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Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Jerry Gaskill of King’s X
Hey, Modern Drummer readers. It’s been a while. 2013 continues to be the light at the end of the tunnel year for me. 2013 also had me doing my first full King’s X shows since I died. In my last…
Pat Petrillo — Learn To Read Rhythms...Better!
Hey, MD fam! Hope you’re all having a blast this summer and getting time to chill a bit–or gig a lot! Either way, hope you’re having fun. Things have been mad busy with me, so here’s a bit of an…
Stephen Perkins: Jane's Addiction
by Waleed Rashidi Talking with Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, you get that honest-to-goodness vibe that the Los Angeles–based rock musician’s life is way more than merely hitting the skins for the duration of a show or recording session. See,…
Scott Reeder: Still Going For It
Talk about trial by fire: Several years ago, when drummer Scott Reeder landed the gig with the heavy rock quartet Fu Manchu, his first release with the band wasn’t a proper studio album where he could punch in parts and…
Joachim Cooder of Hello Stranger
For Joachim Cooder, this is a very exciting time in the life of Hello Stranger, a group he started several years ago with bandmate Juliette Commagere. They’re finishing up their second record with Mike Elizondo at the helm, and they’ve…
Chad Szeliga
Making grooves “pop” is Chad Szeliga’s purpose. The drummer joined Breaking Benjamin for 2006’s Phobia, and his experimentation with jazz, bebop, and fusion helped him pepper a huge modern rock record with incredibly tasty nuances. “Listen to Vinnie Paul,” says…
Jim Bogios of Counting Crows
Many drummers are aware that Jim Bogios left Sheryl Crow for Counting Crows back in 2003. But Jim hasn’t really talked about the transition, until now. “I would never have considered leaving Sheryl unless it was for an opportunity to…
Nathan Wetherington
Nathan Wetherington was a working actor in Hollywood when he accidentally became a professional drummer. Having played drums from ages ten to seventeen, Nathan left drumming for acting after he scored a two-year gig with The Blue Man Group. But…
Todd Turner of Far-Less
I have to say, the fact that I'm writing anything for the best drumming publication in the world is a crowning achievement that I certainly do not feel worthy of. I've read Modern Drummer ever since I would beat on…
Brooks Wackerman
“Without giving too much away, I’m actually playing the role of Colonel Sanders in the show,” confesses drummer Brooks Wackerman, speaking of his current gig on tour with the musical/comedy duo Tenacious D. Taking a break from his steady gig…
John Blackwell
John Blackwell had a problem most drummers wouldn’t mind dealing with. Does he wait around for Prince to decide what his next adventure will be? Or does he work on his solo record, Forever Jia (dedicated to his late daughter).…
Jon Christensen
The title of this piece is a cryptic warning that appears in the liner notes of Jon Christensen: Selected Recordings, a recent tribute CD on ECM's Rarum series. Over the past thirty years, the Norwegian drummer has played drums and…
Lou Dog from Kottonmouth Kings
"I come from that Orange County, mid-'80s punk rock scene," says Lou Dog, drummer for hip-hoppers Kottonmouth Kings. "I'm a punk drummer. I play hip-hop like a punk." Lou joined Kottonmouth Kings, with his former Humble Gods cohort, Brad X,…
Matthew Cross: Orange 9MM's Stickman Is No Pretender
Recording Pretend I'm Human proved to be a radical departure for Orange 9MM drummer Matthew Cross, an old hand at laying out well-rehearsed rhythm tracks while sitting behind the glass. "We demoed like seventy songs in the past year and…
