Ask Chad Smith a Question
October 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Music Radar is taking questions for Chad Smith. Just leave your question in the comments section here (though you do, alas, have to register first on Music Radar). One of our favorites so far:
Do you sometimes cringe when you read Anthony’s lyrics and WTF is a rockapotamus ferchristsakes LOL
Chad Smith to Record and Tour Soon
October 5, 2008 | 1 Comment
…But not with the Chili Peppers. Instead, he’ll be hitting the road with supergroup Chickenfoot…except that the name of the band featuring Smith, Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, and Joe Satriani probably won’t be fowl related at all. Satriani recently told Billboard that “Chickenfoot” was only a working title Hagar came up with. What’s definitely not in question, though, is Smith’s ability to rock the shit out of their tunes:
“The material is really slamming, and anybody who has ever been around Chad knows that he is a very huge personality, a very high-energy guy, and his drumming in person is explosive,” Satriani said. “This band really gives him carte blanche to go crazy. I think it’s the best of what you’d expect, that’s the best way to put it. No one is acting out of character.”
New SilverFox Signature Drumstick
October 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Cristiano Micalizzi, the Italian stallion of soul funk grooves, has snagged himself a signature drumstick from SilverFox. Cleverly called the “CM” model, the stick is crafted from select hickory dowels born in the USA. It’s 16″ long with a diameter of .585″, and the round ball tip measures .410″ in diameter. A short taper gives the stick added bulk in the neck area, which results in an extremely fast rebound and a well-balanced center of gravity. Like all SilverFox drumsticks, the CM model is strengthened with a proprietary finish that, according to the press release, “not only feels great in a drummer’s hands, but greatly extends the usable life of all SilverFox sticks.” No pricing info is available yet…but how much is it worth to you to sound exactly like Micalizzi?
Sabian’s APX “Show No Mercy” Tour
October 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In support of Sabian’s APX series of high-decibel cymbals, drummers Ray Luzier of Korn, Chris Pennie of Coheed and Cambria, and Seven Antonopoulos of Opiate for the Masses are going to hit the road for a mini-tour of the United States. The drummers will be demonstrating how the APX cymbals are designed to cut through hard rock and heavy metal music (i.e., you might be needing some ear plugs for this one). Scheduled stops include the following cities:
- Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Austin, Texas – Nov. 8
- Skip’s Music in Sacramento, Calif. – Nov. 9
- Milano Music in Mesa, Ariz. – Nov. 10
- Drum Pad in Palatine, Ill. – Nov. 11
- Fork’s Drum Closet in Nashville, Tenn. – Nov. 12
- Paradiddles in Spartanburg, S.C. – Nov. 13
- Sam Ash in New York, N.Y. – Nov. 14
For more info, be sure to check out the “Show No Mercy” tour page. It includes a handful of APX-related goodies.
Tama’s Soul Toul Snare Drum
October 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
If you’re anything like us provincial, ignorant bastards, you didn’t know what a soul toul was either. Turns out it was neither a “tool” for extracting soul nor a “toll” for purchasing it. Nope, Soul Toul is a dude, a shredding drummer dude from Japan, and he just got a signature snare from Tama. His 14″ x 5.5″ drum features a 1.0mm steel shell that has a custom bearing edge “lined with a special compound that facilitates the drum’s warm yet extraordinarily precise and articulate response.” What the hell that special compound is we have no idea…but the shell itself, dressed in a black nickel plate, looks very fine. You can snag Toul’s drum for an MSRP of $399.99.
[via Harmony Central]
Alesis Is Giving Away Awesome Stuff…
October 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
And all you have to do to win is sign up for the Alesis newsletter. The October issue is about to drop, and we’re told it’s almost exclusively for drummers. Don’t thump around the bush with this, because one lucky-ass subscriber will win an iMultiMix 8 USB. Read all about the prize here…or better yet just give it a quick eye-humping below.
Drummer Connection Reviews MD Fest 2008
October 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The DC fellows have posted the first part of their MD Fest review. They’ve included a bunch of on-the-scene pics (including the one below) and impressions. Very cool stuff…and completely envy inducing because King even managed to snag one of Will Calhoun’s sticks. Dude!
Ian Matthews Masterclass
October 2, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Did you dust off your passport for the Fausto Cuevas masterclass a few days ago? If so, you might want to just stay in the U.K. because the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance is hosting another masterclass on October 23, this time with Kasabian drummer Ian Matthews. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Akai Professional’s XR20 Beat Production Station
October 2, 2008 | 2 Comments
It might not be as orgasmic as playing real drums, but making beats on a drum machine is still a shitload of fun. With Akai’s new XR20, you can even take the shitload of fun on the road. It’s billed as a “portable beat production station” loaded with 700 sounds geared toward R&B and hip-hop beats. Other key features of the XR20 include:
- 99 preset patterns and 99 user patterns
- Backlit LCD
- Bright, glowing, backlit pads that follow the beat
- Microphone input and headphone output
- Pattern Play Mode (different patterns can be triggered from individual pads)
- Drum Roll/Note Repeat feature
- $499 MSRP
Benny Greb at Meinl Drum Festival 2008
October 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Meinl has given the drummingverse a major treat by posting this new vid of the superbly grooving Benny Greb. The performance was captured at this year’s Meinl drum festival, and it features a tune from Greb’s upcoming CD. Two more videos will be released over the next few days. We’ll of course embed them all here at BTD for your viewing pleasure.
