That's the motto, still. Not that it is an easy one to live by, but all you can do is try, right? Right. So it's past midnight, I'm typing and I'm kind of excited because I haven't actually blogged since October. I guess the bug bit me again or something. Actually, after October last year I didn't have any internet access for a couple of months. After those couple of months, I just shunned the net for another couple of months and it felt good. It was kind of an experiment. I felt like a caveman, but in a good way. But as Full Court Press once told us, "good things never last", so I found my way back to the internet machine sometime in March or so. Felt like updating the blog once in a while but nothing happened, I guess I was just focusing on other things, such as the writing and recording process of the new Rise And Fall record. We recorded back in March and the damn thing should be out in October. I'm pretty stoked on that. We also just got back from a 4 week tour throughout Europe with our dawgs in Have Heart and Shipwreck. I have to admit, I have missed touring. I've been living a somewhat more regular life over the last few years and while that's not the worst thing in the world, touring is definitely a lot cooler. Rise And Fall hadn't done any extensive touring since the summer of '09 so we were all pretty amped to get out there and play hard every night. It was fun. Plus we could hang with and see the Hearts and the Wrecks every day, it don't get much better than that. Anyway. On tour I had a bunch of people ask me what was going on with the blog and that definitely helped me get back into it. It's cool to hear some people out there really dig it. See, I won't lie, I'm pretty far from being Lars Ulrich but every ego loves to be flattered now and then. So here I am, back at it. Mind Over Matter '09.
This is going to be pretty damn random so please bear with me. Two of my favourite bands out there both have new albums out, both of them leaked prior to their release date, but what are you gonna do? You can't rage against the internet machine.
Iron Age "The Sleeping Eye". If you asked me for two words to describe this one, I'd say "EPIC RIFFING". Not everyone is going to dig this, because not everyone can stomach 7 minute songs and an overdose of riffs, but I sure can. Granted, it's a bit much too listen to in one take, but fuck it... This album is ridiculously good. It sounds crisp and clear and heavy as fuck. Huge sound. Think Clash Of The Titans Tour, 20000 maniacs headbanging. I was too slow to get the double vinyl released by the band themselves, but I'll pick up the Tee Pee version as soon as it crosses my path.
Another killer is the new Trapped Under Ice album called "Secrets Of The World". No surprise here as their demo, "Stay Cold" EP and live shows already showed what greatness this band is capable of. I've heard it a bunch of times now on other's people's Ipods, I got close to destroying the roof of our van when I started a one man moshpit up in the loft. I can't wait to get the real thing. Reaper Records is going strong, no doubt.
Soul Control's new album called "Cycles" should be out soon too, I haven't heard that one yet but I'm definitely curious to hear what kind of wizardry Jim C. and co. have come up with. Speaking of Jim C., I have an awesome interview with him somewhere in my mailbox, I will try to get that thing online soon, 'cause Soul Control's European tour starts in a few days from now.
What's your favourite Bane album? Chances are it's "Give Blood". Defibitely a good answer. It's probably my favourite one too. But how about "The Note"? Definitely an underappreciated record. I was way into that one. I have a feeling i'm going to dig the new EP as well 'cause that new song they put online last week rules. Peep it at banecentral.com and keep an eye out for that record to drop on Hurry Up Records in Europe (Matteo, cojone) and Triple B in the States.
Doomriders have a new album coming too. "Darkness Come Alive". I've heard it and it does shred. Hard. A little darker, more serious (less of a spur of the moment thing I guess) than "Black Thunder". Check the Deathwish site for a 3 song media player.
Guess who else put out a new album? That's right, Dinosaur Jr. It fucking rules. Album of the year*? Possibly. There's a bunch of walking trees on the cover. Those trees don't give a fuck. Because they're cool.
I gotta get some sleep. More soon.
Peace.
* In the non-hardcore category.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Focus On The Light: True Colors U.S. Tour
In a matter of days a bunch of Belgians will land on U.S. soil to play a bunch of anthemic, high energy hardcore songs of the straight edge variety. True Colors is the name of their band and I suggest you go see them if you have the chance. They zill be touring with none other than Cruel Hand. Here are their tourdates:
10/03 : Lemoyne, PA @ Championship
10/04 : Lakewood, OH @ Hi Fi
10/05 : Romeo, MI @ Static Age
10/06 : Toronto, ONT @ Studio BLR
10/07 : Montreal, QC @ INFO COMING SOON!!
10/08 : Chicotimi, QC @ La Marina
10/09 : Haverhill, MA @ Anchors Up
10/10 : Brooklyn, NY @ Stolen Sleeves
10/11 : Edison, NJ @ Stelton Church
Due to logistic reasons I can't spice this up with a sweet live pic but let the words do the talking here. I asked my friend Wim "Hingie" De Backer a couple of questions. He plays bass in True Colors. BUST!
In a couple of days from now, True Colors will be in the United States. How did this happen? Who made it happen? How excited are you?
We've been talking about touring the US for a while now, but I don't think any of us really believed that it would ever happen. We all kinda knew that we were capable of doing it if we would just get to it, but the idea of True Colors touring in America was always quite absurd to us... I don't even know how it all finally happened, but I assume our drummer Peers just got in touch with Andy Rice from Deathwish (probably through Dave Sausage), and he just booked our tour. And I am pretty excited about it! See next question...
None of you have ever been there, so how wild do you expect the U.S. to be? Do you think the female population over there is ready for the coming of L.L. Cool P. (Ladies Love Cool Peers)?
I try to have no expections at all, but I'm sure everything is going to be mega exciting! I cannot wait for the moment we're walking out of the airport, all in America for the first time, on tour with our band, figuring out what we'll be doing first and how exactly. And it all looks like we don't have too many really long drives and we're going to be able to hang out in some cool cities, so that's just perfect. Far out, far fucking out as the dude would say...
And I personally believe that no female population anywhere can ever be ready for the coming of Peers. Mothers, lock up your daughters! I'm not even joking...
Please give me a list of 10 things you absolutely want to do while you are on tour there...
One thing I learned playing in a touring band is never plan too much stuff in advance, cause I always get a little bummed out if things don't work out the way I want them to, wich is pretty often. BUT, 10 things I definitly want to do this time around include:
Play at least one good show
Get into Canada
Hang out with Spoiler08
Eat non vegan things with Spoiler08
Eat donuts daily
Get a strawberry/banana smoothie (yo Stief!)
Try all the Ben&Jerrys flavours that arent available in Europe
Buy a new iPod (cheap)
Buy lots of other stuff (cheap)
Hang out in New York City
True Colors has been known to bust some Youth Of Today covers on the regular... What Youth Of Today songs have you covered so far and do you have any others planned for the future?
So far we did Honesty, Break Down The Walls, I Have Faith, Slow Down, Put It Aside, A Time We'll Remember and Wake Up And Live. We did Disengage at rehearsals but we were not quite ready for that song yet. We're not really sure what our next Youth Of Today cover will be, but I definitly still want to do the following: Positive Outlook, Youth Of Today, Disengage, Together, Understand and a bunch more...
Please explain your fixation on this seminal Straight Edge Band. If you could go back in time and be in Youth Of Today playing bass, what era of Youth Of Today would you go back to?
Youth Of Today just makes perfect sense to me, in every possible way... to me, they hit home like no other band does. Their songs are fast and super aggresive, their lyrics inspiring yet simple, their live shows energetic and impressive, their records and their layouts completly flawless... Just exaclty what I was looking for when I discovered them at age 17. I was still a fattie back then, and looking at the pictures of Ray and Porcell always made me want to work out and get in shape. They definitely had a big influence on me growing up...
I wouldn't even dare to think of me replacing Walter Schreifels or Craig Setari as a bassplayer in Youth Of Today, so I'd go back to 1985 and play in YOT in their Can't Close My Eyes days if I had to. I love every Youth Of Today record and all eras so it's all good anyway. Though my absolute favourite one is the We're Not In This Alone era, that record, most energy captured on a record ever! And best hardcore record of all time, hands down...
This question made me listen to all four Youth Of Today releases in a row this morning, it made my day.
Favourite Geert Hollanders quote?
"I think I'm going to get some dessert..."
10/03 : Lemoyne, PA @ Championship
10/04 : Lakewood, OH @ Hi Fi
10/05 : Romeo, MI @ Static Age
10/06 : Toronto, ONT @ Studio BLR
10/07 : Montreal, QC @ INFO COMING SOON!!
10/08 : Chicotimi, QC @ La Marina
10/09 : Haverhill, MA @ Anchors Up
10/10 : Brooklyn, NY @ Stolen Sleeves
10/11 : Edison, NJ @ Stelton Church
Due to logistic reasons I can't spice this up with a sweet live pic but let the words do the talking here. I asked my friend Wim "Hingie" De Backer a couple of questions. He plays bass in True Colors. BUST!
In a couple of days from now, True Colors will be in the United States. How did this happen? Who made it happen? How excited are you?
We've been talking about touring the US for a while now, but I don't think any of us really believed that it would ever happen. We all kinda knew that we were capable of doing it if we would just get to it, but the idea of True Colors touring in America was always quite absurd to us... I don't even know how it all finally happened, but I assume our drummer Peers just got in touch with Andy Rice from Deathwish (probably through Dave Sausage), and he just booked our tour. And I am pretty excited about it! See next question...
None of you have ever been there, so how wild do you expect the U.S. to be? Do you think the female population over there is ready for the coming of L.L. Cool P. (Ladies Love Cool Peers)?
I try to have no expections at all, but I'm sure everything is going to be mega exciting! I cannot wait for the moment we're walking out of the airport, all in America for the first time, on tour with our band, figuring out what we'll be doing first and how exactly. And it all looks like we don't have too many really long drives and we're going to be able to hang out in some cool cities, so that's just perfect. Far out, far fucking out as the dude would say...
And I personally believe that no female population anywhere can ever be ready for the coming of Peers. Mothers, lock up your daughters! I'm not even joking...
Please give me a list of 10 things you absolutely want to do while you are on tour there...
One thing I learned playing in a touring band is never plan too much stuff in advance, cause I always get a little bummed out if things don't work out the way I want them to, wich is pretty often. BUT, 10 things I definitly want to do this time around include:
Play at least one good show
Get into Canada
Hang out with Spoiler08
Eat non vegan things with Spoiler08
Eat donuts daily
Get a strawberry/banana smoothie (yo Stief!)
Try all the Ben&Jerrys flavours that arent available in Europe
Buy a new iPod (cheap)
Buy lots of other stuff (cheap)
Hang out in New York City
True Colors has been known to bust some Youth Of Today covers on the regular... What Youth Of Today songs have you covered so far and do you have any others planned for the future?
So far we did Honesty, Break Down The Walls, I Have Faith, Slow Down, Put It Aside, A Time We'll Remember and Wake Up And Live. We did Disengage at rehearsals but we were not quite ready for that song yet. We're not really sure what our next Youth Of Today cover will be, but I definitly still want to do the following: Positive Outlook, Youth Of Today, Disengage, Together, Understand and a bunch more...
Please explain your fixation on this seminal Straight Edge Band. If you could go back in time and be in Youth Of Today playing bass, what era of Youth Of Today would you go back to?
Youth Of Today just makes perfect sense to me, in every possible way... to me, they hit home like no other band does. Their songs are fast and super aggresive, their lyrics inspiring yet simple, their live shows energetic and impressive, their records and their layouts completly flawless... Just exaclty what I was looking for when I discovered them at age 17. I was still a fattie back then, and looking at the pictures of Ray and Porcell always made me want to work out and get in shape. They definitely had a big influence on me growing up...
I wouldn't even dare to think of me replacing Walter Schreifels or Craig Setari as a bassplayer in Youth Of Today, so I'd go back to 1985 and play in YOT in their Can't Close My Eyes days if I had to. I love every Youth Of Today record and all eras so it's all good anyway. Though my absolute favourite one is the We're Not In This Alone era, that record, most energy captured on a record ever! And best hardcore record of all time, hands down...
This question made me listen to all four Youth Of Today releases in a row this morning, it made my day.
Favourite Geert Hollanders quote?
"I think I'm going to get some dessert..."
Monday, September 15, 2008
God Can't Touch Us Now, We're Out Of His Jurisdiction
The Melvins and Big Business played Ghent last Friday. I watched the Melvins from up on the balcony, something I had to do to preserve my sanity. I wanted to see Big Business from up close but found myself surrounded by idiots. Out of the 10 people around me, 11 were either yelling in their dumb friends ears trying make conversation, or poking me in the back while bringing their dumb friends some more beer. Regardless though, Big Business were good, the only bummer is that it's almost as if they're not a real band when supporting the Melvins. What I mean is that it would be cool if they would have their own set up, with both Jared and Coady frontstage in the spotlights, shredding. On to the Melvins. While they were playing I thought of the following way to describe their set: Perfection Through Precision. Holy shit. So fucking heavy. Super tight set, with an emphasis on material off their last two albums and a few old ragers and surprises thrown in there. Apparently they covered The Who's "My Generation", but I didn't recognize that one. I did catch the a-capella version of "The Star Spangled Banner"! It is mind boggling how a band with two drummers can be this tight. It was also awesome to see how into it King Buzzo still is, rocking that weirdo robe and the grey afro. The man's a legend. You won't find me filming bands with my cellphone so you'll have to make do with this footage of Beavis & Butthead watching "Hooch"...
On a totally unrelated note, I was made aware of some awesome live footage of Hateverge. So bummed I didn't get to see this when it happened, because come on, how awesome is the idea of seeing Converge bang out classic Hatebreed tracks with Jamey singing? As Vince accurately put it a few days ago... "Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire" is to hardcore what "Nevermind" is to grunge/alt rock/whatever. Nothing but hits on that album. I can still remember the excitement that was in the air when Hatebreed first played Europe, they'd cancelled a few tours here in the late 90's, rumor had it that Jamey had a severe case of B.A. Baracus (flying anxiety) and that Hatebreed would never make it out here. But obviously, the non-believers were proven wrong in 2001. They toured Europe with Sepultura and did a few headline shows of their own, I went and saw a few and they were wild, to say the least. Anyway, check out the Hateverge footage below, it is what I would show someone when trying to explain the meaning of "sheer insanity". Some sick diving going on during "Before Dishonor". What's up Lord Ezec, just chillin' on stage rocking a sleeveless lambskin coat?
Possibly even more unrelated to the Melvins, but a little more Hatebreed related is the next YouTube gem. Hand me that late pass if you want, but I was unaware of the existence of this video until a few weeks ago. Thank you Jeffrey. I was never quite sure what to make of Fury Of Five, I was into their first 7" and remember digging their first album but afterwards they kinda disappeared off my radar. I don't think I ever saw them live either. I definitely wasn't at the legendary Belgian show where James Ismean kindly asked the P.A. dude if he "knew how to spell beatdown?", which is a bummer. But anyway, check out this video for "Do Or Die", it's pretty hard. The highlight defintely is James Ismean stickmanning , starting at 1:37. I'm into the added commentary too.
I have been listening to the new Have Heart album excessively during the last few weeks. Definitely one of my favourite records to come out this year, everything about it makes a lot of sense to me. If you're old fashioned like me and still value good lyrics, check the ones Pat Flynn wrote for this album. Some of that stuff blew my mind. I'll probably review the whole record up here soon. In the meantime, here's some more YouTube footage... Have Heart at Ieper Fest in Belgium. See me doing a sweet dive at 0:09 and get crushed a few seconds later. I'm a survivor though.
Another record I have been really into as of late is Paint It Black's "New Lexicon". After seeing them play one of the most inspiring and energetic sets at this year's Sound And Fury, I have been listening to this album a whole lot more and it's awesome. They are currently touring Europe with Trash Talk so go see them if you can. These are the tour dates:
Sep 15 2008: Cassiopeia/Skatehalle / Berlin, Germany
Sep 16 2008: 007 / Prague, Czech Republic
Sep 17 2008: Arena / Vienna, Austria
Sep 18 2008: Exhaus / Trier, Germany
Sep 19 2008: Juha West / Stuttgart, Germany
Sep 20 2008: Parkhaus Meiderich / Duisburg, Germany
Sep 20 2008: ZXZW Festival / Tilburg, Holland
Sep 21 2008: Le Klub / Paris, France
Sep 22 2008: The Fighting Cocks / London, U.K.
Sep 23 2008: Le Pub / Newport, U.K.
Sep 24 2008: Star & Garter / Manchester, U.K.
Sep 25 2008: Trash / Leeds, U.K.
Sep 26 2008: The Engine Room / Brighton, U.K.
Sep 27 2008: Ill Blood Fest / Izegem, Belgium
My good friends in Blacklisted and Rhythm To The Madness are also still on tour through Europe, make sure you don't miss out on that either. Both bands played a blazing set at Rhythm To The Madness' record release show. More on "Weltschmerz" later on.
09/15: Mannheim, Germany @ JUZ
09/15: Karlsruhe, Germany @ Jubez
09/16: Munster, Germany @ Sputnik Cafe
09/17: Paris, France @ Le Klub
09/18: Trier, Germany @ Exhaus
09/19: Tilburg, Holland @ ZXZW
09/20: Duisburg, Germany @ Parkhaus Duisburg-Meiderich
09/21: Genk, Belgium @ JH Rondpunt
More interviews, reviews and what not coming soon. Peace.
On a totally unrelated note, I was made aware of some awesome live footage of Hateverge. So bummed I didn't get to see this when it happened, because come on, how awesome is the idea of seeing Converge bang out classic Hatebreed tracks with Jamey singing? As Vince accurately put it a few days ago... "Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire" is to hardcore what "Nevermind" is to grunge/alt rock/whatever. Nothing but hits on that album. I can still remember the excitement that was in the air when Hatebreed first played Europe, they'd cancelled a few tours here in the late 90's, rumor had it that Jamey had a severe case of B.A. Baracus (flying anxiety) and that Hatebreed would never make it out here. But obviously, the non-believers were proven wrong in 2001. They toured Europe with Sepultura and did a few headline shows of their own, I went and saw a few and they were wild, to say the least. Anyway, check out the Hateverge footage below, it is what I would show someone when trying to explain the meaning of "sheer insanity". Some sick diving going on during "Before Dishonor". What's up Lord Ezec, just chillin' on stage rocking a sleeveless lambskin coat?
Possibly even more unrelated to the Melvins, but a little more Hatebreed related is the next YouTube gem. Hand me that late pass if you want, but I was unaware of the existence of this video until a few weeks ago. Thank you Jeffrey. I was never quite sure what to make of Fury Of Five, I was into their first 7" and remember digging their first album but afterwards they kinda disappeared off my radar. I don't think I ever saw them live either. I definitely wasn't at the legendary Belgian show where James Ismean kindly asked the P.A. dude if he "knew how to spell beatdown?", which is a bummer. But anyway, check out this video for "Do Or Die", it's pretty hard. The highlight defintely is James Ismean stickmanning , starting at 1:37. I'm into the added commentary too.
I have been listening to the new Have Heart album excessively during the last few weeks. Definitely one of my favourite records to come out this year, everything about it makes a lot of sense to me. If you're old fashioned like me and still value good lyrics, check the ones Pat Flynn wrote for this album. Some of that stuff blew my mind. I'll probably review the whole record up here soon. In the meantime, here's some more YouTube footage... Have Heart at Ieper Fest in Belgium. See me doing a sweet dive at 0:09 and get crushed a few seconds later. I'm a survivor though.
Another record I have been really into as of late is Paint It Black's "New Lexicon". After seeing them play one of the most inspiring and energetic sets at this year's Sound And Fury, I have been listening to this album a whole lot more and it's awesome. They are currently touring Europe with Trash Talk so go see them if you can. These are the tour dates:
Sep 15 2008: Cassiopeia/Skatehalle / Berlin, Germany
Sep 16 2008: 007 / Prague, Czech Republic
Sep 17 2008: Arena / Vienna, Austria
Sep 18 2008: Exhaus / Trier, Germany
Sep 19 2008: Juha West / Stuttgart, Germany
Sep 20 2008: Parkhaus Meiderich / Duisburg, Germany
Sep 20 2008: ZXZW Festival / Tilburg, Holland
Sep 21 2008: Le Klub / Paris, France
Sep 22 2008: The Fighting Cocks / London, U.K.
Sep 23 2008: Le Pub / Newport, U.K.
Sep 24 2008: Star & Garter / Manchester, U.K.
Sep 25 2008: Trash / Leeds, U.K.
Sep 26 2008: The Engine Room / Brighton, U.K.
Sep 27 2008: Ill Blood Fest / Izegem, Belgium
My good friends in Blacklisted and Rhythm To The Madness are also still on tour through Europe, make sure you don't miss out on that either. Both bands played a blazing set at Rhythm To The Madness' record release show. More on "Weltschmerz" later on.
09/15: Mannheim, Germany @ JUZ
09/15: Karlsruhe, Germany @ Jubez
09/16: Munster, Germany @ Sputnik Cafe
09/17: Paris, France @ Le Klub
09/18: Trier, Germany @ Exhaus
09/19: Tilburg, Holland @ ZXZW
09/20: Duisburg, Germany @ Parkhaus Duisburg-Meiderich
09/21: Genk, Belgium @ JH Rondpunt
More interviews, reviews and what not coming soon. Peace.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Bang The Drum Slowly: Part II
The cool thing about interviewing drummers is how fast most of 'em would reply to my emails. I guess drummers don't get interviewed all that often. I've had the following two interviews in my inbox for a while, I wanted to wait until I got some more answers in but I guess the closer you live to people, the longer it takes them to answer. It's all good though. Here's Bang The Drum Slowly Part II featuring two drummers that I love watching and listening to... Reed DeAngelis and Nick Woj.
I first met Reed when Iron Age first toured Europe. We didn't actually hang until Rise And Fall toured the U.S. with Iron Age in March/April '07 though. Reed rode with us for most of the tour, didn't talk all that much but seemed happy enough listening to a bunch of Belgians talk shit in a language he didn't understand. If you've seen Reed at work then you know what his deal is: small dude, hard hitter, good style. Check out his new band FEED while you're at it.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Reed DeAngelis - 21 years of age. I have drummed for Iron Age, Bitter End, and a million other random Texas Hardcore/Punk bands but am currently drumming for FEED and Antic Hay. I've been officially drumming since the ripe age of 11 years.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
Randomly, Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac was the one who inspired me to drum. I remember watching a live performance of them on TV with my mom when I was around 8 and started drumming on pillows along with their set. Him and Tre Cool of Green Day!
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
Technically, my first drumset was bought for me when I was 3 years old. It was a toy Mickey Mouse drumkit and I couldn't get enough of that piece of shit. But when I turned 11 and took my first drum lesson, my mom took me out to a local music shop and bought me a Yamaha DP series drumset for $400 (I don't think they make them anymore, they suck). I had that kit for about 5 years until I 'upgraded' to a Tama Rockstar ($800) and then finally, a couple years ago I got a 1979-81(?) Rogers kit for about $350.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I'm a firm believer in selfless drumming. Do what's best for the song and know when to shut the fuck up. I hate watching drummers who think it's necessary to throw in a million cymbal 'accents' and conclude every 4 measures of a beat with a ridiculous fill. Also, I HATE unneccessary double-bass. In fact, I'm not much of a fan of double bass at all - I believe it should've been kept in Jazz where it's actually used with some class. As far as riff-writing, I definitely give my 2 cents... I like to take riffs that my guitarists write and change the time signatures and accents to kinda spice it up a little more. I think that's a big part of how a drummer should contribute to his band.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
The drummer is like the goalie. The entire team (as well as the crowd) knows that without him the entire game would fall apart, but unfortunately he doesn't get as much recognition as the power forwards because they're the ones on the frontline scoring all the points.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Hmmm...well, Iron Age's 'Constant Struggle' was definitely a milestone for me as it was my first full-length record. But I have a much stronger sense of pride for the FEED demos because obviously not only did we write all the music but we were also responsible for the recording and pressing of the demos. It feels much better to do the entire thing yourself.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
Great question. Yo, I HATE mosh. I think it looks absolutely absurd. I would much rather have everyone headbang and/or sing along. For me, playing tight as hell is the most rewarding aspect of a live show. Nothing beats getting off the stage knowing that you nailed your songs. It boils down to the following question: are you playing your songs for yourself or for the crowd?
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
The first solo drummer I ever got into was Billy Cobham. I would recommend him to any drummer I know... he is phenomenal. Also, the drummer for the Spin Doctors has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. Good drummers nowadays - the drummer for Vedera (I forgot his name), Champ of Foundation, JP of Rise And Fall fame, Ely of Bitter End, that new jack drummer of Bad Religion is insane, so on and so forth.
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Listen to the drum intro of 'Butcher's Bill' on Iron Age's "Constant Struggle". Now, listen to the drum break in 'Don't Look Back' by Boston.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
For all touring and recording drummers - don't be zealots! Do what's best for your band and stop trying to put yourself in the spotlight.
Although you probably won't see Nick behind the kit for most of Cold World's shows nowadays, he still is the silent mastermind behind the band. From artwork, to lyrics, to vocal patterns, to riffs, Nick's input is huge. When I first met him he was wearing a Darkthrone shirt. Check out Cold World's awesome new album called "Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First". It rules.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Nick Woj, I just turned 27. Like anybody I did a couple early bands that were mostly just messin' around but my first real band was called Magnus. Alex and Dan from Cold world were also in it. it was like a youth crew band. I was also in a 90's style screamo type band called Our Time with Posi-Fest creator Bobb Mac. I had a little stint in Horror Show and was supposed to be in Blacklisted but I couldn't commit to their rigorous tour schedule at the time. I did play a show with them though. I've been drumming in bands since i was like 14.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
I started drums because my uncle Jason played and I was always around him so I'd get behind his kit. So I guess he was the drummer who inspired me first. After that, my drum idol became Lars Ulrich.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
I was eventually handed down my uncle's set. It was one of those clear (blue) Ludwig sets. I wish I still had it! It was pretty beat up though. After that I had a couple okay sets and then my grandfather bought me a Tama rockstar set which I believe is in my friend Phil Leone's garage right now.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I've been one of the major song-witers in every band I've been in. I can play guitar a little bit so I usually get down the basic chords for a song or riff and if there's something more complicated I hum it out to the guitar player.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
I think sometimes it depends on the style of music, but I think the person that told you that is mostly right. With hardcore, I always noticed that the bands with the crazy-good drummers usually suck. Or at least I don't like them. I feel like someone's technical ability shouldn't be the focus in a popular form of music, it should be the songs. You can have an amazing drummer in a mediocre band, but the only people who are going to appreciate the drummer are the musicians and that's not good for the band. Drummers of my favorite bands just play the right things at the right time with a bit of style.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Probably Cold World's "Ice Grillz". That was the second record we did with Don Fury and I know he wasn't happy with the outcome of the first time, so he really had us dial the parts in. I think it is probably the best record I've played on but not because of the drumming. I just think it's a solid EP.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
It really depends on how you feel at the time. Some gigs I would have so much fun because me and Alex would just be feeling it and play really well together, even if it's not a packed gig. Especially if the place has a nice sound system. But there's been gigs that we didn't play particularly tight but everybody was going off and it felt great so it made up for it. I know it's cliche to say, but it's particularly true in a hardcore band, that you feed off the crowd's energy. If you're in a metal or rock band, I'm sure you can tell if the crowd's feeling it or not but it's not as interactive as kids killing each other and getting on stage to mosh, dive or sing along. Personally though, I usually feel the best if I play well. If there's at least a moderate amount of crowd participation and I played well, I'm the most happy with the gig.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
Nah. Maybe a little, but that's not really my style. I remember in the 90's when I first got into hardcore and bands were all emotional and shit, I thought that was cool but not really now.
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
My favorite hardcore drummers are Mackie (the obvious choice, everybody says him but c'mon... u gotta), Sammy (I feel like everybody overlooks this dude. Listen to the last Youth Of Today EP and tell me you would've thought to play those songs the way he did), and Rene Natzel from World Collapse and True Blue. People probably think that's a weird answer but his drum style and sound is ridiculous and he's a great song-writer. Kingshot from Floorpunch's drums made a big impression on me too. Non-hardcore standouts are Reni of Stone Roses, Lars Ulrich, ?uestlove, and a few others. I think that drummers of my favorite bands just kind of play the right thing, and that really makes me appreciate them. Like Mike Joyce of The Smiths and Colm of My Bloody Valentine. And last but not least FENRIZ OF DARKTHRONE!!!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Oh man, I borrow shit all day. Most of it's subconciously from hip-hop but I think if you listen to our new album when it comes out you can pick up a lot of influence from Goat of Merauder. Especially the "5 Deadly Venoms"-era.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
What's up to all the drummers that I love giggin' with. Shawn Foley, DFJ, Mook, Riffset, etc. You know who you are. Thanks to the following for enough instrumental inspiration to last a life time - Showbiz, Buckwild, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Q Tip & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Madlib, Oh No, J Dilla, Paul C, Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Scott La Rock, The Bomb Squad, Eric Sermon, Prince Paul and the RZA.
I first met Reed when Iron Age first toured Europe. We didn't actually hang until Rise And Fall toured the U.S. with Iron Age in March/April '07 though. Reed rode with us for most of the tour, didn't talk all that much but seemed happy enough listening to a bunch of Belgians talk shit in a language he didn't understand. If you've seen Reed at work then you know what his deal is: small dude, hard hitter, good style. Check out his new band FEED while you're at it.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Reed DeAngelis - 21 years of age. I have drummed for Iron Age, Bitter End, and a million other random Texas Hardcore/Punk bands but am currently drumming for FEED and Antic Hay. I've been officially drumming since the ripe age of 11 years.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
Randomly, Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac was the one who inspired me to drum. I remember watching a live performance of them on TV with my mom when I was around 8 and started drumming on pillows along with their set. Him and Tre Cool of Green Day!
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
Technically, my first drumset was bought for me when I was 3 years old. It was a toy Mickey Mouse drumkit and I couldn't get enough of that piece of shit. But when I turned 11 and took my first drum lesson, my mom took me out to a local music shop and bought me a Yamaha DP series drumset for $400 (I don't think they make them anymore, they suck). I had that kit for about 5 years until I 'upgraded' to a Tama Rockstar ($800) and then finally, a couple years ago I got a 1979-81(?) Rogers kit for about $350.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I'm a firm believer in selfless drumming. Do what's best for the song and know when to shut the fuck up. I hate watching drummers who think it's necessary to throw in a million cymbal 'accents' and conclude every 4 measures of a beat with a ridiculous fill. Also, I HATE unneccessary double-bass. In fact, I'm not much of a fan of double bass at all - I believe it should've been kept in Jazz where it's actually used with some class. As far as riff-writing, I definitely give my 2 cents... I like to take riffs that my guitarists write and change the time signatures and accents to kinda spice it up a little more. I think that's a big part of how a drummer should contribute to his band.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
The drummer is like the goalie. The entire team (as well as the crowd) knows that without him the entire game would fall apart, but unfortunately he doesn't get as much recognition as the power forwards because they're the ones on the frontline scoring all the points.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Hmmm...well, Iron Age's 'Constant Struggle' was definitely a milestone for me as it was my first full-length record. But I have a much stronger sense of pride for the FEED demos because obviously not only did we write all the music but we were also responsible for the recording and pressing of the demos. It feels much better to do the entire thing yourself.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
Great question. Yo, I HATE mosh. I think it looks absolutely absurd. I would much rather have everyone headbang and/or sing along. For me, playing tight as hell is the most rewarding aspect of a live show. Nothing beats getting off the stage knowing that you nailed your songs. It boils down to the following question: are you playing your songs for yourself or for the crowd?
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
The first solo drummer I ever got into was Billy Cobham. I would recommend him to any drummer I know... he is phenomenal. Also, the drummer for the Spin Doctors has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. Good drummers nowadays - the drummer for Vedera (I forgot his name), Champ of Foundation, JP of Rise And Fall fame, Ely of Bitter End, that new jack drummer of Bad Religion is insane, so on and so forth.
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Listen to the drum intro of 'Butcher's Bill' on Iron Age's "Constant Struggle". Now, listen to the drum break in 'Don't Look Back' by Boston.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
For all touring and recording drummers - don't be zealots! Do what's best for your band and stop trying to put yourself in the spotlight.
Although you probably won't see Nick behind the kit for most of Cold World's shows nowadays, he still is the silent mastermind behind the band. From artwork, to lyrics, to vocal patterns, to riffs, Nick's input is huge. When I first met him he was wearing a Darkthrone shirt. Check out Cold World's awesome new album called "Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First". It rules.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Nick Woj, I just turned 27. Like anybody I did a couple early bands that were mostly just messin' around but my first real band was called Magnus. Alex and Dan from Cold world were also in it. it was like a youth crew band. I was also in a 90's style screamo type band called Our Time with Posi-Fest creator Bobb Mac. I had a little stint in Horror Show and was supposed to be in Blacklisted but I couldn't commit to their rigorous tour schedule at the time. I did play a show with them though. I've been drumming in bands since i was like 14.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
I started drums because my uncle Jason played and I was always around him so I'd get behind his kit. So I guess he was the drummer who inspired me first. After that, my drum idol became Lars Ulrich.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
I was eventually handed down my uncle's set. It was one of those clear (blue) Ludwig sets. I wish I still had it! It was pretty beat up though. After that I had a couple okay sets and then my grandfather bought me a Tama rockstar set which I believe is in my friend Phil Leone's garage right now.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I've been one of the major song-witers in every band I've been in. I can play guitar a little bit so I usually get down the basic chords for a song or riff and if there's something more complicated I hum it out to the guitar player.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
I think sometimes it depends on the style of music, but I think the person that told you that is mostly right. With hardcore, I always noticed that the bands with the crazy-good drummers usually suck. Or at least I don't like them. I feel like someone's technical ability shouldn't be the focus in a popular form of music, it should be the songs. You can have an amazing drummer in a mediocre band, but the only people who are going to appreciate the drummer are the musicians and that's not good for the band. Drummers of my favorite bands just play the right things at the right time with a bit of style.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Probably Cold World's "Ice Grillz". That was the second record we did with Don Fury and I know he wasn't happy with the outcome of the first time, so he really had us dial the parts in. I think it is probably the best record I've played on but not because of the drumming. I just think it's a solid EP.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
It really depends on how you feel at the time. Some gigs I would have so much fun because me and Alex would just be feeling it and play really well together, even if it's not a packed gig. Especially if the place has a nice sound system. But there's been gigs that we didn't play particularly tight but everybody was going off and it felt great so it made up for it. I know it's cliche to say, but it's particularly true in a hardcore band, that you feed off the crowd's energy. If you're in a metal or rock band, I'm sure you can tell if the crowd's feeling it or not but it's not as interactive as kids killing each other and getting on stage to mosh, dive or sing along. Personally though, I usually feel the best if I play well. If there's at least a moderate amount of crowd participation and I played well, I'm the most happy with the gig.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
Nah. Maybe a little, but that's not really my style. I remember in the 90's when I first got into hardcore and bands were all emotional and shit, I thought that was cool but not really now.
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
My favorite hardcore drummers are Mackie (the obvious choice, everybody says him but c'mon... u gotta), Sammy (I feel like everybody overlooks this dude. Listen to the last Youth Of Today EP and tell me you would've thought to play those songs the way he did), and Rene Natzel from World Collapse and True Blue. People probably think that's a weird answer but his drum style and sound is ridiculous and he's a great song-writer. Kingshot from Floorpunch's drums made a big impression on me too. Non-hardcore standouts are Reni of Stone Roses, Lars Ulrich, ?uestlove, and a few others. I think that drummers of my favorite bands just kind of play the right thing, and that really makes me appreciate them. Like Mike Joyce of The Smiths and Colm of My Bloody Valentine. And last but not least FENRIZ OF DARKTHRONE!!!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Oh man, I borrow shit all day. Most of it's subconciously from hip-hop but I think if you listen to our new album when it comes out you can pick up a lot of influence from Goat of Merauder. Especially the "5 Deadly Venoms"-era.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
What's up to all the drummers that I love giggin' with. Shawn Foley, DFJ, Mook, Riffset, etc. You know who you are. Thanks to the following for enough instrumental inspiration to last a life time - Showbiz, Buckwild, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Q Tip & Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Madlib, Oh No, J Dilla, Paul C, Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Scott La Rock, The Bomb Squad, Eric Sermon, Prince Paul and the RZA.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Don't Be Surprised About The Life That She Breeds
Why not treat ourselves to a wonderful gem? You may have seen this before but I sure hadn't. Here's a video Leeway once did for "Foot The Bill", the opening track of their 1995 album "Open Mouth Kiss". I love Leeway and I love that record. Often overlooked because obviously it ain't no "Born To Expire" or "Desperate Measures" (I don't even need to - or feel like I can begin to - explain how brilliant those albums are), but in my opinion that's what makes it such a great record. It's insane how talented Leeway was (and still is), seeing how they could pull off albums like those and then come up with something as different and mind blowing as "Open Mouth Kiss". Post hardcore in the true sense of the word, 'cause in my book you can do only do post hardcore right if you've really done hardcore right as well. The video is a little blurry, hazy and artsy at times but you gotta love Eddie's outfit.
A couple of days ago I drove down to CCR Studios, where Rhythm To The Madness was busy recording "Weltschmerz". Going down there is always fun, Rise And Fall has recorded nearly everything we've done there so seeing Kris again always is a good time. Getting a chance to hear what Stief, Klaas, Daan and Cedric have been cooking up is obviously exciting too and that ofcourse was why I dropped by anyway. Rhythm To The Madness definitely still is a band for fans of solos, "Best Wishes", "Alpha - Omega", wild ideas, harsh riffs and insightful lyrics. That much I can tell you. Look out for the album to drop on September 6th, the release show in Berchem (Belgium) will be one of the first shows of their European tour with Blacklisted.
Last weekend I saw Dinosaur Jr for the second time in my life. Besides the fact that they were awesome, loud and up there playing some of the best indie/guitar rock ever I was really fascinated by J. Mascis outfit. I know that's weird but what can I say? I guess I'm weird too. He was wearing a pair of Levi's jeans, I was a little too far to be able to tell if they were 505's or 501's (yo, it's crazy what a job will do to you) but they were definitely cool and an Adidas running jacket. Plus you know the dude loves old hardcore so you could say we have a lot in common? I dunno. I wish I could see Dinosaur Jr every weekend.
If anyone out there is kind of a nerd like me and has wondered about whatever happened to Jimmy Yu, of Judge and Death Before Dishonor fame, definitely check out the Double Cross Blog/Zine. Those dudes managed to track the man down and did an extensive interview with him, of which part 4 is online now. It's a great read, with plenty of good stories and anecdotes by one of the more mysterious characters of the late 80's New York Hardcore scene. Double Cross is linked in the "Recommended Reading" section on the right. You'll find plenty more to read up there as well, Tim and his posse post updates nearly everyday. It may not always be my cup of tea but I've definitely read and seen some awesome things there.
Last of all, Rise And Fall will be heading to the States next week to play Sound And Fury and do some touring up and down the West Coast. If anyone wants to chill, come find me at the nearest In-N-Out Burger. Here are the tourdates...
07/25: Santa Barbara, CA @ Earl Warren Showgrounds SOUND AND FURY
07/26: Santa Barbara, CA @ Earl Warren Showgrounds SOUND AND FURY
07/27: Santa Barbara, CA @ Earl Warren Showgrounds SOUND AND FURY
07/28: Newhall, CA @ American Legion Hall w/ Blacklisted, Shipwreck, Alpha And Omega
07/29: Orangevale, CA @ Orangevale VFW w/ Blacklisted, Shipwreck, Alpha And Omega
07/30: Portland, OR @ Backspace w/ Alpha And Omega, Black Breath
07/31: Tacoma, WA @ Viaduct w/ Alpha And Omega, Black Breath
08/01: San Francisco, CA @ Balazo Gallery w/ Alpha And Omega, Black Breath, Skin Like Iron
08/02: San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe w/ Alpha And Omega, Black Breath, Skin Like Iron
08/03: Riverside, CA @ Pharos Den w/ Alpha And Omega, Black Breath, Skin Like Iron
Friday, July 4, 2008
Union Town: Self Titled / Review
I guess sometimes things just click. When I first heard about Union Town and the individuals that made up the band, it seemed like an odd mix of people, but an interesting one at least. Bassist Miriam was in Malkovich for a long time, a band I never really quite understood, but still she provided them with some style and grace so that's cool. Drummer Dorus was in No Turning Back around the time they put out "Rise From The Ashes", yet it never really seemed like that band was his "thing". Then there was Johan Vogels, their guitarist who (to Vince and me) will forever and always be the dude that appeared to know every word to every One Life Crew song off "Crime Ridden Society" in a discussion whether or not that band was acceptable or not. That was back in '98 though so I guess I'm drifting off here. When the band found the perfect singer in Hein (who for a really short time played bass in Justice and put out a bunch of awesome demos on his tape label The Decline) and recorded their demo, things definitely must've clicked. When I heard it, I was floored, almost instantly. Obviously I wasn't the only one and despite the fact that Union Town hadn't really played much outside the Holland/Belgium area, the demo did real well and got pressed onto vinyl by Powered Records.
Where the demo mainly was an up tempo deal, with well written songs that carried a huge mid to late 80's DC vibe (Rites Of Spring, Embrace, Dag Nasty), this self titled debut album is a much more varied record. The bands that influenced Union Town when they wrote their demo are still an influence now, but as it goes when bands find their own sound, the influence is less obvious. Yet, their sound is still firmly rooted in the same soil, if that makes any sense? The variety in their songs, the maturity in their songwriting (you can really tell that you are dealing with experienced songwriters here) and most of all, the soul and spirit in their songs make it so that Union Town sounds like Union Town. There's room for experiment, slower parts and a few new things and ofcourse that can only be applauded. Some examples would be the guitar work in "The Observer" (the 5th song on the album) that has a weird Wipers vibe to it or even something as simple as the additional vocals by Miriam on the album's opening track "Regenerated". I'm a huge fan of those. That only goes to show Union Town has grown as a band.
One of the demo songs got re-recorded ("Resentment") and I guess one could always criticise that, but I don't think it's a song that's out of place on this album. The other 8 songs are all brand new and pretty much all of them rock. Rhythmically, I feel like they all have a good flow to them, with little details, breaks, drum fills and stop-start parts to keep things interesting. There are two things I'm particularly impressed by: the first is how warm and soulful this record sounds. As dumb as it may sound, you can hear the love and care that went into these songs. The second thing is Hein's vocals and lyrics. He sounds more confident than ever, with hardly any trace of an accent (well, if you ask me.. I am a Euro though) and I've gotta say that he has a voice that really carries the songs, both by the way he sings and obviously also by what he's singing. Which brings me to the lyrics... I would advise you to read them yourself actually. I found them to be real well written, spiritful and recognisable as well. Maybe it's because I'm only a few years older than Hein, but I could relate to a lot of the words I read. "Building a future from despair of the past, 'cause all is gone when you thought it would last". Especially that part. Such a great line.
Some of my favorite tracks here are, as mentioned before, the opening track "Regenerated" and "The Observer". The latter is an angrier, rougher song with a lot of drive. The song just before it, "Halfway There", is another winner, it starts off kinda like a Billy Idol song (this could very well be my imagination though) and then quickly takes a turn onto Fugazi territory. The melancholic guitars and vocals work real well together here. Other favourites are "Don't Give Up" and "Punch And Bleed". "Don't Give Up" was the first MP3 that was released off this record so I'm guessing it's one of the band's favourites too. "Punch And Bleed" is a perfect closer, as it builds up and then climaxes to its "But punch us, we will bleed" mantra.
I guess a lot of you have probably not seen or heard much about this band, but it would be a shame to miss out on an album this good, or to miss out on Union Town live, which in my case has always been a great experience. Anyone with a love for hardcore that is somewhat more melodic and soulful, that digs the bands mentioned before and/or can hang with bands like Husker Du, The Replacements and Hot Water Music should look into this. Another great record courtesy of my boys at Powered HQ.
www.myspace.com/uniontownband
www.poweredrecords.com
www.myspace.com/poweredrecords
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Bang The Drum Slowly: Part I
What makes them tick? I don't know. No idea. Drummers have always intrigued me, I guess partly due to the fact that they do something I never ever could. It's like I watch them and I feel like whatever they're doing can't be that hard, but then whenever I'm handed two sticks and sit behind that drumkit I realize I have absolutely no clue what to do next. I mean, what do you hit first? How hard? How many times? What's that pedal for? How do you tell cymbals apart? I don't know. Still, I love watching a good drummer at work, I love listening to Burn and I think Mackie might be the coolest human being that has ever walked this earth. So in order to gain some more insight into the mind of the drummer, I asked a bunch of questions to a bunch of awesome drummers.
First up is one of my favourite human beings on the other side of the big pond: the one and only Shawn Foley. I love Shawn's style, dude goes all out. Doesn't matter whether he's drumming, getting stoked on Down in a live setting or drinking Red Bull. Blacklisted put out on incredible album called "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God" a few months back and are currently touring Australia.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Shawn Foley. 26. Decomposed (First band I played in while I was in High School). Punishment. Blacklisted! I've been playing drums since I was 15.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
Dave Grohl, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Tre Cool. Those drummers made me want to be a drummer. My mom played a big part in it too. She asked me when I was around 14 or so; "What do you wanna do with yourself, you should have a hobby or something"... So I told her that I wanted to play drums. Around 15 is when it became a serious obsession.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
My first drumset was actually practice pads that I duct-taped to big cans, that was when I started gettin' the chops down, the first real kit (non-practice pads) was a put together kit that I had. It consisted of: one kick drum, one floor tom, a snare and like one hi-hat and a cymbal. I don't know how I paid for it, I think everything was trash picked! Haha.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I like to do more than just "provide a beat". Sometimes I hang back and just lay down a solid pattern, other times I feel as though the drums should be as important as the guitar, vocals etc. Every drummer that has inspired me has played a huge role in his band, so I like to think that I do the same. There is a certain way I feel as though I play and that if you threw someone else in the mix it would be easy to hear and say "That's not Shawn playing". I have drum parts that I create and I hear in my head how the rest of the music (especially the guitar) should play along with that. So I do hum some riffs sometimes and make the guitar player feel out a riff from listening to my drum pattern.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
No, not at all. In every great band, every member stands out in his own way. You gotta make a name for yourself as a drummer because while it's true that the drummer can get forgotten about, it's only true if that drummer lets himself be forgotten about. Hit hard, play tight, make it look so easy that anyone thinks they can do it, but the truth is it's an illusion. Not everyone can do it. Zeppelin broke up because they knew that they could NEVER replace Bonham. Not every Zep song is hard but it's the way he played them that makes it hard and ultimately makes him impossible to replace.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
I'm most proud of "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God". Not because it was a stand out record for me on drums but because it showed (to me at least) that a drummer could be an important part in writing a good song. I feel like a lot of them drum parts on that record went beyond being good drum parts but stepped into the area of being important to that actual song. Even if it was just the way I played a kick drum pattern and how it matched the vocal line, it's all relative.
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
Done it, did it - whatever. Sound And Fury 2006, the lights came on and I was on top of the drum throne then I jumped down off the throne and we kicked into "Eye For An Eye". It's documented on the Sound And Fury 2006 DVD. That's my Tommy Lee / Vinny Paul influence shining through there. Haha.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
Just being on stage and playing the kit as hard as I possibly can does it for me. It's the vibe too, if I'm feeling really loose and good and I'm executing great fills and rolls then I feel like I'm on fire and nothing can stop me. Also a big part is acoustics. If the drum set sounds like shit on stage then I tend to hit harder for some reason in hopes that doing that will make them sound better? I dunno. All that does is make me tired way faster! Haha. If the kit sounds great on stage and I can hear my kick and snare loudly and proudly then I feel fuckin' great and probably play way better!
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
"Canonized". I sing along a lot to certain parts, not every part, but a lot of times I sing to myself but "Canonized" is my jam that I always sing along to.
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
Dave Grohl will always be my favorite drummer ever and people that know me know that fact about me. His drumming is so easy to pick out, you know it's him from his drum sound to his beats. His drumming on Queens Of The Stone Age's "Songs For The Deaf" was a huge influence on me when writing "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God". Tommy Lee has also been a big influence on me in the sense that he puts on a show man! He flips his sticks and snaps them off the snare and they fly up into the air (a trick that I just perfected on this last tour) and then he catches them when they come back down. I just seen that band Torche a week back and I really like their drummer. He hits hard, is solid and his kit sounds great! Three wishes for any drummer!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Hahahaha, ahhhh Bjorn you're trying to get me to reveal my secrets huh? All I'm gonna say, and I stated this above, is "Songs For The Deaf" by Queens Of The Stone Age was a huge influence on me while writing and recording "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God".
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Thank you dude. Play hard, play loud, play with confidence. Care about your gear, take pride in what you play. Shout outs to you Bjorn for letting me talk about my most favorite thing in the world for a little while. Peace.
Ries Doms, the octopus from Holland, has been in a huge amount of bands and is one of those drummers that you can watch throughout the whole set without even looking at the rest of the band. I met Ries in '00 when my old band crashed at his house in Tilburg, Holland. All I remember was that his shower didn't have a curtain. Now he has his own website. Life's crazy like that. Hooghwater recently put out an awesome CDEP, a review will be up here soon.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Hey, my name is Ries Doms and I’m 28 years old. I played for numorous bands over the past 10 years such as Reaching Forward, The Uncontrollable, The Spades, Bars, Powervice and I am currently playing for The Hydromatics, Hooghwater and Betonfraktion. It all brought me some interesting experiences and to some interesting places to say the least!
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
I got my first toydrum when I was about 3 years old, I ruined it within’ a few hours and my dad figured he had to come up with something more professional to get things going. So for my 4th birthday I got a snaredrum. Then over the years I got an additional drum every birthday to end up with a complete set of drums when I turned 7. I went to music school from that age until I was about 18 years old. When I was about 7 years old my dad took me to see Dutch jazz drummer Han Bennink live. He played very free and very energetic and it made a huge impression on me. What I didn’t know was, that he was way ahead of his time playing this free and improvised music. So eventually I figured there was no way I would see anything like that any time soon. Also the recorded live version of "Get Ready" by The Rare Earth made a huge impression on me, together with the Woodstock and Santana records that I found around the house.
But getting in my teens I turned into this little angry boy, I got interested in heavy metal and eventually into hardcore and punkrock. I wanted my music loud and bought my first record: Deep Purple – "Live In Japan" when I was about 12. I didn’t have any "heroes" at the time, because I was just captured by the force and energy of the music. I didn’t care who played it, I just wanted to listen to bands. Then when you get older you kinda morph into a more open minded person, and from there I really started to learn from music and got more indept with it. Funny thing that happened to me was when I rediscovered The Who. When I was a little kid I knew The Who was this band that kicked over all their gear at shows, and then my dad bought the “Tommy” album and I couldn’t believe this band was supposed to be one of the wildest bands ever. That was a bummer! Then years later my friend Erik T. (Erik "Tilburg" Van Hest, Dutch hardcore/punk style icon, ex-Justice riffer and composer of "Light In The Dark" - ed.) figured out that Black Flag stole a couple of riffs from The Who and it turned out that they were the greatest rock'n'roll band that ever existed.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I think that people aren’t aware of the influence a drummer has on a band. Mostly because it’s not a melodic instrument, but also because it’s locked into a rhythm section. Drums are the backbone of a song and therefore I really believe in the idea of "less is more". A drummer doesn’t need to show all his chops in every song. A good rhythm track is the secret to the vibe a song has, it’s all about energy and drive. As a drummer you need to feel the music more than any member in the band. If you let it slide the whole band will sound sloppy or even worse: static. My role in the band usually depends on which group I’m playing with. I sure am the kinda guy who remembers the riffage from the day/rehearsal before which the guitarist couldn’t remember anymore. That’s where the humming comes in haha. I’m a fan of writing songs outta jams, first I just keep things simple and let the other members explore their parts and from there I’ll fit more stuff into it and make the drums more outstanding. But on the other hand, I was also in bands where all the songs and structures were written and I just had to add a beat to it.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
It’s definitely a fact that drummers are usually overshadowed by singers and guitarists. The only thing that will get you in the spotlights is charisma. From the moment you get on stage, you gotta be in charge of the band and you got to show it to the people you’re playing with. The other members can go as wild as they want to go, but the drummer is the one who decides whether the band takes it up a notch or a notch down. By taking that upon yourself you don’t have to be a showoff to get the recognition you deserve.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
I’m proud of most of my recordings, unfortunately not all of them made it to the record stores (two of my bands broke up in the studio leaving an unfinished product). I think there was always something to it worth remembering. Eithter the people that I’ve worked with or how a specific record came together... I think my best drumming can be heard on the latest Hydromatics record, but due to the fact that we wrote the whole thing in one week and recorded it the next week, the record could have been way more balanced out. Another cool thing about this recording session was the fact that we played the whole record live in one single recording room and on top of that it was mostly done in one or two takes. With most recording sessions, drums are recorded first. I did about five sessions with nobody else in the room. No guide tracks, just all memory, imagination and a click track. I somehow managed to get some groovy drumtracks on tape this way. I kinda like it that way, you’re just totally focussed on the backbone of record. And you also don’t have to play songs more times than needed, just because somebody else fucked up haha.....
But I think that I still get better and better every time I record. It’s just the experience of being in more and more different studios. Too bad that the best sounding drumsets are recorded on the unreleased records. It’s a fact that some of those drums were sampled afterwards by that studio for other bands, because they couldn’t get their sound right.
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
NO!
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
I mostly enjoy the energy that’s released during a live set. I love the point where I get sucked into the music and I just go without thinking. I can really enjoy listening to the others, usually during guitarsolos or regular jams. Ofcourse I enjoy the response of the audience, although I usually miss most of it because I’m totally concentrated on the music.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
No, I do make weird noises while I play though. Sometimes you can hear 'em through the overheads while listening back to my takes in the studio. It sounds like there is a dwarf in the mixingboard.... But I think drummers should not sing at all, unless they listen to the name Buddy Miles or Don Brewer!!!
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
My list of favourite drummers needs to kick off with Han Bennink. He’s one of the most influental musicians on the European avant garde jazz scene. It’s impossible to describe the power and energy of this guy. He has it all! Buddy Rich is a classic big band drummer and overall a great bandleader. His chops and rolls are just unreal, I regularly study from his book with snaredrum rudiment exercises. From the same era I really dig Max Roach, especially his solo record "Drums Unlimited", the first song on the record "The Drum Also Walses" was the blueprint for John Bonham’s solo in "Moby Dick". John Bonham, you can’t get around that guy. He’s just a powerhouse and never needed to show off during songs. You can definately hear he had a jazz background though. From that same era Keith Moon is definitely my favourite drummer. People remember him as that lunatic drummer who just wanted all the attention of the world, but people never really figured that he is actually playing along with vocal lines. That’s what makes him the most original rockdrummer of all time. A drummer not to be forgotten is Buddy Miles, he played with Jimi Hendrix and his Band Of Gypsys. He brought the soul into Jimi and is just a powerhouse. On top of that he’s one of the few drummers who’s allowed to sing! Another drummer in my “"to be forgotten" list is Jack DeJohnette. He playes on Miles Davis’ "Bitches Brew" record. Through him I found out about a whole new genre called chamber jazz and ECM records. He plays very messy, but somehow it all sounds really relaxed and it just gives me energy. For hardcore drummers, it should be clear to anyone that Mackie Jayson and Earl Hudson are my favorites. Current drummers I like are that bloke from Mastodon, the new drummer in The Mars Volta and for sure Alex Garcia-Rivera from Bloodhorse!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
It’s no secret that most of the beats are already brought to the surface. That’s why it’s a rhythmic instrument, because rhythms are there to accompany the music. But I always try to hide a Motown pick-up in every recording session I do.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Not really, I just listened to about 12 amazing records while answering these questions. Be good!
A musical prodigy and chilled out entertainer (copyright Ricky Gervais), Shawn Costa is the real deal, yet he moves in mysterious ways. Dude goes on month long tours with a bag the size of a large apple and still looks fresh and clean every day. Both Verse and Have Heart have new albums out right about now, so check those out. What!?
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
What up g's. Shawn Costa. Age 23. Bands I've drummed in: Have Heart (05-present), Verse ('05-present), Learn ('04-'05), Meltdown ('05-'06). I've been drumming since July '99.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
As a youngster I always had a fascination with music. I began my musical "career" by strumming the old geeeetar (at 9 years of age), but always wanted to one day rock a drum set. As a kid I thought Tre Cool (of Green Day, if you didnt know...duh) was sick on the ol' kit. Probably my first inspiration to play.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
My first kit was a Tama Rockstar, silverish. Very decent kit to start off with, I aquired this gem in the summer of '99. I was 15 at the time, and pretty much all I did that summer was play drums, probably like 22 and a half hours a day ha. My dad bought me the drum set as a gift for my b-day. Had some wild times with this kit.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I think the drummer is a HUGE influence on the sound of a band. A great drummer can make a very mediocre band sound only a little mediocre. Now speaking from a personal standpoint, I also play guitar, and bass, so my role isn't very limited. I've written songs for just about every band I've drummed in (some more than others).
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
Personally, I don't really care/or focus on being overshadowed. It's a pretty natural thing, guitarists, and the singer are front and center(ish). Drummers are hidden in the back, so all in all it makes sense. I just chill in the back, and then hold the band together. No big whoop...ha.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Interesting question. I'm gonna actually give 2 records. Verse "Aggression", and Have Heart "Songs To Scream At The Sun". I feel like both my performance, and also the sound of the kits on these records are far and above any of my previous work. Both records were fun to write, and track, and I really wanted to make sure I got to convey some interesting drum work. I feel I accomplished that. Also both records were recorded/mixed naturally, so no fancy triggering, just little ol' me rocking the kit. I also believe that both of these record are the best records I've ever been a part of. So, uh, Bam!
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
No, and no. I'm not hating on it, just not something I would do.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
I'd say a combo of all 3 of those things, but for me personally, I'm more focused on my performance. There are times where one of my bands will have a crazy set, and maybe it wasn't my best overall performance, and that will hinder my take on the show a bit.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
I used to sing along to a few Verse songs when I first joined. Haven't done that in years though. I think the song I most commonly sung along to for Verse was "Saying Goodbye"...had a cool groove in the middle, and it was one of my fav songs to play. What can I say, I got caught up in the moment!
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
Tough question. There are sooooo many great drummers that have inspired me. I'll keep it semi-simple though. Dennis Chambers (funk fusion MASTER), Chad Smith (say what you want about the Chili Peppers, homeboy shreds the kit) and Abe Cunningham (some of the most interesting, intricate drum work). Those dudes just kill it on drums, impeccable timing, they have the speed, but more importantly they have finesse, just great all around drummers. From a hardcore standpoint: Mackie, dude is just unbelievable, makes it all look easy, great chops. He's a legend. There are currently a sizeable amount of awesome drummers in hardcore bands, but I'll just keep the list simple, and only mention Mackie by name, ha.
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Well I can't really speak for other drummers, but I have personally been inspired by beats, or fills, but I always try to make sure that I incorporate some of my own flavor into it. I guess the most "blatant" example would be in Verse's "Old Guards, New Methods"... There's a kind of odd time snare/kick fill I do in the bridge before the end, inspired by an Abe Cunningham fill on "Lifter" by Deftones. Like I said though, it shouldnt be indistinguishable, I make sure to add my own touch to it.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Thank you, Bjorn. Glad that you wanted my input for this. I appreciate it. Hang outs this summer, what! That about does it. Later.
First up is one of my favourite human beings on the other side of the big pond: the one and only Shawn Foley. I love Shawn's style, dude goes all out. Doesn't matter whether he's drumming, getting stoked on Down in a live setting or drinking Red Bull. Blacklisted put out on incredible album called "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God" a few months back and are currently touring Australia.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Shawn Foley. 26. Decomposed (First band I played in while I was in High School). Punishment. Blacklisted! I've been playing drums since I was 15.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
Dave Grohl, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Tre Cool. Those drummers made me want to be a drummer. My mom played a big part in it too. She asked me when I was around 14 or so; "What do you wanna do with yourself, you should have a hobby or something"... So I told her that I wanted to play drums. Around 15 is when it became a serious obsession.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
My first drumset was actually practice pads that I duct-taped to big cans, that was when I started gettin' the chops down, the first real kit (non-practice pads) was a put together kit that I had. It consisted of: one kick drum, one floor tom, a snare and like one hi-hat and a cymbal. I don't know how I paid for it, I think everything was trash picked! Haha.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I like to do more than just "provide a beat". Sometimes I hang back and just lay down a solid pattern, other times I feel as though the drums should be as important as the guitar, vocals etc. Every drummer that has inspired me has played a huge role in his band, so I like to think that I do the same. There is a certain way I feel as though I play and that if you threw someone else in the mix it would be easy to hear and say "That's not Shawn playing". I have drum parts that I create and I hear in my head how the rest of the music (especially the guitar) should play along with that. So I do hum some riffs sometimes and make the guitar player feel out a riff from listening to my drum pattern.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
No, not at all. In every great band, every member stands out in his own way. You gotta make a name for yourself as a drummer because while it's true that the drummer can get forgotten about, it's only true if that drummer lets himself be forgotten about. Hit hard, play tight, make it look so easy that anyone thinks they can do it, but the truth is it's an illusion. Not everyone can do it. Zeppelin broke up because they knew that they could NEVER replace Bonham. Not every Zep song is hard but it's the way he played them that makes it hard and ultimately makes him impossible to replace.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
I'm most proud of "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God". Not because it was a stand out record for me on drums but because it showed (to me at least) that a drummer could be an important part in writing a good song. I feel like a lot of them drum parts on that record went beyond being good drum parts but stepped into the area of being important to that actual song. Even if it was just the way I played a kick drum pattern and how it matched the vocal line, it's all relative.
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
Done it, did it - whatever. Sound And Fury 2006, the lights came on and I was on top of the drum throne then I jumped down off the throne and we kicked into "Eye For An Eye". It's documented on the Sound And Fury 2006 DVD. That's my Tommy Lee / Vinny Paul influence shining through there. Haha.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
Just being on stage and playing the kit as hard as I possibly can does it for me. It's the vibe too, if I'm feeling really loose and good and I'm executing great fills and rolls then I feel like I'm on fire and nothing can stop me. Also a big part is acoustics. If the drum set sounds like shit on stage then I tend to hit harder for some reason in hopes that doing that will make them sound better? I dunno. All that does is make me tired way faster! Haha. If the kit sounds great on stage and I can hear my kick and snare loudly and proudly then I feel fuckin' great and probably play way better!
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
"Canonized". I sing along a lot to certain parts, not every part, but a lot of times I sing to myself but "Canonized" is my jam that I always sing along to.
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
Dave Grohl will always be my favorite drummer ever and people that know me know that fact about me. His drumming is so easy to pick out, you know it's him from his drum sound to his beats. His drumming on Queens Of The Stone Age's "Songs For The Deaf" was a huge influence on me when writing "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God". Tommy Lee has also been a big influence on me in the sense that he puts on a show man! He flips his sticks and snaps them off the snare and they fly up into the air (a trick that I just perfected on this last tour) and then he catches them when they come back down. I just seen that band Torche a week back and I really like their drummer. He hits hard, is solid and his kit sounds great! Three wishes for any drummer!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Hahahaha, ahhhh Bjorn you're trying to get me to reveal my secrets huh? All I'm gonna say, and I stated this above, is "Songs For The Deaf" by Queens Of The Stone Age was a huge influence on me while writing and recording "Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God".
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Thank you dude. Play hard, play loud, play with confidence. Care about your gear, take pride in what you play. Shout outs to you Bjorn for letting me talk about my most favorite thing in the world for a little while. Peace.
Ries Doms, the octopus from Holland, has been in a huge amount of bands and is one of those drummers that you can watch throughout the whole set without even looking at the rest of the band. I met Ries in '00 when my old band crashed at his house in Tilburg, Holland. All I remember was that his shower didn't have a curtain. Now he has his own website. Life's crazy like that. Hooghwater recently put out an awesome CDEP, a review will be up here soon.
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
Hey, my name is Ries Doms and I’m 28 years old. I played for numorous bands over the past 10 years such as Reaching Forward, The Uncontrollable, The Spades, Bars, Powervice and I am currently playing for The Hydromatics, Hooghwater and Betonfraktion. It all brought me some interesting experiences and to some interesting places to say the least!
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
I got my first toydrum when I was about 3 years old, I ruined it within’ a few hours and my dad figured he had to come up with something more professional to get things going. So for my 4th birthday I got a snaredrum. Then over the years I got an additional drum every birthday to end up with a complete set of drums when I turned 7. I went to music school from that age until I was about 18 years old. When I was about 7 years old my dad took me to see Dutch jazz drummer Han Bennink live. He played very free and very energetic and it made a huge impression on me. What I didn’t know was, that he was way ahead of his time playing this free and improvised music. So eventually I figured there was no way I would see anything like that any time soon. Also the recorded live version of "Get Ready" by The Rare Earth made a huge impression on me, together with the Woodstock and Santana records that I found around the house.
But getting in my teens I turned into this little angry boy, I got interested in heavy metal and eventually into hardcore and punkrock. I wanted my music loud and bought my first record: Deep Purple – "Live In Japan" when I was about 12. I didn’t have any "heroes" at the time, because I was just captured by the force and energy of the music. I didn’t care who played it, I just wanted to listen to bands. Then when you get older you kinda morph into a more open minded person, and from there I really started to learn from music and got more indept with it. Funny thing that happened to me was when I rediscovered The Who. When I was a little kid I knew The Who was this band that kicked over all their gear at shows, and then my dad bought the “Tommy” album and I couldn’t believe this band was supposed to be one of the wildest bands ever. That was a bummer! Then years later my friend Erik T. (Erik "Tilburg" Van Hest, Dutch hardcore/punk style icon, ex-Justice riffer and composer of "Light In The Dark" - ed.) figured out that Black Flag stole a couple of riffs from The Who and it turned out that they were the greatest rock'n'roll band that ever existed.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I think that people aren’t aware of the influence a drummer has on a band. Mostly because it’s not a melodic instrument, but also because it’s locked into a rhythm section. Drums are the backbone of a song and therefore I really believe in the idea of "less is more". A drummer doesn’t need to show all his chops in every song. A good rhythm track is the secret to the vibe a song has, it’s all about energy and drive. As a drummer you need to feel the music more than any member in the band. If you let it slide the whole band will sound sloppy or even worse: static. My role in the band usually depends on which group I’m playing with. I sure am the kinda guy who remembers the riffage from the day/rehearsal before which the guitarist couldn’t remember anymore. That’s where the humming comes in haha. I’m a fan of writing songs outta jams, first I just keep things simple and let the other members explore their parts and from there I’ll fit more stuff into it and make the drums more outstanding. But on the other hand, I was also in bands where all the songs and structures were written and I just had to add a beat to it.
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
It’s definitely a fact that drummers are usually overshadowed by singers and guitarists. The only thing that will get you in the spotlights is charisma. From the moment you get on stage, you gotta be in charge of the band and you got to show it to the people you’re playing with. The other members can go as wild as they want to go, but the drummer is the one who decides whether the band takes it up a notch or a notch down. By taking that upon yourself you don’t have to be a showoff to get the recognition you deserve.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
I’m proud of most of my recordings, unfortunately not all of them made it to the record stores (two of my bands broke up in the studio leaving an unfinished product). I think there was always something to it worth remembering. Eithter the people that I’ve worked with or how a specific record came together... I think my best drumming can be heard on the latest Hydromatics record, but due to the fact that we wrote the whole thing in one week and recorded it the next week, the record could have been way more balanced out. Another cool thing about this recording session was the fact that we played the whole record live in one single recording room and on top of that it was mostly done in one or two takes. With most recording sessions, drums are recorded first. I did about five sessions with nobody else in the room. No guide tracks, just all memory, imagination and a click track. I somehow managed to get some groovy drumtracks on tape this way. I kinda like it that way, you’re just totally focussed on the backbone of record. And you also don’t have to play songs more times than needed, just because somebody else fucked up haha.....
But I think that I still get better and better every time I record. It’s just the experience of being in more and more different studios. Too bad that the best sounding drumsets are recorded on the unreleased records. It’s a fact that some of those drums were sampled afterwards by that studio for other bands, because they couldn’t get their sound right.
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
NO!
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
I mostly enjoy the energy that’s released during a live set. I love the point where I get sucked into the music and I just go without thinking. I can really enjoy listening to the others, usually during guitarsolos or regular jams. Ofcourse I enjoy the response of the audience, although I usually miss most of it because I’m totally concentrated on the music.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
No, I do make weird noises while I play though. Sometimes you can hear 'em through the overheads while listening back to my takes in the studio. It sounds like there is a dwarf in the mixingboard.... But I think drummers should not sing at all, unless they listen to the name Buddy Miles or Don Brewer!!!
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
My list of favourite drummers needs to kick off with Han Bennink. He’s one of the most influental musicians on the European avant garde jazz scene. It’s impossible to describe the power and energy of this guy. He has it all! Buddy Rich is a classic big band drummer and overall a great bandleader. His chops and rolls are just unreal, I regularly study from his book with snaredrum rudiment exercises. From the same era I really dig Max Roach, especially his solo record "Drums Unlimited", the first song on the record "The Drum Also Walses" was the blueprint for John Bonham’s solo in "Moby Dick". John Bonham, you can’t get around that guy. He’s just a powerhouse and never needed to show off during songs. You can definately hear he had a jazz background though. From that same era Keith Moon is definitely my favourite drummer. People remember him as that lunatic drummer who just wanted all the attention of the world, but people never really figured that he is actually playing along with vocal lines. That’s what makes him the most original rockdrummer of all time. A drummer not to be forgotten is Buddy Miles, he played with Jimi Hendrix and his Band Of Gypsys. He brought the soul into Jimi and is just a powerhouse. On top of that he’s one of the few drummers who’s allowed to sing! Another drummer in my “"to be forgotten" list is Jack DeJohnette. He playes on Miles Davis’ "Bitches Brew" record. Through him I found out about a whole new genre called chamber jazz and ECM records. He plays very messy, but somehow it all sounds really relaxed and it just gives me energy. For hardcore drummers, it should be clear to anyone that Mackie Jayson and Earl Hudson are my favorites. Current drummers I like are that bloke from Mastodon, the new drummer in The Mars Volta and for sure Alex Garcia-Rivera from Bloodhorse!
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
It’s no secret that most of the beats are already brought to the surface. That’s why it’s a rhythmic instrument, because rhythms are there to accompany the music. But I always try to hide a Motown pick-up in every recording session I do.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Not really, I just listened to about 12 amazing records while answering these questions. Be good!
A musical prodigy and chilled out entertainer (copyright Ricky Gervais), Shawn Costa is the real deal, yet he moves in mysterious ways. Dude goes on month long tours with a bag the size of a large apple and still looks fresh and clean every day. Both Verse and Have Heart have new albums out right about now, so check those out. What!?
Please give me your name and age, list the bands you've drummed for and tell me how long you have been doing that thing you do...
What up g's. Shawn Costa. Age 23. Bands I've drummed in: Have Heart (05-present), Verse ('05-present), Learn ('04-'05), Meltdown ('05-'06). I've been drumming since July '99.
What made you decide to become a drummer? Was there one particular drummer that inspired you to pick up those sticks?
As a youngster I always had a fascination with music. I began my musical "career" by strumming the old geeeetar (at 9 years of age), but always wanted to one day rock a drum set. As a kid I thought Tre Cool (of Green Day, if you didnt know...duh) was sick on the ol' kit. Probably my first inspiration to play.
What was your first drumset? When did you get it? How did you pay for it?
My first kit was a Tama Rockstar, silverish. Very decent kit to start off with, I aquired this gem in the summer of '99. I was 15 at the time, and pretty much all I did that summer was play drums, probably like 22 and a half hours a day ha. My dad bought me the drum set as a gift for my b-day. Had some wild times with this kit.
As a drummer, how big do you think your influence is on the sound of a band? When you write songs with your band(s), is your role limited to providing the beat or do you also hum riffs or base songs around drum patterns/beats?
I think the drummer is a HUGE influence on the sound of a band. A great drummer can make a very mediocre band sound only a little mediocre. Now speaking from a personal standpoint, I also play guitar, and bass, so my role isn't very limited. I've written songs for just about every band I've drummed in (some more than others).
Do you feel like people often forget how crucial a good drummer is to a good band? I know a drummer that told me that no matter how good you are, you'll always be overshadowed by the guitarist and the singer... Is that so according to you?
Personally, I don't really care/or focus on being overshadowed. It's a pretty natural thing, guitarists, and the singer are front and center(ish). Drummers are hidden in the back, so all in all it makes sense. I just chill in the back, and then hold the band together. No big whoop...ha.
Out of all the records you've drummed on, which one are you most proud of? Why? Does that also make it the best record you're on, or not?
Interesting question. I'm gonna actually give 2 records. Verse "Aggression", and Have Heart "Songs To Scream At The Sun". I feel like both my performance, and also the sound of the kits on these records are far and above any of my previous work. Both records were fun to write, and track, and I really wanted to make sure I got to convey some interesting drum work. I feel I accomplished that. Also both records were recorded/mixed naturally, so no fancy triggering, just little ol' me rocking the kit. I also believe that both of these record are the best records I've ever been a part of. So, uh, Bam!
Standing up on your drumstool midset... Is that something you've ever done or would do?
No, and no. I'm not hating on it, just not something I would do.
What makes a gig awesome for a drummer? Is it playing tight as fuck and not missing a beat? Is it the overall vibe? Is it crowd response and energy?
I'd say a combo of all 3 of those things, but for me personally, I'm more focused on my performance. There are times where one of my bands will have a crazy set, and maybe it wasn't my best overall performance, and that will hinder my take on the show a bit.
Do you singalong a lot while playing live? What's your favourite song to sing along to?
I used to sing along to a few Verse songs when I first joined. Haven't done that in years though. I think the song I most commonly sung along to for Verse was "Saying Goodbye"...had a cool groove in the middle, and it was one of my fav songs to play. What can I say, I got caught up in the moment!
What are some of your favourite drummers ever? What sets those dudes apart from everyone else out there? How about current drummers, who's good? Who's got the chops?
Tough question. There are sooooo many great drummers that have inspired me. I'll keep it semi-simple though. Dennis Chambers (funk fusion MASTER), Chad Smith (say what you want about the Chili Peppers, homeboy shreds the kit) and Abe Cunningham (some of the most interesting, intricate drum work). Those dudes just kill it on drums, impeccable timing, they have the speed, but more importantly they have finesse, just great all around drummers. From a hardcore standpoint: Mackie, dude is just unbelievable, makes it all look easy, great chops. He's a legend. There are currently a sizeable amount of awesome drummers in hardcore bands, but I'll just keep the list simple, and only mention Mackie by name, ha.
We all know guitarists sometimes "borrow" riffs from other bands... Do drummers sometimes "borrow" drumbeats or drumfills? Have you? What exactly did you "borrow" and where can we hear the result?
Well I can't really speak for other drummers, but I have personally been inspired by beats, or fills, but I always try to make sure that I incorporate some of my own flavor into it. I guess the most "blatant" example would be in Verse's "Old Guards, New Methods"... There's a kind of odd time snare/kick fill I do in the bridge before the end, inspired by an Abe Cunningham fill on "Lifter" by Deftones. Like I said though, it shouldnt be indistinguishable, I make sure to add my own touch to it.
That's it. Thank you. Any closing comments or shout outs?
Thank you, Bjorn. Glad that you wanted my input for this. I appreciate it. Hang outs this summer, what! That about does it. Later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)