’re all their
own entity and they stand on their own.
36 DRUMMER October 2014
034-037 Portnoy_Rev3AO.indd 36
When you’re working with so
many different bands and
playing in so many different
styles, do you have to tailor
yourself to be different for
each band?
Yes and no – it can be a little bit of both. I
need to be a chameleon and I need to suit the
different styles. I have to be a different type
of player for each different band, project and
album. The drum kits are different from project
to project. Some of my roles are different
because in some bands I’m sort of the leader,
in other bands I’m a team player and in other
bands I’m just a hired gun – so I have to play
different roles and wear different hats. But
as much as I do have to be a chameleon, to
shift and change from situation to situation,
all that being said, I want to always sound like
Mike Portnoy. If you listen to Flying Colors
or Avenged Sevenfold, even though they’re
musically worlds apart, you can still tell it’s me
playing drums and there’s definitely an identity
on everything I do. It's a little bit of both.
Tell us about Dog Camp, the
Winery Dogs band camp...
It’s basically just something that was presented
to us. We’ve done a lot of clinics on our own in
the past. I don’t do them anymore; I stopped
doing them about 11 years ago, but at this point
we were asked to do something as a band. It’s
going to be cool because it’s going to give us
the opportunity to do something together.
We go off to a camp for a couple of days and
there’ll be musicians of all different levels, from
amateurs to professionals, and we can hang out
together, play together and it’s going to be a
cool learning environment for everybody.
Do you think that might be
something you’d do more
of, maybe elsewhere around
the world?
This one’s an experiment, so we’ll see how it
goes and then take it from there.
[Since the interview, the Winery Dogs’
website says that Winery Dog Camp 2015 will be
announced soon.]
28/08/2014 10:33

What’s Mike Portnoy’s
average day?
When I’m on tour my day basically starts at 2pm. I
have to set my alarm in order to be awake then. I
usually get up, have a couple of cups of coffee and
head in for soundcheck and press, or any meetings
we have to do. Dinner is usually my first meal of
the day, I play the show, see whatever guests and
friends we have, and then get on the bus. I usually
stay up until about 4 in the morning watching TV
shows, movies or whatever, crawl in my bunk and
then do the whole thing over again the next day.
When I’m at home it’s different. I still do sleep
late; even though I’m at home I’ll usually set my
alarm to get up around noon. God bless my wife
for never really trying to change my touring
schedule and habits. She understands that I’m a
night owl, or a vampire. I usually get up, deal with
emails and whatever business that’s on the table.
If I have to do interviews or oversee anything, I do
that. I try to spend some time with my kids – I have
two teenagers at home that I don’t get to see all
that much. I spend some time with my wife, go for
dinner and then end my night with TV, movies and
go to bed at about 4am.
Are there any drummers
around that you think we
should check out?
One of my favourite drummers right now, who is
still pretty unknown, his name is Zoltan Chaney.
034-037 Portnoy_Rev3AO.indd 37
Mike Portnoy
He’s more of a hired gun type – he plays for Vince worldwide in October. We plan on squeezing
Neil’s solo band and for Mark Slaughter’s solo in a London show, so we look forward to
band. He’s got to be one of the most unbelievable that. Beyond that, there’s a new Transatlantic
showmen I’ve ever seen - he’s like a modern day live album and DVD package that will be out
Keith Moon, times 100. Search Zoltan on YouTube in October as well, then more Winery Dogs
and your mind will be blown. He’s a total star but starting in the beginning of 2015.
still an unknown. He’s one of these drummers
that I can’t take my eyes off on stage. To me, that’s
worth a thousand times more than any technique. Second Nature
Flying Colors' new album Second Nature
When I watch drummers, I want to be entertained.
is released on 6 October by Music
I’m not going to name names, but there are a lot of
Theories Recordings and Mascot Label
drummers out there who spend so much time on Group.
technique and worrying about how to play 64th
note triple paraddidle, flam a diddle whatevers... The band play London's Islington
Those kind of drummers bore the shit out of me. Assembly Hall on Monday 13 October.
I would rather watch someone like Zoltan, or More Info: http://flyingcolorsmusic.com
Lars Ulrich, who gets so criticised for his lack of
technique. I couldn’t care less about technique.
I want somebody that makes me smile. I used to
watch Keith Moon and he used to make me smile
– that smile is worth a thousand times more than
any technique that might be impressive.
What’s coming up next for you?
The Winery Dogs are the priority and focus
for me and we’ll wrap up the cycle in August.
Next up is the Flying Colors album, which
comes out at the end of September. We have a
limited window for touring because Steve is so
busy with Deep Purple, but it looks like we’re
going to be able to get in a couple more dates
October 2014 DRUMMER 37
28/08/2014 10:33
for
t?

d like
ce INTERVIEW

Patience is a
. The
’s
ns

again

velop

virtue
eep

UK hired gun Ben Kennedy tells

ol
My
Drummer about working with Foxes,
a supporting Pharrell and the key to
on
rcise
getting along with people on the road
all Words: Gemma Hill Images: Adam Prosser Photography
o

B
our
en Kennedy is a UK session success story. He’s worked with the likes of
ly
Ladyhawke, Clare Maguire, James Walsh, Will Young and Girls Aloud and is
now out on the road with Grammy award winning Foxes, who are about
to support Pharrell Williams on his stadium tour.
t and personality and when you bring that to a gig, you are instantly a part of
You’re working a lot with the Grammy-winning
singer Foxes at the moment – tell us a bit about
her and how the gig is for you
apan
I have been working with Louisa Rose Allen [aka Foxes] for a year now. It’s been
amazing seeing an artist grow from the start of her album campaign. When her
other
managing director Sam Kennedy first played me the songs, they were instantly
likeable – great songs, great melodies and an incredible voice. It excited me
e
straight away and I couldn’t wait to get into rehearsals and translate the record
live. The touring schedule has been full on around the world; it’s been an
re
enjoyable year and thoroughly deserved for a talented major label artist who
ven’t
hasn’t been promoted through mainstream TV.
don,
t
You’re soon supporting Pharrell Williams on his
tour – what preparation is going in to that and
how different will playing in stadiums be?
The opportunity with Pharrell is exciting. It’s one of those big gigs that happen
one year, and you dream of being a part of when you’re growing up, playing
your instrument. It all came about through our Radio One Live Lounge cover
of ‘Happy’. We’ve had a lot of live shows over the past year, which have been
well received, but you want to take it to the next level with such a massive
opportunity. Summer festivals are finishing soon, so we’ll be back in rehearsals
for a week before the Pharrell tour to make the live show even better.
Talk us through your set-up
nare
When I first took on the gig, I was asked to stand and play with an electronic
hybrid kit. Initially this was a challenge, but it made for an interesting visual
set-up, although it restricted my playing. After one rehearsal sitting down,
everything felt great. I use Roland SPDSX pads and mainly 808 triggers samples
on the kick and snare to replicate the electronic sound from the album. I’ve
recently endorsed the Porter & Davies BC2 stool – it has changed everything. It’s
the most comfortable set-up I’ve had for a live show and to feel that bottom end
has solved the problem of feeling isolated with in-ears.
How would you describe your style of playing?
I am all about the song. I have never been the drummer who practised
fancy chops; I always worked on groove in relation to the music. Influences
growing up weren’t necessarily drummers, it was all band orientated – the
Britpop era was a massive influence. I have a wide-ranging taste in music,
from hearing my granddad play ‘Big Swing Face’ by Buddy Rich on cassette,
my dad playing ‘Face Value’ by Phil Collins, or finding out about Dave Grohl
on my own on The Colour and the Shape. It’s important to be open to
different genres; you can learn a lot from just listening to your peers playing
on a record.
Did you have any input or involvement with
the Foxes album?
Glorious was already recorded when I joined Foxes – there was no involvement
on the record. Live, however, I certainly have input. Every drummer has a style
it. Sam Kennedy [keys player and MD] and the band have worked incredibly
hard to get to where we are now. It’s nice to work with an MD who will listen
to ideas outside the box. We’ve agreed on certain things and disagreed on
other aspects, but we’ve always delivered with a positive outcome. Sticking
together and working hard is vitally important in this business; it’s a team
effort, even if you aren’t in the limelight as the featured artist.
How does it differ to work with a new artist,
in comparison with someone who is already
established?
I’ve always liked working with new artists and seeing the project
develop because you’ve been there from the start – it makes you feel
more a part of it. Working with established artists is always exciting –
you get that buzz from walking into a gig and playing a well-known
song that you have heard on the radio or you’ve listened to because
you’re into it. It happened for me this year with James Walsh from
Starsailor, a frontman who I saw live and admired growing up,
and then to get a gig playing his songs – that was pretty special.
I remember in the first rehearsal, James turned around to me
and said we were going to play ‘Good Souls’. It’s a song I had to
audition with to get in my first band as a 14-year-old kid.
Who is your favourite band or artist
that you have worked with, and why?
I’ve worked live with a different range of artists. I really am
enjoying the Foxes gig at the moment. I always look back to
the Ladyhawke gig as special, as it’s where the session work
started, really. I have so many great memories of touring
around the world with a great team of people. You can learn
to play in your bedroom, but getting out and touring is an
experience that you can’t really teach people. You build
your craft from gigging day in, day out and disciplining
yourself mentally and physically for a long schedule.
You’ve built up a solid CV over
the years and are a good example
to drummers who want to get
into session work. What has
been your particular route into
the industry?
I think belief in your ability, perseverance, working hard
and having a good attitude are vitally important. It’s
an incredibly tough business with a lot of musicians

38 DRUMMER October 2014

038-040 Kennedy_Rev3_NR.indd 38 08/09/2014 14:55

 Ben Kennedy

October 2014 DRUMMER 39

038-040 Kennedy_Rev3_NR.indd 39 08/09/2014 14:55

 INTERVIEW
out there trying to make a living. At music school,
I would turn up to every audition I got offered
just to meet and play in front of different people. I
also played a lot of live gigs in original bands and
function covers; you meet musicians along the way
and build a reputation. Live experience at an early
age is important. It’s working hard in the practice
room, but having the confidence to step out of that
and perform it live.
Where would you like to see
yourself and your career in
10 years?
It’s scary to think that far down the line. I enjoy
playing live, I always will and hope I am still out
gigging in a decade and beyond that. I have
recently fixed a few gigs and I worked with X Factor
last year, providing their musicians for live TV. It’s
something I put together while on the road and
it kept me occupied. I enjoyed the challenge it
provided each week to find different musicians
of all styles. It was actually a nice distraction
from playing every night. Artist management is
something I would be keen on – I like discovering
new talent and maybe I can help someone develop
a career further down the line.
How do you cope with
spending so much time away
from home? Does it cause any
problems for you?
I think you get used to the time away and it
becomes routine. I found touring quite hard at
first, being away from friends and family. I also
had to conquer a terrible fear of flying to be on
the road. I’ve always been fortunate enough to
tour with good people and they become your
second family, in a way. It’s important to be
patient and easy going as the majority of time
you are in a tour bus or waiting at an airport.
The time actually spent on stage is a small part
of touring.
What do you know now that
you wish you had known when
40 DRUMMER October 2014
038-040 Kennedy_Rev3_NR.indd 40
What do you do to keep healthy
in between touring?
It’s easy to eat badly and drink too much alcohol
on the road, so I try to keep fit in my downtime.
My brother is actually my personal trainer – he
runs a great business called Get Focused UK. He
focuses on me eating the right food and doing the
right exercise in preparation for the next touring
schedule. It’s all related to your playing: if you go on
stage with no energy and feel sluggish you won’t
perform at your best. It’s important to look after
yourself physically and mentally.
What’s coming up next for
you, Ben?
I have some exciting things around the corner,
which I can’t announce just yet. Foxes are off to
Japan again in early September, we are supporting
the Script at iTunes festival this year too and
have another headline tour in December. I’m also
working with a new, talented New Zealand artist on
you first started working Parlophone called Ezra Vine.
in music? The main focus is the Pharrell tour, really. We
I think it’s important to not be naïve in this industry. are visiting some great cities across Europe that I
At college, I had no idea how tough the music haven’t been to and we have two nights at the O2 in
business would be – financially and emotionally. I London towards the end of the tour. There are some
had quite an open mind, I just wanted to get better great shows ahead before the end of the year.
at my instrument and see where it took me from
there. I think you really have to look after yourself
and not necessarily trust everybody’s word. You
need to be mindful of the projects you choose to
commit to and the people that you work with. You
will get your knockbacks, but it’s about learning
how to deal with them and moving forward.
What skills do you need to
call upon the most in your
day-to-day work with artists?
Patience is key. Rehearsal, studio or gig days
can be long; it’s important to keep a positive
attitude throughout. Things can get heavy Gearbox
sometimes. Being open-minded and listening to Drums: Yamaha
the people you are working with is also a great Beech Custom Absolute
attribute. The artist is essentially your boss, so 22"x18" kick drum
it’s about making sure they are happy with what 16"x16" floor tom
you are bringing to their project. Preparation is 14"x14" floor tom
12" rack tom
another thing to concentrate on. Think outside
6.5"x14" Pearl Signature Steve Ferrone
the box to bring that something special to the
brass snare
session, whether it’s a different range of snares
or cymbals to suit the artist’s sound. Cymbals: Zildjian
Dark K Custom
Who do you call on for 14" hi-hats
support or advice if you 17" medium thin crash
need it? 19" medium thin crash
I don’t really call anyone, to be honest. I’d like 22" ride
to think I could turn to someone if I needed
Heads: Evans
advice about something but I’m not sure who
that would be. The MU has sorted some issues
Sticks: Vic Firth 5Bs
for me in the past – it’s good to know they are
there for any complications you may face. I Electronics: Roland
know a lot of musicians who use their tutors as
a mentor and I think this is a great relationship Cases: Protection Racket
to have. I would like to have lessons again one
day and learn more – it can be too easy to get Other: Porter & Davies BC2
comfortable on a gig and lose that passion to
develop your playing.
08/09/2014 14:55
041.indd 41 27/08/2014 17:25
 THE LONDON DRUM
SHOW
8-9 NOVEMBER 2014 DOORS OPEN 9.30AM - 6PM OLYMPIA CONFERENCE CENTRE

MAIN STAGE ARTISTS

PLUS MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

GAVIN ERIC KEITH CHRISTOPHER

HARRISON HARLAND CARLOCK JOHNSON
in association with in association with in association with in association with

BRIAN MATT TODD

TICHY HALPERN SUCHERMAN
in association with BRIAN with
in association in association
BRIAN with
TICHY TICHY
in association with in association with

WWW.LONDONDRUMSHOW.COM 01926 339808

042-043.indd 42
LDS 2014_October_Rev1.indd 1-2 27/08/2014 17:24
 MASTERCLASS SUITE AN EXCITING TWO-DAY
FULLY-DEDICATED SHOW FOR
DRUMMERS AND MUSIC FANS

GET INSPIRED, TRY OUT THE

BEN DEXTER LATEST GEAR & BUY AT
THOMPSON HERCULES EXCLUSIVE SHOW PRICES
in association with in association with

DRUM CAFÉ
NEW STAGE FOR 2014

EMILY DOLAN JONATHAN

DAVIES “GINGER”
in association with
HAMILTON MICHÈLE DREES JEFF DAVENPORT KAZ RODRIGUEZ
in association with in association with in association with in association with

TICKETS FROM JUST £20

TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE EXHIBITORS

facebook.com/londondrum twitter.com/londondrumshow

042-043.indd 43 27/08/2014 17:24

17:17
 or
in
cks,

ad I
it. INTERVIEW
ark

HOWE’S
clude
rd on
d I’m
don

BOWIE
er
n my
e
e

way

en a
trio
n on
rminal
me

r,
ing
rded

an
ger,
was
as Dylan Howe discusses Subterranean, his stunning new album re-interpreting
dition
Bowie’s late-70s Berlin era, and delivers excellent news of Wilko Johnson
n Words: Brent Keefe Images: Gary O’Brian and Zoe Howe

H
he’s
aving previously interpreted the Blue
ring
Note catalogue and Stravinsky’s ‘The
Rite Of Spring’, drummer Dylan Howe
turns his attention to the instrumental music
produced by David Bowie and Brian Eno on
Bowie’s Low and Heroes albums on his fantastic
new album, Subterranean. Dylan has skilfully
managed to balance putting his own stamp on
the music while largely remaining faithful to
the mood of the originals, creating his strongest
album to date. Drummer caught up with
Dylan in the heart of London’s Soho, where he
explained the evolution of the project.
“I probably first heard those albums in the
early 80s, a good five years after they were first
released. I initially heard and liked Let’s Dance
and then went further back, discovering Ziggy
Stardust, Station To Station and then Low and
Heroes. I loved the mood of those two albums,
especially the darker instrumental stuff on side
two of each record, and I don’t think you could
do what I’ve done with the regular or more
well known Bowie songs because it would just
sound horrible. No one should do a Bowie cover,
let alone a jazz version of his pop stuff [laughs].
“It’s the first project I’ve done where I’ve
actually produced it, as opposed to just
or
turning up and recording a live session. I
tried ‘Warszawa’ first, as an experiment in a
traditional quartet setting, and that suggested
that the concept might work. Over the course
of making the album, which was quite a
long process, it was about trying to make it
interesting, rather than simply changing the
tempo or feel of a track. I wanted to get into it
a little deeper and that’s why it took so much
time. I tried to get a good balance between
acoustic and the electronics, but you need
some of the same sounds and pads that are on
the original for it to sound authentic. Several of
the tracks retain the mood of the originals and
I definitely reached a point halfway through
where I felt that I really needed to put all of the
vintage sounds on there. I went back to the
originals and really listened to all of the parts
and sounds. The bulk of the basic album (six
tracks) was recorded in one day at Eastcote
Studios, with a quartet comprising Ross
Stanley, Mark Hodgson and Brandon Allen, and
I subsequently added three more tracks, which
were more built up, recording Ross on his
upright piano at his house and getting my dad
[Steve Howe] to record the Koto at his studio.
Then I would take the tracks away and re-do
the guide drums over the new stuff. There was
a lot of taking away the floor and then sticking
in a new floor. It was an interesting thing to
develop the discipline to replace an existing
drum track. I have my own studio now, so I
was able to do that as much as I wanted but
you can easily drive yourself mad. I did a lot
of overdubbing of drums and, in some cases,
ended up using the original track. I recorded
most of it using a click because that allowed
me to edit different takes together. With the
tracks that I started on my own at home, I
started with a click, added synths and bass and
then added drums before having other people
come in and overdub.”
RECONSTRUCTING BOWIE
“On ‘Subterraneans’, we stayed pretty close
to the mood of the original," Dylan explains,
“keeping the seven-bar loop with the tune
offset against it. It’s a deceptively hard thing to
play as it’s so slow and because of the phrasing
of the melody over the loop.
“‘Weeping Wall’ retains the form of the original,
but we added the 6/4 groove to it, re-harmonised
it a little and arranged it so we solo over the form.
Ross Stanley helped a lot with the arrangement
and with harmonising it. I can hear harmony and
I can sing it, but I can’t easily articulate it on the
piano, so having Ross there to decipher what I
was saying or singing was really helpful. He had a
lot of input on the album.
“‘All Saints’ doesn’t really have much of a
tune, just that four note motif and that’s low in
the mix on Bowie’s original. There was a period
when I was intensely studying the originals
and I would suddenly find a little fragment of a
tune or some small thing, like the little siren at
the beginning of ‘Neukoln’, that I hadn’t heard

44 DRUMMER October 2014

044-047 Howe_Rev4AO.indd 44 08/09/2014 14:55

 DYLAN HOWE

October 2014 DRUMMER 45

044-047 Howe_Rev4AO.indd 45 08/09/2014 14:56

 INTERVIEW
before. There’s more inside the original Bowie
tracks than you initially think. With ‘All Saints’,
each time we played that motif, we played
it in a different subdivision and used that to
modulate to a new tempo for soloing before
returning back. It’s a similar idea to what the
Miles Davis group were doing in the 60s – it’s
not an exact science, but it’s good. They are
metric modulations basically. The sax solo veers
into John Coltrane Quartet territory and that’s
Brandon Allen’s bag. Julian Siegel has this more
European, ECM-influenced thing; I wanted both
of those flavours so I got Julian to overdub later
and play some of the tunes and outros.
“I really like ‘Some Are’ and wanted it
to have the same vibe as McCoy Tyner’s
‘Contemplation’. It’s just about the tune, the
two solos and the mood. Basically, the whole
album is about the mood.
“‘Neukoln’ was the first tune I did after the
Eastcote session and I did it at home. Those
tracks were built up, starting with synths, synth
bass and sound effects. I added drums, Ross
added piano and then I edited it and redid
the drums, adding some sound effects before
editing some more. I played some stuff on
drums that followed my synth bass track but
the engineer, Will Worsley, who was at the helm
of editing and mixing, said, ‘You can’t have
synth bass.’ So I called Nick and he put down
his interpretation; we chopped that up a little
also because I was keen to get this very chaotic
but involved intro on the Day version.
“I ended up with two versions, as I didn’t
know where to go with it. I tried one version
that was between the two versions on the
album, then I recorded those two and intended
to select whichever I preferred, but ended up
using both. The Night version is faster as it’s
meant to have a ‘city at night’ vibe. It also has
a ‘Now He Sings, Now He Sobs’ influence as I
used a flat ride. On the Day version, I’d been
listening to Tony William’s ‘Spring’ and ‘Lifetime’
and I was messing around with those sorts of
ideas. I played some stuff at the beginning of
the take and that became like a drum feature.
Adrian Utley plays the intro on ‘Warszawa’;
he took an electric fan and he just stuck it on
his guitar! The track is arranged so that the
tune is quite sombre first time through, and
then we go into double time and a Coltrane
vibe; it’s got all vintage synths on it and all of
the delay stuff happening. The saxophone intro
solo/rubato thing is taken from the vocal line
on the original. Bowie speaks in some foreign
language and we just took that and went into
Coltrane territory. I think it’s a good take.
“Again, ‘Moss Garden’ retains the mood of
the original. I asked Ross to play that scale
on the piano as sparsely as he could, then
play a bit and return to it. Ross did a couple
of takes and I chopped those up, rearranged
it and then added drums, a drone and sound
effects. I wanted a Koto on it, but I didn’t want
an electronic one because it wouldn’t sound
authentic. My dad has a Koto, so I asked him
46 DRUMMER October 2014
044-047 Howe_Rev4AO.indd 46
to play it. He did a couple
of takes and then I chopped
them up. It’s basically a
three-way improvisation
that was all recorded
separately, but somehow
it sounds good. I love
that piece.”
SUBTERRANEAN ON
THE ROAD
Dylan is clearly enthusiastic
about the album, and rightly
so, but he is equally excited
about touring to promote it.
“I’m really happy that I
stuck with the idea, even
though it’s been challenging
both financially and time
wise. When something takes
a long time, you can begin
to wonder if you are heading
along the wrong road or down a dead end 100,000 copies. That was a surprise but an even
but, ultimately, I always believed in it and I’ve bigger and better surprise was when Wilko got
worked my nuts off. With some of the tracks, I a second opinion on his health condition and
practised for a week before I actually recorded was told that he actually could have surgery to
the drums. I probably went a bit over the top remove the tumour. He’s had the operation, it’s
but I’m glad I did. It’s turned out as well as I been successful and he’s recuperating at home
could have imagined it. now and he’s clear. Consequently, it seems
“We start an 11-date tour on 5 September, likely that we’ll be touring the US supporting
but Mark and Brandon weren’t available, so the Who next year.”
the group will include Steve Lodder on synths, www.dylanhowe.com
Ross Stanley, Andy Sheppard on sax and Dave
Whitford on bass. It’s a great band and I’m really
excited to hear how it will sound live. The London
show is at King’s Place on 19 September.”
GEARBOX
Drums: Gretsch
HOWE ORIGINAL 18"x14" kick drum
So with ‘Subterranean’ being so successful, can 14"x5" Ludwig 400 snare (60s model)
we perhaps expect further jazz interpretations 14"x5" Ludwig hand hammered bronze
of established classics from Dylan? snare
“I’m not intending to do another record 14"x5" John Grey snare
with other people’s music. I have some ideas 14"x14" floor tom
swirling around in my head, but they are not 12"x8" mounted tom
fully formulated yet. I’ve gone through Blue
Note, Stravinsky, Bowie and mined the fields
Cymbals: Zildjian
14" K Dark hi-hats
of my influences, so my next record will be all
14" K Constantinople hi-hats
original material but probably not a million 18" K Constantinople crash
miles away from what this record sounds like.” 20" 1960s Zyn ride/crash (one rivet)
20" K Constantinople flat ride
WILKO’S REPRIEVE 21" Zildjian K Special Dry ride (one rivet)
In addition to his solo projects, Dylan has 22" 1960's K ride
also been a member of Wilko Johnson’s trio
for some time. The trio can be heard on The Heads: Remo
Best of Wilko Johnson and seen on the Live At Snare: Coated Ambassador or Fiberskyn 3
Koko DVD. Wilko was diagnosed with terminal
Kick drum: Coated Ambassador with
Fiberskyn 3 or Smooth Ambassador (front)
cancer in 2013 but, as Dylan explained, there is
Toms (top): Coated Ambassadors
some excellent news. Toms (bottom): Clear Ambassadors
“When Wilko was diagnosed with terminal
cancer, his profile went through the roof Sticks: Vic Firth and Zildjian
and we started doing these sell-out farewell Zildjian Bill Stewart Signature model
tours. We subsequently recorded the album Zildjian Jazz
Going Back Home with Roger Daltrey, as we all Vic Firth American Jazz 5
thought it would be the last chance to make Vic Firth 8D
an album with Wilko, followed by some shows
with Roger, and the album sold more than
08/09/2014 14:56
 DYLAN HOWE

“SEVERAL OF THE TRACKS RETAIN

THE MOOD OF THE ORIGINALS
AND I DEFINITELY REACHED A POINT
HALFWAY THROUGH WHERE I FELT
THAT I REALLY NEEDED TO PUT ALL
OF THE VINTAGE SOUNDS ON THERE”

October 2014 DRUMMER 47

044-047 Howe_Rev4AO.indd 47 08/09/2014 14:56


Sara Leigh Shaw
The Pearl Harts
T
he Pearl Harts are a new band from London
who are making waves. One critic said of
them: ‘All you can think to do is ask them out
for ice cream – and all they want to do is wreck your
house and firebomb your car’. Drummer Sara Leigh
Shaw tells us more.
What do you sound like?
We’re a modern rock/blues two-piece, aiming
to create the biggest sound with the smallest
line-up. We love the traditional rock sound but are
trying to update it through the use of sampling
and live looping. The sound we produce has been
compared to Queens of the Stone Age, Black
Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Joan Jett.
Have you got any albums out?
Not yet, but it is in the pipeline so watch this space.
Any upcoming tours or gig dates?
We’re still a very new band, but we recently did
the Camden Crawl and worked on new material
in the studio. We’ve got a release coming up in
September, around which time we’ll be doing a
small UK tour.
Who or what inspired you to take up
drumming?
I grew up in a musical household. My dad was a
guitarist and he had different musical equipment
48 DRUMMER October 2014
048 The Riser_Rev3AO.indd 48
in the house, so I had the opportunity to play on his
guitars and keyboards and experiment with making
music. I was always drawn towards drums. Luckily, I
managed to get some group lessons at school – as
soon as I started that was it, I was hooked. I used to
jam with my dad – he would get me playing along
to the Rolling Stones. That was my earliest and
biggest inspiration.
What’s your current set-up?
I play a vintage (1970s) Ludwig Kit with Sabian AAX
Cymbals and Roland Electronics. In the Pearl Harts
I play a lot of samples and triggered sounds, so I’ve
got a Roland SPD-SX set up with extra pads around
the kit and a snare trigger.
From sampling this I play bass drops and bass
sounds, some effected sounds and snare effects.
I’m blending a traditional rock sound with a more
modern approach to drumming.
What’s your favourite venue that you’ve
played at?
Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
Favourite album of all time?
Led Zeppelin’s III.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever seen?
There are hundreds. Although, one in particular
that springs to mind has to be Them Crooked
Introducing
The Riser
Vultures at Brixton Academy – Josh Homme, Dave
Grohl and John Paul Jones at the same gig. What
more could you ask for? It was also at my favourite
venue, Brixton Academy, and I think it has to be the
loudest gig I’ve ever been to.
Which drummers, past or present, inspire
you the most?
There are too many to mention, but if I could
narrow it down it would have to be John Bonham,
Cozy Powell, Stewart Copeland and Dave Grohl.
Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts or
Keith Moon?
Keith Moon.
The Pearl Harts are:
Sara Leigh Shaw – drums, samples, vocals
Kirsty Lowrey – vocals, guitars, loops
The Pearl Harts on the Tube...
http://bit.ly/1pO3KRE
28/08/2014 10:36
049.indd 49 27/08/2014 13:35
 TECH DIARY
Drum Tech Diaries
The ups and downs of touring
Part 30 – James Arthur: Euro Tour Diaries, days one to five
Tallinn – the last leg on this stint of the European adventure
T
his month I thought I’d do a more concise,
traditional diary format to describe what
happens on a daily basis. The tour consisted
of 12 days, seven shows, six countries, five travel
days, three flights, two load days and an Alan
Partridge CD. Here I recount the first five days.
DAY 1 – LONDON TO ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
At 4.30am my alarm goes so that I can pack the final
items into my already full bag. The cab arrives at
5am to whisk me off to London City Airport, where
I meet the rest of the crew for our 7am departure
to Zurich. Tonight’s show is a private show for a
radio station at a venue that isn’t really a venue and
as such. It’s a difficult fit for the band and our full
touring rig. We manage to squeeze everyone on
stage, compromising a little on stage-access, but
the venue was happy. Some wonderful Italian food
helps pass the time before the very hot and sweaty
gig. No problems to report – artist and band were
happy, as was I when we finished loading the truck
in the cool night air.
DAY 2 – ZURICH TO ESTAVAYER LE LAC
A much needed sleep and lie in started the day
off/travel day in the right way. The late lobby call
for 12.45pm is scheduled so we can meet the bus
and drive the three hours to ELL, passing through
some lovely scenery. Five-a-side footy, a kangaroo
steak and some time spent relaxing beside Lake
Neuchatel rounded off a great day.
DAY 3 – ESTAVAYER LE LAC
Starting with a less than average breakfast in
50 DRUMMER October 2014
050 DTD_rev2.indd 50
Photo: Dennis Jarvis
our 1970s hotel, we then traveled the short
distance to the gig. The stage, access, crew,
equipment and management were some of the
best I have experienced in a while. Sound-check
was completed without issue and then we had
the afternoon to ourselves, which included
a speedboat ride around the lake. The show,
however, wasn’t that great, with some technical
problems arising from RF signals. A quick pack
down and we went to meet the tour bus before
heading off on the overnight drive to Prague,
falling asleep to Partridge.
Estavayer Le Lac – a beautiful setting, and not a bad place to set-up for a gig, either
© Tina K
DAY 4 – PRAGUE, CZECH
The mood in the band camp was a little off today
after a late night debrief of the gig last night.
Arriving at the venue, which was a sun-kissed
beer garden, quickly raised the mood. The stage
was small, which presented us with a few issues
spatially. All squeezed on stage, the sound check
focused on some of the problems from the
previous night. By showtime the band were ready
to banish some demons – that they did with a great
show that ended just before a storm rolled in. Truck
packed, it was off to the hotel for some rest before
the 7.30am alarm.
DAY 5 – PRAGUE TO RIGA TO TALLINN
A long day of travel as we head to Estonia via Latvia
on some questionable flights with no catering
to speak of. A two-hour lay over in Riga gave us
the chance for some lunch before the short flight
arriving into Tallinn at 4.30pm. Five-a-side was
hastily organized with the owner of the venue we
were due to play at, who, as it happens, has his own
football pitch – what are the chances! A tiring few
hours later and it’s an early night for me.
NEXT MONTH – DAYS FIVE
TO 12 OF THE EURO TOUR
www.drumtechsupport.com
www.facebook.com/drumtechsupport
martin@drumtechsupport.com
Twitter: @drumtechsupport
Photo: Patrick Nouhailler
28/08/2014 10:37
051.indd 51 27/08/2014 13:11
052-053.indd 52 28/08/2014 14:51
052-053.indd 53 28/08/2014 14:51
054.indd 54 27/08/2014 13:29
 REcording for 2014

It’s Not Just About

Playing Drums Photo: Audio Technica

Studio gurus Nicky Brown good drum sound, and the top session drummers
would travel with an amazing sound drum kit.
prepared and graded so that if I broke one from
a pair, I could grab another one from my bag
and Marcellus Frank reveal without feeling a difference. I’d make sure that my
Producer’s note: Nicky
what they rate highly in Brown
kick pedal was working smoothly, didn’t squeak,
and that the mechanical parts of the kit were
session drummers In every case I have encountered, even as a player seamlessly working to ensure I could reconfigure
myself, I appreciate the art of drum maintenance. my kit, depending on the client’s needs.
Words: Nicky Brown and Marcellus Frank
It’s so important to always have a kit that is clean

I
n the quest for perfection in the studio, and operative, with lugs that are prepped and Engineer’s note: Marcellus
utilising technology is a given. Likewise, using working so tuning is easy, and stands that are able Frank
pre-recorded sounds to recreate great live to hold any weight of cymbal so they perform well In this situation, it would be necessary to
performances is becoming ever more common. on any sized floor space. We’d never use heads predetermine which microphones you would use.
Playing or programming with samples can be that were blown, unless that was the sound we The de facto standard kit mics would be something
great, but creating amazing live drum parts is were going for. New heads would be seated so like: D12 on kick drum, SM57 on snare over, pencil
an art, and the speciality of great UK recording the kit wouldn’t go out of tune. I’d have my sticks condenser mic on the hi-hat, dynamic mics on
session drummers like Brett Morgan, Paul
Robinson, Frank Tonto, Ian Thomas, Ralph Salmins
– the list goes on. Talk to any of these guys and
they will tell you that from batter head to weight
of stick and the selection of what drums you
use, equipment is part of your rhythm signature
and sonic blueprint, and makes a unique beat
watermark on any soundscape being created.

Engineer’s note: Marcellus

Frank
Back in the day, the most challenging situation an
engineer could come across was recording and
mixing a 30-second jingle in three hours. As we
talked about in our last article, the engineer and
his assistant would arrive one hour before the
session and set up the studio. Normally, the first
musician to arrive would be the drummer – the
rest of the band would follow. In this scenario, the
engineer would have about 15 minutes to get a Photo: Solidariat

October 2014 DRUMMER 55

055-056 Recording_rev2_NR.indd 55 27/08/2014 20:30

 Feature
the toms (SM57s or Sennheiser 421), and a pair of
sparkly condenser mics on the overheads. It would
be incredibly important to make sure that your
microphones worked properly before you started
a session, and this was done quite easily by asking
the assistant to speak into the relevant microphone
before the band would arrive. It was important
that when the drummer arrived, your mics were
line checked and ready. “Give me fours on the kick”
would often be the first thing an engineer would
say, the moment the drummer put the headphones
on. Fours on the snare would be next, then the first
tom, second tom, floor tom, a quick tap around and
you got your basic completed drum sound. Next
up would be a beat. With a few adjustments to the
tonality of the hi-hat level and your overheads, in 15
minutes you would have a great drum sound.
Producer’s note: Nicky Brown
One day I was working at Sarm West studios and
I went into studio one to greet Trevor Horn and
hopefully see one of my heroes, Mel Gaynor.
They were working on a Simple Minds record and
Trevor is a perfectionist. When I went into the live
room, there were drums everywhere – techs were
working on shells, with different types of heads on
different drums and lots of snares, cymbals and
various sizes of drums for the same kit. It goes to
show that you can’t go too far to get a killer drum
56 DRUMMER October 2014
055-056 Recording_rev2_NR.indd 56
sound, which leads to a classic take. Mel, being an
awesome player, really worked with the process
and I believe it was an award-winning record. You
may not have loads of gear, but the gear you have
is important and should be kept in great condition
and well looked after to get the best results.
Engineer’s note: Marcellus
Frank
All of this would not be possible unless a fantastic
sounding kit arrived in the first place. The session
musicians would often be hired because they had
a great sound before they walked through the
door. The mixing desk and tape machine/recording
device would be the rest of the equation for the
engineer. Regular maintenance on both would
be necessary for the session to run correctly and
smoothly. Good technical practice in maintenance
and a solid knowledge of the equipment being
used creates a great result, which in turn initiates a
great reputation, and so on.
Producer’s note: Nicky Brown
There is nothing like a player who understands
a song and what is needed to make the rhythm
section work, however loud or soft the music is.
The moral of the story is: when you’re not working,
spend time looking after your instruments. Before
you even play a not. If you look after your drums,
Photo: John Athayde
they will keep sounding great for you. Always have
your equipment sorted out and ready to play, as
time in the studio or on a show is money. No one
likes waiting around for you to change heads or
find keys or tools. Have everything at hand or pre-
pared for any eventuality.
I spent a day with the legendary Jeff Porcaro in
Ocean Way Studios on a B52s track date and was
floored at how well he knew the vast selection
of drums and what they did. He could listen to a
playback, choose the appropriate equipment and
get it absolutely right first time. Big producers like
Don Was hire cats like that, not just for their playing,
but also for their tonal insight and range of sounds.
Engineer’s note: Marcellus
Frank
The last great thing we depended on was a good
room. Depending on the studio, each room had
its own attributes and some equipment sounded
better or worse, depending on the room. It would
be a massive shame to not make a track because
your drums didn’t sound great or couldn’t be
beefed up because of a tonal deficiency. In my
experience, good drummers always knew how to
sound great in any room and tune to perform well
in any situation. As much as we may be able to
re-trigger, or sound replace any decent drum take,
nothing beats a great performance on a killer drum
set-up. Nicky and I encourage you all to stretch out
and move the boundaries on your visual, technical
and tonal presentation in the studio. The world is
always ready for something fresh and new.
About the Authors…
Nicky Brown is a composer, writer and producer
with vast session career experience that
spans from Weller to Townsend. He is a keen
technocrat and mixer who uses and works on
records, scores, television and radio. His first
instrument was drums and he has moved on
to programme and consult for major labels.
Marcellus Franc is an engineer and mixer of
the highest order. His career began in the early
1980s and culminated with him working with
artists such as Pat Metheny and David Bowie. He
has had success mixing for Yogi and Wretch 32,
as well as on classic recordings by Richie Rich
and All Saints.
27/08/2014 20:30
057.indd 57 28/08/2014 17:40
 Feature
Looking Good
Fitness tips from Drummer’s personal trainer Craig Barton
Words and images: Craig Barton
L
ast month I talked about how to optimise
drumming performance – this month I
want to cover how to look good while
doing so. It is all well and good being able to act
the part, but most of us want to look the part as
well. Whether you want big arms and chiselled
abs, or just a bit more muscle tone and a flatter
stomach, read on for my most important tips for
getting in awesome shape.
Eat protein
Increasing your protein intake will facilitate
significant fat loss. Protein requires a lot of
energy to be broken down and digested. In fact,
30 per cent of the calories you consume from
protein will be burnt up just to digest it. The
more you eat, the more you burn. Alongside
well structured exercise, eating protein will
facilitate lean muscle growth and speed up your
metabolism – just 2.5kg more lean muscle will
mean you burn almost 1000kcals extra a week.
The best protein sources are lean meats, fish
58 DRUMMER October 2014
058-059 Fitness_Rev2AO.indd 58
and eggs. Try to eat wild meats and fish where
possible, as these are superior sources.
Train with weights
The right training programme will increase
strength, size and muscular endurance. Weight
training is the most effective way to exercise for
the optimal physique. Here’s why: weight training
increases lean muscle, which speeds up the
metabolism and burns fat. It doesn’t need to be
a case of adding 50lbs of muscle; a mere 2-4lbs
of extra muscle can make a profound difference
on metabolic rate and daily calorie expenditure.
Unlike steady state cardiovascular training,
such as walking or swimming, not only do we
burn calories during weight training, but our
metabolic rate is also raised for up to 48 hours
after a productive weights session, which means
you continue to burn fat while you rest. Most
importantly, weight training promotes insulin
sensitivity – this is the key to being lean. Think of
a friend who eats loads of junk food but still has
a six-pack; they are most likely insulin sensitive.
Their body only needs to produce small amounts
of the storage hormone insulin to deal with
blood sugar rises. This means the sugar is being
driven to the muscles and liver, rather than fat
cells. Weight training makes the insulin receptors
on the muscle more prepared to react to insulin,
meaning more energy and less fat storage.
Depending on your experience level, start
with a full body weights programme three or
four times a week for six weeks, like the one I
included in last month’s article. After six weeks,
progress to a two way split. For example, day one
would be upper body and day two lower body.
Do this four times a week for a further six weeks.
After that you have two choices, depending on
your goals. If you just want to maintain muscle,
stay on a two-way split but change the exercises
in your programme. If you want to build more
muscle, you could progress to a three-way split,
incorporating more volume per muscle group. An
example of a three-way split would be: day one
– legs and shoulders; day two – chest and back;
day three – arms and core. For more information
on programme planning, contact me: craig@
craigbartonpt.co.uk.
Adopt a modified
carbohydrate diet
This is my diet of choice, which I think is best for
all around physique and performance. Here is an
example of a diet plan for someone who works
out four days a week and wants to build muscle
and lose body fat at the same time:
Rest days
Sunday, Wednesday, Friday
– High protein (1.5g-2.5g per kg of body weight)
08/09/2014 14:54
 FEATURE

– Medium to high fat
– Low carbohydrates (below 40g)
– Low starch vegetables (avoiding root
vegetables), salad vegetables – tomatoes
and peppers
On rest days, carbohydrate intake would be
kept low – this allows for optimal fat loss and
ensures the person remains insulin sensitive.
I believe insulin sensitivity to be the key to
getting and staying lean. I also believe protein
should be kept high every day; the average
western diet is too low in protein. Fat intake
can be higher on rest days.
Training Days
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
– High protein (1.75g-3g per kg of body weight)
– Low to medium fat
– Medium to high carbohydrates (150–400g)
Throughout the day: sweet potato, brown or
wild rice, gluten free oats, quinoa and berries
Post workout: vitargo, maltodextrin, medium
to high GI fruit – banana, mango, grapes,
raisins and pineapple
On training days there is a higher demand
for carbohydrates, the intake of which on
each training day should be highest around
workout time. This should help recovery and
create an anabolic muscle building effect.
How much a person has will depend on
the individual’s tolerance of carbohydrates.
The general rule is: the lower the body
fat, the higher the individual can go with
carbohydrates on these days.
I think the modified carbohydrate diet
works best for sustainable, achievable fat loss.
It is easy to live by and is quite fun to do. The
beauty is that the diet can be tailored towards
the individual, taking into account their goals
and lifestyle, as well as insulin sensitivity.

Craig Barton is an elite personal trainer in Lincoln,

Lincolnshire. Craig has an outstanding level of knowledge
in the areas of nutrition, body compositions and sports
injuries. A qualified Biosignature and FDN practitioner, he
has developed an enviable practice over eight years and
continues to invest in his own professional development.
Craig has helped many individuals achieve their weight, body
composition and performance goals, thereby improving their
health and wellbeing. Improving the quality of his clients’
lives is what drives him.
www.craigbartonpt.co.uk
craig@craigbartonpt.co.uk
@CraigBartonPT
Craig Barton PT (Facebook)

DISCLAIMER: Consult your GP before beginning any new health or exercise program. Drummer and CBPT accept
no liability or responsibility for any injuries or loss incurred.

October 2014 DRUMMER 59

058-059 Fitness_Rev2AO.indd 59 08/09/2014 14:54

Feature
Auditions
Musical directors John Jenkins and Joseph
Ross share their audition knowledge
Words: Gemma Hill & Dean Hendy Images: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic
T
his month’s audition experts are John
Jenkins (drums and MD for Example, Lily
Allen) and Joseph Ross, MD and guitarist,
who has worked with the cream of pop. Read on
for what they look for in an audition situation…
Describe your role in the
audition process when
working as MD for an artist
or label
John Jenkins: “Typically, I begin by selecting
players that would best suit the position from
my personal network of musicians. Often
recommendations also come from bands, crew
and management. Normally, five to 10 players
are selected. The relevant material like MP3s or
charts are sent out, the audition day is booked,
and candidates are generally given a 30-60
minute time slot.”
What qualities make
people stand out to you at
auditions and are likely to
make them successful?
JJ: “Confident playing with your own stamp
and flair, but keeping it simple is key – try not
to over play. Always take the time to say ‘hi’ to
band and crew. After all, these are the guys you
may be spending a lot of time with”
Joseph Ross: “Without doubt, groove, timing
and feel are at the top of the list for me. The
60 DRUMMER October 2014
drummer is the foundation that we all rely on
to drive us on that song journey. I look for how
they play a song – if they treat it with respect
and don’t overcook it. I’m very big on song
playing, so that’s what catches my ear more
than chops. I like a story to be told in song by a
drummer. One of my favourites at that is Gareth
Brown (Paloma Faith), who just makes the kit
talk and draws me in every time. Finally, I look at
their attitude and how they take instructions, or
how they play as part of a team. I’m very flexible
as an MD, and will also allow the drummers I
work with to have input – I don’t hire someone
if I don’t trust them musically. However, if I want
the drummer to sound a certain way for the
song’s sake, I would expect that to be carried
out with a good attitude and no ego involved.”
What advice would you give
to people preparing for
auditions?
JJ: “Internalise the songs as much as possible
so it’s more muscle memory than conscious
thought. You will naturally be more relaxed
this way. Be yourself and think positively. If it’s
meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
What are the worst and
best audition experiences
you’ve witnessed?
JJ: “I’ve never experienced anything that awful,
but I’ve definitely seen a few underprepared,
scrambling around, looking at notes while
playing. Not a great look. The best are when
it feels natural and not forced. It really comes
down to whether you click with the other
players musically and socially, which are equally
important factors.”
How much of their own
gear should drummers
bring to auditions?
JJ: “Unless stipulated, I’d say just your stick bag.
Cymbals or snare are a possibility, although it’s
really good to see a player come in and own it on
someone else’s gear, out of their comfort zone.”
Do you have any tips for
drummers who are trying
to get into working with
bands or artists?
JJ: “Use agencies if you must, but really it’s all
about getting out on the scene, gigging, getting
your name about and always striving to improve
yourself and your playing.”
JR: “It’s important that their drum kit and
gear is of a certain standard, that they have a
knowledge of using electronics and triggers,
and that they can play and sit with a click.
Drummers have the most gear on stage now
due to the nature of how arena and stadium
tours are set-up with visuals, time codes and the
like. It’s a must to have that knowledge now.”
061.indd 61 27/08/2014 16:50
 feature
Festival
Jazz
International
De
De montrEal
A round up of this year’s Montreal Jazz experience
Words: Andy Hughes Images: Diane Moon
T
his year marked the 35th anniversary of
the Montreal Jazz Festival – 35 years of
growing in size and stature, and a total
feast of music from all genres. Jazz provides
the main contingent of musical output and
musicians, but there is always ample opportunity
to sample sounds of a varied and interesting mix
of styles.
For any drum fan, the festival is an absolute
treat – here the cream of drummers and
percussionists gather to impress and inspire the
population of Montreal, who absolutely adore
their live music – but more of that shortly.
As a city, Montreal extends its French Canadian
welcome to tourists from all over the world. The
people are warm and friendly, always switching
effortlessly from their native French to perfect
English for the benefit of monoglots. A large
62 DRUMMER October 2014
062-063 Montreal_Rev2_NR.indd 62
section of the city centre is pedestrianised for
the duration of the festival, and almost all of the
concerts are held in a series of theatres, clubs,
and halls, including the newly opened Maison
Symphonique, which is an architectural hymn to
the pleasures of live music performance.
The highlight of the event for many was the
return of native son Michael Bublé, who brought
his peerless band, underlined by the matchless
drumming of Marion Felder.
Their concerts were two of the few not to
take place in the city centre – the sheer size of
the audience meant a de-camp to an ice-hockey
stadium on the outskirts.
In the centre of Montreal the venues are
diverse, from the intimate night club vibe
of Club Soda, to the larger and more formal
arenas like the Théâtre Maisonneuve. The
musicians are equally as varied – blues siren
Beth Hart tore up Club Soda with her raw vocal
power and warm personal grace, aided by her
drummer Bill Ransom. One of the magnificent
theatre venues hosted jazz star Diane Reeves,
who brought Terreon Gully (Lauryn Hill’s
drummer of choice) to man the engine room of
her superlative jazz band.
The converted cinema Metropolis, right in the
city centre, hosted reggae legends Sly Dunbar
and Robbie Shakespeare, and Sly was every bit
as powerful and charismatic a player as anyone
dreamed he would be.
Drum legend Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion
played a blistering set, and although Ginger
spent the evening underlining his indisputable
jazz credentials, there was enough of his rock
influence to be admired by anyone who wants to
see where modern rock drumming originated.
The pinnacle of pure jazz drumming was
once again shown by the legendary Brian Blade,
who played with the Wayne Shorter Quartet.
Anyone who plays drums should make sure that
they don’t limit their education by observing
only those players whose music is a similar style
to their own. Stepping out into the rarefied
worlds of pure jazz, as well as pop, country,
reggae, dancehall, and rap can only enhance
your abilities as you see how musicians from
other musical areas ply their trade. Drummer
was reminded once again this year of the sheer
volume and variety of musical and drumming
styles and disciplines that are out there.
The history of the festival shows an intriguing
development, as the event has grown in size and
stature, so the original jazz remit has extended
to include a vast variety of musical and cultural
08/09/2014 14:53

styles. The festival originated when the organisers
saw the potential of the large number of potential
music venues, theatres, clubs and so on, left
largely empty during the summer months. Since
other promoters had cornered the market in terms
of rock and pop shows, the alternative of a jazz
festival turned out to be a stroke of genius – as the
following 35 years have shown.
Now Montreal welcomes a massive influx of
tourists from around the world, who come to
enjoy the unique opportunities to see and hear
062-063 Montreal_Rev2_NR.indd 63
as wide a mix of music as you would find at
festivals like Glastonbury.
You can see and hear everything from break-
dancers with ghetto blasters to trad jazz bands
and circus acrobats. Drummer was delighted
to note that the percussionist street performer
who bashes and rattles a variety of tin cans and
buckets for the delight of the passing public
was still about – even though his technical skill
has not improved one iota, his enthusiasm and
volume of output remain reassuringly intact!
Every night there is a jazz band playing live
and free in the city centre on a large outdoor
stage. Some of the biggest performers provide
free shows in the Scene TD arena, an open-air
space that contains thousands of seats on a
first-come, first-served basis. This being Montreal,
there is not a hint of trouble; no raised voices
and certainly no pushing and shoving – every
show is a model of co-operation and enjoyment
for audiences and artists alike. This year saw
free shows from cutting edge video director
and musical groundbreaking French performer
Woodkid (Yoann Lemoine to the folks back
feature
home), and jazz legend and Canadian native
Diana Krall, who brought her Glad Rag Doll show
home for an airing. Krall was joined on stage by
her husband Declan McManus, who also played
a stupendous solo show at the festival as his alter
ego, Elvis Costello.
There is no doubt that the Montreal Jazz Festival
has arrived at the peak of international festivals, and
the success and diversity of this year’s output can
only increase the prestige for musicians who arrive
to play during its 12-day duration.
A varied and exciting musical experience, the
memory of this prestigious year in the Montreal
Jazz Festival, and the pleasure of mixing with
the Montreal people, will keep Drummer going
through the dark days (although nowhere near as
cold as Montreal) of winter, and looking forward
to year 36 and the potential for an even greater
range of drummers and percussionists to see and
hear – until 2015, au revoir Montreal.
Drummer extends grateful thanks to M.
Andre Meynard, and to Vincent Lefebvre, Ann
Braithwaite and all their colleagues for their kind
assistance and hospitality at the Festival.
October 2014 DRUMMER 63
08/09/2014 14:53
 The upbeats, the downbeats and everything in between

66 Evans Heavyweight heads

68 Alesis DM10X Kit Mesh

Pricing: We quote RRP prices in all our reviews, but we recommend that you shop around and visit your local drum retailer for best ‘street’ prices on all products featured

64 DRUMMER October 2014

064-065 Gear Leader_Rev2_NR.indd 64 28/08/2014 16:31

 72 Stagg Sensa series

76 Mapex Mars kit

October 2014 DRUMMER 65

064-065 Gear Leader_Rev2_NR.indd 65 28/08/2014 16:32

GEAR REVIEW

SPECIFICATIONS
Heads Up
Evans EMAD Heavyweight Heads
Price
Kick drum heads from 18”-26”: £45-£57
Snare drum heads from 12”-14”: £18.49-£20

EVANS
Contact
New super-durable, easy-to- D’Addario UK Ltd
tune heads 0191 300 3000
www.evansdrumheads.com
Words: John Griffin Images: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic

HEAVYWEIGHT HEADS
U
nleashed at this year’s Winter NAMM
Show, these heavyweight kick and snare
head batters are billed as the most
durable Evans drum heads yet. I couldn’t wait to
get started with my array of kick drums and snares
lined up and raring to go.
IN DETAIL
For review we had 13” and 14” Heavyweight snare
batters and 18”, 20” 22” and 24” Heavyweight
Externally Mounted Adjustable Dampening
(EMAD) kick drum batters. All but the 24” featured
the new Evans Level 360 Technology (more on this
later). All heads consisted of two 10 mm-plies of
film, with the addition of a 3mm centered reverse
dot on the snare heads. That’s a whopping 20 and
23mm ply respectively – pretty darn thick!
IN USE
Beginning with the snares, I fitted the 13” to a
6” deep wood drum and the 14” to a 5” deep
metal drum. Firstly, I noticed how the heads sat
perfectly flat against the bearing edges with
absolute 100 per cent contact. This is a result
of the Level 360 Technology I referred to earlier
– according to Evans this ensures a better fit,
easier tuning, and a wider tonal range. The 13”
sounded really good in no time. Cranked right
up, the drum is responsive, lively, and warm
sounding. However, I did not find that the case
with the 14”, which took quite a while to get a
desired sound out of the drum. Tuned up, the
drum became easily choked and tuned too
low, it lost the sensitivity a snare should have.
Eventually I managed to find a happy medium I
was pleased with.
Moving on to the EMAD kick drum heads.
The EMAD technology has been around for
some time, featuring an outer sleeve in which
you insert one of two foam-dampening rings of
differing widths, depending on your preference.
On first inspection, all the heads were well
engineered and noticeably dead to the touch, as
you would expect from 20mm of ply.
I put each drum to the test with ported and
un-ported front heads. Overall, I was pleasantly
surprised on how well they performed under
both combinations, especially the 24”. The 18”
gave less pleasing results, though this was
probably was to be expected on a drum that’s
more suited to jazz at higher tensions. The 22”
and 20” stepped up to the mark admirably.
Being so thick, I was concerned there would be
no feel or much projection out front, but I got
a really deep bottom end punch with plenty of
attack from all but the 18”.
I found that tuning each drum one key turn
above the wrinkles produced the optimum
tensioning. The beater had a solid, responsive
feel when striking the head. There was no
need for any additional internal dampening for
live playing, though in the studio this may be
different, with a little experimenting required.
CONCLUSION
Evans has come up with a fantastic addition to
their range of kick drum and snare heads here,
incorporating the new Level 360 Technology,
which is brilliant.
Being heavyweight, they may not appeal
to everyone’s tastes but I would recommend
checking them out. One thing is for sure – they
are going to be durable, which should be a
bonus for the hard hitters.0

66 DRUMMER October 2014

067.indd 67 27/08/2014 13:17
 GEAR REVIEW
Alesis DM10X
Kit Mesh
Alesis’ six-piece electronic drum kit with mesh drum heads
Words: Hannah Butler Images: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic
E
lectric kits are a brilliant example of
how technology is a massive part of our
lives. Gone are the days of frustrated
neighbours complaining about the noise of
acoustic kits. Some people are still a little
dubious about e-kits as they believe the feel
of an acoustic kit is hard to recreate, however
companies such as Alesis, Yamaha and Roland
have been striving to perfect this. I had the
privilege of reviewing a new six-piece Alesis kit
with new added mesh heads, and what a kit
this is!
In Detail
This kit boasts two 10” and two 12” toms, a 12”
snare and a four-piece cymbal set: 12” hi-hats,
two 14” crashes and a 16” ride, all of which are
connected to a heavy-duty chrome X Rack
that provides many angles for the drums and
68 DRUMMER October 2014
068+070-071 Alesis_Rev2_NR.indd 68
a sturdy frame for the kit. The kit comes with
the DM10 sound module, which includes 12
trigger inputs for customising your kit, over
1,000 samples, USB connection and a handy
connection for an iPad. The main feature that
sets this apart from the DM10X Kit are the
black mesh heads, which have four points
of sensitivity on each head and give better
response and dynamic playability.
In Use
The first thing to point out would be that this
kit was not all that easy to set up. Instructions
were given on the sound module, however not
on the actual kit itself. For drummers already
accustomed to electric kits I’m sure this isn’t a
problem, but for a novice this may be a slight
issue. Due to the big sizes, it takes a little while
to find the correct angles for each drum but
28/08/2014 16:39
069.indd 69 27/08/2014 16:31
 GEAR REVIEW
once set up this kit looks incredible.
When playing, this kit really comes to life with
realistic sounds and amazing sensitivity. Where
ghost notes had previously become a blur of
accents or disappeared completely, these mesh
heads are perfect dynamically and feel natural
too. The snare gives a great rim shot and not a
bad rim click. Acoustically, the sound is quite
loud and seems to have a tone to each drum.
The kick drum is deceptively quiet though,
which is a massive plus for people living in
shared accommodation. The hi-hat comes with
a pad and a foot trigger, rather than a stand,
which is a little disappointing considering the
high quality of the rest of the kit, but this hardly
outweighs the plus points of this kit. A personal
highlight for me is the snare, which comes with
a separate stand – this is very welcome after
years of struggling with snare positions.
The module itself is slick and easy to use,
with a handy volume mixer on the left, along
with a volume control for main output and
“When playing, this
kit really comes to
life with realistic
70 DRUMMER October 2014
068+070-071 Alesis_Rev2_NR.indd 70
headphones. There are 99 kits and sounds on
the module to choose from (more can be added
via USB), many of which add another dimension
to playing by adding electronic sounds to the
bass and snare triggers. Dynamic articulation
is a big feature – this means each sound is a
series of different samples. The sound not only
changes in volume from how you play the pad,
it also changes its timbre as a natural drum or
cymbal would.
Conclusion
It’s almost impossible for an electric kit to
give the same feel of an acoustic kit, however
the DM10 X Mesh Kit comes incredibly close.
For £859.99 you can have a kit that has the
sensitivity and feel of an acoustic kit that would
easily give most Roland and Yamaha kits a run
for their money. Overall, I think this is a great
value professional kit, with superb sounds and
a definite example of how technology can be a
blessing when used correctly. 0
sounds and
amazing
sensitivity”
08/09/2014 14:53
 Alesis DM10X Kit Mesh

specifications
Heads Up
Alesis DM10X Kit Mesh
Price
£859.99

Contact
Alesis
01252 896000
www.alesis.com

October 2014 DRUMMER 71

068+070-071 Alesis_Rev2_NR.indd 71 08/09/2014 14:53

 GEAR REVIEW
Stagg Sensa
Series cymbals
The latest range from Stagg, with new effect cymbals
Words: Ollie Tanner Images: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic
S
tagg’s new Sensa cymbals are described
as ‘an ideal all-round series for drummers
searching for cymbals with flexibility and
variation of tone’ and their new effect cymbals
promise to bring a modern, trashy sound to
the range.
Drummer has a range of 10 cymbals to
review, so we’d better get started…
14” Sensa Medium Hi-hats
These hi-hats look great and have a warm
traditional sound. They give a deep, warm
72 DRUMMER October 2014
072+074-075 Sensa_Rev3_NR.indd 72
tone when pedalled with the foot. The stick
definition is quiet in comparison with the
bright, modern sound heard nowadays.
13” Sensa Medium Hi-hats
Similar sounding to the 14” model, but with
a slightly brighter stick definition, which is to
be expected with 13” hats. These are a dark
sounding pair of hi-hats that sound great when
played slightly open and pedalled with the foot.
12” Sensa Medium Splash
This has a brilliant finish with a warm, trashy tone
that sounds great and cuts through well.
14” Sensa Medium
Crash
A dark sounding crash with hints
of brightness to it. This has some
great sustain for a 14” crash and it
really cuts through. The medium
weight of the cymbal gives it an
almost trashy sound.
16” Sensa Medium
Crash
This crash has tonal similarities to the 14”
specifications
Heads Up
Stagg Sensa series cymbals
Price
13” Sensa Medium Hi-hats – £152
14” Sensa Medium Hi-hats – £192
12” Sensa Medium Splash – £44.10
14” Sensa Medium Crash – £58.30
16” Sensa Medium Crash – £90.30
18” Sensa Medium Crash Ride – £126
20” Sensa Medium Sweet Ride – £182
8” and 14” Sensa Sizzle Stack – £94.10
10” and 16” Sense Sizzle Stack – £141
18” Sensa China Sizzle – £168
Also available, but not reviewed:
10” Sensa Medium Splash – £36.70
8” Sensa Medium Splash – £28.50
Contact
Stagg Music
www.facebook.com/StaggMusic
www.staggmusic.com
27/08/2014 20:42
073.indd 73 28/08/2014 16:01
 GEAR REVIEW

“With a deeper
trashy feel than
the 8” and 14”, we
love this 10”
and 16” stack!”
crash, however we felt that it had a metallic,
heavy sound, putting it more into a crash/ride
category.

18” Sensa Medium Crash Ride

Crash rides can be dubious, however, this gave
fantastic stick definition and had a very warm,
washy, jazz feel to it. It has a deep, dark crash
effect but we would use it more as a ride than
a crash, as the weight gives it a heavy sound. It
has a lovely finish and sounds more crash-like
when using the bell. Great sustain, overall.

20” Sensa Medium Sweet Ride

We loved the stick definition of this tidy ride,
which is really clear and balanced, making it
a great ride for a jazz set-up. The bell doesn’t
quite cut the mustard, but the sound of the
ride more than makes up for it.

8” and 14” Sensa Sizzle Stack

The sizzle element of this combo comes from
the china with its eight rivets, which alone sound
really good, as does the 8” Medium Splash. When
used together it produces a very bright, trashy
sound that has high definition and lots of punch.

10” and 16” SensA Sizzle Stack

With a deeper trashy feel than the 8” and
14”, we love this stack! This is a great effects
addition to the Sensa range – it really cuts
through the music, giving a modern, cool feel.

18” Sensa China sizzle

This china also has the rivets built in to give it a
sizzle sound, but has a classic, deep, dark china
feel to it. It cuts through like it should and the
sizzle gives it a trashy sustain.

Conclusion
Stagg has been known in the past to make
cymbals where the low price was the unique
selling point. However, this new Sensa range
is different. Complete with a new logo, the
brilliant finish on all the cymbals gives them
a really high-end look and feel. The sound is
also really good – maybe an 18” medium crash
would be better than just a crash ride, but
nevertheless the series is really impressive. For
us, it’s the Efx sizzle stack range that makes
this Sensa series stand out to be re-engaging
and re-shaping Stagg. The price range is still
cheaper then the other big guns out there, too.
Well done, Stagg. 0

74 DRUMMER October 2014

072+074-075 Sensa_Rev3_NR.indd 74 08/09/2014 14:52

 Stagg Sensa Series cymbals

October 2014 DRUMMER 75

072+074-075 Sensa_Rev3_NR.indd 75 08/09/2014 14:52

 GEAR REVIEW

“The kit looks impressive – a

genuine rock god’s temple,
ready to be attacked by the next
Dave Grohl. As a consequence, I
couldn’t wait to hit it!”

76 DRUMMER October 2014

076-078 Mapex_Rev3_NR.indd 76 08/09/2014 14:52

 Mapex Mars kit

Press here
for extra
digital content

Mapex specifications
Heads Up
Mapex Mars kit

Mars kit
Price
Mars Mapex kit SRP £539
Hardware pack SRP £269

Contact
Korg UK
100 per cent birch, shallow-depth shells 01908 304600
with new SONIClear bearing edges www.mapex.co.uk

Words: Jamie Dawson Images: Thru-A-Lupe Photographic

F
or drummers looking to stretch their
budgets, several drum companies provide
a professional sounding option in the form
of birch shelled kits. The birch provides a slightly
drier sound compared to other woods, which
means drummers operating on any budget have
been sonically attracted to birch. When it comes to
committing our grooves to tape, copious amounts
of recording engineers also swear by birch drums
in the studio. Drumming household name Mapex
is no exception. Mapex’s latest birch addition, the
Mars Series – released at winter NAMM to replace
the Horizon HZB birch – offers 100 per cent birch
shallow depth shells with the new SONIClear
bearing edge, which boasts better tuning for
higher highs and lower lows. The thinking behind
the SONIClear is that by shaping the edge of the
shell more inline with the skin, the bearing edge
allows the drumhead to sit flatter and make better
contact with the shell.
In Detail
Drummer has been sent the Mars Series Retro-
fusion shell pack, which features a one up and
two down configuration. In my view, this is a huge
plus for Mapex, as the option allows for younger
drummers, and drummers looking to upgrade
their kit, to do this without blowing the bank. This
has the added bonus of being able to replicate
the look of many A-list names playing on the
big stages. With this kit you can have a full set,
including snare drum and hardware. We have the

October 2014 DRUMMER 77

076-078 Mapex_Rev3_NR.indd 77 08/09/2014 14:52

 GEAR REVIEW

textured bloodwood wrap finish, which looks and

feels pretty nifty.
Assembling and tuning the kit, I did find a
good tone quite quickly, which I imagine
is (in part, at least) due to the bearing
edge. This five-piece shell pack includes
a 12”x8” mounted rack tom, 14”x12” and
16”x14” floor toms, a 14”x6.5” snare drum
and a 22”x18” kick. All five drums are
constructed with six-ply shells. The kit
looks impressive – a genuine rock god’s
temple, ready to be attacked by the next
Dave Grohl. As a consequence, I really
want to hit this thing!

In Use
Thumping the un-drilled kick drum (which I must
admit I’ve put a Sonitus Kicker dampening pillow
in) I almost fell off my stool. It sounds weighty
with a full, rounded tone and an obliging fast

attack – not what I’d expect from this price range
of kit. Moving up to the rack tom, we find a mount
in the spirit of the top end Saturn series. Again
we have a fast, precise response, and the tell tale
signs we’re playing birch: a high/mid tone with
a fast decay. With the slightly more dampened
overtone it definitely wouldn’t be out of place on
a Queens of the Stone Age opus. The two floor
toms are well matched and tunefully balanced,
too. All the drums seem to be holding their tuning,
which is no small feat after a good couple of hours
hard playing. It’s good to see a full complement of
Remo branded, single ply clear heads just to shove
you in the right direction.
Next to the snare drum, the all important
backbeat provider. To hold and look the drum
over, it doesn’t appear to be all that: a budget
throw, no weight to speak of and only eight lugs.
Playing it provides a satisfactory return, however. I
found it easy to tune: crank it way up and you get
those sometimes overbearing, ringy overtones.
Stepping down a few turns, it’s more than useable
and by far, head and shoulders above other snares
priced at this kind of level. It’s quite lively – lay into
it with a rimshot and you’ll be happy you did. A
word of warning though: go down a step too far
and it sounds like a plastic bag filled with a few
angry wasps.
Conclusion
Overall, the snare is a winner too, as part of the
bags of gear you get for your bucks with this
kit. These 100 per cent birch drums have both
a professional sound and look, with a double-
take price tag. The toms give a pleasurable ‘here
comes the bride’ tone and the kick drum gives
enough low end thwack to cause an old-school
headmaster to smile. With top notch drum
engineering and the full armoury of Mapex’s 600
series hardware, including kick pedal, hi-hat pedal,
two boom stands and a snare stand, this has got
to be an amazing deal in anyone’s book. 0

78 DRUMMER October 2014

076-078 Mapex_Rev3_NR.indd 78 08/09/2014 14:52

079.indd 79 27/08/2014 17:37
 Feature
Stolen Instruments
Tips for keeping your gear safe
I
nstrument theft is an issue for all for
musicians. Iggy Pop and Noah and the Whale
have had gear stolen, as has violinist Min-Jin
Kym who had her £1.2 million Stradivarius
swiped at a railway station. So how can you
protect your gear?
Be prepared
Keep a short description of your instrument and
equipment – include the make, model and serial
number. Store it separately.
Make it easier for police to identify your gear
by taking detailed photos of it from every angle.
Focus on unusual details that make it stand out.
Use a plain backdrop and rulers to show the size.
You may not like the idea of tagging your
prized possessions with an UV pen, but it could
prove worthwhile and is recommended by the
police. One musician famously customised
three of his violins in the colours of Aston Villa.
When the £26,000 violins were stolen, they were
quickly spotted on an auction site, where they
sold for £20 each.
Check it, cover it, lock it
Over the years, the Union has received reports
of instruments being stolen from every possible
location. Double check you have locked your
car or van, that your equipment is hidden from
view, and that there is suitable security at the
venue when on the road.
80 DRUMMER October 2014
052 MU_Rev3AO.indd 80
Do not assume that everyone backstage is pawn and music shops. Give them a copy of
supposed to be there. Lock your gear in a room your photographs, description and contact
or take turns watching over it. Do not be blasé details. Keep an eye on eBay, Gumtree and
about your instrument – your livelihood – in Craigslist for suspiciously similar instruments.
familiar surroundings. Harness the strong community of musicians.
Tell your friends, colleagues and post details on
Act fast the MU pinboard.
Becoming a victim of theft can leave you Spread the word on social networks: the
dumbfounded but you need to act quickly as more musicians on the lookout the better, and
instruments often reappear for sale within 48 the moral support you’ll receive will help keep
hours. Report the theft to the police and your you going through this difficult time.
insurer. MU members are entitled to £2,000 of Simple steps can make all the difference
free insurance (hencilla.co.uk). finding stolen instruments. For more ideas,
Instrument thieves often have no idea what £2000 instrument/equipment insurance
their treasure is worth and will head straight to details, or any other questions regarding your
second-hand dealers to sell them for a fraction career as a musician, get in touch with us at
of their value. Check in with local thrift stores, theMU.org
The Musicians’ Union has been protecting the rights and interests of
working musicians for over a hundred years, and 30,000 professional and
student musicians currently benefit from the MU’s comprehensive range
of services. These include career and business advice, rights protection,
free instrument insurance, free contract and partnership advice, £10
million public liability cover, legal advice and assistance plus access to a
network of musicians of all ages across the UK. For anyone serious about
being a working musician, whether in the live arena, in the recording
world, as a teacher or writer/composer, the MU gives musicians a voice – individually and collectively
– to help nurture and improve the industry and to ensure that every member has the support and
protection they need.
More info: www.theMU.org. Follow the MU on Twitter: @WeAreTheMU.
28/08/2014 10:20
081.indd 81 28/08/2014 14:55
 level level level

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Contents
83 Ralph Salmins
In The Studio

84 Jamie Smale
Let’s Meditate, Man
83 Ralph 84 Jamie 85 Dean
85 Dean Hendy Salmins Smale Hendy
Kick Drum 101 – Part VII Ralph is a London-based drummer Jamie is a percussion and general Dean is an in-demand professional
and percussionist, currently a music and diploma examiner for Trinity session player and clinician, performing

86 Steve Timms member of the Waterboys.

He toured the world and recorded
Beginners’ Latin – Part III in Van Morrison’s band from 1995-1999
and has played on the soundtracks to
87 Philippe over 150 movies, including films in the
College London. He also freelances
at the Graz Opera and with Ensemble
Zeitfluss, and is the director of Music
Academy Smale. Jamie received a
distinction for his postgraduate diploma
with artists such as Jason Donovan and
for West End shows. Dean also teaches
in his native Lincoln, as well as providing
workshops and demonstrations.
Dean is very proud to endorse Gatton

Castermane Harry Potter franchise.

He teaches at The Royal College
from Trinity College of Music and has
taught at Dartington College of Arts and
Drum Company, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans
Heads, Vater Sticks, Protection Racket,
Jazz Vocabulary of Music and The Guildhall School of Channings Wood Prison. Hardcase and Stageworks Gear.
Music and Drama. www.musicacademysmale.com www.deanhendy.com
88 James Hester
The Rhythm Section – Part II

89 Ethan Lewis
Maltby
Boddicker – Part III
86 Steve 87 Philippe 88 James
90 Hannes Timms Castermane Hester
Steve’s passion is to provide and Since moving to London in 2001, James has been working with artists as
Grossman promote top quality education for Philippe has been involved in many diverse as Malachai and Geoff Barrow
Tech Metal Drumming – drummers, working with students at sessions for TV (including BBC and (Portishead) through to Pitchshifter’s
Part I the Back 2 the Beat Drum Academies Channel 4), albums and videos. He Mark Clayden. Current projects: Cars on
that run throughout Essex. One of has worked with Dave Meegan (U2), Fire and a studio project with Damon

91 Pete Lockett Steve’s students won Young Drummer

Rhythmic Contours – Part II
92 Steve Rooney
Sticking To Time – Part IX
Of The Year 2007 and in all the years
he has been putting students through
the Trinity/Guildhall exams he’s never
had a fail.
www.back2thebeat.co.uk
Phil Vinall (Placebo) and Jay Stapley
(Roger Waters, Mike Oldfield) to
name a few. He is the deputy head
of Drums at Tech Music School.
Philippe proudly endorses Murat
Diril cymbals.
Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene/Paul
Weller) and Kieron Pepper (Prodigy). He
is also head of drums at BIMM Bristol. He
endorses Mapex, Paiste, Vic Firth, Remo
and Protection Racket.
www.jameshester.co.uk

89 Ethan Lewis 90 Hannes 91 Pete 92 Steve

Maltby
Ethan Lewis Maltby is a British
composer who specialises in writing for
theatre. His first percussion show, Noise
Ensemble, toured the world between
2006 and 2010. He has written pieces
for large events, including the opening
ceremonies of four FA Cup Finals, UEFA
Europa League Final, UEFA Women’s
Champions League Final and the
Heineken Cup Final.
www.ethanlewismaltby.com.
Grossman
Hannes Grossmann is a drummer,
producer and clinician from
Germany. He has played for a
number of metal bands in his career,
released his own solo album, and has
published an instructional book and
DVD on metal drumming techniques.
He is endorsed by Meinl cymbals,
Tama drums, Evans drum heads and
Pro-Mark sticks.
www.hannesgrossmann.com
Lockett
Pete is a versatile multi-percussionist
immersing himself in percussion styles
from around the globe. Diverse artists
have called upon his skills; Björk, Peter
Gabriel, Robert Plant, Bill Bruford, Jeff
Beck, Zakir Hussain, Steve Smith, Jarvis
Cocker, and more. Pete has released
seven albums and his new book Indian
Rhythms For The Drum Set is available
from Hudson Music.
www.petelockett.com
Rooney
Steve has been playing drums for 26
years, in which time he has recorded
at top studios, toured internationally
and taught extensively.
He became a well-known hard
rock/metal player through the 2000s
touring with such bands as Kill II This,
Profane and Happylife.
He now spends his days as a
versatile pop/rock drummer, tutor
and session player.

82 DRUMMER October 2014

082 Tuition leader_Rev2.indd 82 28/08/2014 16:37

 Guest tuition PaGe

level
“Think about what music you are playing and make
sure everything you play is appropriate to the style” Beginner
Ralph Salmins

In The Studio
UK session great Ralph Salmins kicks off our new guest tuition page with tips to get you fit for the studio
Images: Ralph Salmins and Richard Ecclestone

S
tudio playing is often considered a ‘black
art’ and is shrouded in mystery – how to
tune, how to play, what to do. Nowadays,
recording is something we all get to do sooner
or later and, if you’re prepared for it, it’s possible
to really enjoy the experience. I thought it
would be great to share some of my experiences
in the studio so when you get in there yourself,
you will be relaxed, ready to play the music and
your gear will be match fit.

clIcKs
98 per cent of all recording that I have done is
recorded to a click track or sequencer, so the
first thing you’ll need to do is practise with a
click. I recommend doing all practice with a
click, which will be good for you too. I play all
styles with a metronome, including jazz, so try
to do the same and yes, it is possible to swing
with a click.

PlaY-alonGs
I love play-alongs and they are a very realistic Ralph uses tape on his drums to help muffle the sound in the studio

October 2014 DRUMMER 83

Guest Tuition Page
High-quality mics are needed to record high-quality sounding drums
way of getting an authentic studio experience
without the pressure. My favourite is Tommy
Igoe’s Groove Essentials, but I also love the jazz
tracks that come with The Art Of Playing With
Brushes DVD, and Peter Erskine’s apps are really
good. I would also recommend the Session
Band series of apps, as these have loads of
tracks in different styles that make ideal play-
alongs with changeable tempos.
Record Yourself
A lot of my teaching involves recording the
student and listening back – it’s a bit like
going into the bathroom and looking in the
mirror. This gets great results, so if you’re able
to record yourself to the play-alongs and/or
click, this will be the very best preparation you
can do for getting into the studio. A couple of
microphones and an interface with preamps will
do, and these can be picked up fairly cheaply
nowadays. Take your time and try to get a take
that feels and sounds convincing. That means
playing very tightly to the click and choosing
the correct feel and fills to play. Remember to
keep it simple.
84 DRUMMER October 2014
Styles
Think about what music you are playing and
make sure everything you play is appropriate
to the style. Always start with a simple but
really good groove. Try to play things you
are used to; don’t use a recording to try new
things. Stick to what you’re comfortable with,
as that will sound the best. When recording,
there is only so much space available in the
sonic spectrum and if you play stuff that gets
in the way of the music, the mix engineer will
have to turn it down or edit it out. Choose
your moment for fills and listen to the vocals
so you’re not clashing with what the singer is
doing. Try to mesh with the music: bass drum
goes with the bass, hi-hats go with the guitar
and the snare is right down the middle holding
the groove together.
Sound
Sound is our identity and it’s important. Think
about what sound you need for the track and
get it. Snare pitch is always something that
I think about on sessions. I’m a medium-low
snare pitch kind of guy and a fat-sounding
snare drum is very satisfying on a recording – it
packs a punch, giving the track a great feel.
Try it. Muffling is also important and is used
frequently in the studio – you will often see me
using several Moongels on a snare drum, as
well as small pieces of gaffer tape.
Try putting your ear right next to the drum
and playing it lightly – this is what the drum
will sound like when a microphone is close to
it. It will pick up rings and tones that you may
not hear from a distance. Use muffling in the
kick drum and toms too, if necessary.
Gear
When a set of high quality microphones go on
your drums, you have to make sure the drums
are sounding just how you like them to sound. If
necessary, set up your drums at home and prep
them for the session so you’re not under any
pressure to get it right on the day.
Heads are critical. I use new, or almost new,
heads for all recording and this is probably the
most important factor in the process of getting a
sound. Remo Ambassadors on your snare and toms
and a Remo Powerstroke 3 on the kick drum is a
very good starting point. I often choose a Coated
Emperor on the floor tom for a bit more bottom
end and less flapping around.
Hardware must be free of squeaks and rattles
(which often happen on cymbals when playing
a suspended cymbal roll with mallets). Kick drum
pedals need to be smooth. Think about what kick
drum beater you like and what sound it will achieve.
I usually like a felt beater for maximum ‘thud’
without being too soft or too hard – I don’t use the
adhesive pads on the kick drum head. Cymbals can
generally be darker if you like, as we’re not going for
volume but tonal quality. I like darker cymbals all-
round anyhow, but a rule of thumb is: think sound,
not volume.
People
And finally, don’t forget that it’s all about the guys
and gals on the session. Have a great, positive
attitude and try to help the band get the result they
need on the day. Have a good rapport with the
engineer – he is going to try to make you sound
good. If he asks for stuff to be changed, such as
tuning or muffling, try to oblige. Remember, he is
your ears in the control room. Last but not least,
once you’ve got this together and are ready to rock:
have fun!
 TUITION

“A fantastic way to practise when you’re on a level

train, in a car (when someone else is driving), or
anywhere else when you don’t have access to a kit. Beginner
Jamie Smale

Let’s Meditate, Man PRESS HERE

FOR EXTRA
Getting to the heart of a groove with focus DIGITAL CONTENT

H
ello and greetings from Goa, India. Turn off
your smart phone now, please. Meditation just
means focusing on one thing, and forgetting
everything else in the world. What I am going to show
you is a fantastic way to practise when you’re on a train,
in a car (when someone else is driving), or anywhere
else when you don’t have access to a kit.
I want you to get comfortable, close your eyes
and breathe in to the count of three with your
nose, then out to the count of three with your open
mouth so that you can hear your breath. Repeat
this 10 times, focusing all your thoughts and energy
just on the number you are counting. Try and feel
the weight of your feet on the floor and listen to
the sound of your breath.
Continuing the same breathing rhythm without
counting now, look at the following groove and take
your time memorising it.

EXAMPLE 1
Imagine the deep, dull thud of the kick as you continue
breathing. Now, imagine the short, sharp and metallic Meditation could allow you to practise the drums when you don’t have access to a kit
sound of the snare. And finally, the crisp, neat click of
the hi-hat.
Try and feel the quarter note pulse and nod your
head gently on those beats. Now imagine playing the
groove, breathing in on the first kick beat and breathing
out on the hi-hat beat. Repeat many times. Try and
focus on exactly how it would sound if you were sitting
at your kit. Now go to a kit and play it. Congratulations,
you have got right to the heart of this groove.
This is not only really productive practice, but will
give you a much deeper understanding of the grooves
you play. As you get used to it, you can increase the
number of bars you are memorising and you can
decide on the exact sound you want before you even
get to a kit.
If you are feeling nervous before a gig, or have
loads of thoughts going through your head before
a practice session, use the breathing pattern and
repeat 36 times. Focus on clearing your mind of all the
clutter. Focus on just one thing, whether it be a stick,
or a lug, or anything.
This method will work best in a peaceful
environment where there are lots of trees and birds
singing. This way you also get to fill your lungs with
lovely fresh air. Peace, man! To see Jamie Smale’s accompanying video, download the digital version of this magazine

Trinity College London is a leading external examinations board offering qualifications for a range of instruments including
Drum Kit. Our Drum Kit exams (Grades 1-8) are designed to develop accomplished drum kit players, both musically and
stylistically. The syllabus explores a wealth of different styles through a range of specially commissioned repertoire by leading
drum kit performers and educators, available in a series of Drum Kit repertoire books with playalong CDs.
A brand new range of qualifications and song books for Rock & Pop Drums are also available now, with songs by a range of artists including Elbow, Green Day
and the Rolling Stones. www.trinitycollege.co.uk

October 2014 DRUMMER 85

085 Tuition Smale_Rev3_NR.indd 85 08/09/2014 14:50

 TUITION

“When you play with your heel up, you can achieve level
a lot more force with each stroke, which allows you
to get the most volume out of your kick drum” Beginner
Dean Hendy

Kick Drum 101 – Part VII

Heel-up technique explained

T
his month we are looking at the heel up technique of playing.
Heel-up is a more common way to play these days and preferred
by many players, but why?
When you play with your heel up, you can achieve a lot more force
with each stroke, which allows you to get the most volume out of your
kick drum and make it sound punchy. This technique is used in many
genres and is ideal for making sure your kick drum is right at the front of
the mix.
Positioning of the foot is key to getting good action from the pedal
with heel-up. You are connecting the ball of your foot to the plate, which
is where the connection point comes from.

There are a few different techniques for heel-up, which we will talk
through, as well as positioning, but let’s take it back to basics first.
To get the most out of your pedal positioning is key, as you are looking for
a balance point on the footboard of the pedal. This is like balancing a stick
on your finger; too much either way and it will fall off your finger. You are
looking for that point of contact on your pedal board.
Most heel-up players will force the leg, almost stomping down on the
pedal, but the main thing is to have control of the pedal
at all times, even when the beater is off the skin.
After playing a stroke, you are likely to find
that your beater is pressed into the skin of
your bass drum. Whereas with the heel down
techniques you lift your beater off the surface of
the skin to let it resonate and open up, with heel
down the beater will bury into the head and stop
any sort of vibration, which chokes the sound.
Here are a few exercises to work on that heel-
up technique:

EX 1 EX 2

EX 3 EX 4

Next month we are going to be looking at more pedal techniques

Dean is an in-demand professional session player and clinician with countless musicals, theatre shows, orchestral concerts and
thousands of gigs to his name. Regularly performing with artists as diverse as Jason Donovan and for West End shows, Dean
also teaches in his native Lincoln as well as providing workshops and demonstrations at drum events up and down the country.
Dean proudly endorses Gatton Drum Company, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Heads, Vater Sticks, Protection Racket, Hardcase, Stageworks Gear, Mapex Hardware,
Drumtuna and Direct Isolation Headphones. www.deanhendy.com

86 DRUMMER October 2014

086 Hendy_rev4AO.indd 86 28/08/2014 16:35

 TUITION

“The mambo, like most Latin rhythms, is level

traditionally played by a group of percussionists,
but can also be adapted for the drum kit” Beginner
Steve Timms

Beginners’ Latin – Part III

It’s mambo time

In part three of this study we are going to put together a pattern based on venture into the world of Latin drumming you will find several ways in which
a mambo. The mambo, like most Latin rhythms, is traditionally played by you might play a mambo on the kit, but this is a good start for those of you
a group of percussionists, but can also be adapted for the drum kit. As you that have not yet gone down this road.

Example 1
We begin with the sticking and how the rhythm fits across the bars. It is important to count all of the eighth notes evenly as you play to make sure that the
quarter note at the beginning and the eighth-note rest are given their correct time value.

Example 2
The kick drum and hi-hat are now playing alternately on the quarter notes throughout both bars. This fills the gaps left by the hands on the eighth-note rest.

Example 3
Having put the pattern together, it is time to start moving the left hand around the kit. The first snare of each bar is now played as a rim click and the second
snare of each bar is alternated between the high tom and floor tom.

Example 4
To finish off, we have an example of how we can use the same sticking and rhythm to create a fill.

If you have any questions or comments you can contact me at info@back2thebeat.co.uk.

Our aim at the Back 2 the Beat Drum Academies is to provide people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to develop their musical
skills and explore their own playing potential. During the course each student will participate in practical classes where they will cover
drum techniques, rudiments, co-ordination, drum notation and reading. They will also participate in a selection of rhythm section
workshops where they will have the opportunity to play alongside other musicians. Each student will be offered the chance to study for
the Trinity Guildhall drum kit exams up to a Grade 8. These classes are run by an experienced team of drum tutors, dedicated to providing
a top class education for drummers and percussionists. For more info, please visit: www.back2thebeat.co.uk

October 2014 DRUMMER 87

TUITION

level
“The frame of any given jazz standard is clearly
defined, but it is almost impossible to predict the Beginner /
improvisation’s content” Intermediate
Philippe Castermane

Jazz Vocabulary
Ways to build your jazz skills

P
hrasing in a jazz context requires improvisational skills. Unlike
other genres, it is extremely unlikely one would perform the
same piece twice in the same way. The frame of any given jazz
standard is clearly defined, but it is almost impossible to predict the
improvisation’s content. It is like a conversation, each person (musician)
involved will influence and take it one way or another, yet the ability to
improvise is not the result of chance or guess work.
Each drummer should develop enough vocabulary and access it
when relevant, however it is obvious that vocabulary alone is not
sufficient to create music. A dictionary features all the vocabulary
you might dream of, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one will be able
to write poetry with it – the same applies to music. The ability to
organise the vocabulary into musical phrases is a combination of many
factors: developing a good awareness of the style by listening to jazz
extensively and practising and playing as much as possible, be it to
records, with other musicians, or both.
In the next few issues my aim is to focus on a number of routines, which
should allow you to develop the vocabulary necessary to express yourself
in a jazz context. How you decide to apply it is entirely your choice.
As always, I would recommend checking out drummers like Max
Roach, Art Blakey, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Frankie Dunlop and
many others. Listening to the greats will not only help you develop
more vocabulary, but it’s also an opportunity to hear how they apply it
in terms of sound and feel and, ultimately, how musical it sounds.

Example 1
This first line is the foot ostinato you should keep going under all other
exercises. I chose not to write it every time for the purpose of readability.

Examples 2 to 6
The first bar of every line is the rhythmic phrase (written
straight, as it would feature on most charts or lead sheets)
and is included for information only. The second bar is the
way it should be interpreted on the snare. Practice each
exercise individually before combining them. Pay attention
to the overall sound, unisons and the contrast between
accented and non-accented notes. Aim to memorise them
by heart and practise at varying tempos.

Example 7
Here is an example of a possible application. You could choose to extend the loop to eight bars instead of four (therefore performing four bars of time and four bars
of phrasing). In this example I am combining examples three and six.

As with any new style you should familiarise yourself with the music at first. Although practice plays an important role, listening to jazz is probably the
most important step to understanding the genre. Immerse yourself in the music of your favorite artists and you’ll probably notice new ideas emerging
after some time. Hopefully, practising these exercises will equip you with the relevant tools to apply these new musical ideas. I’ll cover more phrasing
options in next month’s issue…

Tech Music School (TMS) London is an established market leader in popular music education, delivering professional, real-world
training for performers, producers, songwriters and business entrepreneurs. With 30 years’ experience in popular music education, TMS
prides itself on its high-quality teaching, which supports the development of technically accomplished and versatile graduates who
are equipped for a sustainable career in the UK’s most dynamic industry. Recent TMS graduates are working with: Adele, One Direction,
Jessie J, Basement Jaxx and more.

88 DRUMMER October 2014


James Hester
The Rhythm Section – Part II
Musical approaches to songs for drums and bass
L
ast month we had an overview
of what a rhythm section
could do to work together.
There are four main approaches that
a bass player and a drummer (what
we will call a ‘rhythm section’ for the
purpose of these articles) can take,
and this month we will look at these
in more detail and also listen to
some examples.
MIRRORING –
MATCHING THE RHYTHM
OF ANOTHER PLAYER
This is often the approach that is
referred to by people when they
think of a ‘tight rhythm section’ – the
rhythms of the bass players notes
are mirrored by the kick drum. The
classic pairing for this are Chad Smith
and Flea from the Red Hot Chili
Peppers around the Blood Sugar Sex
Magik era, but to introduce you to
something new, listen to ‘Afternoons
and Coffee Spoons’ and ‘God Shuffled
His Feet’ by the Crash Test Dummies.
The rhythm section of Michel Dorge
(drums) and Dan Roberts (bass) gives
the legato vocals and guitars a real
Next month we will start looking at how these approaches can change the feel of a song idea and how we can develop
our ability and skills to master using them. The key though, as always, is to listen…Good luck and have (a) good time!
Check out www.jameshester.co.uk for a video lesson of this, along with plenty of other lessons!
089 Tuition Hester_Rev3AO_NR.indd 89
“The answer lies in maturity and the fact that
the syncopated bass notes needed the quarter
note to be played to make it funky”
bedrock to work on. With regards to
fills, most of the time, Dorge opts for
the next option…
LEAVING THE BASS
PLAYER SPACE
In some circumstances, you may
want to mirror a couple of notes
with the bass player but then leave
the rest as space. Listen to ‘Weather
With You ‘ by Crowded House – Paul
Hester (no relation) mirrors the first
two eighth notes of the bar, but
then leaves Nick Seymour loads of
room in the back end of the bar.
Another prime example of this is
‘Cornflake Girl’ by Tori Amos, in which
the Meter’s legendary bass player
George Porter, Jr. (you can really hear
his influence on Flea on this track) is
left acres of room by drummer Carlo
Nuccio, which he increasingly takes
advantage of as the track progresses.
BASS PLAYER LEAVES
THE DRUMMER SPACE
This approach has its grounds in jazz
and blues, where the bass player
is often the solid rhythm around
a more improvisational
drummer. You can hear this
to great effect between
Abe Laboriel, Jr. in full ghost
note and hi-hat free fall,
and Leland Sklar (who Neal
Wilkinson brilliantly describes
as ‘invisible’ on track) just
playing the notes he needs
to on Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A
Thousand Miles’. Check out
the awesome moment giving
the bass player space at 3:09,
immediately followed by some
BIMM Group students attended an exclusive
masterclass by Swiss drummer Jojo Mayer as he
visited the new drum facilities at Tech Music School
London. BIMM Summer School students spoke with
drummers including Ben Thompson (Two Door
Cinema Club) and Steve White (The Style Council,
Paul Weller). And BIMM drum alumni achieve
international success, with Debbie Knox Hewson
TUITION
level
Beginner /
Intermediate
Abe Laboriel, Jr benefited from Leland Sklar leaving him space on the
Vanessa Carlton track ‘A Thousand Miles’
tight mirroring before reverting back and any of the tracks Nile Rodgers
to the original approach. produced with that rhythm section
will bear witness to this. Tracks such
COUNTERPOINT OR as ‘We Are Family’ (Sister Sledge) or
FRAMING – SETTING Diana Ross’ ‘I’m Coming Out’ (after
A FOUNDATION FOR Thompson’s awesome drum intro)
ANOTHER RHYTHM are testament to great rhythmic
When I first heard Tony Thompson’s framing or counterpoint – coming
playing with Chic, I couldn’t really up with a part that highlights and
work out why he wasn’t playing makes the other one work.
more notes. I knew he was a great It’s important to be aware that
player, so why not play more? Well, these are all used to various extents
the answer lies in maturity and the within a song – for example, in a
fact that he was aware that for bass verse the drummer may match the
player Bernard Edwards’ bass lines bass player’s first two notes and
to makes sense, the syncopated then leave space for them in the
bass notes needed the quarter note rest of the bar, but in the last bar
to be played to make it funky. Had of the verse the bass player may
Thompson followed the syncopated leave space for the drummer to fill,
notes, the frame for the funkiness before going to a chorus where the
would have gone. Chic classics drummer is playing a counterpoint
such as ‘Freak Out’, ‘Good Times’ or framing pattern.
touring the US with Charli XCX; and Chris Boot on the
road with Xenomania artist Florrie.
Call 08442 646666 or check out their website
www.bimm.co.uk for Manchester, Bristol, Dublin and
Brighton open days. Follow them on Twitter and
Facebook.
To order a copy of James’ s book ‘Mind over Meter’
visit www.james hestor.co.uk
October 2014 DRUMMER 89
28/08/2014 10:52
 TUITION

level
“Don’t forget to use dynamics and accents to
add tension, and also think about the flow of Beginner /
the improvisation” Intermediate
Ethan Lewis Maltby

Boddicker – Part III

The improvisational ‘battle’ scene from
percussion stage show DrumChasers
OVERVIEW ON THE SECTION
This month we look at the improvisational section of Boddicker. It
features two principal performers, each playing on a set-up of one snare
and one floor tom, accompanied by two players on rototoms, one on
drum kit, and an orchestral backing track. As this track is a battle, you
need to make sure you play in an aggressive fashion. Show off as much
as possible.
in this section should be played with alternating sticking. The defending
player needs to know where the swipe is coming from to be able to
block comfortably. Be careful when practising this section.
THE SWIPES AND BLOCKS – PART 2. BAR 71
This is a more simple moment: just two hits on the first two quarter
notes. Again, how you go about this is up to you. It is a moment for
characterisation if you choose it to be. The more aggressive player
could use both sticks at the same time and be blocked by two sticks,
for example.
EXAMPLE 5 – KIT PLAYER. BARS 58-74
The kit takes a supporting role here – just some loud, forceful stabs at
key moments (also supported by both the backing track and the two live
rototoms players). Use kick drum and a cymbal of your choice, though
they should be dampened quickly, as specified by the various rests.

DYNAMICS & FLOW

Don’t forget to use dynamics and accents to add tension, and also think
about the flow of the improvisation.
You may want your four bars to build up, starting with some quieter
menace before unleashing towards the end, or perhaps you want to
come in strongly, before dropping back for a bar, and ending big. It’s up
to you, but think about the overall shape.

ORCHESTRATION
You have sticks, rims, rimshots, two snares and two floor toms at your
disposal: you can use any of these for the solo. Make it as extravagant as
you want, as long as it has the aggression behind it.

Ex 5
CHARACTER
In the case of this piece, you may also want to think about character.
In the show, one of the characters is extremely vicious and always
on the offensive, whereas the second character is more timid and
DrumChasers, a musical without words but with drums, was written in 2010
a peacekeeper. These basic characterisations colour the way the
and toured the UK throughout 2011. It features 11 performers and is centered
performers approach the music, especially through the improvisation
on an ancient battle between warring factions in a fantasy world.
and their body language. If you look to perform this, you may want to
www.drumchasers.com
think about this as well.

Ethan Lewis Maltby is a British composer who specialises in writing for theatre.
THE SWIPES AND BLOCKS – PART 1. BARS 62
His first percussion show Noise Ensemble toured all over the world between
AND 66
2006 and 2010. He has written percussion-based pieces for large events,
There are two bars in this section where one player swipes at the other
including the opening ceremonies of four FA Cup Finals, UEFA Europa League
to try and injure them (pictured above), but it is blocked by the other
Final, UEFA Women’s Champions League Final and the Heineken Cup Final.
player. How you choose to do this is up to you – in both cases, the first
www.ethanlewismaltby.com
swipe is in the right hand and the second on the left. The triplet that falls

90 DRUMMER October 2014

090 Tuition Maltby_Rev3AO_NR.indd 90 28/08/2014 10:51

 TUITION

level
“If you are stuck with certain tempos, you can
always go back to these basic exercises and work
on your foundations” Intermediate

Hannes Grossmann

Tech Metal Drumming – Part I

Basic five-stroke roll double kick patterns from our new metal expert

I
’d like to kick off this new tuition page with
some basic patterns, which will improve your
overall double kick technique. It might sound
like a cliché, but being good at double kicks is
mandatory for becoming a great contemporary
metal drummer. Patterns like the ones below
occur in any modern metal song by Slipknot,
Lamb Of God or any underground band you
have never heard of, so these patterns are very
practical. Moreover, they are ‘gateway’ exercises to
mastering fast and long double kick runs. If you
are stuck with certain tempos, you can always go
back to these basic exercises and work on your
‘foundations’.
BASIC HAND-FOOT PRACTICE
PATTERNS
The best way to practise double kick patterns is by
playing them over various different hand patterns.
Here are three basic hand patterns, which you
should combine with any foot pattern. With any of
these patterns, mind the accents!

EXAMPLE 1 EX 2
Here’s a pattern of straight sixteenth notes,
interspersed by one group of four 32nd notes on
beat three.

Combining those with the three basic hand

EX 3
patterns you get the following results:

EX 4

EX 5
So you get one pattern, but three different
exercises. For any of these exercises, start at a
low and comfortable tempo and make sure your
hands and feet are in sync. From there, you can
gradually increase the speed. There are endless
options for hand patterns and you can place the
snare wherever you like after mastering these EX 6
basic placements.

Here are some more foot patterns:

Hannes Grossmann is a drummer, producer and clinician from Germany. In 2011 he released a DVD, Progressive Concepts for the Modern Metal
Drummer (Hudson Music), and his first instructional book Extreme Metal Drums was released in 2013 (Hal Leonard). Hannes writes and plays for
Alkaloid, American band Blotted Science, has released his first solo album The Radial Covenant (playing drums and guitars) and has played for
extreme metal bands Obscura and Necrophagist. He is endorsed by Meinl cymbals, Tama drums, Evans drum heads and Pro-Mark sticks.
www.hannesgrossmann.com

October 2014 DRUMMER 91

TUITION

level
“This linear playing can be really effective and is
cornerstone to the mastery of Trilok Gurtu” Intermediate
/Advanced
Pete Lockett

Rhythmic Contours – Part II

Developing groups of seven and five in 12/8 time

T
his time we will continue our development of the groupings of
seven and five in 12/8. We ended last time by having the snare hits
before and after the doubles in each unit. This time we will keep the
same shape, with the kick drum on the first beat of each unit of five and
seven, but we will change up the snare again. In the first unit of seven we
will have the snare hit after the double but in the five beat unit we will
have the snare hit before the double. We will round it off with a little push
open on the hi-hat.

Example 1

Example 2
For example two, we add an extra kick drum hit in the first unit and change
the end of the second unit slightly.

Example 3
One of the most valuable things I learned from percussion, and try to adopt on the drumset, is how the rhythms are usually stretched out over a longer
period of time before a repeat. Even if this is just over two bars it can be very effective. In example three, the basic contours of the rhythm stay the same,
but with a few simple changes. We omit the downbeat on the kick drum and instead have the pushed kick drum on the ‘&’ of one. We also substitute a
snare towards the end of the second bar and voice that on the floor tom instead. You will hear the space and dimension this approach has for opening
up a groove.

Example 4
For example four, a majority of the hits and accents fall in the gaps of the
hi-hat playing. This linear playing can be really effective and is a cornerstone
of the mastery of Trilok Gurtu.

Example 5
Next up, the addition of a couple of doubles on the snare adds a bit of spice.

Example 6
You can see in example six how this is thought of. I think of it as a ‘canon’
where one voice follows the other.

Example 7
Finally, this approach is with a couple of snare backbeats. We have already
come a long way from our simple seven plus five concept and next time we
will take it even further.

92 DRUMMER October 2014

 level
“In addition to the time signature informing
the rudiment, we will be using a couple of little Advanced
tricks to bend the time further”
Steve Rooney

Sticking to Time – Part IX PRESS HERE

FOR EXTRA
DIGITAL CONTENT
Tackling 15/8 time

In this last instalment of Sticking to Time we will be dealing with 15/8, but there’s a twist... in addition to the time signature informing the rudiment, we
will be using a couple of little tricks to bend the time further. Be prepared, you will need a metronome.

Examples 1a and 1b
To play the following examples, we will need to be
familiar with the Lesson 25 rudiment and also the
same sticking, laid back by one sixteenth-note.

Examples 2a, b, and c

Now we take the sticking from the last example, split
between snare and hi-hats, and phrase it in three
different ways: 2a, straight sixteenth notes with
two and four backbeat; 2b, split over sixteenth note
triplets, creating a six over four accent; and 2c, again
split as sixteenth notes with the accents forming a 3/4
feel. It’s vital to understand the triple/duple nature of
2b and c, so set a quarter note click and get used to
the sticking split between the different subdivisions.

Example 3
Right, on to the time signature. We can take a quick
route to playing in 15/8 by thinking in combined
phrases of 4/4 and 7/8. Although these are still two
distinct time signatures at this point, it’s a good place
to start.

Example 4
Now we do away with the safety net. The top line shifts
between quavers and eighth-note triplets in this 15/8
phrase. By placing the kick and snare as shown, we
achieve several meter modulations all in one bar. Get
used to the time shifts before trying example five.

Example 5
By combining the Lesson 25 split stickings and
subdivisions from the second example with the time
shifts in 15/8, we arrive at this odd metered bar.

The composite ingredients above can be re-combined in many different orders. Try moving a few pieces of the puzzle around to see what you can find. Even if you
never use 15/8 or metric modulation in your playing, these exercises will improve your perception of time, subdivisions and shifting accents.

Steve has been playing drums for 26 years, during which time he has recorded at top studios, toured internationally
and taught extensively. He became a well-known hard rock/metal player through the 2000s touring with such
bands as Kill II This, Profane and Happylife. Now a versatile pop/rock drummer, tutor and session player, Steve
has worked with artists such as Suggs, Lee Thompson, Sharon D Clarke, Bishi and Meredith Brooks, and on
projects featuring top producers like Nile Rodgers, Andrew McPherson, Mike Fraser, Mike Pelanconi and
Cameron Craig. He is proud to use and endorse Yamaha drums and Remo drumheads.

October 2014 DRUMMER 93

093 Tuition Rooney_Rev3AO_NR.indd 93 10/09/2014 09:23

 FEATURE
A Problem Shared…
Our new resident problem solver, Dave Major, answers your questions!
Bellson bars
I’m having trouble with this passage from
Louie Bellson’s Solos & Duets for Snare Drum.
How do I play these bars (above)? And why
are they written that way?
Jeff, Suffolk
Just like reading the written word, we often
read music on auto-pilot and play what we
expect to see, not what is actually there. This is
most likely why this passage is tripping you up.
When I am working on a tricky passage, either
by myself or with a student, I try and deal with
it in a very matter of fact way. Here’s how to
play the first bar. Notes in brackets are counted
but not played:
1 + (2) + 3 4
But why?
The first note in the bar is always one. What
note is on that beat? An eighth note. Because
of the way we always count eighth notes (1 + 2
+ 3 etc), the next note, regardless of what it is,
has to happen on the ‘+’ of one.
On the ‘+’ of one we have a quarter note.
The quarter note sustains for the same as two
eighth notes, so count two eighth notes from
the ‘+’ of one. This gets us to the ‘+’ of two. On
the ‘+’ of two we have another eighth note.
An eighth note on from the ‘+’ of two takes
us to three. On beat three there is a quarter
note, which takes us to four. Beat four is
another quarter note and that finishes the bar.
The second bar is even easier as you have
already played it – you just didn’t know. That
bar is just the first part of bar one, repeated
twice. So that bar is counted like this: ‘1 + (2)
+ 3 + (4) +’.
Why is it written like this? Because this is a
snare study book and it is probably primarily
to test you. In a real world situation however, it
will define how long notes sustain for.
As drummers we play a note and that’s it.
We strike the drum and effectively wait until
the right amount of time has passed until we
strike it again. We don’t really think about how
long we should sustain it for, but on a melodic
instrument note lengths are hugely important.
Find a piano or guitar and play the same two
bars but make sure you keep the note held for
the right amount of time.
Notice the difference between the drum
94 DRUMMER October 2014
094 Problem shared_Rev4AO_NR.indd 94
version and the piano version. That’s why that last band where the commitment issue raised
passage is written like that. It sounds different its head and think how it could have been
and that’s the musical idea the composer handled better.
wanted. Finding the right people with the same
For more info on the long and short note level of commitment as you will help stop
idea, I highly recommend you check out The this happening again and help you keep a
Complete Drummer’s Vocabulary by John harmonious and fun band.
Ramsay and Alan Dawson.
Share your problems
Band trouble with us!
My cover band recently broke up and the
Do you get nervous before you play? Are
whole situation has left me with a bad taste
you struggling to move around your kit?
in my mouth. We split mainly because of
Do you stumble at the same part in a song
commitment issues, but it got messy at
the end. What is the best way to find other every time? Send your questions through
committed musicians? And how can I stop to gemmah@blazepublishing.co.uk
this happening again? marked ‘A problem share…’ and we’ll get
Charlie Dave to give you some expert advice.
Sorry about the band, Charlie. Keep your head
up. I always think that music is easy, it’s the
people aspect that makes it hard. In terms
of finding other musicians to play with, I’ve
always had great success on Gumtree. Maybe
consider posting an advert saying you are
available for bands and what you are looking
for. Commitment is always a quality in high
demand so you should find like-minded
musicians quickly.
Also check Facebook for local groups like
‘musicians wanted/available in Edinburgh’,
for example. You could post an advert in your
local drum shop, or ask if they know of anyone
looking for a drummer.
Before all that I would definitely say hit some
local jam sessions. Making new connections
with other musicians (not just drummers) is
key to meeting the right people to get you the
projects you want.
In order to stop the last situation happening
again, try to have a meeting, nothing formal –it Dave Major is a professional drummer and
can just be over coffee or lunch – at the start teacher based in Edinburgh. He performs
of the band (particularly a cover band) and extensively throughout the UK with various
outline everyone’s expectations on rehearsals, artists and his own originals bands. He also
rehearsal times, set list, amount of gigs, fees records for a wide variety of international
and other admin tasks. artists through the internet.
Getting all this stuff out in the open at the Widely sought after by students of all
start should stop any resentment building ages and abilities, Dave specialises in
up. Make sure everyone understands your teaching you to teach yourself and develop
aspirations. your own style and philosophy.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing as well, so www.dave-major.com
look back and learn from any situation in your
28/08/2014 16:35
 Custom Corner
CLASSIFIEDS
Advertising Index
Advertisers index
Active Music....................................................................................................... 21
Alesis................................................................................................................. 69
Allianz................................................................................................................ 21
Barnes and Mullins............................................................................................ 51
Craig Barton PT.................................................................................................. 79
Custom Skins...................................................................................................... 19
D’addario........................................................................................................... 67
DW Drums.......................................................................................................... 17
EMD Remo......................................................................................................... 49
EMD Stagg......................................................................................................... 54
Gewa / Drumcraft............................................................................................... 73
Guru Drums........................................................................................................ 19
Marshall / Natal................................................................................................. 57
095 Classifieds.indd 95
Tuition
Headstock - Zildjian............................................................................................. 9
Headstock – Tama ............................................................................................ 41
Korg Mapex.......................................................................................................... 3
Korg Paiste....................................................................................................... 100
London Drum Show................................................................................... 42 & 43
Mike Dolbear...................................................................................................... 61
Music Guard....................................................................................................... 79
Musician’s Union................................................................................................ 81
Pearl........................................................................................................... 59 & 99
Soar Valley Music............................................................................................... 15
Vic Firth.............................................................................................................. 11
Westside Distribution........................................................................................... 2
Yamaha..................................................................................................... 52 & 53
October 2014 DRUMMER 95
28/08/2014 16:35
FEATURE
L
ast month we introduced the idea of
artificial reverbs: learning what they are
and how they work, as well as looking
at some of the common types we may come
across. This month we’re going a step further
and looking at how we can put reverbs to use
both technically and creatively, touching on
how they can be used for resampling and real-
time applications, as well as exploring the most
common ways that we can manipulate them to
achieve our desired results.
COMMON USES FOR ARTIFICIAL
REVERBS
In studio and production environments, artificial
reverbs are often used to add a sense of acoustic
space to individual sounds within a mix. As we
Why let guitarists have all the fun with effects pedals – learn to incorporate them into your kit set-up
96 DRUMMER October
December2014
2013
Putting reverbs to use
Words: Tom Derryman
discussed in last month’s lesson, natural reverbs
can be recorded as the instruments are tracked
in real-time. A classic example of this approach
would be the drum break from Led Zeppelin’s
‘When The Levee Breaks’, which was recorded
with an abundance of natural reverb and room
sound. However, unless you’re working with
an extremely competent engineer and you are
certain that this what you want, recording to
sound like this can be a risky business because
the natural reverb cannot be adjusted/removed
from the source recording when working on the
final mix. That is why many engineers prefer to
record relatively dry signals and add the reverb
artificially later, giving them much more control
when working on the final mix down of the
track. As a general rule of thumb, less reverb will
make a sound stand out in the mix, making it feel
closer to the listener, and more reverb will make
a sound blend into the mix, making it feel further
away from the listener.
CREATIVE USES
Alongside the more technical applications, there
are also some creative applications for artificial
reverbs too. By adding reverb to a snare, we can
lengthen the sound and give a much bigger
sound than before – this is typical of modern
dubstep drum production, which is often
characterised by big, thick, often long snare
sounds. Looking back further, you can find the
root of this type of application stems back to
old dub productions where they used outboard
analogue artificial reverb units (often spring
 Reverb has a multitude of uses, whether in the studio or in a live performance
reverbs) to achieve a similar effect. There are
obviously countless more creative applications
than I’ve mentioned here, so go get listening and
experimenting for yourself.
RESAMPLING VS REAL-TIME
APPLICATIONS
Although we have covered this in previous
months (specifically ‘EQ – Part II’) here’s a brief
recap; if we want to put live expression into our
reverb, and we are physically able to do so – i.e.
we have a hand free at that particular point in
the performance – then we can explore using
reverbs in real-time. However, if you’re playing a
full kit part and you want to trigger a sound with
reverb, but obviously cannot use an FX unit at
the same time, then we should look to resample
our sounds with the effect applied ready for our
performance.
COMMON EDITABLE
PARAMETERS
When using reverb units, there are often editable
parameters that allow us to manipulate the
output of the effect, meaning we can more
accurately achieve our desired result. Here’s a
brief explanation of some of the most common
ones you are likely to encounter.
The wet to dry scale allows us to blend
the effect with the original source signal. A
completely dry signal has no effect on the signal
at all and a completely wet signal gives us an
entirely affected signal. Anywhere in between
allows us to get a blend that we desire between
the clean signal and the effected signal.
The early reflections are the first
reverberated sound waves to reach the listener’s
ears after the initial source sound, usually just
milliseconds later. The adjustment of the ER
parameter allows us to control the strength
of these initial reverberations. Strong early
reflections make the sound feel very close to
the listener, as the sound bounces straight back
giving a ‘slap-back’ type effect.
The pre-delay time allows us to add pause
after the initial sound before the reverb is then
heard; this can be useful when emulating larger
spaces. For example, imagine hearing a gun shot
bounce back off of a cliff face a few seconds after
the initial sound. This type of large reverberation,
or even echo effect, can be created by using the
pre-delay settings.
The size of the reverb allows us to control the
length of the reverb that is heard. A small size
value will generate a short reverb tail, whilst a
higher value will create a much longer reverb tail.
The colour or tone setting essentially runs a
filter EQ across the reverberated sound. Higher
values cut off the lower frequencies of the reverb,
while lower values do the opposite and cut off
the higher frequencies of the reverb.
Have fun experimenting with reverbs and try
to explore the options for yourself. Work with the
editable parameters and try to create the specific
reverb sound that you desire. While you’re doing
this, also try resampling some sounds, as well as
experimenting with some real-time applications
that you may be able to incorporate into a live
performance. Next month we’re moving on to
the topic of delays, where we’ll be starting off
by understanding what they are and what they
allow us to do to our sound. So until next time,
get playing and put what you’ve learned in the
lesson to some use.
Photo: Dan Prettejohn
Tom Derryman is a professional drummer
and producer having recently graduated
from BIMM Bristol as one of the most
successful students in his year. Throughout
his time studying, he has developed his
own unique approach to playing drums,
using electronic add-ons with an acoustic
drum kit, thus allowing him to recreate
digitally produced beats live. He has since
gone on to sign to Ragga Jungle/ DnB
label ‘Run Tingz Recordings’ under the
alias ‘Breakah’, as a collaborative writer/
producer and live artist. Tom proudly
endorses Roland UK and if you find any of
the information in this column of particular
interest and you would like to communicate
directly with Tom, feel free to send him an
email, check out his website or follow him
on Twitter.
Website: tomderrymandrums.com
Email: tom@tomderrymandrums.com
Twitter: @tderryman
www.runtingzrecordings.co.uk/artists.aspx
December 2013 DRUMMER 97
October 2014
Feature
Mad, Bad and Dangerous
A Nice Gesture
Bob Henrit recalls a classic Keith Moon prank…
Words: Spike Webb Image: Kevin Burke, Snapiart
M
ost people would agree that a book of
drummers’ stories would not be complete
without an inclusion or two from Keith
Moon. Moon was the drummer with the Who until
his tragic death in 1978, and the most notorious
rock ‘n’ roll prankster of all-time. As I can’t actually
talk to Keith Moon, I spoke to one of his peers
who knew him personally, Bob Henrit. Bob was
the drummer on Unit 4 + 2’s famous hit ‘Concrete
and Clay’ and played with a host of legends
including the Roulettes, Argent, Cliff Richard, the
Kinks, the Zombies and Roger Daltry. He was also
famous for owning the popular Soho drum store
and drummer’s haunt Henrit’s over 30 years ago.
Recently, Bob has become the published author of
his hugely entertaining memoir Banging On (Bank
House Books). Bob recalls an incident involving the
much celebrated Keith Moon...
“I’m sitting in the back of a plane from
Rotterdam to Heathrow. My co-travellers, among
the general public, include the rest of the Kinks
and the Who. We’ve all been on tour together
across the Netherlands.
“Tired, and relieved to be going home, I recline
my seat and look forward to chilling out during the
98 DRUMMER October 2014
flight. But as soon as I shut my eyes, an air hostess
arrives at my side with a large brandy: ‘Excuse me,
sir, compliments of Mr Moon.’
“I accept and ask the hostess to convey my
thanks to Mr Moon, who is seated at the front of
the plane, near the portable mini-bar. I look around
to see that all the other passengers are similarly
enjoying Keith’s generosity. This occurs with
increasing frequency during the flight but no one is
complaining. After all, it’s a great way to kill time at
my fellow drummer’s expense.
“Time passes a lot more quickly than anticipated
and in what seems like no time at all, we have
landed at Heathrow. I get up, somewhat unsteadily,
and stretch my legs as everyone begins to
disembark. I am right at the back and last off.
“As I reach the door to the steps at the front of
About Spike Webb...
the plane, the air hostess greets me: ‘Goodbye, Drummer and author Spike Webb spent
sir, I hope you enjoyed your flight. Thank you for three years tracking down over 40 drummers
travelling with British Airways.’ including legends like Nick Mason (Pink
Then a stifled giggle: ‘Oh, I nearly forgot, Mr Floyd) and Topper Headon (The Clash). He
Moon asked me to give you these.’ I am now left met them in cafes and bars to collect a mass
with no choice but to step down from the plane in of stories and create the ultimate drummers’
full view of everyone, holding a lady’s basque, red anthology. Since the publication of Mad,
and black corset, and suspenders.” Bad and Dangerous, Spike has continued on
his adventures and interviewed some of the
drummers live on film, meeting even more
legends like Kenney Jones, Mel Gaynor and
Derrick McKenzie. With so many world class
drummers coming on board, Mad, Bad and
Dangerous is fast becoming the official voice of
the boys at the back. Well, someone had to do
it and about time, too…
Mad, Bad and Dangerous is available on
order from Drummer Magazine, in bookstores
and online at Amazon both as a paperback and
Kindle e-book.
MBD is in association with Gridlock media
and Jerome Marcus Consultancy.
www.mbd-online.co.uk
099.indd 99 27/08/2014 13:38
100.indd 100 27/08/2014 13:39