Simon Kirke — Rocklife
In 1970 "All Right Now" by the band Free became a hit, and almost an anthem. At the same time the solid, sparse, forceful but beautiful drumming of Simon Kirke became a standard by which the performances of other drummers…
Anthony J. Cirone — Organic Balance
I've always been intrigued by people who do a variety of things in their careers. My first drum teacher was such a person. He started out playing percussion in theaters during the final years of vaudeville. He then became a…
J.R. Mitchell Creative Survival
J.R. Mitchell is a multi-faceted human being. On the surface, he might seem to be "just" a drummer. But in reality, J.R. is a composer, an educator, a record company owner/producer and—in his own way—a philosopher. He holds a B.A.…
Francis Clay
Francis Clay is one of a handful of drummers who helped to create and define blues drumming. Many rhythm section players get very little recognition for their contributions to the blues and other forms of American music. In the evolution…
News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Gretsch's 140th Anniversary Concert in NYC: Photo Gallery
On May 23rd, 2023, Gretsch drums returned to New York City for a remarkable 140th anniversary celebration. The South Carolina-based drum company organized a special one-night-only concert at The Cutting Room in New York City to honor the rich history…
Remembering John Bonham: Drummers Pay Tribute to the Led Zeppelin Legend
Heavy Consequence contributor Greg Prato is also the author of several rock books. His 2020 oral history, titled BONZO: 30 Rock Drummers Remember the Legendary John Bonham, pays tribute to late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Below he shares excerpts…
Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp Announces July Edition in NYC
If you've ever wanted to live out your rockstar dreams, Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp is here to make that possible. Taking place in New York City, Rock'n'Roll Fantasy Camp will go down from July 13th-16th, 2023. You'll have an opportunity to…
Kirk Arrington, Longtime Metal Church Drummer, Dead at 61
Longtime Metal Church drummer Kirk Arrington died Monday, May 22nd, at the age of 61. The band shared the news of Arrington’s passing in a social media statement on Monday night, writing, “We just received the sad news, Kirk Arrington…
Videos
Rig rundowns, play-throughs, interviews, and more featuring your favorite drummers
Mike Portnoy: The Winery Dogs' Tour Kit Rundown
Join The Winery Dogs drummer and Modern Drummer's May 2023 cover star Mike Portnoy as he gives us a rundown of his drum kit. Portnoy is currently on tour with The Winery Dogs, and in typical Portnoy fashion, his kit…
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
Tone Wings Add Some Focus to Your Drum Tone
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first saw Tone Wings by Liquid Sound technologies. It’s not your every-day drum product. At first glance, you might think they fell off a piece of expensive furniture. However, garnering my…
Evans Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System An Open Canvas for Sonic Expression
As a product that began as a successful Kickstarter campaign by Sunhouse Technologies, Sensory Percussion™ has matured and evolved thanks to a partnership with EVANS drumheads. The joint venture has created the new EVANS Hybrid Sensory Percussion Sound System. This…
Outlaw Drums Sound Control Technology Snare A Clean Sounding, Extremely Stable, Stave Constructed Snare Drum
Outlaw Drums are known as high quality stave construction drums that are built from centuries-old wood. They ooze with history. For anyone who owns one of these drums, they know how great they sound. Yet, in some circumstances and environments,…
beyerdynamic Reimagines its Classic M Series Microphones
beyerdynamic – the preferred audio brand for live music and studio professionals globally – is unveiling a redesign of its storied M Series mics at NAMM 2023. The iconic M Series, which has recorded Jimi Hendrix’s explosive guitar riffs and…
Latin Percussion Launch Panderos De Plena Folkloric Puerto Rican Drums
Latin Percussion is pleased to present its new Panderos De Plena, a collection of handheld drums to honor the rhythmic heritage and culture Puerto Rico. This further expands the brands extensive range of professional world and ethnic percussion instruments. Latin…
Gretsch Drums Launch Limited Edition 140th Anniversary Kit
When Friedrich Gretsch opened a small music shop in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1883, no one expected his drums would become one of the most respected, iconic brands in music history. To celebrate, Gretsch is proud to present the Limited Edition…
Kit of the Month
Taurus Lovely’s “Crown of Thorns” kit
Taurus Lovely is the touring drummer for the Tina Turner Broadway show entitled Tina. For Modern Drummer’s Kit of the Month, Taurus has brought us his Treehouse custom “Crown of Thorns” drum kit.…
Continue ReadingPodcasts
Host John DeChristopher goes in-depth with the biggest names in drumming
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Cady Zildjian
John’s guest is Cady Zildjian. Cady is the Vice Chair Board of Directors for the Zildjian Company. She is the eldest of the 15th generation of the Zildjian Family and the daughter of Debbie Zildjian, granddaughter of Armand Zildjian and…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Vinnie Colaiuta
From the archives, this episode of Live From My Drum Room With Vinnie Colaiuta! originally aired on January 29, 2022. John’s guest is legendary drummer, Vinnie Colaiuta! John and Vinnie discuss Vinnie's years at Berklee College of Music and living in…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Cindy Blackman Santana
John’s guest is the incomparable Cindy Blackman Santana! Cindy talks about her formative years as a drummer and hearing Max Roach for the first time, and shortly after, the great Tony Williams and the influence Tony has on her playing.…
John DeChristopher Live From My Drum Room With Jeff "Tain" Watts
John’s guest is legendary Jazz drummer, composer, band leader and seven-time Grammy winner, Jeff “Tain” Watts. John and Jeff talk about when they met in 1980 while Jeff was attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Jeff’s background in Classical…
Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
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…
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…
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…
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…
