Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres
When singer Jon Bon Jovi quit his cover band to front the New Jersey originals group the Rest, most who witnessed his passion and drive knew it wouldn’t take long for the charismatic frontman to put his own band together…
Kendrick Lamar’s Tony “Rico” Nichols
Perpetually relaxed, and seemingly never breaking a sweat, Rico Nichols plays a once-in-a-lifetime mega gig with a broad pocket, enviable self-composure, and a nimble touch that can alternately be described as creamy, mellow, and deep. Born and raised in Chicago,…
Lamb of God’s Chris Adler
Legion: XX (pronounced “legion twenty”) commemorates the twentieth anniversary of Lamb of God’s first album release. As most metal fans are aware, that original album was actually the self-titled debut of Burn the Priest; drummer Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell,…
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News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Ringo Starr Celebrates His 86th Birthday with Peace, Love, and an All-Star Musical Tribute
On July 7th, Ringo Starr celebrated his 86th birthday at his Peace & Love Statue in Beverly Hills, CA with current and former All Starr band members, friends, and celebrities. The event started when Starr, his wife Barbara Bach, and…
Simmons unveils the Titan 90, the most advanced electronic drum kit in Simmons’ history
Available only at Guitar Center, the new Simmons flagship eKit delivers authentic feel, innovative technology and unmatched value for serious drummers Guitar Center today unveiled the Simmons Titan 90, the most advanced electronic drum kit ever developed by Simmons –…
Drummer Nic Collins (Phil Collins’ Son) Learns and Performs RUSH’s Epic “2112” Suite in One Sitting: Watch
The folks at Drumeo are putting Nic Collins through the wringer. First, they challenged him to play Opeth’s mammoth “Ghost of Perdition” as he heard it for the first time, and now they’ve made him learn and play RUSH’s absolutely…
Wolfgang Van Halen Breaks Down His Uncle Alex’s Drumming, Plays Van Halen Songs: Watch
Wolfgang Van Halen stopped by the Drumeo studio for a new video feature about his uncle, Alex, the drummer of Van Halen. In the 20-minute clip, Wolfgang opens up about his uncle’s legacy as a somewhat underrated facet of Van…
Tour Kit Rundowns
Your favorite drummers walk you through every detail of their drum setups.
Metal Sticks
Dedicated to interviewing iconic artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, amplifying young talent, and showcasing Nicko McBrain’s archive of iconic gear & memorabilia, Metal Sticks aims to inspire all generations of heavy metal fans.
1984 Is When I Finally Got My Drum Sound #vanhalen #alexvanhalen
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary… with Drums
This year, The Chicago Drum Show hosted my museum exhibit celebrating America’s 250th Year Anniversary. The exhibit featured drums that I have collected dating from 1780 to 1976, the time of the American Revolution to the Bicentennial of 1976. The…
OCDP ADRIAN YOUNG SIGNATURE SNARE, SABIAN STRATUS DRY COLLECTION, DW HARDWARE, BEYERDYNAMIC PROFESSIONAL IN-EAR MONITORS, AKAI STANDALONE MPC SYSTEMS
Limited Edition Adrian Young Signature Snare Launching exclusively at Guitar Center, the Adrian Young Signature OCDP Snare is a limited-edition, USA-made collaboration designed from scratch with the No Doubt drummer. Inspired by Adrian’s Tragic Kingdom-era touring kit, the snare features…
Yamaha Recording Custom Drums: Redefining the Classic, Signature Sound!
Yamaha drums have made a huge impact on the drumming world since its inception about 60 years ago. From the get-go, the Recording Custom kits were always a top pick for recording drummers and performers alike. But for a period,…
JC Drumsticks: Celebrating the USA’s 250th Anniversary
John Crocken, the mastermind behind JC Drumsticks, recently sent Modern Drummer a set of the newly minted, handmade, commemorative America 250th Anniversary Drumsticks. The sticks are made of solid ebony wood measuring at 17” in length. They have a shaft…
Elvin Jones’ First Set of 1982 American K Zildjians with Embossed Bag
Shortly after Elvin Jones passed in 2004, his wife Keiko invited me to help her with the massive collection of drum gear Elvin had amassed throughout his career. The collection filled an entire apartment in their New York City apartment…
Speed-A-Beat: Universal Bass Drum Pedal Roller-Ball Module
Can you double your foot speed? That’s what John Crocken’s Speed-A-Beat sets out to answer. The patented module is built around a single mechanical idea: replace the friction between foot and footboard with a bed of free-spinning steel bearings and see what happens. John Crocken, known…
Kit of the Month
Kenn’s Custom Designs
This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month comes to us from drummer Kenn Youngar. Kenn hand built his own drums. The custom drum riser and cymbal stands were created by a friend,…
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Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14x26 bass drum, a 12x15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
Buddy Rich Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980
Excerpted from the January 1977 issue When it comes to interviewing Buddy, one must learn to expect the unexpected. You can end up with a first rate story, or no story at all. He’s a very intense human being, with…
Gene Krupa Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979
Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a highpriced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa…
Danny Thompson - Alan Parsons - Tour Kit Rundown
Modern Drummer Official 5.2K views June 22, 2026 6:00 PM