Nigel Olsson’s ’70s/’80s-Era Slingerland Drumkit
While the legendary Elton John drummer has been a DW drums endorser for years—the company famously built him a custom kit for the pop star’s 2012 Million Dollar Piano Las Vegas residency that displays the badge of the Royal Air…
Bill Bruford - Part 1: One of a Kind
Trailblazing West Coast swing drummer Shelly Manne once mused that a true jazz musician never plays it the same way once. Throughout his stellar career, the iconic progressive rock and jazz drummer Bill Bruford had adopted Manne’s paradoxical mantra as…
Marla Leigh
Having “good time” can mean many things to a musician. For this veteran frame drummer, waiting for the right moment to execute a plan, even if that means years, can turn out to be the best decision. For twenty years,…
The Classic Recordings of Ginger Baker, Part 3: The Solo Albums
Following a prolific period when Ginger Baker made his name with Cream, Blind Faith, and Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and collaborated with Fela Kuti, the mid ’70s found the drummer setting up a recording studio in Africa, playing polo, trying…
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News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
James Gadson, Legendary R&B Drummer and One of the Most Recorded in History, Dies at 87
Born on June 17, 1939, drummer, producer, singer, and songwriter James Gadson grew up in the Kansas City music scene. He was greatly influenced by his father Harold, who was a well-known drummer. James later moved to Los Angeles, where…
Guitar Center Reintroduces OCDP Drums
Modern Drummer is proud to bring exciting news to the world of drumming. Guitar Center is announcing the relaunch of Orange County Drum & Percussion, also known as OCDP. With this announcement, Guitar Center is reviving one of the most…
Chad Smith Walks In on Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Shannon Leto Playing Chili Peppers Hit on Drums: Watch
Drumeo’s “For the First Time” series has become a regular hit on YouTube, largely thanks to a viral edition featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith taking on the challenge of playing Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “The Kill (Bury Me).”…
Who Is RUSH’s New Drummer Anika Nilles?
Anika Nilles has been announced as RUSH’s drummer for their upcoming reunion tour, which will mark the band’s first shows in 11 years, and first concerts since the passing of the legendary Neil Peart in 2020. Rather than tap a…
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
Legacy of the Beast Gong #metalsticks #ironmaiden
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
The History of Parade, Circus, and Vaudeville Drums
Parade, circus, and vaudeville drums share a common DNA rooted in military tradition, but each evolved with their own personality as they moved into the world of entertainment. Here is some history of these types of drums and their uses.…
OCDP: Orange County Drum & Percussion, The Loudest Name in Drums Returns!
Guitar Center has resurrected the Orange County Drum & Percussion brand with the help of original OCDP founder Daniel Jensen and No Doubt’s Adrian Young. Together they will reclaim the brand’s custom shop legacy as they mark its 35th anniversary.…
Ebenor Quality Percussion: Noranda Copper Snares
Modern Drummer received an extremely cool snare from Ebenor’s Noranda Copper Collection to see what we thought of this high-end offering in the world of snare drums. Ebenor is a high-end, custom shop located in St-Sebastien, Quebec, Canada, and their…
SOFTWARE UPDATES FOR SPD-SX PRO V 2.0, LP IMPROVES THE CYCLOPS, THE NEW GRAHAM PEDAL, DW SOUNDWORKS METAL LEGACY 2
Roland is announcing the Version 2.0 update for the SPD-SX PRO sampling pad. Offering customizable trigger LEDs, multiple audio outputs and trigger inputs, massive onboard memory, and much more, the rugged and reliable SPD-SX PRO is the ultimate solution for professional…
Steve Ferrone Drum Collection
In the world of “first call” drummers, Steve Ferrone is the first one they call. Just ask Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, George Harrison, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Rick James, Slash, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees, Al Jarreau, Mick Jagger, or Johnny Cash. When iconic bands like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Average White Band, Duran Duran and Aerosmith needed…
Yamaha EAD50 – Part 1: Redefining the Starting Point
Where does drum recording begin? The fundamentals haven’t changed; however, Yamaha’s Electronic Acoustic Drum (EAD) concept has quietly reshaped how drummers approach recording. With the introduction of the EAD10, capturing a full kit sound quickly and musically, without the demands of a multi-mic setup, became a practical…
Kit of the Month
Clean, Compact, and Consistent.
And now for something completely different… This month’s Modern Drummer Kit of The Month comes to us from Seattle, Washington’s Jon Levitt. The origin of Jon’s rig is that after he got into…
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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…
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