Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

  • Drum Scholarship Winner Announced

    Who is Minco De Bruin? Beats the hell out of us, but he just won a $10,000 scholarship from Mapex, Paiste, and Drummer magazine to attend the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. Lucky bastard. Here’s the press release:

    The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance was recently the proud host to the 2008 drum scholarship finals, with the standard of performances the best that ICMP has ever seen!

    The eight drum finalists were competing for one full and one partial scholarship (worth £4,950 and £2,500 respectively) onto the Institute’s world renowned Higher Diploma. The Higher Diploma is a specialist one-year full-time course, developed by the Institute to train and develop students of guitar, bass, drums and vocals for a career in the music industry. It was the first full-time course of its kind ever developed in the UK and achieving a place on the course continues to be an aspirational goal for young musicians. Institute alumni can be found throughout today’s music industry, working with artists of the calibre of Babyshambles, Lemar, Radiohead, Eric Clapton, Keane and KT Tunstall.
    Each finalist underwent a short interview before taking to the stage to give a performance in front of a panel of specially invited judges, including Mapex’s Pete Harvard and senior ICMP tutors. The standard of all of the finalists was extremely high, so after some very difficult deliberations the panel awarded the full drum scholarship, sponsored by Mapex/Paiste and Drummer Magazine, to Minco De Bruin, and the partial scholarship to Justin Shaw.

    Every year the Institute and our industry partners provide Scholarships worth in excess of £30,000, representing a fantastic opportunity for deserving students to access world class training and tuition at one of the world’s leading schools of contemporary music. Watch out for news of the 2009 Scholarships and for your chance to join us!

  • DVD Review: Guerrilla Drum Making

    Guerrilla Drum Making:
    Drum Making With Realistic Tactics and Realistic Tools
    86 minutes
    $41.99

    Preamble

    First off, a confession: I suck at building stuff. I can’t turn on a power tool without soiling my shorts (the fear of puncturing or outright severing a limb is really quite the bowel loosener), and frankly I can’t even hang a poster without bruising a finger. So even though I love the hell out of drums and have long been fascinated with the art of drum building, I didn’t think there was any way I could customize a kit on my own.

    Until now. John Dutra’s Guerilla Drum Making demystifies the process of customizing drums and—most important of all—gives you the knowledge and confidence to do it yourself. While watching the DVD, you’ll soon be thinking, “I really can do this.”

    The Lowdown

    Just to be clear, though, this DVD doesn’t show you how to build actual drum shells. If you have a hankering to carve out a kit from that big birch tree in your backyard, Guerrilla Drum Making won’t help you. What the DVD does instead is expertly guide you through DIY methods for customizing the look of shells.

    Like all good teachers, Dutra starts with the basics and clearly defines his terms: what’s a unibit? Or a straight-edge square? Or tailors tape? The DVD’s first chapter shows the viewer what those and other recommended tools actually look like and how to use them, along with a few time-saving tips. For any tooltards out there like me, it’s a greatly appreciated intro.

    The rest of the 86-minute vid is divided into 6 more chapters that demonstrate how to work with and apply a variety of finishes—from stains to wraps to veneers to acrylics. Looking for a cool-ass collage kit? Chapter 2 takes you through each step to a perfectly finished and unique drum. Want a striped laminate for your bass drum? Check out Chapter 6. As each chapter progresses, you’ll also learn how to mark and drill a shell for proper lug placement, whether the lugs are in-line or offset.

    Throughout the DVD, the vid quality is top-notch, the camera work is slick, and Dutra’s voice-over explanations are professional and easy to follow. Even the background music, which ranges from downtempo to metal, is good.

    Who Should Watch

    If you’ve always been interested in customizing drums but didn’t know how to get started, then Guerrilla Drum Making is essential viewing. Stop whatever you’re doing and go buy it now.

    If you have some experience with drum building or are even a seasoned pro, then Guerrilla Drum Making is highly recommended viewing. You’ll pick up some great tips that will make your drum-building life easier. And at the very least, you’ll see the instructional quality you need to aspire to in case you ever decide to turn teacher and make your own video.

    If you have no desire to ever take a drill or piece of sandpaper to your drums, you’ll still get a lot out of watching this DVD. Dutra’s clearly a guy who is passionate about the craft, and he imparts his knowledge well. You’ll appreciate drums even more after seeing the skill that goes into making them. In this case, learning some of the tricks doesn’t at all spoil the magic.

    BDT rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

  • More Gil Sharone Info

    So is Gil Sharone really leaving Dillinger Escape Plan? Um, maybe. DEP guitarist Ben Weinman said today:

    He didn’t leave and we didn’t kick him out. He will be busy though working with his other band [Stolen Babies] a lot over the next year so I am talking to other dudes both for Dillinger possibilities and just for me to play with on other creative projects. We still may be touring and writing with Gil though. Kinda in the air. No big drama though or anything.

  • Countdown to Dixon’s “Drum Your Way to Hollywood” Contest

    No time to waste, thumpers. There’s less than a month left to enter Dixon’s “Drum Your Way to Hollywood” contest. All you have to do is haul ass to your nearest Dixon dealer, have a buddy record you playing your shreddingest 2-minute solo on a Demon kit, and then upload the vid to YouTube. Click on over here for the entry and prize details.

  • Gil Sharone Leaving Dillinger Escape Plan?

    Metal Hammer is reporting that Gil Sharone might be vacating the DEP throne. The band hasn’t confirmed or denied the possibility yet, but if that rumor wasn’t eye-stopping enough for you, then check this one out: Raanen Bozzio, son of none other than uberthumper Terry Bozzio, is at the head of the line to take over Dillinger drumming duties.

  • Lars Ulrich Doesn’t Do Cocaine…

    At least not anymore. He also doesn’t hate Dave Mustaine, though that’s probably just because MegaDave tends to be so freakin’ ridiculous:

    I keep coming back to the statistics, which are interesting: he’s never played on a Metallica record, he was in the band for 10 months, 25 years ago! That’s an amazing statistic when you think about it, and still Metallica is such a prominent part of his existence. That’s just mind-blowing, because he has made some of the best heavy metal records of all time. It blows my mind.

  • Hip-Hop Loves Travis Barker

    The Los Angeles Times caught up with Travis Barker to chat about his explosive entry into the world of hip-hop and remixes. In case you’ve been unplugged for the last year, it all started with a video posted on YouTube, a slamming version of Travis drumming to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That (Soulja Boy).” With 17.5 million views under his sticks, Barker has become the go-to drummer for other hip-hop-oriented artists as well, including in-demand turntablist DJ AM. The two have joined forces as TRV$DJAM and will be putting out an album (!) and touring.

  • Jason Bonham Working on New Zeppelin Material?

    There is a god, and she is merciful. Or maybe just a prick tease. We’re not exactly sure yet, but it does appear that Jason Bonham has been jamming a little with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, which can mean only one thing—Led Zeppelin reunion! Bonzo’s boy said:

    I’ve been over a couple of times with Jimmy and John Paul just trying to do some new material and writing….So I don’t know what it will be but it will be something. I mean this is something that I always wanted to do but trying to predict what it will be at the moment…all I know is I have the greatest pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and try and work on some new material, so it’s been fantastic in that aspect.

  • Buy Bobby Jarzombek’s Drums

    If you’ve always wanted to own a little piece of metal drumming history, now’s your chance. Bobby Jarzombek is selling the Pearl Masters kit he used on a couple of Halford albums and tours. Here are the details straight from Bobby and his MySpace page:

    Well, the time has come to “thin out the herd” so to speak. With my move back to San Antonio I was trying to figure out what to take with me and what to leave out in Cali. One thing I have decided to part with is my PEARL Masters Custom Maple drumset (comes with the Pearl Icon rack system) even though I have a strong sentimental attachment to it due to the memorable music that I created on it.

    The reason I am now selling the kit—other than lack of space—is because I changed drum companies a couple of years ago (I am with DW/PDP now and no longer endorse Pearl) and I haven’t been using it much at all since. I’m thinking of putting it on eBay but before I do that I figured I’d let a Halford fan or drum enthusiast among my MySpace friends have first crack at it.

    There is quite a bit of metal history connected to this kit: I recorded HALFORD – ‘Live Insurrection’ (various tracks), HALFORD – ‘Crucible’, and ROB ROCK – ‘Holy Hell’ with it and used it live with HALFORD touring in the US, Canada, and South America on the ‘Resurrection’ and ‘Crucible’ tours, including the 2000/2001 tour with Iron Maiden and Queensryche and the ‘Rock In Rio’ show in Brazil that’s about it be released on DVD. It can also be seen in the ‘Betrayal’ video.

    This is a great sounding kit and still in very good condition (I got it in 2000) except for the standard “wear and tear” from being on the road. No major war wounds though. I have posted a number of photos of the drumset so click here to take a closer look.

    Drums:
    (2) 24″ Bass Drums
    10″ Mounted Tom
    12″ Mounted Tom
    14″ Mounted Tom
    16″ Floor Tom
    14″ Snare Drum

    * The drum color is ‘black mist’
    * All Pearl drums have serial numbers
    * The (3) rack toms are suspended using the Pearl OptiMount Suspension System
    * The rack toms and floor tom are equipped with Pearl MasterCast Die-Cast Hoops
    * The snare drum is a 5 x 14 Remo MasterEdge snare drum which I used as my main backup snare
    * All drums are fitted with brand new Evans drumheads

    Hardware:
    The extended rack system includes:
    * (8) leg assemblies w/ stabilizer feet, (4) long front and side mounting bars, (2) medium mounting bars for back cymbals + (1) very short front middle mounting bar
    * (13) pipe clamps for an easy setup and locking of the tom arms and cymbal booms
    * (3) tom arms featuring the Pearl Uni-Lock System
    * (10) cymbal booms (6 long and 4 short) allowing for multiple configurations and angles for mounting cymbals (cymbals not included)
    (2) Pearl Eliminator Pedals
    Pearl snare stand
    Pearl hi-hat stand

    The kit is currently in storage in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles; I would prefer to find a buyer in the area who can pick it up as I’d rather not ship it.

    If you are located outside of SoCal and can’t pick up the kit in person shipping costs would obviously have to be added to the selling price.
    I am asking $3,500 for the complete drumset and drum rack system. Interested parties please contact me at bobbyspearlkit@yahoo.com.

  • Tito Puente Remembered

    It’s been eight years since Tito Puente left us, but thankfully he’s in no danger of being forgotten. NPR and drummer/percussionist Bobby Sanabria recently discussed Puente’s life and work, including his seminal album Tito Puente and His Concert Orchestra.

  • Muxtape Is Down…

    But hopefully not down for the count. The RIAA has finally flexed its enormous lawyer muscles by demanding that the music site remove copyrighted content or begin paying royalties for streaming songs—not a likely resolution because the RIAA charges an exorbitant amount of cash for the privilege. For its part, Muxtape has said, “No artists or labels have complained. The site is not closed indefinitely. Stay tuned.”

    We’ll keep our sticks crossed that everything works out (hope springs eternal, eh?), but in the meantime we’ll be checking out some other services to bring you great drumming tracks. If you use anything, drop us a recommendation in the comments.

    [Update 2022: Muxtape was a great site that allowed bands and listeners to create “mixtapes” with a limited number of songs that could be streamed directly from Muxtape’s site. It was kind of like a custom Spotify way before Spotify existed.]

  • New Colors for Taye’s GoKit

    Drummers on the go have already discovered that Taye’s GoKits sound really damn awesome, and now the drums are lookin’ a little sexier too in a couple of new colors: Black Micro-Flake and Blue Micro-Flake.

  • Joey Jordison Breaks Ankle

    And all this time we thought Jordison was a superbionic drum god. It appears, however, that his ankles are mortal enough because he broke one of them in Europe. As a result, Slipknot has had to cancel their slots at the Leeds and Reading festivals, as well as their remaining European dates. Expect riots and the maggot uprising to ensue. There’s just enough time to watch a few Jordison licks in the studio.

  • Travis Barker in the Studio With Wale

    Diving even deeper into the land of hip-hop, Barker is now working with Wale on a track called “G Told Me.” The good bits (i.e., those with the drums) start around 1:38 in the vid below. Yet again, Trav is beating the hell out of some Zildjian Pitch Blacks, and surprisingly they don’t sound entirely terrible. Maybe he has the special prototype pro line?….

  • 23 Drummer Jokes

    You might not have heard every one of these 23 drummer jokes that Music Radar has compiled, but rest assured your band members have. Here’s a little of what they’ve been saying behind your back:

    How do you tell if the stage is level?
    The drummer is drooling from both sides of his mouth.

    How can you tell a drummer’s at the door?
    The knocking speeds up.

    What’s the last thing a drummer says in a band?
    “Hey, how about we try one of my songs?”