Clinics – Big Drum Thump

Fausto Cuevas Masterclass

BDT — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:18:46 +0000

Fausto Cuevas, the percussionist in Stevie Wonder’s band, is giving an exclusive masterclass at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance on September 29, 2008. Want to go? Of course you do, but you’ll have to dust off your passport for this one: the ICMP is located in London. Cuevas has also played with Julio Iglesias, Celia Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Al Jarreau, Roy Hargrove, Britney Spears, Queen Latifah, and Sheila E, so dude will definitely put on a great show. Send us some bloody pics if you manage to make it.

MD Fest 2008 Is a Wrap

BDT — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:29:00 +0000

Well, dammit. Another MD Fest has come and gone, and we still haven’t managed to swindle and scheme our way into one (next year we are totally getting all Mission Impossible about it). Thankfully, Hudson Music set up a preview site of the event and posted some frighteningly good teaser vids of each drummer’s performance. The complete DVD is scheduled to hit shelves sometime in 2009 (which is only around 10 million seconds from now).

Can’t Make It to the Modern Drummer Festival?

BDT — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:38:14 +0000

Sucks big stinky ass, doesn’t it? Unfortunately we can’t go either, but Hudson Music is hooking all of us up with updates starting September 19. Hudson’s MD Fest site promises “photos, blog reports, and…video” straight from the show. In case you’ve been living under your guitarist’s rock for the last few months, the lineup includes these dudes you might have heard before:

Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta)
Billy Ward (Joan Osborne/Ace Frehley/B. B. King)
Will Calhoun (Living Color)
Ndugu Chancler (Michael Jackson/Santana/Weather Report)
Simon Phillips & Protocol (Toto/The Who/Jeff Beck)
Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree/King Crimson)
Todd Sucherman (Styx/Brian Wilson)
Dafnis Prieto (Michel Camilo)
Derek Roddy (Serpents Rise/Traumedy)

Dom Famularo Clinic Review

BDT — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:54:18 +0000

The guys over at Drummer Connection have posted a longish, picture-replete review of two Famularo clinics. Dom apparently tore it up, and John Blackwell even put in a surprise guest appearance at one of the shows. The thing we really want to know, though, is this: did Dom manage not to knock off his glasses this time?

[Update 2022: Alas, Drummer Connection is no longer active. The site was very cool, especially for the time, so hopefully the owners will revive it at some point. Also, the amazing video of Dom accidentally knocking his glasses off while ripping a drum solo is no longer available, and that sucks because anyone who plays with that much energy always gets mad props from us. It needs to be witnessed. If anyone locates it, please drop a link in the comments.]

Tommy Aldridge (Surprise!)

BDT — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:31:59 +0000

This should be good news: double-kicking statesman Tommy Aldridge is giving a surprise clinic tomorrow night. The bad news? It’s in London. As in London, England. For the five of you from that part of the world who regularly visit BDT (yes, you five…Google Analytics tells us you are out there), haul ass to The Institute now and get us some good pics. And for the rest of us poor bastards: