Didn’t have an extra $30,000 to buy Peart’s 30th-anniversary kit from DW? Yeah, we didn’t either, but if you still got a hankering to have some Neil-like gear, don’t give up. AndrewOlson.com has been collecting photos of Peart-inspired setups for almost two years. Some of them might even cost less than a pair of lungs. A sample of some of the cooler kits:
Not that we’re complaining or anything, but Yahoo!’s finance page is one strange-ass place to post a really good bio of Elvin Jones. And like a good financial report, it’s big on the stats:
Yeah, dude was definitely a slacker.
No big shock there, eh? But this particular Tommy tattooing actually is something special. It’s the first to be done aboard a jet traveling at 40,000 feet. Star artist Mario Barth did the work, and the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand to document the high-altitude inking. No word (or pic) yet on what the new tat looks like or where it is…but given that Tommy doesn’t have much bare skin to work with, we’re hoping the location is fairly scandalous.
IconsofPunk scored a great, candid, and pretty longish interview with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. When asked to chat a bit about the band’s new singer, Dan Nelson, Benante responds:
To be honest with you, and it sounds funny for me to say this but, I didn’t want to make a big announcement about it, because we are still in the early stages. We were almost kind of forced into making the announcement now because of the internet; it ruins every surprise. One asshole finds out about something and they post it somewhere. You know?
And then after a little Star Wars smackdown (“…those last three movies for me were just movies to be made to sell toys”), Benante busts out with this prescient commentary about tabloid music-journos:
For me it’s like, what have you accomplished in your life that gives you any credit to criticize anyone in music, or in anything? It just kind of fucking freaks me out sometimes. People think “Well, my voice needs to be heard about this!” Who gives a fuck about you? The people who do that should probably pay more attention to what’s going on in their city, their country and fucking start protesting. The way they used to do it in the ‘60’s, about shit, you know? This country, to me…I’m a proud American, but when I see bullshit about fucking sixteen year old girls getting pregnant and I read comments from stars like “I fully support her”, I’m like, Fuck You. Don’t fully support her. Kids look up to her because she’s on a fucking television show. And try explaining that to your sixteen year old kid. I wish that whole thing would all come to an end. All of them, I just wish it would end. It’s just gossip and it’s disgusting.
So true, brotha drummer, so true. Down with celebrity gossip. And hack DIY journalists.
Except for us, of course. Everybody needs to know what the fuck we think. So we command you all to watch the following drum duel between Benante and John Tempesta.
Killswitch Engage drummer Justin Foley has a big beard. Not ZZ Top big, but a decent, decadent size that’s the envy of at least a couple of teenage thrashers. MetalSucks got Foley to chat about all things chin bush in this interview that proves—yet again—that metal drummers are some of the nicest, most laid back dudes in the business.
Poison drummer Rikki Rockett was arrested Monday at LAX on a “strong-arm rape warrant” issued from Mississippi (oh, how we hope it didn’t involve a pig). Details are completely nonexistent at the moment, but it appears Rockett was released and is a free man as of today.
[Update: The rape allegedly occurred on September 23, 2007, at a casino in Mississippi. No pigs were involved.]
[Update: Rockett was released Tuesday morning after his arrest. The alleged rape occurred at the Silver Star Casino. According to the complaint filed, “The subject, Rikki Rockett, forcibly had sex with an adult in one of the hotel rooms.” Prosecutors in Mississippi are still deciding whether to extradite the drummer.]
[Update 5/10/08: Ah, it was only a matter of time. The celeb-hunting journos at TMZ finally got a comment from Rikki Rockett about the alleged rape: “We’re doing a press conference next week—this whole thing will be over. And it’ll be the end of it.” Rockett goes on to say that he doesn’t even know his accuser. See the 49-second video here.]
Via Drummerworld comes a video so ridiculously fun I’ve had to change my shorts twice now. It starts as a tom-tastic drum solo from Taylor Hawkins, but about two minutes in, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson take the stage with Hawkins for a really, really, really good version of “YYZ.” Check it out below or click here for a higher-quality YouTube link. And bring baby wipes.
Hey, let’s hear it for maturity. The latest lawsuit between the Crue guys has been resolved without the usual bout of fisticuffs.
Last year, three-quarters of the band brought a $20 million case against Tommy Lee, accusing our favorite sex-filmed drummer of focusing on his own career over that of the collective Crue (remember Tommy Lee Goes to College?). Now…it looks like all is forgiven. And though settlement terms have not yet been disclosed, there don’t appear to be any hard feelings.
The whole band is currently in the studio making a new album and, if this quote from Nikki Sixx is any indication, probably getting lots of complimentary blow jobs:
I fucking love this new Motley Crue album….Tommy’s kickin ass, Vince sounds insane and Mars is shredding on guitars. It doesn’t feel like one song is better or worse than any other.
But it really wasn’t that big of a deal, or at least it shouldn’t have been. Here’s the scoop, via Digg and Rolling Stone and MTV and probably a myriad of other sources suppressed or forgotten.
Velvet Revolver played a gig in Glasgow last Thursday night. During the show, Scott Weiland says that the band’s current tour would be “the last tour by Velvet Revolver.” Sorum then posted this on his blog the next day (errant spelling, caps, and punctuation faithfully reproduced):
So last night was interesting. Had a little band turmoil on stage as you probably all could tell. Being in a band is a lot like being in a relationship. Sometimes you just don’t get along. I guess there has been more turmoil lately I guess with the cancellations and all….It has been frustrating I am not going to lie. My career and life in Rock n Roll has come with its ups and downs. Unfortunatly some people in this business don’t realize how great of a life they have. Touring the world, meeting great people and fans all over the world. And just playing music for a living. I feel truly blessed. But sometimes the road can be draining for some, being away from home and family does grind on you sometimes. With all the traveling and different beds. Personally I Love this Shit and sometimes can’t believe I am so lucky to still be doing what I do for a living….Everybody could see who was unhappy lastnight but all I can say is Let’s keep the Rock alive people!!!! In this life u just pick up and keep moving. And don’t ever let anybody stand in your way. The TRUTH Rock On!!!!!!
Now, this is not exactly a deep-seated, side-swiping, psychoanalytic dig at Weiland, whose overreaction seems to indicate it was all that and more. He says to the mighty Blabbermouth:
Well, first of all, the state of my family affairs is really none of [Sorum’s] business, since he is too immature to have a real relationship, let alone children. So don’t attempt to stand in a man’s shoes when you haven’t walked his path. Secondly, ‘keeping rock ‘n’ roll alive?’ I’ve made many attempts to remain cordial with the members of VR, but mainly, the likes of you. Funny though — this is your FIRST band, as opposed to being a hired gun. I’ve been making records (now on my ninth), which have sold over 35 million copies worldwide and have maintained a level of professionalism regardless of how many drugs I’ve ingested into my system. I have only cancelled one tour during the entire course of my 16-year run and that was the ‘make-up’ Australia tour. Now, shall I open that can of worms, Matthew? Release the Kraken? Serve… Volley! You cancelled the Aussie tour in the fall because you went to rehab, but I won’t say why… we’ll just let Blabbermouth find out for themselves.
Dudes, just knock it the fuck off. Velvet Revolver is a good band playing a particularly hard-to-fill brand of niche-y hard rock. Don’t make us start trolling the Internets for old Chinese Democracy tracks.
[Update from Rolling Stone: Alas, it appears Weiland’s run with VR is done. The band booted him out yesterday (4/1/08), and Weiland responded by essentially telling his former bandmates to pack sand up their ass. At least STP will be touring this summer.]
Seriously. Sanabria gets downright chatty and thoughtful about the history and future of jazz in this interview with (who else?) Jazz.com. Choice excerpt:
…[J]azz was still a viable force to a certain extent and even had a small kind of resurgence in the late sixties, early seventies with the fusion movement, which to me, was an incredibly creative time period. You had certain groups opening up for rock bands, like John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra opening up for Aerosmith. People like Larry Coryell, the Eleventh House, etc. Of course, Miles Davis became the darling of the rock set. Everybody from Crosby Stills and Nash to the Grateful Dead were into Miles Davis after the Bitches Brew album. But slowly but surely the mainstream ties that jazz used to have to mainstream audiences disappeared….This all relates to politics. When Ronald Reagan deregulated the FCC, all of a sudden all of these radio stations were up for sale and Viacom and Clear Channel bought up all them. They made them into pop, rock and MOR stations, over a thousand radio stations. Most of them were jazz and black oriented music stations. That really killed jazz.
Or maybe just put its head in the noose. Luckily, though, the hangman has been too busy listening to Sanabria and these other dudes to tighten the rope:
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:
The very slick site MusicRadar has posted a two-part interview with the way spunky Torry Castellano, drummer for The Donnas. She chats about the origins of the band, how she overcame a severe case of tendinitis, and why she likes to rock the cowbell.
Got to love a girl who loves cowbell.
On this NPR broadcast, the always dapper Roy Haynes sounds as smooth as he no doubt looked. The two-part episode features six songs (or about 40 minutes of music) from his current quartet, Fountain of Youth Band. The recording is impeccable, particularly for a webcast, so get an earful before the Public powers-that-be make it go bye-bye.
By the way, BDT gives 25 bonus points to the show’s host, Dee Dee Bridgewater, for noting that Haynes plays “on drums…and cymbals.”
Er, not really. I just wanted to write that headline.
Dorio, drummer for the Whigs (get it, get it?), gave a longish interview to a blog called Backbeat Online. He talks about how he got started playing drums and what his role in the band is:
I think my job is to make the song as good as possible, and if that means I need to play something simple and staying out of the way, that’s what I need to do. And if it means I need to play something a little more intricate or complicated, I’m happy to do that, too. It’s never about the drums or putting on a show by myself. It’s always about enhancing the song.
But don’t take his word for it. Check him out here:
Former Nirvana bassist and current blogging renegade Krist Novoselic makes the case in this post from the Seattle Weekly. Grohl’s relevant qualifications and experience:
Hell yeah! Send us a form to sign, and we’ll make sure the i’s are dotted, the t’s are crossed, and there ain’t a hanging chad in sight. Of course, we’re not quite sure how Grohl is going to survive this video, but if Bush can get away with being a rank jackass for eight years, anything is possible.
