
Keith Moon

Keith Moon’s original 1967 “Pictures of Lily” Premier drum set was not only visually stunning, it was also likely the first customized-graphic kit put into use by a major rock act. Premier’s in-house publication, Talking Drums, states that Moon approached Promotions Manager Phil Franklin with the idea of a pop-art …

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 a danger of becoming an automaton if you do everything …

Vivid by Living Colour. Will Calhoun plays masterfully and with tons of power. It was perfect: playable but loaded with nuance.Scott Sparks Manu Katché on Peter Gabriel’s Secret World Live. I was around five, and it just blew my mind. That’s when I realized drumming was what I wanted to …

There is a silver lining to the devaluation of recorded music that has accompanied the streaming revolution. Legacy acts and record labels that have grown accustomed to the passive income generated from their old master recordings are continuously returning to the vaults to pad out rereleases of classic albums with …

Whose playing endures through the decades? Whose music do we reach for when we want new ideas? When we want to practice? When we want to laugh? Who inspires and delights us most?

“No matter how many times you listen to Live at Leeds, it surprises,” says MD Pro Panelist Stephen Perkins, who’s been touring with Jane’s Addiction behind its latest studio album, The Great Escape Artist.

The British Invasion of the ’60s literally changed the consciousness of the world.
Keith Moon gave us laughs, he gave us music, and he gave us himself.

1967 was a year when wild was in. And of the rock bands commanding the world’s attention that year, it didn’t get much wilder than the Who, Cream, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The same could be said for the drummers who made them go—and the kits on which they …

Zak Starkey, Keith Moon, Travis Smith, Joe Russo, Jim Payne, John Fred Young, Aaron Montgomery, Joe Tomino, Joel Stevenett, Kaspar Rast, Sonny Emory, Chick Webb, Buddy Rich, Dave Weckl, Terry Bozzio, Carmine Appice

Keith Moon, Adam Deitch, Todd Sucherman, Adam Carson, Joey Kramer, Todd Nance, Jimmy Chamberlin, Dave DiCenso, Jim Christie, Jeremy Hummel, Tiny Kahn, Adrian Young, Raymond Herrera, Ian Paice

Tré Cool, Wuv, Nicko McBrain, Dave Krusen, Phil Ehart, Trey Gray, Steve Gadd, Joe Morello, Rod Morgenstein, Peter Erskine, Neil Peart, Mel Lewis, Roy Burns, Mark Parsons, Rick Van Horn, Tony Williams, Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Tito Puente, Alan Dawson, Gary Chester, Eric Carr, Larrie Londin, Art Blakey, Philly Joe …
Carter Beauford, Billy Martin, Mike Clark, Keith Moon, Paul Deakin, Charlie Benante, Mark Walker, Scott Rockenfield, Joe Birch, Marky Ramone, Mark Rajakovic, Terry Bozzio, Paul Liem,

Louie Bellson, Alan Dawson, Sly Dunbar, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Danny Gottlieb, Omar Hakim, Larrie Londin, Neil Peart, Buddy Rich, Andy Newmark, Jimmy Bralower, Jules Moss, Bill Bruford, Gil Moore, Carl Palmer, John Bonham, Karen Carpenter, Nick Ceroli, Papa Jo Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Roy Knapp, Shelly Manne, Kenny Clare, …

Max Roach, Keith Moon, Vic Firth, Joe Vitale, Chris Parker, Sonny Greer, Mickey Curry, Butch Ballard, Billy Hart, Hal Blaine, Buddy Rich, Rick Marotta, Elvin Jones

Horacee Arnold, Billy Hart, Freddie Watts, Alan White, Dave Mattacks, Roberta Crain, Keith Moon, Stanley Spector, Peter Magadini, Andy Newmark, Duffy Jackson, Joe Cocuzzo, Chuck Hughes
Posted: February 8, 2021

Thank you to Far Out Magazine for Reminding us how brilliant Ringo Starr is. We Agree!
Credit: AlamyJack Whatley·February 5, 2021 5 isolated drum tracks to prove The Beatles’ Ringo Starr was a genius Too often has The Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr been the butt of some unkind jokes. Reportedly purported by his bandmate John Lennon, the adage goes that when asked about whether Ringo …
Posted: August 7, 2020

The Who Launch “Join Together @ Home” YouTube Series With Shea Stadium ’82 Show
As part of YouTube’s #StayHome campaign, the Who will launch a six-week celebration of their live performances called Join Together @ Home. The British rock band, in particular its classic lineup featuring singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon, is considered by many as …
Posted: November 13, 2018

Spider of Wank in On The Beat
Hey guys and girls, it’s Spider from Wank. My group has been a part of the Orange County music scene for more than twenty-two years now.
Posted: April 17, 2018

On The Beat with Danny Wagner of Greta Van Fleet: Talks Influences, Songwriting, and Music Muscle
Hello Modern Drummer readers! Danny Wagner here. I play drums for the band Greta Van Fleet and am a long-time reader of the magazine. I’m honored to write an “On The Beat,” especially as such a young musician.
Posted: November 9, 2017

On The Beat with Brandon Crook of the Sherlocks: Talks Debut Album and Upcoming Tour
Hello Modern Drummer readers, I’m Brandon Crook, drummer for the Sherlocks. Our debut album Live For The Moment came out this past August and finished number six on the charts.
Posted: June 13, 2017

On the Beat with Percussionist Tyler West and Drummer Bryan Adkins of Super Doppler
Tyler West What’s up, Modern Drummer readers! My name is Tyler West, but most people call me Teeter, and I’ve been the percussionist in psychedelic rock ’n’ soul band Super Doppler since tenth grade. From banging on pots and pans in the kitchen as a youngster to getting my first …
Posted: March 21, 2017
On the Beat with Heath Fields from Shallow Side: Talks Beginnings, Overcoming Adversity, and New Album
Hello fellow MD readers. My name is Heath Fields and I’m the drummer for the band Shallow Side, from Cullman, Alabama. It’s an honor to be a part of the On the Beat family!
Posted: January 19, 2017
On the Beat with Jared Evan: Talks Influences and New Album
Hey, MD! I’m Jared Evan and I’m a singer, songwriter, rapper, producer, and drummer. I’m twenty-six years old and have been playing the drums since I was six.
Posted: December 7, 2016
On the Beat with Maxx Morando of the Regrettes: Talks Recording and Debut Album
Hey MD! I’m Maxx Morando, drummer of the Regrettes. I’m eighteen years old and have been playing drums since I was eight and joined the School of Rock in Hollywood. I met some of my bandmates there, three of whom are Sage, Genessa, and Lydia of the Regrettes. My main …
Posted: November 30, 2016
Monte Yoho on the Outlaws’ Legacy Live
The Outlaws are one of the premier bands associated with the Southern-rock movement of the ’70s, and drummer Monte Yoho was with the group—dubbed Florida’s Guitar Army—at the very beginning. Early hits like the Yoho co-write “There Goes Another Love Song,” the classic update of the famous 1948 cowboy tale …
Posted: September 29, 2016
On Tour: Tony Leone With the Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Longtime New York City drummer Tony Leone is currently on the road with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
Posted: June 2, 2016
On Tour: Cage the Elephant’s Jared Champion
For ten years, Jared Champion’s backbeat-infused, no-frills grooves have propelled the alternative chart-crushers Cage the Elephant. The group’s current tour runs through August, with additional select dates in September and October.
Posted: May 27, 2016
Guitarist Paul Gilbert on Mike Portnoy
Mr. Big founder and ex-Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert is releasing his seventeenth solo album today, ‘I Can Destroy’, featuring Thomas Lang on drums. Gilbert has performed in a number of musical projects over the years with Mike Portnoy, including the drummer’s Beatles tribute group Yellow Matter Custard, which played …
Posted: April 27, 2016

On the Beat With Carmine Appice: Stick It!
Hi MD drummer dudes and girls! This is a fun time in my career. After forty-nine years in the music business and touring the world many times playing arenas, stadiums, theaters, etc., I’ve reached a point where I can sit back and review my life of drumming and music….
Posted: April 27, 2016
On the Beat With Carmine Appice: Stick It!
Hi MD drummer dudes and girls! This is a fun time in my career. After forty-nine years in the music business and touring the world many times playing arenas, stadiums, theaters, etc., I’ve reached a point where I can sit back and review my life of drumming and music….
Posted: March 31, 2016
Tim Wyskida of Blind Idiot God on Before Ever After
Modern Drummer sat down with drummer Tim Wyskida, formerly of the doom/avant-garde band Khanate, to get the lowdown on his drumming, the tracking of Before Ever After, and the band’s strangely sophisticated mixture of drone, noise, funk, prog rock, dub, and a host of other genres.
Posted: January 18, 2016
On the Beat With Josean Orta of Fit For an Autopsy: Motivated to Innovate
Hello, music and drums have been crawling through my veins since I was five years old. I remember scavenging my house to find anything that would resonate when struck and use it to create music while driving my parents insane in the process. Some kids are forced to learn to …
Posted: September 15, 2015
Web Exclusive! Joe Walsh’s Joe Vitale: Practice Tips and Influences
Joe Vitale is currently touring with Joe Walsh as well as starring in the movie Ricki and the Flash, featuring Meryl Streep. We continue talking with Joe about a few practice tips as well as some of his influences….
Posted: March 24, 2015
Drummer Blog: the Blues Magoos’ Geoff Daking Talks Greenwich Village, Engineering, and Session Work
Hey drummers! I’m Geoff Daking of the Blues Magoos. I started playing in the early ’60s in Delaware. When I was in high school I came to New York City on weekends to see Monk, Cannonball, and Coltrane with those great drummers like Elvin Jones. I moved to Greenwich Village …
Posted: February 20, 2015
Drummer Blog: The Bots’ Anaiah Lei on Incorporating Jazz and Other Musical Styles
Hi, guys and girls! My name is Anaiah Lei, and I drum for a band called the Bots, from Los Angeles, California. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and I’ve been drumming for about eleven years. I joined the Bots not too long after it started and have …
Posted: January 16, 2015
California Music Fest Combines John Bonham, Randy Rhoads, and Keith Moon/John Entwistle Tributes
Scheduled to coincide with the 2015 National Association of Music Merchants convention—the NAMM Show—the California Music Fest will present tribute concerts to Led Zeppelin drummer John “Bonzo??? Bonham, Ozzie Osbourne guitarist Randy Rhoads, and the Who’s great rhythm section, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle.
Posted: August 5, 2014
Influences: Blondie’s Clem Burke
A band’s fortieth anniversary might find the members in victory-lap, let’s-slow-it-down-a-notch mode. Not so with Blondie. To mark the big four-oh, the group is touring extensively and has released a double-disc package titled Blondie 4(0)-Ever, featuring a collection of new songs called Ghosts of Download along with the album Greatest …
Posted: July 17, 2014
Rob Rufus of Blacklist Royals
My relationship with the drumkit and all it represents is different than most drummers I know. For me, there is a before, and there is an after.
Posted: April 17, 2014
The Ox and the Loon
Special Event Honoring the Who’s John Entwistle and Keith Moon This April 24
Tichy/Sutton Productions will present “The Ox and the Loon: A Night of Rhythmic Lunacy??? in honor of John Entwistle and Keith Moon of the Who on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California….
Posted: April 11, 2014
Andrew Weber of Green or Blue
I’ve been drumming for the past ten years, and it has been the most rewarding thing I have done in my life….
Posted: November 27, 2013

Scott Reeder of Fu Manchu and Sun & Sail Club
Hello, fellow bashers, my name is Scott Reeder. (No, not that Scott Reeder—more on that later.) I’ve been playing drums for, oh let’s see, forever, or at least as long as I can remember….
Posted: November 27, 2013
Scott Reeder of Fu Manchu and Sun & Sail Club
Hello, fellow bashers, my name is Scott Reeder. (No, not that Scott Reeder—more on that later.) I’ve been playing drums for, oh let’s see, forever, or at least as long as I can remember….
Posted: July 18, 2013
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Tuning (UPDATED)
We asked the members of the MD Education Team to share their thoughts on how they prefer to tune their drums. Here’s what they had to say….
Posted: July 3, 2013
Producer/Songwriter Marti Frederiksen
Hi, I’m Marti Frederiksen. I’m a songwriter, producer, and singer, but most of all I consider myself a drummer….
Posted: April 2, 2013
Matchbox Twenty’s Paul Doucette Discusses North Track by Track
The May 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine features an Update with Matchbox’s Twenty’s Paul Doucette. Here, we continue the conversation about the band’s latest album, North, and Doucette gives his impressions of each track from the record.
Posted: March 28, 2013
The May 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer
See what’s in the May 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine….
Posted: March 18, 2013
Mike Lloyd of Leogun
My earliest memory of wanting to play drums dates comes from when I was ten years old and riding in the back of my dad’s car.
Posted: March 11, 2013
Richard Danielson of Vintage Trouble
My name is Richard Danielson, and I’m the drummer for Vintage Trouble. Our music has been described as many things. I like to call it “primitive soul.???
Posted: March 4, 2013
The April 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Tommy Igoe
Look here to see the contents of the April 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, featuring Tommy Igoe….
Posted: December 19, 2012
Keith Harrison of the Pineapple Thief
Question: What do you call a guy who hangs out with musicians? Answer: A drummer! With the prospect of being the butt of such drummer jokes, I have to ask myself the question, “Why did I choose to play drums????
Posted: December 4, 2012
Dave King of the Bad Plus: Web-Exclusive Interview
An exclusive web-interview with Dave King of the Bad Plus.
Posted: October 26, 2012
Greg Faucher of Animal Talk
I subconsciously make weird faces when I play the drums. Sometimes I stick my tongue out. Because of this, some photographers claim they’ve never gotten a good picture of me.
Posted: October 5, 2012
David Halicky of The Vim Dicta
Hey Modern Drummer people! I’m David Halicky. Through drumming I can truly express who I am and how I’m feeling.
Posted: August 27, 2012
Ryan McNulty of the Ugly Club
Hello, MD community! This is the epic tale of Ryan McNulty of the Ugly Club from New Jersey. I’ve played in so many bands and done so many random gigs that it’s hard to even recall half of them.
Posted: July 23, 2012
The Smashing Pumpkins Oceania
Our first chance to hear recent Pumpkins inductee Mike Byrne in a long-format scenario. Drummer and band seem energized by the opportunity.
Posted: July 6, 2012
Luke Johnson of Lostprophets
My name is Luke Johnson, and I play drums in the band Lostprophets. We’re currently touring our fifth studio album, Weapons….
Posted: May 18, 2012
Stephen Perkins Performs “Who Are You??? at Guitar Center Clinic (Video)
Check out this video of Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins conducting a Guitar Center Session. In the clip Stephen performs The Who’s “Who Are You,??? paying homage to the late, great Keith Moon.
Posted: April 5, 2012
The Who on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour 1967
Watch the entire performance of The Who on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from September 16, 1967 in this amazing YouTube video gem.
Posted: March 19, 2012
Tim Walsh of the Stepkids
I’m Tim Walsh of the Stepkids, and I’m excited to be on here and hope to add to the wealth of knowledge that is MD’s awesome thirty-five-year history…
Posted: March 13, 2012
12 Drumming Myths: Debunking Drum Gospel
Despite the prevalence of educational books, DVDs, and online lessons, most drumming information is still passed down the old-fashioned way: from one player to another, while shooting the breeze at the drum shop. A lot of what we hear, we take at face value, and we repeat these drumming “absolutes??? …
Posted: February 2, 2012
Alex Van Halen: The Hard-Rock Archetype
After changing its name from Mammoth, Van Halen strutted a glam-punk attitude when it burst onto the national scene in 1978 with its self-titled debut album. Featuring the template-smashing talent of the whammy-bar-happy, two-hand-tapping guitarist Eddie Van Halen and his percussive-dynamo brother, Alex, Van Halen the band, to many, became …
Posted: January 27, 2012
Mind Matters: The Drummer as Performer/Entertainer
I’ve been drumming with a band for the past five months, and the bandleader recently said I wasn’t performing enough on stage. When I asked what she meant, she said my drumming was fine but I had no personality on stage…
Posted: January 17, 2012
Back Through The Stack
Teddy Campbell
This article originally ran in the September 2005 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.
Posted: December 28, 2011
Marky Ramone: Punk Legend
Marky Ramone held the drum chair with legendary punk pioneers the Ramones longer than anyone else. But there’s much more to his story…
Posted: December 1, 2011
Mike Watt: Pouncing on Opportunities
Mike Watt is a flesh-and-blood superhero to anyone who’s followed the do-it-yourself alternative music scene over the past twenty-five years. This interview originally ran in the December 2006 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.
Posted: November 22, 2011
Grant Hart
Hüsker Dü’s drummer/singer created a template—and quickly broke it—for a generation of alternative rockers.
Posted: October 18, 2011
J.P. “Thunderbolt” Patterson: Punk Rock Renaissance Man
J.P. “Thunderbolt??? Patterson: Punk Rock Renaissance Man With The Dictators and Richard Lloyd
Posted: October 18, 2011
Ian Paice: Influence
MD Pro Panelist Daniel Glass on the magic of Deep Purple’s Ian Paice.
Posted: October 6, 2011
Drummer to Drummer: Jimmy Chamberlin and William Mohler (w/ VIDEO)
Jimmy Chamberlin playing the track “Not From Here,??? from Drum Channel’s Gannin Arnold Project DVD.
Posted: September 20, 2011
Jimmy Chamberlin: The Ex-Smashing Pumpkins Drummer Takes a New Direction with Skysaw
Chamberlin is focusing on a new band, Skysaw, with whom he gets to revisit drumming concepts he’s long been interested in—but in a distinctly new format. In the November 2011 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, we honor Jimmy’s career accomplishments in the second installment of our Influences feature series. Here …
Posted: September 15, 2011
Nick Brennan of the Static Jacks
I’m Nick Brennan from the Static Jacks and I’m twenty-one years old. I feel honored to be sharing my drumming experience with you! I started playing the drums in third grade at Wilson Elementary, when the music teacher asked me if I had any musical talent. I told him I …
Posted: September 1, 2011
Bruce Gary:
Controlled Bombast with the Knack
By injecting powerhouse drumming into a pop song context, the Knack’s late, great skinsman helped kick start a playing style that still rules today.
Posted: August 18, 2011
Kenney Jones: British Drumming Royalty
Kenney Jones’ timless drumming approach can be heard on classic albums by the Small Faces, Rod Stewart, and the Who. In 2005 Modern Drummer spoke to the drummer about many of his greatest performances.
Posted: August 17, 2011
RHCP’s Chad Smith
’Tis the season for Chad Smith followers, with new Chili Peppers and Chickenfoot music blowing up all over the place. MD and the Bombastic One recently grabbed some grub and talked about some of his favorite classic-rock albums.
Posted: August 4, 2011
Kenny Savelson of the Droves
This is not a drum blog posting in that you’re not going to find me charting out grooves or getting heavy into sticking technique or how we got the…
Posted: August 3, 2011
Shawn “Clown??? Crahan
Shawn “Clown??? Crahan is best known as one of the percussionists in the metal-megalith that is Slipknot. But Crahan carries a rich drumming background into his new project, the Black Dots of Death.
Posted: July 28, 2011
A Different View with Danny Kortchmar
More with the world-renowned right-hand man to rock’s singer-songwriter royalty, who is featured in the Different View column of this month’s issue of MD.
Posted: July 21, 2011
Jerry Shirley
Read an excerpt from Humble Pie drummer Jerry Shirley’s brand-new book, Best Seat in the House: Drumming in the ’70s With Marriott, Frampton and Humble Pie.
Posted: July 20, 2011
Jason McDonald of Strange Karma
Greetings, fellow Modern Drummer fanatics! My name is Jason McDonald, and I’m from Sydney, Australia. It’s an honor to be invited to blog here on MD’s website, especially when you consider that over the years I have managed to collect…
Posted: July 13, 2011
Marty Beller of They Might Be Giants
Hello, Modern Drummer readers. Marty Beller, drummer for They Might Be Giants, here. In 2000, I got a call from TMBG bassist Danny Weinkauf. We had met through guitarist Dan Miller, who I had toured with in my band Meow. He said they needed a drummer for a show on …
Posted: July 5, 2011
Joao Lencastre
My name is Joao Lencastre and I was born in Lisbon, Portugal. I started to play the drums at the age of thirteen. Since I started playing I’ve been collaborating with many different groups in all styles of music, including metal, reggae, Afrobeat, electronic, big band, alternative rock, and all …
Posted: July 1, 2011
MD Readers Poll 2011 Results
Welcome once again to the MD Readers Poll, where the greatest drummers on the planet are honored by the most educated drum fans around. Let’s get right to it: the envelope, please….
Posted: June 21, 2011
Keith Moon: The One And Only
Few players have come close to the level of unpredictability and invention that Keith Moon exhibited between 1964 and 1978, when he manned the drumset behind the grandest, loudest band of rock’s golden age, the Who….
Posted: June 1, 2011
A Different View:
Duff McKagan
The Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver founder on the great drummers he’s worked with—including Isaac Carpenter, who tears up The Taking, the third album by Duff’s band Loaded.
Posted: September 27, 2010
The Drummer: Classic Rock
An educated, entertaining, essential addition to every drummer’s library—and to the history of modern drumming—The Drummer: Classic Rock Collector’s Edition magazine builds on content from Modern Drummer’s Top-selling The Drummer book with expanded coverage of drumming royalty from the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll.
Posted: July 15, 2010
Jon Fishman: Phish Plays The Rolling Stones
by Michael Parillo n the cover story of the September issue of MD, out now, Phish drummer Jon Fishman holds court on topics ranging from the breakup and reunion of his band to how milking a cow can help you maintain your drumming chops. In this online exclusive interview, he …
Posted: July 5, 2010
Rat Scabies: The Damned’s Explosive Drummer
When it comes to punk bands, the Damned may be the most influential of them all, and their original drummer Rat Scabies among the most stylishly destructive sticksmen ever. Formed in 1976 in the U.K., the Damned is credited as the first punk band to release a single (“New Rose”) …
Posted: April 29, 2010
Jason Hartless – Crüe Fest Veteran And More
Hey everyone in Modern Drummer land! My name is Jason Hartless, and I come from The Motor City. I am fifteen years old and have been a drummer for all of my life. I have been fortunate enough to, by the age of fourteen, have already toured or performed with …
Posted: March 29, 2010
Daughters’ Jonathan Syverson
Hello, humans. My name is Jonathan Syverson, and I’ve never actually written any sort of blog. But as anyone who knows me would tell you, I absolutely LOVE talking about myself, and since Modern Drummer was kind enough to come asking, it would be my pleasure to oblige. Back in …
Posted: November 24, 2009
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More)
On Tour And On Stage: 9 Lives (+9, +9 More). MD’s editors just can’t keep a list of their favorite albums short–even in service of a can’t-resist pun. Twenty-seven live albums you gotta have.
Posted: November 23, 2009
J.P. “Thunderbolt??? Patterson
I just released my second solo record, The LP Is Dead, on No Fun Records. Thunderboss: Thunderbolt Patterson With Ross The Boss came out in 2006…
Posted: October 20, 2009
Drumming On TV
In celebration of the great, sometimes groundbreaking drumming performances of TV’s golden age, we present to you highlights along the illustrious Drumming On TV timeline…
Posted: October 13, 2009
Gary Foster of The Sunstreak
What’s up, everyone! My name is Gary Foster and I play drums and percussion with the Sunstreak…
Posted: August 30, 2009
Jes Calcaterra of Billy Boy On Poison
Being the only girl in the band is really intimidating but has its advantages….
Posted: June 29, 2009
Shout Out Out Out Out’s Gravy and Clint
Shout Out Out Out Out has just finished the second leg of our release tour for Reintegration Time in Canada and the U.S. Time to reintegrate to regular life again!
Posted: June 18, 2009
Stephen Perkins: Jane’s Addiction
Talking with Perkins, you get the vibe that the L.A.–based rocker’s life is way more than hitting the skins for the duration of a show or recording session….
Posted: June 18, 2009
Secrets Of Motown: The Tracks Of Their Drums
To go with August’s Motown feature, we offer this reprint of a 1999 MD story that examines the way Uriel Jones, Benny Benjamin, and Pistol Allen got those hit-making drum tones.
Posted: May 19, 2009

Jeremy Enigk's Victor Garcia
Greetings! The first time I sat in front of drums was the day of my thirteenth birthday, when my brother came home at night and surprised me with a fourth-hand drumkit. It was an old black Pearl Forum Series. On this I learned to play, and every day I spent …
Posted: May 19, 2009
Jeremy Enigk’s Victor Garcia
Greetings! The first time I sat in front of drums was the day of my thirteenth birthday, when my brother came home at night and surprised me with a fourth-hand drumkit. It was an old black Pearl Forum Series. On this I learned to play, and every day I spent …
Posted: February 19, 2009
Mitch Mitchell: Drummers Weigh In
Mitch Mitchell was not alone in blending jazz and rock drumming styles, but he may have pushed the combo further than anyone who came before him. Here a number of noted drummers provide further insight into Mitch’s influence….
Posted: January 23, 2009
Ronnie Vannucci: Killer With A Cause
Seeing as he’s from Las Vegas, the home of twenty-four-hour gambling, retina-freezing neon, and spontaneous wedding ceremonies, The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci has a penchant for doing things–to quote a famous Vegas crooner–his way…
Posted: January 12, 2009
Great Drum Parts = GENIUS
The March issue of MD (out now) features Billy Ward’s fascinating conversation with Simon Phillips, Doane Perry, Marco Minnemann, Thomas Lang, and Jerry Marotta about the grooves that inspired them to play drums early on, and that continue to today. It seemed to make perfect sense for MD’s editors to …
Posted: October 30, 2008

Kill Kill Kill's NaNa
Konnichiwa, everybody! My name is Nanami (a.k.a. NaNa)! I’m from Kagoshima, Japan. I’ve moved to America to take over the US music scene! Ha ha ha! Just kidding! Well—maybe it’s true!? I think US music scene is boring! Everything is about $. Anyway, I moved to LA when I was …
Posted: October 30, 2008
Kill Kill Kill’s NaNa
Konnichiwa, everybody! My name is Nanami (a.k.a. NaNa)! I’m from Kagoshima, Japan. I’ve moved to America to take over the US music scene! Ha ha ha! Just kidding! Well—maybe it’s true!? I think US music scene is boring! Everything is about $. Anyway, I moved to LA when I was …
Posted: October 14, 2008

Thenewno2's Oli Hecks
My name is Oli Hecks, from England, currently living in Los Angeles…
Posted: October 14, 2008
Thenewno2’s Oli Hecks
My name is Oli Hecks, from England, currently living in Los Angeles…
Posted: October 8, 2008

Richard Hoak of Total F**king Destruction & Brutal Truth
My name is Richard Hoak, and I’ve been playing drums since 1992. Currently I’m playing with Total F**king Destruction and with Brutal Truth.
Posted: October 8, 2008
Richard Hoak of Total F**king Destruction & Brutal Truth
My name is Richard Hoak, and I’ve been playing drums since 1992. Currently I’m playing with Total F**king Destruction and with Brutal Truth.
Posted: October 5, 2008
Matt Barrick of the Walkmen
All drummers should add seeing The Walkmen’s Matt Barrick playing “The Rat??? live to their “bucket lists.”
Posted: July 30, 2008
Donnie Yal of the Sammies
I, as you can read above, am Donnie Yale. I play drums in the NC band The Sammies. (NC is better b/c we are on top for all of you reading this in SC). Our sophomore album, Sandwich, is set for release on September 23….
Posted: July 9, 2008
Howie Diamond of Low Vs. Diamond
We’ve been road warriors the past few months, playing shows in anticipation of our debut album coming out this summer. It's been a great run so far, and I would never in my wildest dreams have thought that I could make a living playing drums. Not that I am yet….
Posted: July 7, 2008
Sean Davidson from Blacklist Union
This coming July 22, my band, Blacklist Union, are set to release our new album, Breakin Bread With The Devil, produced by Chris Johnson (Evanescence, Josh Todd) and Anthony Valli of Crazy Town.
Posted: April 29, 2008
Joshua Barnhart of Port O’Brien
The hum of bells in a monastery; the human heartbeat. The cosmic vibration of aum. Rhythm is what creates our existence, and what keeps it interesting….
Posted: April 4, 2008
Rick Buckler
There have always been certain British rock bands who’ve been treated like deities at home, but who failed to translate to the American market….
Posted: March 17, 2008
Steve Mehlman
Hi. Steve Mehlman reporting from Cleveland. I’ve been playing drums for a long time….
Posted: February 1, 2008
Ira Elliot: Caught in the Web
Nada Surf is one of the smartest, freshest-sounding rock bands of the past ten/fifteen years. And like they say, behind every brilliant band is an equally crafty drummer. Kit man Ira Elliot is as sharp as they get.
Posted: December 13, 2007
Brian Kelley
It can be a difficult task putting together a top-ten list, as most musicians have extraordinarily large record collections. But I feel that every musician has a top-ten list, and it can define who you are as a musician….
Posted: December 5, 2007
Dee Pop of The Bush Tetras
As with most people around my age, my heroes were Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa (who both seemed to turn up regularly on variety television shows), Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Mitch Mitchell…
Posted: August 16, 2007
Mike Portnoy: In Constant “Progressive” Motion
Mike Portnoy may very well be the hardest-working drummer in the business. His recent three-DVD set, In Constant Motion, speaks for itself. The undisputed king of progressive metal never sleeps!
Posted: July 16, 2007
Josh Freese: Time Bandit
Time. Feel. Groove. Pulse. For many, these are illusive concepts with multiple meanings. Does a heavy metal drummer “feel??? the pulse in the same way as a pop drummer?…
Posted: November 16, 2006
The Who’s Zak Starkey: Channeling Keith-And More
As the forty-year-old son of Ringo Starr, most would think that Zak Starkey had been handed stardom on a silver platter. He plays drums with two of the most popular bands in the world, names the late, great Keith Moon as one of his best childhood friends, and is so …
Posted: October 15, 2006
Stephen Perkins: A Drummer’s Life Less Ordinary
With several projects going at the moment–including two bands, a performance DVD, and several clinic appearances–it’s clear that no one is more committed to drumming than Stephen Perkins….
Posted: June 1, 2006
An Interview with Lisa Loeb
The very beautiful and talented singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb talks drums on MD Online….
Posted: October 19, 2005
Mickey Curry
Not many people get to do exactly what they love and get paid for it – much less with two of the biggest artists in the world. Mickey Curry toured and recorded with Hall & Oates at the peak of their career, laying down a solid backbeat with perfect feel …
Posted: July 19, 2005
Joey Shuffield of Fastball
Power-pop trio Fastball – bassist/singer Tony Scalzo, guitarist/singer Miles Zuniga, and drummer Joey Shuffield – are clearly excited to have contributed their version of “The Real Me” to the new Who tribute, Substitute, The Songs Of The Who….
Posted: July 19, 2005
Kevin Franks of Silvertide
Drummer Kevin Frank, singer Walt Lafty, bassist Brian Weaver, and guitarists Nick Perri and Mark Melchiorre of Silvertide created quite a buzz in their hometown of Philadelphia. In fact, the band was so hot, it led to an all-out label bidding war that veteran music mogul Clive Davis won. That’s …
Posted: May 19, 2005
Ned Brower of Rooney
I saw the California-based pop band Rooney perform live before I was familiar with their music. Besides featuring some very powerful, tasteful drumming, I found them to be extremely melodic, with hooks that stuck in my head for days after the show….
Posted: May 19, 2005
Drumming With the Velvet Underground, Part 1: Billy Yule
With this week’s news of the passing of singer/songwriter/guitarist Lou Reed, millions of fans are grieving, while millions more people are learning for the first time how gargantuan an influence the New York musician and his ’60s band the Velvet Underground have had on rock music….
Posted: May 19, 2005
Chris Cester of Jet
The band Jet has released what many consider to be one of the best rock records of the year, Get Born, which features the hit single (and Apple iPod anthem) “Are You Gonna Be My Girl.” MD Online recently had the opportunity to speak with drummer Chris Cester on one …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Galactic And Garage A Trois’ Stanton Moore
One of the marks of greatness in a musician is that you can recognize him after the first couple of notes.
Posted: May 12, 2004
Ben Perowsky: Beyond Labels
The scene: a cold night in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at North On Sixth, a multi-level hole in the wall jook joint where the bathroom graffiti is more political than obscene. Attracting a crowd of Manhattan intellectuals and Brooklyn deadheads, North On Sixth is tonight showcasing Ben Perowsky’s Moodswing Orchestra. A collection …
Posted: November 23, 2018

MD Podcast Episode 168: Clinics Recap, Travis McNabb, Drumset Ergonomics, Tama Classic Stands, and More
In this episode Mike and Mike discuss legendary classic rock drummer Keith Moon.
Posted: November 16, 2018

MD Podcast Episode 167: Keith Moon, How to Develop Consistency, NickyMoon Cymbals, and More
In this episode Mike and Mike discuss legendary classic rock drummer Keith Moon.