I once auditioned for a 'classic rock' band and had to play a dozen great songs by the likes of Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. But the one that was the toughest was 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead.
I didn't get the gig. But I genuinely don't think it was my drumming that was the problem. I was too old and didn't have enough hair to fit in with the rest of the excellent band. It was still a fantastic session, and the greatest achievement – for me anyway – was to get through the breakneck onslaught of 'Ace of Spades'.
The song will always be associated with Lemmy, whose line 'I don't want to live forever' has now been fulfilled.
'Ace of Spades' was completely over-the-top and also down-to-earth. Just like Lemmy. But above all, he always came over as completely honest – in his music and in whatever he said.
The news of Lemmy's death comes so soon after the demise of one-time Motorhead drummer Phil Taylor. These guys might have been around for a while, but they didn't get old before they died...
Tuesday 29 December 2015
Sunday 29 November 2015
Stuck Outside The Forum With The Hendrix Blues Again... Slight Return
For reasons unknown to me, my post "Stuck Outside The Forum With The Hendrix Blues Again" attracted more readers than anything else on "Words And Music".
In short, it was a complaint about a Facebook group called The Real Blues Forum refusing to allow discussion about Jimi Hendrix being a blues guitarist.
Well, it's happened again. But this time the guitarist whose name cannot be mentioned is Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The latest trouble started when a hapless member of the forum posted a video of Albert King performing with Vaughan. A small discussion started about the playing styles of the two men, but was cut short by a right-thinking member of the forum pointing out that this discussion transgressed the rules. Something like: old black players ok to talk about, but modern white players (or Hendrix) not ok to talk about.
Someone then asked how on earth this video had even been posted in the first place.
When I responded by asking: "Can blue men play the whites?" - a light-hearted reference to the Bonzo Dog Band's classic enquiry - my contribution was almost immediately moderated, ie removed.
So now I've removed myself from The Real Blues Forum. It's funny that Albert King was able to bring himself to play with the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher, and that BB King could sing the praises of Eric Clapton and Peter Green, but (predominantly white) blues purists don't seem to even want to talk about them.
In short, it was a complaint about a Facebook group called The Real Blues Forum refusing to allow discussion about Jimi Hendrix being a blues guitarist.
Well, it's happened again. But this time the guitarist whose name cannot be mentioned is Stevie Ray Vaughan.
The latest trouble started when a hapless member of the forum posted a video of Albert King performing with Vaughan. A small discussion started about the playing styles of the two men, but was cut short by a right-thinking member of the forum pointing out that this discussion transgressed the rules. Something like: old black players ok to talk about, but modern white players (or Hendrix) not ok to talk about.
Someone then asked how on earth this video had even been posted in the first place.
When I responded by asking: "Can blue men play the whites?" - a light-hearted reference to the Bonzo Dog Band's classic enquiry - my contribution was almost immediately moderated, ie removed.
So now I've removed myself from The Real Blues Forum. It's funny that Albert King was able to bring himself to play with the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher, and that BB King could sing the praises of Eric Clapton and Peter Green, but (predominantly white) blues purists don't seem to even want to talk about them.
Wednesday 25 November 2015
Time And Motion
Phew! After three studio sessions, my Moving Target solo percussion piece is finally recorded. It should come to a YouTube near you soon.
I couldn't have done it without the aid of sound maestro Simon "Dr Scardo" Scardanelli and his technical wizardry. We managed to stick to the basics of real drum kit, real percussion instruments and real human voice, but where it was appropriate, we did use effects that you can only get in the studio.
And that included a bit of cutting and pasting – to achieve parts that I could write but found exceedingly difficult to play in one take. Mainly because I deliberately set out to create a mathematical mix of 4/4 with 7/8 and 15/8 and 6/8...
It probably sounds rather grand to say that it was inspired by the music of Steve Reich (as well as Yannis Markopoulos, Public Image Ltd, trance music, Ringo Starr and heavy rock) but it kind of was…
And why Moving Target? Because of the time signature shifts… and also because that's the best way to survive… keep moving.
I couldn't have done it without the aid of sound maestro Simon "Dr Scardo" Scardanelli and his technical wizardry. We managed to stick to the basics of real drum kit, real percussion instruments and real human voice, but where it was appropriate, we did use effects that you can only get in the studio.
And that included a bit of cutting and pasting – to achieve parts that I could write but found exceedingly difficult to play in one take. Mainly because I deliberately set out to create a mathematical mix of 4/4 with 7/8 and 15/8 and 6/8...
It probably sounds rather grand to say that it was inspired by the music of Steve Reich (as well as Yannis Markopoulos, Public Image Ltd, trance music, Ringo Starr and heavy rock) but it kind of was…
And why Moving Target? Because of the time signature shifts… and also because that's the best way to survive… keep moving.
Friday 20 November 2015
At The Double
It was sad to hear of the death of Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor – renowned for a number of things, but also for being one of the pioneers of the double bass drumming style that has become ubiquitous in the worlds of metal.
Double bass drumming may look easy - but it isn't. You're asking your left (or hi-hat) foot to do something that it isn't used to doing. And in effect you're asking your whole body to play differently.
Louie Bellson was the man who started it in jazz... and Ginger Baker was the first to bring it to rock... closely followed by Keith Moon and Jon Hiseman.
There are a small number of good books on the subject. There is an excellent primer by Joe Franco called "Double Bass Drumming". And I would also now recommend "Double Bass Drumming and Power Fills Workout" by Matt Sorum and Sam Aliano.
At first I thought this book was just about speed and flash, but it actually leads you into some really interesting experimentations with all the (often simple but still tricky) combinations of two hands and two feet playing drums.
Learning to play two bass drums takes you back to basics, not only in terms of simplicity but also because it can give you that same feeling of excitement you had when you first discovered the drums. Try it!
Tuesday 3 November 2015
A Pain In The Back
Phil Collins has announced that he's coming out of "retirement" but it doesn't sound as if he'll be playing the drums much, sticking instead to piano and vocals.
A truly individual drummer, he was forced to stop playing a few years ago because of physical health problems.
Though some folk seem to find it difficult to believe, playing drums is very much a mental exercise.
There are physical demands, of course... but drummers' injuries tend not to be of the blood-on-the-snare variety, as featured in the movie Whiplash, but ones incurred from years of moving heavy drums and drum bags around.
I've recently encountered two veteran players, both with back problems, who just don't want to carry their gear anywhere anymore.
Unless they have the luxury of a roadie, drummers are always first to have to start setting up for a gig and last to finish taking down. They also have the most awkward gear for loading in and out of cars or vans.
They keep their drums pristine and in perfect order... but it's not always easy to do the same for themselves.
A truly individual drummer, he was forced to stop playing a few years ago because of physical health problems.
Though some folk seem to find it difficult to believe, playing drums is very much a mental exercise.
There are physical demands, of course... but drummers' injuries tend not to be of the blood-on-the-snare variety, as featured in the movie Whiplash, but ones incurred from years of moving heavy drums and drum bags around.
I've recently encountered two veteran players, both with back problems, who just don't want to carry their gear anywhere anymore.
Unless they have the luxury of a roadie, drummers are always first to have to start setting up for a gig and last to finish taking down. They also have the most awkward gear for loading in and out of cars or vans.
They keep their drums pristine and in perfect order... but it's not always easy to do the same for themselves.
Sunday 25 October 2015
Disharmony Row
Which was more unlikely? That Ginger Baker would agree to headline a tribute concert to the late Jack Bruce? Or that someone would screw things up to the point that Ginger walked off stage?
Both of these things happened last night at London's Roundhouse, a year on from Bruce's death.
The legendary drummer and the legendary bassist had enjoyed a legendary love-hate relationship for decades.
So the fact that Ginger was apparently prepared to bury the hatchet was remarkable.
The all-star line-up for the gig turned out to be less than starry... guitarists Bernie Marsden and Clem Clempson at least had some stature and relevance, but what were Hugh Cornwell and Joss Stone doing on the bill?
The only moments of real passion came from Ayanna Witter-Johnson (who, solo, played cello and sang a beautiful rendition of Rope Ladder To The Moon) and Jack's daughter Aruba Red (who sang a tear-stained version of Folk Song).
Aruba Red also successfully tackled We're Going Wrong, which introduced Mr Baker to the stage with the loudest applause of the evening.
But things started to turn sour immediately, as someone apparently had forgotten to amplify Ginger's hi-hat, which he uses jazz-style as a timekeeper. This was sorted and he continued to play thunderously beautiful tom-tom runs throughout the song.
But then came Sunshine Of Your Love, which Ginger kicked off, but then seemed to find himself being drowned out by the return of the house band's drummer to an over-amplified kit and more guitarists than it was sensible to put on one stage at the same time. He appealed several times for the sound of his kit to be brought up – without success. So he walked off mid-song.
Jack Bruce deserved better than this. And so did Ginger Baker. The organisers sold tickets on the basis that Ginger was going to play – and then appeared to ensure that he didn't.
But you could almost see Jack's ghost laughing as Ginger stormed off stage. Perhaps their partnership was always destined to end like this.
Both of these things happened last night at London's Roundhouse, a year on from Bruce's death.
The legendary drummer and the legendary bassist had enjoyed a legendary love-hate relationship for decades.
So the fact that Ginger was apparently prepared to bury the hatchet was remarkable.
The all-star line-up for the gig turned out to be less than starry... guitarists Bernie Marsden and Clem Clempson at least had some stature and relevance, but what were Hugh Cornwell and Joss Stone doing on the bill?
The only moments of real passion came from Ayanna Witter-Johnson (who, solo, played cello and sang a beautiful rendition of Rope Ladder To The Moon) and Jack's daughter Aruba Red (who sang a tear-stained version of Folk Song).
Aruba Red also successfully tackled We're Going Wrong, which introduced Mr Baker to the stage with the loudest applause of the evening.
But things started to turn sour immediately, as someone apparently had forgotten to amplify Ginger's hi-hat, which he uses jazz-style as a timekeeper. This was sorted and he continued to play thunderously beautiful tom-tom runs throughout the song.
But then came Sunshine Of Your Love, which Ginger kicked off, but then seemed to find himself being drowned out by the return of the house band's drummer to an over-amplified kit and more guitarists than it was sensible to put on one stage at the same time. He appealed several times for the sound of his kit to be brought up – without success. So he walked off mid-song.
Jack Bruce deserved better than this. And so did Ginger Baker. The organisers sold tickets on the basis that Ginger was going to play – and then appeared to ensure that he didn't.
But you could almost see Jack's ghost laughing as Ginger stormed off stage. Perhaps their partnership was always destined to end like this.
Saturday 24 October 2015
King George
According to Keith Richards, Charlie Watts once thumped Mick Jagger when Jagger referred to Charlie as "his drummer". Quite right too. But I suspect George Recile may not take such great offence at being known as "Bob Dylan's drummer".
He has served on Bob's Never Ending Tour for years and years (as have the rest of the Dylan band) and but when they pitched up at London's Albert Hall this week for five nights, they sounded as fresh – and hot and cool – as they ever did.
Recile, with his ability to switch from a delicate waltz to hard rock, from swinging jazz to a pin-drop-quiet ballad, is the perfect drummer for Dylan, always propelling the music forward but never playing too loud or too much. His two-handed New Orleans rhythms are a delight to watch as well as hear.
And Bob? Like all the reviews have been saying, he has found a new and remarkable voice to deliver his Sinatra-esque ballads as well as his tougher-edged material. His genius is undimmed.
Long may he sing... and long may George Recile play the drums.
Thursday 22 October 2015
Footes Steps
If only it were possible to use the lunch hour for playing drums, I thought, as I took a walk down Tottenham Court Road. For no real reason, my footsteps took me down Store Street... where I found not only a music store, but one with a drum rehearsal room in the basement.
Footes, as with most music shops, is staffed by friendly, helpful people, and I immediately felt like I'd found a welcoming oasis in the heart of the city.
Needless to say, I booked in for the next lunch hour... and will continue to do so when I'm in the area.
The Footes room is quiet, fairly well soundproofed and has a nice Natal kit. You don't even have to bring cymbals or sticks. And just an hour concentrates the drumming mind wonderfully...
Monday 19 October 2015
African Independence
You only have to go into a decent music store to realise that there is a huge number of drumming instruction books. They're nearly all fascinating but few are truly exciting.
The best I've found in a long while is 'West African Rhythms for Drumset' by Royal Hartigan.
It's not only crammed with exercises that will stretch all four limbs to produce some amazing music, but it's also clearly, intelligently and lovingly written, with detailed explanation of the roots of the rhythms, and wonderful photographs of African players.
And if you're a drummer interested in improving their independence (for non-drummers, that means playing different patterns with each hand and foot), it offers some serious challenges.
Nothing else to say really, except buy it.
Saturday 17 October 2015
In The Presence Of Greatness
Russ Payne broke up the Shark Dentists a while ago and formed a new band with a fluid line-up called the Unison Bends. That band has been gigging regularly through 2015 across the M4 delta, from London to Bristol, and is now taking a break until December.
But I've carried on drumming. There's a solo percussion project called Moving Target, which should be completed in November, recorded with the invaluable help of the great Dr Simon Scardanelli. And there's been a bit of sitting in...
I had the good fortune to play at a London street festival with some excellent jazz musicians, including Yosi Marshall on sax, Funky Johnny P on bass and Caroline Cooper on keys. And it was Caroline who said I should call in at a Monday-night jam session at the Halfway House in Barnes... a suggestion that led to the resumption of this blog.
The night I finally made it there, Caroline was on keys, alongside the house rhythm section and some horn players. An endless procession of singers took the stage for some great, old-fashioned swing and ballads.
In the break, the house drummer said I was welcome to sit in... and that there was another drummer in the place who would also play.
This proved to be something of an understatement. When the second half kicked off, there was a man sitting at the drums who had palpable style and panache – even before he touched the kit. And when he played, he played with tremendous skill, subtlety and passion. His brush work was sublime and made me feel like I shouldn't be there. On a ballad, in which one over-ambitious singer began to lose the musical plot, the drummer held everything together and rescued singer and band from disaster.
"Do you want to go on next?" the house drummer asked me. "Yes," I lied. How on earth did I follow this guy?
It's ok, I told myself, just stay within your limits... it'll be a ballad or swing... you're not a jazz drummer, but you can do those.
Then as I settled behind the kit, the singer helpfully told us: "The next one's a rumba."
Well, I improvised and survived, and got away with it. And the next one after that was a welcome uptempo swing number.
It was only later that I discovered the identity of the master drummer who had excited and scared me in equal measures.
Like a real gentleman, he came over to me after the second set, introduced himself and said he'd like to talk. He was Brian Walkley, a veteran from the 1960s, who has played with everyone from Long John Baldry, Elton John and Keith Emerson to Sonny Boy Williamson, T-Bone Walker and Stevie Wonder.
Like all good drummers, he had a fund of anecdotes – like the night he was driving Ginger Baker home... but Ginger couldn't actually remember where home was.
If you are anywhere near the Halfway House, go there on a Monday night. It's great entertainment. And if Brian is playing, it will also be a great education in the art of the drummer.
But I've carried on drumming. There's a solo percussion project called Moving Target, which should be completed in November, recorded with the invaluable help of the great Dr Simon Scardanelli. And there's been a bit of sitting in...
I had the good fortune to play at a London street festival with some excellent jazz musicians, including Yosi Marshall on sax, Funky Johnny P on bass and Caroline Cooper on keys. And it was Caroline who said I should call in at a Monday-night jam session at the Halfway House in Barnes... a suggestion that led to the resumption of this blog.
The night I finally made it there, Caroline was on keys, alongside the house rhythm section and some horn players. An endless procession of singers took the stage for some great, old-fashioned swing and ballads.
In the break, the house drummer said I was welcome to sit in... and that there was another drummer in the place who would also play.
This proved to be something of an understatement. When the second half kicked off, there was a man sitting at the drums who had palpable style and panache – even before he touched the kit. And when he played, he played with tremendous skill, subtlety and passion. His brush work was sublime and made me feel like I shouldn't be there. On a ballad, in which one over-ambitious singer began to lose the musical plot, the drummer held everything together and rescued singer and band from disaster.
"Do you want to go on next?" the house drummer asked me. "Yes," I lied. How on earth did I follow this guy?
It's ok, I told myself, just stay within your limits... it'll be a ballad or swing... you're not a jazz drummer, but you can do those.
Then as I settled behind the kit, the singer helpfully told us: "The next one's a rumba."
Well, I improvised and survived, and got away with it. And the next one after that was a welcome uptempo swing number.
It was only later that I discovered the identity of the master drummer who had excited and scared me in equal measures.
Like a real gentleman, he came over to me after the second set, introduced himself and said he'd like to talk. He was Brian Walkley, a veteran from the 1960s, who has played with everyone from Long John Baldry, Elton John and Keith Emerson to Sonny Boy Williamson, T-Bone Walker and Stevie Wonder.
Like all good drummers, he had a fund of anecdotes – like the night he was driving Ginger Baker home... but Ginger couldn't actually remember where home was.
If you are anywhere near the Halfway House, go there on a Monday night. It's great entertainment. And if Brian is playing, it will also be a great education in the art of the drummer.
Back On The Beat
I've been away for a year or so... I'm back. I hadn't stopped writing and I hadn't stopped playing. But I had stopped blogging. Why start again? Because a few days ago I encountered a drummer who played like a dream... and then I had to follow him on stage... and I wanted to write about what happened... So I will...
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