Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

Month: January 2009

  • Sins of Drumming: Rock Band?

    Aside from (maybe) a rough sense of rhythm, there isn’t one goddamned thing you can learn about guitar from Rock Band. Hitting a plastic bar while mashing plastic keys obviously does exactly shit for your skills. The same can be said for Rock Band bass, and if you’re the “singer” in your Rock Band band, you’re a sad attention whore. But what about drums?

    Well, let’s look at this dude. Over a million people have watched him play “Enter Sandman,” and he’s used this fame to say the game teaches some limited fundamentals on drumming. He then goes on to say that everyone has a “musical mind” and that this game releases it. Maybe I’m missing something, but when I think about what separates a musician from a Microsoft employee, it’s more than a passable electronic rendition of “Man in the Box.”

    Here is a video of Mitch Mitchell, a revolutionary drummer by anyone’s estimation, demonstrating his impressive drum skills with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. A little over 120,000 people have watched this. Now here’s a video of some choad playing “Chop Suey” by System of a Down on Rock Band drums. Nearly 400,000 views. Of some random dude. Playing “Chop Suey.” On Rock Band drums.

    Now I know in the world of YouTube, even more so than in other places, people love to watch total garbage. And I know that a lot of kids these days are much more into seeing Travis Barker play a Soulja Boy song than looking up Terry Bozzio, but this doesn’t make me any more optimistic about the attitude cultivated by Rock Band when it comes to musicianship.

    Am I jealous that this didn’t exist when I was a teenager? Fuck no. If it did, I probably would’ve been happy enough to play fake drums over some Green Day song instead of actually learning an instrument and creating my own music. You know, the cool thing musicians do. And it’s not like you can play any song you want on Rock Band. I know they keep expanding the game to include even more Nickelback tunes, but an entire swath of amazing musicianship is being ignored so Gene Simmons can go cash another check.

    The main problem, though, is that the visceral enjoyment most drummers get out of their instrument is completely neutered. Some of these YouTube stars talk about how they also play real drums and gaming is just as fun. These people are either bad drummers or their parents won’t allow them to keep living for free in the basement unless they stop being loud.

    I’m not saying that the game is easy. I watched this, and it didn’t seem easy. But there’s a lot of shit that’s hard to do that doesn’t make you a better musician, and being a good musician is still harder than anything you do on this dumb game.

    Now of course I’m willing to accept that I’m blowing this out of proportion and that there are still plenty of kids out there (my two-year old nephew included) who are picking up real live drums instead of this nerdy, shameful alternative. But when people start feeling as though they’re almost as good as Lars Ulrich because they can play “Master of Puppets” on the “Grand Master With Extra Jerkoff Stars” level, it’s like the fat kid who thinks a high score on Dance Dance Revolution makes him Baryshnikov.

    Please rate your opinion on Rock Band drumming:

    1. I would rather shit blood bi-weekly than play Rock Band.
    2. I would rather shit blood bi-monthly than play Rock Band.
    3. At least I’m somewhat competent at it unlike the game with that little dopey plumber.
    4. I think Rock Band has great potential to turn people into real drummers…just like Duckhunt turned people into excellent hunters.
    5. You’re just jealous of my pointless talent in a game for children.

  • Sabian’s Alu Bell Gets Bigger

    We’re sure Alu Bells have plenty of uses, but the only drummers we ever really see play them in real life are bloody big brusiers with monstrous, club-like sticks. You know, those dudes who aren’t ever satisfied with the bell sound or volume on a regular old ride cymbal. It’s fitting, then, that Sabian has added a couple of inches to the new member of its Alu line. Bigger in this case is definitely better.

    [Press Release]

    The popularity of its 7″ and 9″ Alu Bells has prompted Sabian to introduce the larger 11″ size. Formed from lightweight aluminum, the Alu Bell offers drummers and percussionists a highly versatile percussion piece with a soft, bright, highly musical response and lingering sustain.

    “Along with the Chopper, the Alu Bell is small enough to fit anywhere in a drum or percussion setup, and because it has such a well balance of stick stroke and tone, it can be used to play rhythms or simply to add ambient accents,” commented Sabian cymbal specialist Kevin Lasky. “Its small size and light weight make it ideal for use with a cymbal stacker arm, which eliminates the need to purchase another cymbal stand.”

    Crafted from lightweight aluminum, the Alu Bell is quality protected by Sabian’s two-year warranty.

  • Reunion Blues Launches a Digital Tour Guide for Bands

    Reunion Blues, a longtime maker of instrument bags, has launched a promising site that can help all you gigging thumpers and your bands book an independent tour. Called appropriately enough the Touring Band’s Guide, the site showcases club names and booking personnel’s contact info for 27 (and growing!) of the largest US cities. The site is also a way for musicians to find venues to perform at. If your band submits a venue or hangout to the guide, an entry is created that includes your band’s name, sound clips, photo, and URL—definitely a great way to get exposure. Best of all, of course, all the information is submitted by touring musicians for touring musicians like you. Click on over to the site, and be sure to let us know how the Touring Band’s Guide works out for you.

  • Sabian Expands AAX X-Plosion Series With a New Splash

    Ah, this was the one new Sabian cymbal I didn’t see at all during NAMM 2009. Was it hiding behind its big brothers? Did the booth bitches forget to bring it out? Was I just blinded by all the other shiny bangables to find it? I’ll likely never know the answer, but I shall henceforth consider this splash the little hottie that got away.

    [Press Release]

    The popularity of Sabian’s AAX X-Plosion crash has prompted the company to introduce the 11″ X-Plosion splash. This scaled-down version of the crash delivers extremely fast and punchy accents with all the crisp, shimmering clarity associated with AAX cymbals. Extra-thin and available in a Brilliant finish, this model—with its innovative AAX “Dynamic Focus” design ensuring it responds accurately at all volumes—offers drummers and percussionists of all styles a splash that can be played by hand or stick.

    “The AAX X-Plosion splash is like a small version of the X-Plosion crash; it’s got that quick, modern bright response and full attack that shoots out of the metal,” said Sabian cymbal specialist Kevin Lasky. “This is a splash that combines cut and punch for a full, faster and glassier splash.”

    The AAX X-Plosion splash is crafted from Sabian B20 bronze, and it is quality protected by Sabian’s two-year warranty.

  • Human Drum Teachers Are Still Like So 1973

    An oblique assault on Dom Famularo comes by way of the FielDrum, an acoustic drum that includes a series of magnets that directs a drummer’s stick into performing a correct pattern. Essentially you just have to hold the damn drumstick and the magnets do the rest.

    …Maybe that’s how Jojo Mayer can do this.

  • Sabian Unveils Radia Nano Hats

    You don’t have to be Terry Bozzio to really dig Sabian’s new diminutive hi-hats. I got some surreptitious stick time with a pair at this year’s NAMM show, and they are unbelievably cute and charming and fun, especially if you enjoy playing live electronica. Our in-the-wild photos are below.

    [Press Release]

    The latest addition to the Sabian Vault Collection of cymbals and sounds is the Radia Nano Hats. Available in 7″ and 9″ pairings, Nano Hats consist of a medium-weight top and flat, heavy bottom. They are heavily hand hammered, combine alternating raw and etched surfaces on both sides of the two cymbals, and feature a raw bell, all of which adds up to a fast, punchy, definite sound. Their extremely tight and articulate response when played as a main hat ensures crisp clarity for even the fastest strokes and busiest patterns, while their small size and dry, crisp response makes them ideal for x-hat applications.

    “As the Nano Hats and the rest of my Radia cymbals confirm, Mark Love and the Sabian Vault Team have this incredible ability to design sound into metal,” noted Bozzio.

    “Vault Nano Hats are a great example of Terry Bozzio’s ongoing search for new and different sounds,” noted Sabian master product specialist Mark Love. “They are also another indication of Sabian’s desire to design and develop new cymbals and sounds so players have more meaningful options to choose from.”

    Handcrafted from Sabian B20 bronze, Nano Hats—as with all Vault Collection pieces—are quality protected by the Sabian two-year warranty.

  • New AAX X-Plosion Fast Crash From Sabian

    [Press Release]

    Responding to requests from R&B, funk, jazz, pop, and fusion drummers for a faster variation of its popular X-Plosion crash, Sabian has introduced the AAX X-Plosion Fast crash. Thinner, more responsive, and with a glassier, higher pitch ensuring extremely quick response and decay, this extra-thin model—available in 14″, 15″, 16″, 17″, 18″, and 19″ sizes—delivers a super-fast response. The bright, shimmering sound is so pure, clean, and concentrated that it blows through everything going on around it.

    “The AAX X-Plosion Fast crash is great for players wanting a big, explosive response with a faster, brighter sound,” said Sabian master product specialist Mark Love. “Its AAX ‘Dynamic Focus’ design means it responds accurately at all volume levels, so it’s fast, glassy, and extremely versatile with a bright, explosive attack, penetrating definition, and total presence.”

    Tony Royster Jr. (Jay-Z), Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts), Cora Coleman-Dunham (Prince), and Todd
    Sucherman (Styx, Brian Wilson) are among early adopters of the AAX X-Plosion Fast crash cymbals.
    The AAX X-Plosion Fast crash is crafted from Sabian B20 bronze and is quality protected by Sabian’s two-year warranty.

  • Drum and Drummer Photos From NAMM 2009

    Our complete collection of drum photos from NAMM 2009 is now available on Flickr. Over 600 pictures made the cut (many more had to be abandoned, the unfortunate victims of whacked lighting or seriously stupid user error), and they all are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution agreement, which means you can essentially do anything you want with our images—share them, post them, adapt them—with no fear of copyright infringement. Just give us some link love in return. Some of the drum pics are also available in hi-res versions, so if you’d like any, send us a shout.

  • Simon Phillips Anniversary Drum Kit at NAMM 2009

    Along with an oompa-loompa-orange Lars Ulrich kit, Tama showed off a Simon Phillips 30th-anniversary drum set at NAMM 2009. Made of Monarch shells (a maple/bubinga/maple hybrid), the drums looked positively exquisite, and we got good Google AdSense money they sound damn fine too. Unfortunately, like all of the kits at Tama’s booth, the Simon Phillips set was off-limits to even the most well-connected thumpers. Next year, we’re bringing this along to distract the booth cops.

    Check out more pics of the kit and other Tama drums from NAMM right here.

  • Ludwig Drums at NAMM 2009

    Remember like five years ago when Ludwig was boring? Venerable, sure—but still as boring as an insurance seminar or a lecture on Mesoamerican basket weaving. Well, shit has changed, thumpers. Celebrating its centennial as a manufacturer of drums, Ludwig came to NAMM with a truly stunning booth that included intriguing new gear and some modern versions of classic kits from the company’s long history. Check out the pics below of Jason Bonham’s anniversary kit (which pretty much borrows everything from papa Bonham’s amber Vistalites), a Neil Peart “Ro Sham Bo” replica, and a little something from a Liverpool lad who recently went nuts. More photos are available in our Ludwig gallery on Flickr. Just bring some wet-naps and a cigarette before you get to clicking.

  • Vinnie Paul Signature Drums

    The struggling economy has affected quite a few instrument manufacturers, but you wouldn’t know it from ddrum’s mightily awesome booth at NAMM 2009. Along with its usual bevy of cool bangables, the company proudly displayed Vinnie Paul’s new signature kit (complete with huge rack toms), new signature snare, and new signature pedals. Check ’em out below. The rest of our ddrum gallery can be eye humped here.

  • Mapex Drums at NAMM 2009

    Just a few weeks before NAMM 2009, Mapex threw open its gates and let loose a veritable phalanx of new drum gear, including the Merdian series and an exceptionally sexy Saturn kit in an Arctic White lacquer. We’ve posted in-the-wild pics of both of them and much more here on Flickr. Some teaser photos for you below.

  • Danny Carey Signature Snare Drum

    We snapped a few in-the-wild pics of Danny Carey’s signature snare from Sonor at NAMM 2009. More photos of Sonor drums are available here in a Flickr set.

  • Taye Drums at NAMM 2009

    Taye showed up with all manner of great gear at NAMM 2009, including the awesome double-kick kit pictured below. For our full Taye gallery, just click right here.

  • Paiste Cymbals at NAMM 2009

    Paiste didn’t have any new gear to show off at NAMM 2009, but that didn’t stop the Swiss cymbal-meisters from bringing every bloody model in their catalog. Their booth was a thing of absolute brass beauty—from the soundbooth itself to the floor displays for the Twenty and Black Alpha series. Some teaser pics are below. Be sure to check out our full Paiste gallery here.