Levon Helm, one of the great all-time drummer vocalists, is about to blow out a shit load of candles this Saturday. He turns the big 7-0 on May 26, but he’s hosting a “Midnight Ramble” concert at his studio in Woodstock this weekend. It’s an annual affair for the former Band drummer, though this year he’ll also be helping out Little Feat stickman Richie Hayward, who is ill and apparently in need of some cash (a disturbing trend lately for our dudes), by raffling an autographed Yamaha kit. To enter the raffle, you can buy a ticket for $250 at levonhelm.com until 9 o’clock Saturday evening.
Metal legend Ronnie James Dio succumbed to stomach cancer on Sunday, and well-deserved tributes and remembrances have been pouring in over the e-wires ever since.
Lars Ulrich posted an open letter to RJD on Metallica’s website:
Dear Ronnie,
I just got off stage in Zagreb. I was met with the news that you’ve passed on. I’m kind of in shock, but I wanted you to know that you were one of the main reasons I made it onto that stage to begin with. When I first saw you in Elf, opening for Deep Purple in 1975, I was completely blown away by the power in your voice, your presence on stage, your confidence, and the ease with which you seemed to connect to 6000 Danish people and one starry-eyed 11 year old, most of whom were not familiar with Elf’s music. The following year, I was so psyched when I heard the results of you joining forces with my favorite guitar player. You guys sounded so right for each other and I instantly became Rainbow’s #1 fan in Denmark. In the fall of 1976, when you played your first show in Copenhagen, I was literally in the front row and the couple of times we made eye contact you made me feel like the most important person in the world. The news that you guys were staying in town on your day off somehow embedded itself in my brain and I made the pilgrimage to the Plaza Hotel to see if I could somehow grab a picture, an autograph, a moment, anything. A few hours later you came out and were so kind and caring… pictures, autographs and a couple minutes of casual banter. I was on top of the world, inspired and ready for anything. Rainbow came to Copenhagen a couple more times over the next few years and each time you guys blew my mind, and for a good three years were my absolute favorite band on this planet. Over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to run into you a half dozen times or so and each time you were as kind, caring and gracious as you were in 1976 outside the hotel. When we finally got a chance to play together in Austria in 2007, even though I may not have let on, I was literally transformed back to that little snot nosed kid who you met and inspired 31 years earlier and it was such a fucking honor and a dream come true to share a stage with you and the rest of the legends in Heaven and Hell. A couple of weeks ago when I heard that you were not going to be able to make it to the Sonisphere shows that we would be sharing this June, I wanted to call you and let you know that I was thinking of you and wish you well, but I kind of pussied out, thinking the last thing you needed in your recovery was feeling obligated to take a phone call from a Danish drummer/fan boy. I wish I’d made that call. We will miss you immensely on the dates, and we will be thinking of you with great admiration and affection during that run. It seemed so right to have you out on tour with the so-called “Big Four” since you obviously were one of the main reasons that the four bands even exist. Your ears will definitely be burning during those two weeks because all of us will be talking, reminiscing and sharing stories about how knowing you has made our lives that much better.
Ronnie, your voice impacted and empowered me, your music inspired and influenced me, and your kindness touched and moved me. Thank you.
Much love,
Lars
Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover also posted this tribute:
I am at an absolute loss right now upon hearing that Ronnie has passed away. I had the pleasure of touring both Canada and America in 2007 when Megadeth toured with “Heaven and Hell” (Black Sabbath in my eyes) and I swear to you he is 1 of the nicest human beings I have ever met, period. Many a night on that tour, Glen and myself would have amazing conversation’s with Ronnie about his career, etc. fully knowing he had probably told these stories 10,000 times to people and yet he answered every question I had with a big smile. I can recall so many times making eye contact with Glen sharing the exact same thought – “Dude, I can’t believe we are hanging with RONNIE JAMES DIO!!!!!” If you are lucky enough in your lifetime to actually meet 1 of your idols (let alone tour with them) and they turn out to be even nicer than you could have envisioned, that is something you would truly treasure. Lucky for me, I will cherish those memories forever.
Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante said:
The first time I heard Ronnie James Dio, I thought he was a larger person, because the voice was so huge!….It was Rainbow and I was a fan of his from then on. ‘Man on the Silver Mountain,’ ‘Heaven and Hell,’ ‘Rainbow in the Dark.’ The songs are endless. The sound of his voice with those bands was always so perfect….It was his God-given instrument. He was true metal and the creator of the metal hand sign. He was divine.
And Mike Portnoy added from his Twitter account:
Looks like Dime, Randy, Cliff and Bonzo just scored the ultimate singer….this is one of the saddest days in metal ever…. : (
Mike also posted this great pic of him and Ronnie.
And it will only set you back $799 (MSRP). Those eight bones get you eight trigger pads, 50 built-in kits and hundreds of cutting-edge drum and percussion sounds, 30 types of multi-effects, and a bunch of external trigger inputs. The SPD-30 also has a Phrase Loop recording feature that allows a player to loop recorded sounds in real time and then overdub additional parts or sounds.
But no one really cares about that stuff. Here’s how cool it looks with a full Roland kit.
Drum roadies, beware. Mapex has just introduced its Horizon Fastpack drum set, a portable kit that aims to set the standard for great-sounding, easy-to-load-in, and easy-to-load-out drums. The set includes a 20″ x 12″ bass drum, 8″ x 6″ and 10″ x 7″ rack toms, a 12″ x 12″ floor tom, and a 13″ x 5″ snare drum. The shells are constructed using a combination of basswood and birch plies for outstanding tone. The drums are also outfitted with a durable, high-gloss black covering, and the mounted toms feature Mapex’s Isolated Tom Mount System (ITS). Some 310-series hardware completes the kit.
But what use is having a “portable” drum set if you don’t have something to lug it around in? Mapex thought about that too and put together a complementary set of Fastpack drum bags. The bass drum and snare fit into a padded rolling bag with wheels. The 8”, 10”, and 12” toms fit into a padded bag with a convenient shoulder strap. A durable, easy-to-carry bag is provided for the hardware too.
So what we got here from Mapex’s Horizon Fastpack appears to be a kit that lets you actually spend more time making music with your drums and less time moving them around and setting them up.
It’s not yet confirmed, but Rocks Off, a Houston-area music blog, is reporting that longtime Willie Nelson drummer Paul English has suffered a stroke. The site’s source is said to be reliable, but Willie’s publicist hasn’t confirmed or denied English’s condition. The drummer started with Willie way the hell back in 1955, when country music was still cool, or more authentic, or at least not entirely fucked-up boring. According to the almighty Wikipedia, English was also the strong-arm, asskicking collection agent for the band in those early days. Here’s hoping he can beat the bollocks off this thing too.
What the hell? We just reported that Paul English, the longstanding skinsman for Willie Nelson, might have had a stroke, and now we learn that drummer Dan Duggins definitely has suffered one as well. Duggins made his name keeping the beat for Hot Rod Circuit, Lazycain, and most recently Queen Killing Kings. He is only 34 years old and, like most musicians who aren’t in U2 or the Rolling Stones, he doesn’t have health insurance. If you got some spare cash and a whole lot of goodwill, help the fellow out by donating to his PayPal account.
Evans is hitting the road to showcase its Player Profile drumhead selection system, which greatly simplifies the Evans product line—and drumheads in general—into four basic categories: Sensitive, Versatile, Controlled, and Durable. Each profile is based on specific musical applications and contains a bunch of products designed to deliver optimal performance attributes (attack, sustain, tone, and durability) for that genre, helping players to narrow down the choice of drumheads to those that will best suit their playing style.
At Evans’ Player Profile events, Evans staff members and a guest artist will be on hand to help players find their ideal sound. There will be a 30- to 45-minute session on tuning and high-performance gear tips by an on-site Evans Product Specialist, as well as a one-hour clinic by top Evans artist Tommy Igoe.
Evans will also hold an on-site raffle for over $1,000 in product, including custom-made Inked by Evans graphic front bass drum heads.
Here are the current dates:
May 5, 2010 – GC Studios, Woodland Hills, CA
May 6, 2010 – Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA
July 14, 2010 – Drums2Go, Orlando, FL
July 15, 2010 – All Pro Percussion, Tampa, FL
July 19, 2010 – Ken Stanton Music, Atlanta, GA
July 20, 2010 – Bailey Brothers, Birmingham, AL
July 21, 2010 – Fork’s Drum Closet, Nashville, TN
July 22, 2010 – Memphis Drum Shop, Memphis, TN
Also check the Evans Player Profile page for more upcoming tour dates and information.
Even if you got a bunch of beat-up, craptastic gear like we do, you’re still going to want a decent set of cases to protect what’s left of your gigging kit. To help us out, Protection Racket has conveniently launched its AAA (Access All Area—All Accidents Averted) line of drum cases. The line is built on Triple A-Plex™, a poly-carbonate frame that offers exceptional resistance to impact. Rocket Foam™ is utilized inside each AAA case to provide protection against knocks and trauma during transit. The inner walls have PR’s Propile™ technical fleece lining, keeping your drums snug, safe, and warm, and the outer of the cases is finished in Protection Racket’s tried and tested 600 denier polyester Racketex™, which is 100% waterproof and extra durable. Finishing touches include new polyester/plastic/neoprene ergonomic handles for extra comfort and longevity, and the heavy-duty spiral chain zips are double stitched-in and totally water and rot proof. Incredibly light, these cases still weigh much less than the average 2-piece hard case and are so strong you can stand on them. Or have sex. Or whatever.
Think you got what it takes to sit on Jimmy’s throne? Then sharpen your best pair of sticks and step on up: Billy Corgan is holding open auditions for a new Pumpkins drummer. Auditions will take place Friday, April 10, 2010, in Los Angeles. All requirements—including photograph/headshot, background info, and links to digital files—must be sent via e-mail to pumpkinsdrummer@gmail.com.
That’s what everyone wondered when it was announced last week that he was out of the band. Looking no doubt to quash all the sure-to-be-insane rumors, Jimmy himself answered the question on his site:
By now you have heard the news of my departure from the Smashing Pumpkins. I will say, without going into any unnecessary details that this represents a positive move forward for me. I can no longer commit all of my energy into something that I don’t fully possess. I won’t pretend I’m into something I’m not. I won’t do it to myself, you the fan, or my former partner. I can’t just, “Cash the check” so to speak. Music is my life. It is sacred. It deserves the highest commitment at every level and the Pumpkins are certainly no different. I’m sorry but it really IS that simple. There is no drama, bad blood, or anything else but a full commitment to music. My best goes out to Billy and I’m glad he has chosen to continue under the name. It is his right. I will continue to make music with the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex as well as pursuing other musical interests. I feel that I have a long way to go and a lot to give. Thanks to everyone for your kind words and support through all of this. I am constantly humbled by all of you! It is an honor and a privilege to play music for a living and I don’t take it for granted not even for a second.
Is Axl Rose really a crazy, ego-maniacal pain-in-the-rump? Not at all, at least according to drum-meister Josh Freese, who chats about his 2-year stint in Guns N’ Roses:
Everyone always baits me to give them a crazy Axl story. I don’t really have any. I spent two years in a studio with him [and] I never saw any mood swings. He was never not cool to me. So, I am always quick to defend the guy, even though I know his reality is different than mine. Then again, everyone has a different reality.
Motown legend and Funk Brother Uriel Jones died today after suffering complications from a heart attack. The 74-year-old drummer had created the beats behind just about every classic tune you ever wished you could have played on, including “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg.” Jones and the rest of the Funk Brothers were featured in the excellent 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. A little bit of Jones in action:
We gave you a heads-up about Sabian’s “One of 100″ cymbals way back in January, and now the time has come to pony up your cash. The heavily weathered Artisan rides are going for 800 bucks each, a pretty serious price tag to be sure, but one that also apparently gets you access to a Sabian factory tour in 2010….Assuming, of course, that Bill Zildjian hasn’t had the company liquidated by then.
If you manage to snatch one of the dirty beauts, be sure to send us mucho cymbal porn.
[Press Release]
Today, Sabian announces pre-sale availability of the anticipated “One of 100″ cymbal collection. Buried in an undisclosed location near the Sabian cymbal factory in Meductic, eastern Canada, 100 cymbals are undergoing eight months of dry, wet, hot and cold soil conditioning, as part of the company’s “One of 100″ program.
These buried Artisan Medium ride cymbals are the result of hundreds of annual queries from drum enthusiasts regarding the aging of cymbals by burying them in the ground. Sabian’s Peter Stairs, VP of Sales, notes: “Anecdotal comment indicates that aging the cymbals by burying them in soil actually helps shape their sound. We anticipate they will be dirtier looking, and if what the legend says is true, they may be dirtier sounding as well.”
The cymbals in the “One of 100″ collection will be available to the first 100 eligible buyers who submit a purchase submission form on the Sabian Web site. Once dug up, the cymbals will be sonically approved by the Sabian Vault Team, then individually packaged in a deluxe wood box, complete with official documentation of authenticity signed by master product specialist Mark Love. Additional benefits for “Owners of The Hundred” include an invitation to visit the Sabian factory in 2010 to meet the founders of Sabian and tour the factory, early access to new product and printed information from Sabian, invitation to participate in a Sabian focus group and access to an exclusive “One of 100″ forum which includes direct access to Sabian product specialists.
The purchase window for these cymbals opens at 9:00 a.m. A.S.T. on Thursday, March 5, and more details can be found here. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to charity.
As part of the rhythm section, you’ll likely spend a lot of time being grouped in with the bass player. The guitarists and singers of this world get to solo on their flaming amps and stand around as a queue of hot chick or hot dude sluts forms to blow them, but you and your four-stringed partner have to “hold it down” or “keep it in the pocket” or some such bullshit. You’re like a less racially transcendent Defiant Ones, working together to make sure your Puddle of Mudd cover is a hit at Skeezer’s Bar and Grill next Tuesday. So here are some basic rules to keep the peace:
1. Remember, there is a good chance your bass player is a failed guitarist. This means he either feels rejected or he’s a little dim. Neither scenario is ideal. If it’s the former, make sure you help him sow a deep-seated hatred for the guitarist. Then when you’re asked to just play a woodblock for a song, you can unleash your attack dog. If it’s the latter, just smile and nod when he tells you about his plans to chug a shit ton of Robitussin.
2. It’s highly unlikely you’re going to get more respect than the prick guitarist and dickbag singer, but you’re probably going to be more popular than the bass player. Don’t be a slave to your pity, though. At some point he’s going to say you’re playing too fast or not keeping a steady tempo and you’ll have to remind him that you’re using all four of your limbs while he’s playing with one fucking asshole finger.
3. If your bass player tries to make a “drummers get drool on their SATs Haha”-type joke, try to laugh along. Remember that bass player jokes don’t really exist for the same reason jokes about accountants and civil engineers don’t exist.
4. If your bass player asks you to “get a little funkier” and he is not Flea or a certain crazy motherfucker named Bootsy Collins, you’re in trouble. If you can’t fire him, quit.
5. Don’t ask your bass player to turn down. You should focus on building a solid rhythmic backbone and it can only happen with both of you knowing what each other is doing. But definitely ask him to stop playing the fucking root note on the 1 for every goddamn part.
6. Help your bass player break down and move his equipment for the first few weeks. It’ll be a little inconvenient, but he’ll be so happy someone’s paying attention to him that when you ask for assistance in tearing down and moving your drums he’ll be more than willing to lend a hand. Just make sure he doesn’t start unscrewing your tom heads or anything. Remember, he’s probably a little dim.
Ah, just in time to take advantage of recession-era economics, Pearl has unveiled a limited-edition shell pack that retails for $3,399—or about 1,100 extra-value meals at McDonald’s. But, hey, who needs food when you can score a sweet 4-piece in African mahogany? The available drums, all finished in a red mahogany fade, include a 22″ x 18″ bass drum, 10″ x 8″ and 12″ x 9″ toms, and a 16″ x 16″ floor tom. The toms feature chrome super hoops, aluminum optimount tom holders, and Remo clear ambassador heads. Only 30 of the shell packs will be available in the U.S., so start tightening your belt.
