Simon Phillips
“Not from Here” is one of the songs on a DVD/download titled The Gannin Arnold Project that Drum Channel produced featuring Gannin Arnold, Tim Landers, and Billy Mohler, along with five guest drummers: Taylor Hawkins, Jimmy Chamberlin, Terry Bozzio, Gary Novak, and Simon Phillips. All of the drummers played this …
Showbiz history is dotted with “triple-threat” performers who were top-flight actors
While in Los Angeles, Simon Phillips uses this Tama Star kit, which is one of three setups he keeps in rotation.
Whitesnake formed soon after the dissolution of the Mark IV lineup of Deep Purple, when singer David Coverdale combined his love of blues, rock, heavy metal, funk, and soul into a blustery amalgam of white-hot riffs and soaring vocal pyrotechnics.
This month we check in with Simon Phillips, the U.K. jazz, fusion, and rock monster and former Toto drummer, who’s on the road in support of his latest solo project, Protocol 4. To find out which performances from the versatile master’s extensive catalog are most celebrated among the drumming community, …
Your abilities will never be more scrutinized than after you’ve accepted a job to replace a drummer whose playing helped define the sound of a popular band.
The era known as the ’80s, roughly the period between the dawn of punk and rap in the late ’70s and the rise of indie rock and hair metal in the middle of the next decade, was a time of great change in pop culture.
Catching Up With…Simon Phillips photo by Billie Rainbird Life after Toto is no walk in the park for this drummer—it’s more like an all-out sprint, with plenty of deep grooves and technical wizardry to go around. With the release of Spark, Japanese keyboard phenom Hiromi once again proves that …
Posted: December 11, 2020
Chemical Reactions – Album by Gavin Harrison & Antoine Fafard – Review – 12/11/20
Review by Rob Coen Chemical Reactions – Album by Gavin Harrison & Antoine Fafard Chemical Reactions – Released on Dec 11, 2020 – The latest Prog-Fusion meets orchestral music collaboration between Antoine Fafard and Gavin Harrison, UK virtuoso musicians. Add Jerry Goodman on acoustic and electric Violin, and the orchestral …
Posted: September 5, 2020
Remembering Quiet Riot Drummer Frankie Banali
“My passion in continuing Quiet Riot has everything to do with the fact that drumming is what I’ve always wanted to do,” Quiet Riot’s Frankie Banali told Modern Drummer in a 2015 interview. “I worked very hard and struggled a lot to get to the point that we did with …
Posted: November 12, 2019
Scotty Zwang of Ghost Light
I was given a drumkit for my eighth birthday and since that time I have dreamed of being on the cover of Modern Drummer.
Posted: December 3, 2018
Mike Portnoy's Percussive Nation 2019 Music Camp
Mike Portnoy’s Percussive Nation Music Camp 2019.
Posted: May 31, 2016
July Modern Drummer magazine 2016 Gear of the Year Issue
See what’s in the July Modern Drummer magazine 2016 Gear of the Year Issue.
Posted: May 31, 2016
July Modern Drummer magazine 2016 Gear of the Year Issue
See what’s in the July Modern Drummer magazine 2016 Gear of the Year Issue.
Posted: April 13, 2016
News: Dave Weckl, Sonny Emory, Harvey Mason, and Will Kennedy to Judge Online Competition
Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Lee Ritenour will host the biennial Six String Theory Competition for the fifth time with applications accepted in guitar, bass, piano/keyboards, and drums. Registration is open until May 15, 2016 on the website by submitting two YouTube videos….
Posted: March 1, 2016
News: Study With World-Class Players at Rhythm Retreat Spring 2016
Rhythm Retreat 2016 takes place April 3-8 and April 17-22 in Skaneatles, NY, and is presented by legends and new voices at the forefront of modern drumming….
Posted: January 29, 2016
On the Beat With Nick Cesarz of Vinyl Theatre: Talks Tour Challenges and Debut Album
Hey, MD readers! My name is Nick Cesarz and I play drums in Vinyl Theatre. We’re an alternative rock group based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin….
Posted: November 2, 2015
Dom Famularo’s Teachers List
Over the course of his forty-year career traveling the globe to teach, perform, and conduct clinics, Dom Famularo has interacted with some of the finest drummers and drum instructors in the world. The following list contains many of those names, organized by country/continent. If you’re looking for top-notch drum instruction, …
Posted: February 25, 2015
Whiplash Bonus Clip: Star Drummers on Music Education
Here’s a clip from Timekeepers where Chad Smith, Kenny Aronoff, and Ryan Brown reflect on their drumming education….
Posted: May 30, 2014
July 2014 Spotify Playlist
Want to hear music from the artists featured in the July 2014 issue of Modern Drummer? We’ve got you covered. Our July 2014 Spotify Playlist includes some fantastic tracks, including several cool covers….
Posted: May 28, 2014
July 2014 Issue of Modern Drummer Featuring Omar Hakim
See what’s in the July 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Omar Hakim…
Posted: April 3, 2014
May 2014 Spotify Playlist
Welcome to the Spotify Playlist for the May 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine….
Posted: April 1, 2014
Lee Ritenour Announces All-Star Judges For 4th Bi-Annual Six String Theory Competition
Legendary GRAMMY® winning guitarist/producer Lee Ritenour has announced the stellar list of musicians assembled as judges for the 4th Bi-Annual Six String Theory Competition.
Posted: January 2, 2014
February 2014 Issue of Modern Drummer Featuring Marky Ramone
See what’s in the February 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Marky Ramone!
Posted: November 5, 2013
The Drummer’s Bible
by Mick Berry
and Jason Gianni
With a subtitle like How To Play Every Drum Style From Afro-Cuban To Zydeco, you might want to check this one out.
Posted: November 1, 2013
December 2013 Issue of Modern Drummer Featuring George “Spanky” McCurdy
(on newsstands November 5, 2013) On the Cover George “Spanky” McCurdy “I’m always aware of what the fans need and what the artist is trying to do. If I’m coming in, it’s time to go higher, time to upgrade.” Lady Gaga’s drummer doesn’t mince words—but why be shy when you’ve …
Posted: September 3, 2013
Steve Hackett Re-Revisits Genesis
The bandleader and longtime guitarist with the legendary British band discusses the great drummers he’s played with, as well as his latest release, Genesis Revisited II….
Posted: August 14, 2013
Anton Fig Signs With Evans and PureSound
Longtime Late Show With David Letterman drummer Anton Fig recently joined the artist rosters for Evans drumheads and PureSound accessories. Fig has appeared on the nightly CBS program since 1986, and during this tenure he has played with dozens of renowned artists, including Miles Davis, James Brown, Bruce Springsteen, Steve …
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: March 22, 2013
MD Education Team Weighs In On: Ergonomics
Click here to check out what the MD Education Team members have to say about setting up your drumset for maximum results….
Posted: August 28, 2012
Roxy Music
The Complete Studio Recordings
Roxy Music covered much ground in their relatively short life span. A new box set reveals the power and the glory of the prog/glam progenitors, and of drummer Paul Thompson.
Posted: July 23, 2012
20 CLASSIC PROG ALBUMS
Odd times, intergalactic themes, and more tom-toms. Rock drumming gets interesting….
Posted: March 21, 2012
Zildjian Launches Drummer Love Europe
On the heels of its highly successful US Drummer Love contest, Zildjian has decided to launch Drummer Love Europe, bringing the event to the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, and Russia. The contest runs from April 2 through July and includes video submission, voting, and tour components. Ultimately, six lucky …
Posted: March 6, 2012
Back Through The Stack:
Simon Phillips, December 1986
This is an excerpt of an article that originally ran in the December1986 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.
Posted: October 28, 2011
Gannin Arnold Project
5 World Class Drummers
Fusion guitarist Gannin Arnold assembles five badass stickmen to wail on his Jeff Beck-inspired material.
Posted: September 6, 2011
Kevin Fitzgerald of 400 Blows
When I joined 400 Blows, I was playing with both Circle Jerks and Eleni Mandell, which are wildly divergent musical entities, to say the least…
Posted: September 2, 2011
Double Bass Drum Freddom
by Virgil Donati
Donati’s advanced concepts open the rhythmic palette to an endless world of possibilities for the inspired student.
Posted: September 1, 2011
Web Update News
The latest and greatest news from the drumming industry. This edition features updates on Chad Sexton, John Tempesta, Jon Wysocki, Will Hunt, Brian Young and more.
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: October 26, 2010
John Tempesta: Heavy With Testament, Zombie, And Beyond
John Tempesta has worked his way to the top of heavy metal drumming, but his first inspirations and influences to pursue the instrument came via Ringo Starr in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night and Dennis Davis supporting David Bowie at Madison Square Garden in 1977. John bought a …
Posted: June 3, 2010
Simon Phillips: The Drummer As Perfectionist
Phillips’ rise in status from solid sideman to world-class player was largely based on his astonishing ability to play advanced ride patterns with either hand. Simon’s technique ushered in a new era of drumming, where the technical abilities of drummers were now evolving at the same rate as their musical …
Posted: March 22, 2010
Eric Singer: Just Being Himself
For eighteen years, Kiss’s drummer has helped his world-famous band stay in our hearts and on the radio by doing what he does best—being himself. In this special online extra from his May 2010 MD cover story, we begin by asking Eric about…The Band’s Younger Fans. In 2004 we did …
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: June 13, 2008
Ty Dennis
This past April I wrapped up another tour, this time through South America with Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboard player Ray Manzarek….
Posted: May 20, 2008
Simon Phillips
Drumming legend Simon Phillips will simply not slow down, and his star-studded drumming career continues to grow and evolve.
Posted: April 17, 2007
Marco Minnemann: Beyond Chops
A new breed of drummer has emerged over the past decade. This elite group of international super-drummers has changed the face of drumming and raised the bar on speed, ambidextrous technique, soloing, stick tricks, multi-pedal coordination, and independence to levels that seem unimaginable to most drummers….
Posted: July 20, 2005
Tony Thompson
Not many drummers dictated the sound of the 80’s like Tony Thompson. That big, huge drum sound was everywhere: on classic recordings like Power Station’s “Some Like It Hot,” David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Madonna’s “Like A Virgin,” Robert Palmer’s “Addicted To Love,” the list goes on.
Posted: July 19, 2005
David Northrup
Growing up on a mix of R&B, pop, rock, and country, David Northrup, originally from Syracuse New York, moved south in the early ’90s playing sessions and gigging the Florida club scene. One of those gigs led him to meeting and working with ace session guitarist Les Dudek…
Posted: May 19, 2005
Daniel Reyes
In between those gigs he’ll squeeze in a performance with Ricky Martin, Stevie Nicks, or Jennifer Lopez, among other top acts. But Danny’s brain is always thinking: How do I make my playing better? Equally important to him these days: How do I make the instruments I play better? Enter …
Posted: May 12, 2004
Ted Kirkpatrick of Tourniquet
“We call ourselves ‘Christians who play music,'” says drummer Ted Kirkpatrick, mastermind behind the highly successful Christian metal band Tourniquet….
Posted: May 12, 2004
Simon Phillips & Virgil Donati
Who better to produce and record the current king of progressive fusion drumming than one of the greatest double bass fusion drummers in history, someone who is also an experienced and proven recording engineer and producer? The idea made so much sense it was scary. So the date was set. …
Posted: February 6, 2021
In this episode Billy Amendola & David Frangioni interview Dave Weckl & Rob Silverman from Drumology. Dave talks about his online drum school http://www.daveweckl.com and his upcoming record release in April on his new label – Autumn Hill Records. Rob discusses the Drumology album featuring drum duet tracks with Simon …
Posted: June 29, 2018
Episode 149: Simon Phillips, “Do I Need a Fallback Plan?”, Soundbrenner Pulse Metronome, and More
In this episode Mike and Mike discuss legendary pop, jazz, fusion drummer Simon Phillips. The education segment focuses on an article in the July 2018 issue by Russ Miller, titled “Do I Need a Fallback Plan?”.
