“Don’t disturb the groove.” Whether we’re playing to an audience that’s pumping their fists, moshing, or simply dancing, as drummers we never want to be the one held responsible for clearing the floor. But what happens when someone yells, “Give the drummer some!” and you start going for your latest lick? Does everybody suddenly make a beeline for the bar? Do you see people checking their cell phones? Unfortunately, this has happened to me more times than I care to remember. Back in the late 1990s, when I was playing quite a bit of electronica music in smaller venues in New York City, I would often use just a snare, bass drum, and hi-hat out of sheer spatial necessity. I would occasionally use a floor tom. This kind of setup forced me to focus on the groove. And since people came to these places to dance and have a good […]

September 2012 Issue