Next 10 Blogs

Dearestazazel’s Ricardo Meléndez
2008-07-03

I was introduced to drumming as a source of self-discipline at the age of eight. That’s when I got a five-piece drumkit, fell in love with rhythm, and became obsessed. It became the center of my life. Along with the drumkit, my dad got me a couple of videos and records: Moving Pictures by Rush, Appetite For Destruction by Guns ’N Roses, and the Police Around The World VHS. (The minute I saw Stewart Copeland and heard everything that came out of his drum playing, I knew that my goal as a drummer was to become Stewart Copeland!) Five years later, after a self-made routine of practicing two to four hours every single day, I had learned everything from The Police (maybe not as good as Stewart Copeland, but I tried), The Ramones, The Misfits, and Danzig. I was ready to go to the next level: playing drums for the local church.

Back home in Puerto Rico, all the churches played plena, salsa, merengue, nova trova, rock en Español, and very classical Latin beats, and all I knew how to play was punk and reggae. I was extremely nervous. I loved artists like Roy Brown, Glenn Monroig, Maná, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, and Ruben Blades (to name a few), who play these genres of music, I just had no clue as to how to transcribe all that percussion onto my drums. The church band was formed of family-oriented people who had been playing these genres for ages, and they were amazing coaches and teachers.

One in particular stood out, the percussionist. He took me under his wing and opened my eyes to wonders like Luis Conte, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Dave Weckl, Steve Gadd, and many more. For three straight months I would bring my drums over to his house, and we would jam in the traditional styles of the island. Words fail to describe how exquisite I found the various Latin genres and tribal African rhythms, and still do to this day. I taught myself the songo beat, finally learning its name five years after I mastered it. At this point I felt I was ready for my first performance.

My first time playing was truly unforgettable. We played for all the masses that took place on all Sundays. The first mass was at 7:00 A.M. and the last one was at 7:30 P.M. Anyway, I was so nervous that very first time, I figured I’d probably fall off my drum throne in the middle of a song, or do something else that would potentially embarrass me. I was a wreck, sweating profusely, shaking, vomiting, diarrhea….and once I got to the church it got even worse, to the point where my dad had to get me a pair of clean pants! To save myself, after the first wreck of a song was over, I felt right at home and rocked “the house of God.” The gig lasted five years, and then I graduated high school and moved on to bigger and better things.

Once I turned fifteen, another surprise awaited me. My dad got me my very first professional drumkit for Christmas—a seven-piece Yamaha Stage Custom Absolute, with professional cymbals too! It is this kit I use in my band, Dearestazazel, and I’ve used it on all of our recordings. I was still performing with the church when I began playing in cover bands and writing and recording original music. All were heavily influenced by Latin styles of music, but still rock ’n’ roll. Through these experiences I was introduced to a different world and a new tool: the metronome. One of the first things the producer taught me in the studio was that LESS IS MORE. I went home and picked my spots on every song: what drum fills I was going to do, where I was going to do them, etc. I broke down my drum playing as if it were a mathematical equation. It helped tremendously, making everything sound more professional, and I finished all fifteen tracks within eight hours. The end result was gratifying and pushed me to want to learn more and, therefore, practice more.

Latin jazz became the focus of my musical influence and pushed me to practice more hand-foot independence and coordination. I incorporated a foot cowbell and began using the hi-hat as a percussion instrument, not only as a time-keeping tool. I learned how to play triples and doubles with my feet while playing the few rudiments I knew with my hands.

When I turned eighteen my father passed away, and I became more determined than ever in pursuing my dream of one day “making it” in this business. The drums, which were already special to me, became sacred.

In college I studied classical percussion, once I completed my studies. I moved to what we call “The Big Island,” a.k.a. the USA. I started a band called Fallen Wisdom, which was a cross between punk and metal, and we signed to Century Media. Fallen Wisdom toured for two years straight and recorded three CDs. The recording sessions were very fun and casual, and I made it a point to go by the tried-and-true “less is more” motto. Since studio time was more than we could afford, I had to be quick and efficient. So, like in previous recordings, I mathematically picked my spots for drum fills, etc., and I was able to record thirteen songs in one take and in less than four hours.

After four years, the vocalist and I decided to break up the band and move on to other projects. I helped produce and record all the drums for his band Dead Rites (signed to Hedonism Records) and then landed the sweet gig I’m in now, Dearestazazel.

I’d gotten a call from a chamaco by the name of Peter Armstrong, who told me that he was trying to form a band and was missing a drummer. He’d heard audio tracks of some of my previous musical projects and thought I’d fit right in. He seemed very passionate. Never one to turn down an opportunity, I auditioned. I was drummer #50…and I walked out with the gig. This was my first time ever playing in an all–English speaking band, but with a positive mind, it worked out beautifully. My versatile musical background blended beautifully with the band’s style. I tried to create clever and tasteful drum beats for the catchy melodies.

Come Closer, Dearestazazel’s first CD, was a great learning experience for me. Because the music was more methodical, it made my studio recordings easy—though in this band I recorded with only a scratch guitar and a click. A year later we recorded our follow-up CD, Touch Me. We made a winter tour through the East Coast, then showcased for One Eleven Records, signed a record deal with them, relocated to Florida, and recorded Be Mine, which will go on sale this coming July 8. This album truly captures the essence of our sound.

I want to thank our fans and Modern Drummer, who consistently put out amazing issue after amazing issue. I am a fan first. You guys are awesome! Plus, Saluda cymbals, who believe in me enough to support me. Thank you! I’d also like to thank my family, who I left back home in Puerto Rico to pursue this crazy dream, and above all, my father, José Francisco Meléndez—source of life, inspiration, unconditional support, and love, and the light in my darkness. I love you, and ten years later I still miss you!

See you all on the road!

Ricardo Meléndez

Serj Tankian’s Troy Zeigler
2008-07-01

It never ceases to amaze me the ways in which sideman status can permeate my everyday life. I often find it very comforting, because it solidifies my feelings of dedication to what I am doing musically. I know, in a very unwavering sense, that my focus is the music alone and not the status or illusion of fame. There is a very stark sense of anonymity that I quite like, being as introverted as I am.

That said, in the past year there have been several quite comical moments in my life in which this anonymity has played itself out, from being denied access to a venue that I was playing that evening, to being asked if I was the band bodyguard. However, the best among them all is as follows:

I was in the midst of my second European tour of the year with Serj, and we had arrived in Austria to play a headlining show. Early in the day, I spent my time walking around taking in the sights, as I usually do in new places. One of the experiences that I revel in the most is meeting new people. Just before the show I met a young lady outside the venue, and having just recently gotten over my debilitating shyness with girls, I struck up a conversation. We talked about music a bit before it was time for me to get ready to play. I quickly said to her, “Well, it was nice talking to you. My name is Troy. Enjoy the show. Perhaps I’ll see you later.” And I hurried off.

So…we played. And in the midst of it all, I noticed this same young lady about three rows back from the front. Towards the end of the show, Serj introduced the entire band individually, by name. Now, being a sideman (and a drummer), I understand that I’m not the focal point on stage by any means. However, I’m also not the most inconspicuous looking person. Just to paint a picture, I’m six-six, bald, not wearing any shoes, and black. I mention the latter not because I think that it’s an issue, but rather because black people are a pretty uncommon fixture at our shows and at most other rock shows that I’ve been to—especially in Austria.

So, when we finished, after the obligatory shower/crying jag, I ran into this very same young lady and resumed my conversation with her. We were about fifteen minutes into it, and everything was going smashingly, when she turned to me and said, “So, what do you do for the band?” I said, “Ummm…what?” To which she replied, “What do you do, carry the equipment?” I then had to spend the next five minutes convincing her that I was actually the drummer.

These are the things that truly make it worthwhile for me, the moments that bring me back down to earth and help me focus on what really matters in life. And, as strange as it may sound, I am very thankful to have them.

Pat Petrillo
2008-06-28

What’s Up, MD!

Just returned from a clinic tour of the UK, my second in four months, and it went real well. I like to fly Virgin Atlantic when going to the UK, because they have great service, especially in premium economy class, which is like a normal business class, with large leather seats and great meal. Especially good when flying overnight.

So, I arrived at 9:00 A.M. Monday morning at Heathrow, got my gear together, hit the “tubes,” and made my way to Croydon to visit my friend Colin Woolway’s Drumsense studio. I had a of couple classes and some private lessons with some excellent students. Colin is a fixture in the UK educational scene. After a LONG day of travel and teaching, I checked into my hotel only to find that this Premier Inn had no air conditioning…and it was warm and sunny in London—yes, I know, very un-London-like. I had to make due with a fan.

Next it was on to a great school in North London called the Institute Of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP). What a great facility! It has nice, large classrooms with REAL drumkits (no electronic sets), practice rooms, and an excellent faculty, including Justin Scott. They have many visiting faculty, like Thomas Lang and others, and it looks like I will be one as well each time I visit. Cool place! Here’s a video clip of the clinic I did for them: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrcZ-1RU3dI.

Then it was off to the studios of LickLibrary.com to shoot some video lessons for their site. It was great, because it was all self-contained and camera ready. I did eight twenty-minute video lessons, including some excerpts from my DVD/book Hands, Grooves, & Fills (which I am honored to have placed second in the latest MD Poll). The clips should be up and running in a few months. I then hopped a train across the country to visit another excellent school, Percussion Works, in Bournemouth on the west coast. Simon Mellish is a great teacher who has a very large studio. It seems that, the younger the student, the better they play! They were all very ready and have been practicing since the last time I visited.

Got on the train back to London for a couple quick visits to the London Centre Of Contemporary Music and an in-store appearance at the famed Wembley Drum Centre. This massive store has a great vibe and practice rooms for customers to try out all the gear.

I made my way via the tubes back to the Premier Inn at the Heathrow airport, ready to get back to Newark. I checked in online and changed my seat from a middle row to a two-seater, which was empty at the time. Perhaps no one would check in and sit next to me, I thought, leaving me with some nice space to spread out on the way home.

I board the plane the next day, and settle into my seat. Then, someone walks up and says, “I think I’m sitting next to you.” I look up and see that it’s none other than the great Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez! When we saw each other, we broke into hysterical laughter. We couldn’t believe the coincidence! Horacio and I shared video clips from our laptops and iPods. He played me a video of his latest music performance, and I played him audio cuts from my CD with Groovallegiance, which should be out in the fall. Needless to say, we where both a little fried, so after dozing off, we landed back at Newark, and went off, promising to meet up at his studio, which is not far from where I live, to do some playing. Looking forward to that.

So, back home now, teaching at Drummers Collective, mixing the Groovallegiance CD, and working on a new DVD. Details to follow in the next blog!

Please drop by my sites for clips and such at www.myspace.com/patpetrillo or www.patpetrillo.com.

See you out there!

Pat Petrillo

Southside Johnny’s Joe Bellia
2008-06-27

First off, thanks to Modern Drummer for opportunity to write this blog. I’ve been a big fan of the magazine since its inception.

I’m a drummer/percussionist in the NJ/NY area and a member of New Jersey’s Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. This year I celebrated my tenth year with the band (with a year or two off for good behavior :-). I am honored to have toured and performed with Dave Mason, Beth Neilsen Chapman, Bobby Bandiera, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, The Allman Brothers Band, Gary US Bonds, Bob Burger, The Dave Parsons Dance Company, any many others.

I have a busy summer this year. Just got back from Norway and England, heading to Morocco in July, and back to Europe in September. I love being part of the drumming community. I believe there is a camaraderie that is unique to drummers. Events like the Modern Drummer festival, clinics, magazines, and these blogs bring us all together. (Just attended a Steve Smith clinic. Wow! Check it out.)

I have a great story of such camaraderie I will never forget. In the late ’80s I toured the world with Dave Mason. We were playing in Houston, and after the show we went back to the hotel. The next morning we discovered all our equipment had been stolen. I had about ten thousand dollars’ worth of stuff taken: my MPC 60 drum machine, cymbals, a really old Premier drumset—just about everything I owned. I was devastated. So we cancelled the tour.

I went home, and out of nowhere I got a call from Tico Torres from Bon Jovi. Tico said, “Look, I heard what happened. Come down to my house and take anything you need.” So I drove to his house, he opened his garage, and I was like a kid in a candy store. He gave me a brand-new drumset right out of the box: cymbals, cases—everything! Then Tico said, “Keep everything until you get back on your feet.” It was amazing. It wasn’t like I was his best friend or anything. In fact, I really didn’t know him that well. I will never forget it. He’s a great guy, and a great drummer.

As if that wasn’t enough, I called DW and told artist rep John Good what happened, and they gave me an endorsement. Talk about turning things around.

Now, that’s just a couple examples of the camaraderie in the drumming family. I’m sure you have some stories of your own. I’m proud to be a part of this community.

Take care, and hope to see you around. Keep on hittin’.

Joe,

For more on Joe Bellia, go to www.myspace.com/joebellia or www.southsidejohnny.com.

Matthew Apostol Of Dear Life
2008-06-24

My name is Matthew Apostol, and I’m the drummer of Dear Life, which I helped start almost five years ago. I began drumming at the age of eleven. I’m now eighteen and will be turning nineteen in a few months. I think I speak on the behalf of many other drummers when I say that I should be much better, or should I say more skillful, after eight years of experience. The good news is that I’m young and have plenty of time to brush up on my skills and learn new techniques. Needless to say, I’m still proud to say that I will finally have a record released in stores with my drum tracks on it. To me, that’s an accomplishment in itself.

Our debut album, Framework, will be released on June 24. I recorded the drum tracks for the album at a studio in Long Beach City College, in less than a day and half. My goal was to record the tracks quickly yet precisely, so that I wouldn’t need to trigger my drum sound, which, for those of you who don’t know, is the replacing of natural drum sounds with pre-made drum samples. I can honestly say that I don’t like the sound of almost all triggered drums. I appreciate and prefer natural, warm, thick, and heavy drum sounds while still maintaining a pretty drum tone. Being picky is a good thing, especially when you’re in the studio. Luckily, our sound engineer and co-producer, Roger Camero, had similar tastes in drum styles and sounds as me. I couldn’t be happier with his work on our album.

I look forward to hearing what other people think of the album. Once it’s released, we’ll be touring extensively throughout the US and hopefully outside the country. We’re fulfilling our dream of performing music we love to people we don’t know. It’s an incredible and uplifting feeling when a listener comes up to you and tells you that they like what they hear. It’s not often that you get compliments as a drummer, especially nowadays, since there are so many good drummers who play well. Therefore I’m greatly thankful when it does happen.

The next record is going to reflect the influence of the bands we’ve toured with as well as the music we grew up listening to. Personally, I’m going to do my best to make my tracks as technical and groovy as possible. It’s almost like taking two opposites and trying to mesh them together. However, most of what I do is unorthodox in the first place. In my view, it helps to keep things more interesting, because innovation in music is very hard to come across. I hope I can bring some of that to the table in the near future. Until then, have a listen to Framework; you might find something you like.

Matthew Apostol

For more on Matthew and Dear Life, go to www.myspace.com/dearlife.

Aaron Pritchett’s Jayson
Brinkworth
2008-06-23

Hey everyone, Jayson Brinkworth here writing from Canada. Thanks to Mike Dawson at Modern Drummer for including myself in The Blogs. If this magazine doesn’t get you fired up about playing drums, you must not have a pulse! I’ve been reading it for twenty-four years now. (My first issue had Bernard Purdie on the cover.)

Things are busy up north in my crazy drum world. Details are coming together for a two-day festival I’m planning in October with a couple of fantastic headliners. We have a thriving drum community here in Regina, but seem to be lacking in clinics and workshops. As a co-owner of a music school, it is my mission to change this.

It started with a great clinic we did here in April, with the one and only Billy Ward. We had a great turnout, the clinic and masterclass were a huge hit, and Billy is a one-in-a-million player and human being. Ask him about the three attempts to make this happen, and flying to Minnesota for a sandwich!

Lessons have wrapped up for the year at the school (Music In The House), and the touring season begins. I’m working with Canadian country artist Aaron Pritchett, and we’re traveling coast to coast twice this summer. His new album, Thankful, will be released in the fall on OPM/604/Universal records. (604 is Nickelback leader Chad Kroeger’s label.)

As for practicing, my new Yamaha Birch Absolute kit is inspiring me in a big way. Creativity is my goal, groove is my mission. The other gear that inspires me is Sabian, Trueline, Evans, Gibraltar, Mountain Rythym, Impact, and Flix.

Other drummers who’ve been through town as of late include Russ Kunkel, Herman Matthews (another great human being), Nikko McBrain, and David Northrup. I can’t get enough of hanging out with other players and geeking out over drums and gear; we are so cool. ☺

One thing I’ve been exploring as of late is using larger crash cymbals. Herman Matthews is using a 22" HHXtreme, and it sounds awesome. He also has 18" hats that sound incredible. I find the response to be great, and they’re almost effortless to play. This isn’t a new idea, but seems to be a bigger trend nowadays, and there are so many great cymbals out there.

I’m looking forward to a great summer and reading upcoming issues of MD. Also, have you checked out the lineup for the MD Festival? Unbelievable! If you go, you can ask Billy Ward about his Regina experience, as he is playing there with his trio.

Thanks, and keep the groove alive.

Jayson “Binky” Brinkwoth

For more on Jayson Brinkworth, go to www.jaysonbrinkworth.com or www.myspace.com/jaysonbrinkworth.

The Doobie Brothers’ Ed Toth
2008-06-19

5/28/08
Hello, everyone, Ed Toth here, with the inside scoop on The Doobie Brothers’ tour with Chicago. It’s very exciting in that, for the encore, both bands will be on stage together playing each other’s songs. I’m looking forward to it for a variety of reasons: 1) I’ll be back in the saddle with my Doobie drumming cohort Mike Hossack; 2) I’ll also be playing alongside the amazing Tris Imboden, and 3) The good folks at Drum Workshop have hooked me up with a new kit this year! (Who doesn’t love a new drumkit?) In fact, I’m about to board a plane to Los Angeles for a couple of days with it.

The kit is a beauty, as expected. I’ve decided to go somewhat retro, with bigger drums and a couple fewer cymbals than usual. It’s a stunning-looking maple kit in Ruby Glass finish. And the front head graphic from The Doobies’ One Step Closer album was expertly done by the folks at Drumart. The drums, which feature DW’s new X Shells, include a 18x22 kick, a 9x13 rack tom, 14x14 and 16x16 floor toms, and a 5x14 maple VLT snare with no reinforcement hoops.

My Zildjian cymbals include a 14" A custom top/K Mastersound bottom hi-hat combination, a 17" K Custom Fast crash, an 18" A Custom crash, a 21" K crash/ride (awesome!), an 18" A Custom Projection crash, an 18" A Custom EFX, and a 19" A Custom Medium crash. And yes, this is fewer cymbals!

The bigger drums sound nice and powerful, and the snare has that nice controlled crack that I like without being too in your face. I had been using an Edge snare drum, but I felt that, especially playing with another drummer, it had gotten a bit overpowering. Suffice it to say that I’m more than happy with the choices I made, and very pleased with the end result from DW. Now, on to Phoenix for the rehearsals and first gig!

6/1/08
After a nice day off and a travel day to Phoenix (it’s a dry heat), I’m excited about rehearsals. The bands have decided to encore together, and we’re doing three Doobie tunes and three Chicago tunes. We figured ahead of time that three drummers is a bit much, so on the Doobie stuff Mike and Tris will play traps while I play percussion on some Roland pads, and for the Chicago stuff Tris and I will play traps while Mike plays percussion.

Spoiler Alert! The Chicago tunes I will be playing with Tris are “Free,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” and “25 Or 6 To 4.” I used to play the latter two songs in a horn band in Connecticut called Absolute R&B, back in the late-’80s/early-’90s. So I’m very much looking forward to playing them with the guys who wrote them!

I spend the better part of the morning doing some last-minute prepping, especially on the song “Free.” The other two songs are fairly straightforward, but “Free” has some twists and turns. I’d purchased the Chicago III CD back home in Nashville to be prepared, but by the time I get to Phoenix (sorry, had to do it), I realize that the live arrangement is quite different. I was able to find a YouTube clip of Chicago playing the song in 2004 with Earth, Wind & Fire. After a few listens, I realize it’s a bit more “twisty and turny” than I thought, and I decide to chart it out. It’s more of a form chart than anything else. That’s my preferred method of charting, and if there are any tricky kicks to remember I can always write them out musically.

We head over to the venue, and it’s nice to see the Chicago guys again. We played a festival with them back in the fall and had a great time, so it’s great that this tour was put together, and we’re all looking forward to some good times. Re-introducing myself to Tris, I’m reminded of what a truly nice and likeable guy he is. He mentions being excited to be playing with me, and after saying, “Are you kidding me—you’re Tris Imboden!” I share my enthusiasm about the gig. It’s going to be fun.

After everyone shakes hands, we get down to the task at hand. What are the four guitar players going to do? How will the three keyboard players split the voicings? Did everyone get the horn charts? Who is singing which verse—and for crying out loud, where is catering? Not to worry, after some discussion and run-throughs, things seem to come together okay. Arrangements are decided on, a running order of the six tunes is arrived at, eighteen guys make 5,473 monitor adjustments, and we do a few run-throughs. It’s all a little rusty, but it’s nothing a little panic and homework back at the hotel can’t fix.

I’m feeling good about the drum stuff. I help out Tris with a couple of Doobie arrangements, and he helps me out with the Chicago stuff. Mike and Tris discuss trading fills on the Doobie tunes, and Mike comes up with this killer lilting shuffle pattern on his hot rods for “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is.” After another run-through, everyone is feeling better about it all. We’ll come back tomorrow and put the finishing touches on it before Tuesday’s gig.

I round out the long day as one does, by heading over to the movie theatre to see Indiana Jones. The verdict…Steven Spielberg owes me $9.75. At least it was better than Temple Of Doom.

6/2/08
Things run much smoother in rehearsal. While the “front line” does a vocal rehearsal, Tris and Mike and I talk about how much we enjoy Richie Hayward, Terry Bozzio’s groundbreaking playing on Missing Persons’ Spring Session M record, and, of course, Danny Seraphine. I take some fun pictures too. After a couple of false starts, we run smoothly through the six encore songs. Then we do it again. And then, just to be sure, we do it again. I’m of the opinion that you can never be too prepared for these things. I’m feeling really good about it all, and tomorrow will be the first gig. It’s a fun dynamic with sixteen guys on stage and each of us enjoying playing each other’s material. Much like The Doobies’ music, I grew up listening to the Chicago stuff, and it’s a kick to play these songs with the guys who wrote them. All we need now is an audience.

6/3/08
Show day! The Doobies head down for an extended soundcheck so we can check our monitor mixes and double-check the running order of our set. It goes smoothly and we crank out five or six tunes just to make sure everything is as it should be. Then back to the hotel for a power nap, a change of clothes, and a quick check of the hair. (While I still can!) The atmosphere at the venue is pretty electric with that underlying sense of, Is this encore going to work? Have the two bands rehearsed each other’s songs enough? The overwhelming answer is, Yes!

The Doobies rock through our hour-long set of classic rockers, and the audience responds with a roar. These songs have been the soundtrack of their lives, and they’re excited to be hearing them on a night out without the kids. In fact, some of them actually bring the kids. When I see a young kid in the audience with a Doobies T-shirt on, it just reminds me of myself as a ten-year-old kid at a Doobies concert with the same shirt on, singing along to every word. Who’d have thought twenty-five years later I’d be seeing it from the other side? And the new drums sound killin’, and as usual, they’re a joy to play. And they look bitchin’ with their ruby sparkle under the stage lights!

Chicago comes out and again, the crowd sings along to even more songs from their life soundtrack. And I enjoy listening to the songs that I grew up with—not only the ’70s stuff, but the ’80s songs too, which were popular when I was in high school. Tris plays great as usual, and the horn guys are all over the stage engaging the audience, who are singing and dancing along to every song.

Time for the big encore, and it all runs much better than I anticipated. After all, we only had two rehearsals! We start with “Rockin’ Down The Highway,” and Mike and Tris kill it, while I play bongos and congas on the Roland pads. “Free” comes out great and is such a joy to play with Tris. By the time we get to the final song, “25 Or 6 To 4” (yes, I found out what it means, and I’m not telling!), the crowd is pumped and so is the monster sixteen-piece band. Chicago’s guitar player, Keith Howland, starts the riff with Pat Simmons, and we just explode into it. There’s a cool half-time section after the guitar solos, and I had suggested to Tris that halfway through we play the famous “Zappa” fill from “More Trouble Everyday” that Ralph Humphrey and Chester Thompson played. You know the fill, it’s the same one that Chester and Phil Collins do at the end of Genesis’s “Afterglow”. Bad-ass! And it fits perfectly in the Chicago tune. We play it okay and decide it should stay. (Later, at the second show in Los Angeles, we absolutely nail it, and we haven’t looked back since.)

After the song, we all go out to take our bows. Mission accomplished! We have another month’s worth of shows down the road, but this is already shaping up to be one of those fun tours that you talk about years later. The camaraderie is already there, and the bands are playing well both separately and together. I’m looking forward to the BBQ’s and Wiffle Ball games. (It’s not always just about the drums!)

For more on Ed Toth, go to www.myspace.com/edtoth or www.doobiebrothers.net. Photo by Alex Solca.

Paul Rucker Of Street Dogs
2008-06-19

So in case you just got here, here’s the story so far. Started on a practice pad at ten learning Haskell W. Harr and Stick Control from Stan Pappas at the mall music store, which sold records as well as instruments and housed a small number of practice cubicles for students. Once there was enough proof to the parents that I was serious, they got me a silver sparkle Ludwig kit from Bobby’s on Broadway in Denver. Played in every school band there was until college drumline cured me of school bands. Played my first show the night of my fourteenth birthday, and been in too many bands that no one remembers. Stole from Tommy Lee, Vinny Appice, Nicko, Bonham, Stevenson, etc… Toured in a series of disposable $1,000 vans and learned how to be unemployed until bartending taught me to drink and get paid. Rock bands, metal bands, punk rock bands, country bands, country rock bands, and then light it all on fire and move to LA to become blissfully anonymous. Get job in Hollywood and retire to the world of beer-driven bands that practice after work and never play shows or wear makeup. Maybe one day my friend will call on my way to work and ask me to go on tour, but I wasn’t holding my breath—until it happened. So I go on tour with a bunch of strangers that become my family over time and learn how to live at 70 miles an hour all over again. The shows are bigger than ever and the living gets better all the time. Totally weird. Is it okay to be stoked? The answer is yes. We now join our story in progress.

Had the most crazy couple of weeks, man. Played last night with my old band Armchair Martian in Denver, and people actually came to see a band that I thought was extinct. Playing the theater I used to tend bar at tonight in Ft. Collins…if it’s anything like last night it’s gonna be a batshit crazy blur of hugs and handshakes. The band started here in ’94, and after I moved a couple years ago I haven’t really been back. This town is awesome to visit and a great place to leave behind, all at once. The Blasting Room is here, and without that place the scene here would completely drift into Dave Matthews frat-band purgatory. But it is great to see my friends again and all the other people I don’t remember anymore. Who are you? Who am I? Why am I here? Who are you again? Who am I? Etc.…

Just before I got to Colorado, The Street Dogs played this radio-sponsored concert in Boston that Stone Temple Pilots headlined. The band has always played festivals, but I was new to the whole deal until we played Reading last year; somehow I’m still alive. So now I kinda get it that it’s always kinda weird but fun and cool to see bands you wouldn’t normally. I watched Everlast play from the side and he was cool; very nice, good band. The brothers from the Pilots were wandering around on the side and playing with their kids, that was nice. But when it was time, the backstage went into lockdown and security threw everyone out, so we went out and watched from the crowd. Crazy light show, whatever that guy is, solid band, soundtrack to the ’90s, a bunch of drunken Bostonians, it was fun. Oh yeah, Pennywise played.

The day after the show we had a video shoot. We all live in separate places, so it was the only time we were gonna be together until the Warped Tour. Shot in a house in Malden, Mass by a guy who had just made a Meshuggah mini movie. Rad. My first time as “talent” in a video shoot. I started working as a set dresser for E! when I moved to LA, so I’m usually on the other side of the shot. It was fun and the crew was way better than I anticipated. I thought we were gonna have somebody’s cousin shooting and directing and running the smoke machine in a garage. The producer, Ian, is a friend of Johnny’s, and he was painless and totally easy to work with. We started with pads on the drums, but when it was apparent it wasn’t working he was the first to tell me to just play them for real and screw the noise, we’ll turn the playback up and rock. Nice. They shot in HD, and I saw some of the shots in the monitor. It looked pretty sweet. There was a fog wrangler, and the catering was lovely. The upstairs neighbors that lived in the house we were using were hanging out and bar-b-q’n lamb lollipops that were freakin’ awesome. The guy who owned the house was a serious individual who had recorded most or all of the Slapshot records and had a studio, rehearsal room, and subterranean Greek disco all spread out in this huge old house. Thanks for the drums, John, they looked great. After that we went to Johnny’s parents for some love and then to Portsmouth, NH for some chowder at the Stock Pot.

Planes, trains, automobiles, and a sweet backache all converge in a massive travel race to always just get there in time to eat something terrible and expensive. Then when you finally get on the fourth plane in three days and it has to land at a tiny airport because it doesn’t have enough fuel to keep circling the wind-closed runway of the main airport 70 miles away, do you curse or still be stoked at the situation? Days later the answer is yes, but at the time, the answer was medication and an insane Colorado sunset. So we have one more show tonight, with the old bands I should say. The band Armchair evolved into Drag The River, made an effort with the old classic first lineup. Played about six and a half songs and it was a beautiful mess after a whole night of crazy brodeo party. Tonight I think most people are gonna be too hungover to get too drunk, and we might not suck as bad. Oh, well, it will be fun for sure.

Oh yeah, I just got the call yesterday from Pacific Drums that they’re gonna bring me on as a player and I’m getting a new kit for Warped Tour. Stoked. Been playing my same Yamaha kit since high school, and it is time to retire it before it gets too beat. I love that kit and it has been through a lot with me, so it goes in the museum when I figure out where that is. I had a chance to figure out a lot lately, and keep meeting new people that change my outlook for the better. I’m just trying to have fun and be a better person that enjoys life. I spent too much time being bored because I thought that was all there is. It just took some amount of craziness to jump off the dock into the insanity of nothing for me to find out what I really am. I’m just the drummer man. The best part is that people will eventually leave you alone if you act crazy enough. I’m sure my band has taken pools on when I finally crack, but I think I might surprise them and outlast them all.

Steve Bolognese Of Into Eternity
2008-06-17

Hey, everybody! My name is Steve Bolognese, and I play drums with Into Eternity. First off, I want to say thanks to Modern Drummer for the blog space. I’ve been a fan of the magazine longer than I’ve actually played drums.

We’ve finally come across some downtime in the I.E. camp (aside from mixing the record). It’s been a real busy year for us so far, so the time off for me is well needed. It’s coming up on two years since I joined my favorite metal band. It’s really strange how things work.

We recently finished recording the band’s fifth album, The Incurable Tragedy. This is the first Into Eternity record with my playing on it. We began writing in October, after finishing up the Dream Theater and Edguy tours. Since the band lives in Canada and I live in Boston, we had to send the music over the Internet, like so many bands are doing these days. I came up with my drum arrangements throughout November, and we planned to hit the studio in March. As some of you might already know, though, things can change really quickly in this business—and they did.

I was vacationing in Puerto Rico when I got the call from Tim asking me if I knew how to speak Japanese. I responded by saying, “Not quite. Why?” He said, “Because we’re going to Japan.” Needless to say, I was psyched. This was the band’s first trip there. But what followed the good news was the realization that now we had to finish the record before we left. This left very little time to solidify my parts. The recording was pushed up by three months.

So in January I flew up to Saskatchewan, and without having had even one band rehearsal, I began tracking drums. I was amazed at the confidence the band had in me, considering they had no clue what kind of ideas I had come up with—they didn’t hear the drums until they were already recorded. But they were all really stoked when they finally did hear it, so that was a relief.

Soon after we recorded the drums, we began to rehearse for the upcoming Symphony X tour, which was amazing. Can’t say enough about those guys; they’re all extremely cool and talented. After that tour we played one more show, this one was with Children Of Bodom (another amazing band). The show went awesome, and after we played we headed to the airport for the much-anticipated trip to Japan. Once we arrived we met up with At The Gates, Dillinger Escape Plan, Mayhem, and Pig Destroyer for what was to become a very memorable trip. We played three shows, finishing in Tokyo with what I thought was one of the coolest shows we ever played. Nobody was lying when they said that the Japanese fans were diehard; they were some of the most appreciative I’ve ever seen.

So now I’m home in Boston, getting my well-needed practice time in, plus teaching my own students and getting ready to teach at the Berklee College of Music’s World Percussion Festival for the second year in a row. It’s quite an honor and a treat to be part of such an inspiring week for drummers here in Boston. It was about thirteen years ago that I attended the same festival as a student. Now I’m teaching at it—who would have thought?

So I’ll be home through August, then begins the Canadian Summer Slaughter Festival, which includes one of my favorite bands, Necrophagist. I’m really looking forward to this tour, which will feature some of the best musicians—especially drummers—of the genre. I’ll be sure to bring my notebook.

My gear situation for now is a Pearl Export Custom kit, with Sabian cymbals (a lot of HHX and Hand Hammered), Axis pedals, and my trusty ol’ Vic Firth 5AN sticks.

That’s all I’ve got for now. ’Til next time, keep the sheds alive!

For more on Steve Bolognese, go to www.myspace.com/speedbolognese or www.intoeternity.net.

Drummer/Musician’s Handbook
Author Bobby Borg
2008-06-16

What up, gang! I’ve been a loyal reader of Modern Drummer since I was about twelve years old. I’ve worked with a variety of artists and in a variety of styles at the major-label, independent, and DIY level, primarily as a band member. You can hear me play on records with the hard rock bands Warrant, Beggars & Thieves, and Left For Dead, to name a few. I’ve been very fortunate to study with some of some of the world’s best drummers, such as Gary Chaffee and Kenwood Dennard, and to graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a BA in professional music. I’m currently active in teaching music as well as music business at Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and at the University of Los Angeles in California. I speak to managers, labels, and supervisors at music industry events as a music business and A&R consultant, and I’m a regular contributor to international music business publications. I’m also the author of Billboard Books’ bestseller The Musician’s Handbook: A Practical Guide To Understanding The Music Business, which was just revised and released last month. You can get a copy at www.bobbyborg.com.

What inspired me to write a music business book? Well, drumming is an art, but making money from it is a serious business. Though musicians must understand the music business in order to succeed, many books on this subject are not readily comprehensible to them. When I began my career in music as a member of a band signed to a major label, I bought a book about the industry because I wanted to understand contracts, record royalties, music publishing, union special payment funds, new-use fees, salary and wages, PDs, buy-outs, and everything else that the music business entailed. I got about eighteen pages into the book and stopped. The text was too complex; it seemed that the author was writing for attorneys rather than for a guy who was about to jump on a tour bus. At the time, I was more interested in playing drums than studying law.

But as time went on, I realized more than ever that there had to be a simpler way for musicians to understand the music business without spending a fortune in legal fees. I concluded that a layman’s guide to understanding the music business was necessary—one written by a musician for musicians, someone who’d actually been in the trenches himself, from recording studios to tour buses to concert stages.

The revised Musician’s Handbook includes a number of new things. First, it features updated chapters loaded with new industry contacts, addresses, and URLs, along with hundreds of new strategies for pursuing and succeeding in today’s music business. There are also new interviews with top industry professionals discussing new music business models, future forecasts, new royalty rates, and structures for the digital age and for the independent and do-it-yourself musician. Finally, there are expanded in-depth explanations of advances, music publishing, live performances, touring, and merchandising, as well as the vital roles attorneys, personal managers, business managers, talent agents, and record producers play.

As many of you may already know, if you want music to be your livelihood, you must treat it as a business; otherwise the business will take advantage of you. Check out The Musician’s Handbook at www.bobbyborg.com, www.amazon.com, or at a bookstore near you. (If you don’t see it, ask for it.) Peace!

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