TDJ Issue Six

7/22/2019 TDJ Issue Six

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CONTENTSI S, M

Weve made the magazine even easier to navigate and this page is now ully interactive. You can clickthe title o any article to skip straight to it and at any time, click to return to the contents page.

I youre viewing in ull screen mode, which wed heartily recommend, you can use your keyboardsarrow keys to access the next or previous page. Ads are clickable too, so i you see something youlike, you can click it or more inormation.

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Hot Chips Sarah Jones

18 S AASIWYFAs Chris Wee

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by Katherine Paddington

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39S IPink Floyds Nick Mason

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B RLessons From Outdoor Orchestratio

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By Ben Martin

75H M, H M

Cans Jaki Liebezeit

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Glenn Kotche | Wilco
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MASTHEAD

Editor: om [email protected]

Design: Luke [email protected]

echnical: Andrew Jones

Intern: Dan Ainspan

Proo Reader: David Smith

Contributors: Ben Martin, Katherine Paddington, Julia

Photographers: Anton Rodriguez, Bex Wade, Roberto Graham Smith

Illustrators: Anna Hurley, Glen Tomas

Tanks: Flora Hodson, Victoria Gilbert, Stella Wilson, All Footes Staff, Zoe Miller, Rachel Silver, Mindy AbovLowther Estates, Norbert Saemann, Elaine Smith, SimeRyan Swif, Mike Tomas, Greg, Elspeth Leadbetter

Cover: Te Cutting at the Head o the Valley

Copyright Te Drummers Journal 2013

Te proprietors and contributors to Te Drummers Journal havunder the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identifi

authors o this work.

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he concept album. For some reason it makes methink of bearded men in leotards singing aboutunicorns. Im sure that, to a psychiatrist, such an

admission would be very much intriguing, but its true.

Tat is not, however, to say its entirely accurate. A conceptalbum is really just a collection of songs that have a unifying

theme of sorts. Some of the most f amous albums ever madefollow a musical or lyrical concept, be it Sgt. PeppersLonely Hearts Club Band by Te Beatles, Rushs 2112 orPink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon.

Tat said, at one time they did have a reputation for being a bitfantastical. I vividly recall flicking through LPs in a record shopand encountering a record by American prog band Utopia.Te artwork, which encased what I now firmly believe to bea true anthropological marvel, saw the band clad in ancientEgyptian robes so dangerously revealing it wouldnt havebeen out of place on a petrol stations top shelf. What exactlyinspired Utopia - four grown men from New York City - topay homage to the sun god Ra wasnt immediately obvious,but they certainly exposed more than their artistic vision.

It wasnt intentional, but this issue seems to have developed atheme of its own; one, thankfully, far removed from scantilyclad pagan worship. After wed conducted all the interviews,we realised we had four cross sections of four very differentdrummers: one a famous millionaire, another a cult icon;one finding success with one band and another doing thesame with several.

Te idea of endeavour seems a fitting way to introduce oursixth issue and close out Volume One. As a magazine wevecertainly learned much about what it means to exist amongbigger fish. As with any enterprise, the key to movingforward is to keep learning. I undoubtedly learned morefrom this issue than I have from any of the others to date.We hope you might, too.

Welcome to Volume One, Issue Six of Te Drummers Journal.

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ABSTRACT

OBJECTSV O, I Swww


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REFERRALSH C S JWords by Julia Kaye

Photos by Bex Wade, unless stated

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Set during the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now followsthe story of a US Army captain on a mission to capurea former Army colonel named Walter E Kurtz. Kurtz

was played by Marlon Brando, now widely regarded as oneof the best actors of all time. During the 1970s, he wasthe highest paid actor in Hollywood and broke numerousGuinness World Records for his earnings.

oday, Apocalypse Now is considered one of the greatestwar films ever made. Its production, however, was besetby problems right from the outset, largely due to MarlonBrandos unwillingness to embrace the ideas of directorFrancis Ford Coppola. Brando showed up on set drasticallyoverweight without having read the script or learnt any ofhis lines. Instead, he decided to improvise his own dialogue.He also refused to work with several other leading membersof the cast because he thought they negatively impacted hisperformance. Te source text - Joseph Conrads Heart ofDarkness - Brando point black refused to read. He theninsisted on changing his characters name, despite much ofthe film already having been shot.

Brandos performance as Kurtz is one of his most famous. Hewas often thought of as difficult, unpleasant and relentlesslyegotistical. Francis Ford Copolla would later say he was thebest actor hed ever worked with.

By this rationale, Sarah Jones would also be entitled to asizable ego. She has a CV that would make any aspiringdrummer very envious, playing for a string of successfulbands including Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club, BlocParty and Bat For Lashes.

In my head Id assumed she must be a ruthless sessiondrummer turning up to auditions having studied music

relentlessly at a series of prestigious musical institutions.


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T H E D R U M M E R S J O U R N A L

Sort of like how Soviet athletes were- taken out of mainstream society athrow a javelin.

It was, in many ways, reassuring towasnt the case. What I did learn frommy perception of how people get gigEssentially, you dont have to act like

Ultimately, embrace the power of tnot. His career sharply declined aftehe spent more than a decade out opeople like Sarah are testament to tvery talented and still be a very nice

Sarah Jones: America thinks Im a apply for a visa it takes about three twice with Hot Chip where Ive mis

Te Drummers Journal: What hathe Americans?Nothing! I think they must have meSarah Jones

Are there many other Sarah JonesePerhaps so.

Whats Hereford like?Its got a cathedral. Tats about it. good metal scene.

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You were quite into metal, right?I was really into Dream Teater. And Pantera. I wasdefinitely into trying to be really tech. One of my firstbands was a metal band though. My dad would drive meto a gig and then just sit and wait until we were finished.Quite sweet really (laughs). It was fun, though. I had adouble kick - I really enjoyed that.

So what happened to the metal?I started to feel like it became a sport with all the doublekick stuff. It became quite competitive and Im not reallyinto that. I just used to like how Vinnie Paul from Panteradidnt use triggers - he just used to bash the hell out of hiskit.

What was the first gig you went to?I remember going to a Deftones gig. I came to Londonwith a friend and we stayed at her nans house in ooting(laughs). We must have been quite young as it didnteven cross my mind to drink. I remember having a sip ofsomebodys water at the gig and I started hallucinating

Tat doesnt sound like it was waterOh god I know. I sat down and had to zone out for a while.

So what was your first paid gig?A friend of mine - who is a really amazing drummer -used to play in a blues band. He got offered a gig withBadly Drawn Boy, so he called me and asked if I wanted toreplace him in the blues band. I actually remember I hada little panic about the prospect of joining a proper band,but I took it and it became my first full time job really.We gigged a lo t, though during the day I just u sed to sitand watch Neighbours or Doctors on BBC One, then Idgo out in the evening and do a gig. I didnt really have a

daytime life. Please dont print that.

Im impressed you liked Doctors. Wasnt it on right a fterNeighbours? I could never really get into it.Yeah. I didnt really want to. It just happened. Actually, Ialso used to give some kids lessons, which was fun.Terewas this kid w ho, as soon a s his dad lef t, would get off thedrum stool, refuse to play, and just point at things askinghow much they cost. I just remember thinking, is it stillok for me to charge 20 for this?

So if someone asked you what you did for a living, whatdid you tell them?I told people I was a drummer in a blues-rock band. It wasgreat. I got to see a lot of Germany, Austria, France andSwitzerland, playing small, bizarre gigs. It was a good wayto meet people.

When would you say you became professional?I think I was winging it a bit when I was doing the bluesthing. I remember being asked to play a exan bluesshuffle, and not knowing what that was. I had to go to myfriends house for him to show me. Id never had lessons oranything.

Would you call yourself a session musician?Yes and no. I find it a bit of a negative term. I dont want toplay all types of music, I want to play music I like. Sessionwork seems l ike youll just p lay anything because you loveplaying the drums so much. I want to play in a musicalway, not just for drummings sake.

So if people started throwing gigs your wayIm not really looking to be in that situation.

I get the impression the session scene is quite competitive- thats how it seems from the outside anyway.

I think thats right. Everyone seems to know each other;


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they might have gone to school witha famous band, or their uncle is Bonquite a lot of that stuff.

Youve played a lot of music thatyou think people have preconcepneeded to do that?Sometimes I think people see using

option, and that frustrates me.

Am I right in thinking you were inHour on BBC Radio 4?Yeah. I think I panicked a bit. It was and music thing, and the difference bor female bands. I dont really know

Do you get the impression there are assumptions concerning women inYes, quite a lot actually. I mean, of cfind people talk about it without havthat gets my back up a bit. On Wompresenter, a music journalist and myconflicting views.

Can you explain?I think its easy to say, women in thso bad. I wouldnt like to talk aboutfind it more difficult because I Personally, I havent found it difficultmore benefits than negatives really. Ythose benefits are beneficial for the w

Such as?Im not a big fan of the idea that a badrummer simply because its fashion


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How do you get most of your work? I ask as your CVis mightily impressive. Has it been through auditions orreferrals?Its mostly through f riends of friends now, which is nice. Butfor Hot Chip I had to audition. And for New Young PonyClub too.

Te idea of an audition strikes fear into my heart

Tey can be scary, yeah (laughs). My Hot Chip audition wasreally weird because I just playedalong to their songs throughspeakers and they sat behindme. When I turned round at theend I noticed my legs were a bitshakey. Afterwards I was like, itsfine if I dont get it, but I was satthere with my phone the next daydesperate for them to ring and say,youre in! Tey kept me waitinga week in the end.

Do you see the technical andcreative aspects of playing asdifferent approaches?Yeah absolutely. Teres a side thatsabout being technical withoutbeing very musical. I still think its fun to learn somethingdifficult or complex, but I dont ever feel the need to betechnically better than everyone else. I find that idea a bithorrible. Also, Ive never been good at knowing whichdrummer plays for which band. Maybe Im just lazy. I mean,I really liked Stewart Copeland but I think some people taketheir influences too far and totally neglect their own style.

I dont think you need to have your own things around you

all the time either. I used to be really fussy about having my

WOULDYOUCALLYOURSELFASESSIONMUSICIAN?

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own pedal, but I realised I should pwhichever pedal is available. ry to bso dependant on the specifics of whatwhen things arent perfect, you can jgetting uptight. Music should be enj

So youd aband as op

hand?Yeah, definwhere peopId never wthink its aI dont reashould see sa master clCopenhagesession follIt was fun,asked me: your job ienvironmen

What was your response?I try to source local beers ( laughs)cant remember what I said. Im a ni

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STERLIN

ADVICA S I W Y F A CWoPhotos by Luke Dou

In my all-embracing ignorance, the history of Northern Irelandon which I am well versed. I realised this as the plane began a city to which my only association has been glimpsing grainy

unrest on a CR television set in the 1990s. Tis was the first timeBelfast and it was to prove an education in many ways.

Recognising which car had come to collect us from the airport wasnRenault Megane, emitting the low frequency rumblings of music pstereos comfort zone, is instigating some high-speed manoeuvres series of small roundabouts which precede entry to the airports paspoint. On the dash sits an imposing wooden carving of a drummdisobey Newtons third law and not be thrown violently from one the other testament to the marvels of modern industrial adhesive.

Te driver jumps out with a much less aggressive expression than hiscounterpart. Im Chris. Welcome to Belfast, he grins.

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Besides being our tour guide fojob is playing drums in a banYou From Afar. In a nutshe

atmospheric, instrumental rock muonly liken to lying in a state of blihave someone quickly administer rchest with a defibrillator. Tis mbut thats part of the appeal - their lopening and their albums ear splittin

If ASIWYFA were a house, theyd hthan the south-east corner of Wayne M2005, theyve released three albums in support of each one. Impressivthis off their own backs. Unfortunadetailing how to make a band a funcretaining creative independence aInstead, theres only the endless advbest, yields little more than a set of is why spending time with Chris waexperiences have given him a profoBeing a band is mostly about rollin

states. I wrongly assume this adviceTe schooling begins.

10am: Te roubles

Chris had kindly agreed to set asideus the city. Admittedly, my initial imstyle made me suddenly re-evaluate prospect was. Tankfully, Chris is aHed driven down that morning frwho live on the north coast, which exarrival. He spent a good few minutefor having kept us waiting outside a

of three minutes.

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So where do you want to go first? Chris taps on the steering wheel in a mannerthat seems habitual. We had no real plan for the day. Te only requirement wasto go to Chris rehearsal space in the city to get a few photos. So this becameour first destination.

Belfast shares a common lineage with many other post-industrial port cities.Some of the citys more imposing, historical buildings stand beside those erectedin the 1970s - a decade when architects worldwide seemingly went on strike.Around the docks and along the river lie the remains of heavy industry, noweither successfully regenerated or suffering a severe identity crisis. Yet Belfastis also unlike any other place Ive been. In my lifetime, its a western city thatsendured more conflict than any other.

You should see the peace lines, Chris suggests, Teyre onour way.

Peace lines?

Yeah. Te walls that divide the Protestant and Catholic areas.

Tey still exist?

Chris looks surprised and I feel increasingly idiotic. Verymuch so.

Tis was my first lesson. Before long, the car is parked on adeserted street in the north of the city. On one side are rowsof relatively unassuming houses, cast in the shadow of a 25fthigh concrete wall a matter of metres away.

25 years ago, we wouldnt really have been able to sit here. He gestures toa huge roadblock ahead. All these checkpoints would have been manned bysoldiers and it was up to them where you were allowed to go. Tis is a Protestantarea here. He points to the Union Flag draped in a window. Te other side ofthe wall is mainly Catholic. Violence still does flare up, so the wall stops either

side throwing things into the other bricks, petrol bombs, that sort of stuff.

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He pauses. In some ways Belfast has changed immensely. Butin some ways it hasnt. Tese walls are still here for a reason.

What is often referred to as Te roubles was a conflictconcerning Northern Irelands constitutional status in relationto the UK and Republic of Ireland. Lasting over three decades,Belfast itself saw such a significant proportion of the violencethat it became known as the European Capital of errorism.Although the official peace process concluded in 1998, thewalls still serve as a pertinentreminder that conflicts do notnecessarily end with speechesand signatures.

11.30am: ouring

We reach the studio. Its in anold factory now partitioned intodifferent units, some industrial,some less so.

You see though there? Chris

gestures though a brick archwayand into a yard behind. Tatsa scrapyard. Te other day Iwandered through and therewas a man standing on a car justbeating the hell out of it with abat. He looked at me, nodded,then just carried on. He pauses. Tis whole place is slightlyodd. Tey shot a film called Good Vibrations here; it was about aband called Te Undertones and the punk scene in Ireland in the1970s. Tere was an entire music scene that existed in Belfast evenwhen Te roubles were at their worst. Tere would have been carbombs going off, kidnappings, people getting shot - almost on a

daily basis - and then this whole subculture of bands playing.


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Was the music scene divided too, religiously, I mean?

It was divided but not in the way youd think it wasnit was musical - the punkers and the rockers. My unclsaid these two groups would absolutely not mix excepteach other. Te bizarre thing is that it didnt matter at or Protestant - it mattered what type of music you wreligious segregation and then musical segregation too.a funny place Belfast, really.

Te bands rehearsal space is the type of place most their left arm for. High up on the fifth floor, it looks oredbrick, Victorian menace. Te studio walls are coverehave accumulated from various tours and festivals. Ythese tours, is that right? I ask, surveying the extent oChris nods and I mention that it must have been financia

Back in the day we had to exist in debt for so long. Wright and centre - to buy a van, to get some PR done. Besaying, heres an advance, it was always hand to moutSargent House, an independent label, we get a bit of hsome money.

Have you been in the situation where youve funded a tour

Yes, especially in the beginning. Because we started outall day to play a show to ten people without selling anof that and still be a band hardens you. We encountesigned to a major within a couple of months of formingreat to have loads of money - He pauses to smirk -had a lot of shit happen to us.

When youre touring in places where a lot of westernyou ever thinking, what if no-one shows up?

A lot of the time weve had no idea if people will sho

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had no idea if we had any fans there at all. In those situations it goesbeyond concern about attendance; we heard loads of things abouthow dangerous Russia is simply as a place to go. Tat alone is enoughto put a lot of people off. We had an ex-army dude driving us aroundin a Mercedes Sprinter. I certainly felt conscious of it initially. Butwhen I look back on it now, Id say our ten Russian shows were someof the best weve done.

Has that ever happened - the thing you really dont want to happenwhilst touring? Te nightmare scenario?

Nightmare scenarios? We could be here all day. Being a relativelypoor band, you take what you can. Its mostly been car problems that

have nearly finished us off. One time we were finishing a big European

tour and we were well in profit. It was great, itd gone really well. Ourlast show was in Sweden. So it was here where the van finally gaveup the ghost. Usually its no big deal, but Sweden is one of the mostexpensive countries in the world. We spent all our tour profit gettingthe van fixed.

2.30pm: Mixed Martial Arts

Back in the car we decide to get some lunch in the city. En route,Chris talks about his musical influences, some of which occasionallyblare through the stereo, visibly causing the dictophone significantstress. I consider subtly trying to turn the stereo down when a songby thrash metal pioneers Slayer starts to play.

I was Slayers runner once! exclaims Chris. Belfast. Whenever I picked them up I had Cystereo. Teir tour manager would always sit inintense - never really said a word. If youve eveyour eyes and slowly turn off your car stereo,

You dont seem like the type to be easily int

Right. Its probably because I do Brazilian J

Tat sounds terrifying.

Its like grappling - its one of the main parts of

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How did you get into that?

Ive done bits and pieces here and there

Have you ever had to use it in real life?

A friend of mine was getting quite heaviat a gig once, so I had to restrain the bo

My subtdo that jon his wr

Nah. Jua chokehpretty sh

I decide it is.

4.30pm:

Te notias a viasomethinadvisor smy expeyear old

computer-based test to determine what to. Candidates were required to answquestions such as, Do you have a pproblem solving? and Do you feel comfIve often wondered since if it was simpthose likely to become involved with org

Upon completion of the test, the comp

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be spending the rest of your working life. Ill forever rememberlooking over the results of my friends: Graphic Designer, Architect,eacher, and comparing them to my own: Sewage Worker.

Tere is, of course, nothing wrong with working in subterraneanwater treatment. It just took me slightly by surprise, mostly asI was sure natural light would be instrumental in ensuring myfuture professional well-being.

Unfortunately, computers arent the only ones dishing out illinformed career advice and, in particular, peoples notions ofwhat constitutes a career in music are changing. Chris, like thevast majority of people, initially had to work a full time jobalongside playing in the band.

My dad was a GP and whenever I was really young I justassumed Id follow on after him. But when I got older, I realisedyou cant just be a doctor you actually have to be intelligent. Idjust finished university by the time the other lads were thinkingof really giving the band a go. Te problem was Id been offereda really good job over in Newcastle where I was living. It becameobvious that to carry on as a band Id have to turn down that job

and move back over here.

Did you feel that was a risk in terms of cutting short anothercareer? Because theres lots of pressure just to get a job and earnmoney

Yeah I knew it was a risk. I still encounter people today who arelike, so when the bands finished what have you got to fall backon? Oh youve got a degree? Tats good then. But I never thinkof it like that. I think as soon as you try to set up an alternative,its only going to prove distracting. Sometimes you do need totake a leap of faith. If the band did end today, its true that allIve got is a shitty degree and a CV which outlines my bar work

experience. Tat thought helps me keep giving everything to the


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band. People say, Oh, youve already been together eightyears? So whats next? We arent making tons of moneybut I still feel weve room to grow. A lot.

A few years ago, one of ASIWYFAs founding members,ony Wright, left the band, albeit on good terms. Its byno means unusual for bands to have people come and go,but it can often rock the boat.

Yeah it did. We didnt know what would happen if itwould be damaging musically and to our reputation also.But one of the things we realised very quickly was we didntwant it to stop; that wed keep going at all costs. And thatwas two and a half years ago. I sometimes think that theband should be bigger than shit that happens on a day-to-day basis - chances are you can get through it. Sometimesyou just have to hang on and make the most of it.

I ask Chris about the large tattoo he has on his chest of thebands logo. If the band was to end, would it start to meansomething different?

Its a symbol of commitment. I dont know how onyfeels about his now right enough - we all got that justbefore the first album came out. Its like Im married tothose boys. He snorts with laughter. It is a bit like arelationship though, we spend a lot of time together andits the little things that begin to annoy you, especiallyon tour. Ill be thinking, god, I fucking hate his cough!Ridiculous things like that. Tat said, we encounter a lotof fans who have tattoos of things to do with the band song lyrics is a big one. If theres ever any doubt in whatyoure doing, when you meet those types of people and seehow much theyve invested into what youre doing, thatmakes you think about the bigger picture.

6.30pm: Parking icket

En route through the city centre, Chris pulls the car intoa parking space right next to a pay and display machine.We get out and Chris locks the car before walking away.

I glance to the pay and display machine, then back to thecar, then to Chris already a good ten meters down thepavement. Chris! Do we not need to pay to park here?

Doesnt really matter.

Wont you get a parking ticket?

Might do.

Would you not rather avoidthat possibility?

Doesnt matter. If you get aticket theyll never chase youup. Te council just dont

have the resources.

So we dont buy a ticket.

Chris gestures down the streettowards a large grey building.Tats the Europa Hotel. Itsthe most bombed building in Europe apparently.

Why would they repeatedly bomb a hotel?

Lots of politicians and journalists would stay there soit was an easy target for the IRA. Its pretty much been

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After another 200 metres we walk past Belfast City Hall,where the Union Flag flies above the entrance. Chrisagain plays tour guide. wo years ago, Belfast CityCouncil voted to limit the days the Union Flag is flownon the building. On the night the result of the vote wasannounced, it sparked mass riots all around here. It reallykicked off. I think a lot of people were quite worried it wasgoing to make things flare up again.

I begin to feel a bit uneasyat the extent to whichthis news is completelynew to me. In an effort toregain some self-esteem, Iattempt to call upon onefact Im quite confident isaccurate:

Didnt the itanic sailfrom Belfast?

No. It sailed from

Southampton.

Oh.

But it was built here.Teres a museum on thewaterfront. You want to go?

Before long we werestanding looking at the original dry-dock where the shipwas built. It has since been filled with concrete, but alife size mark-out of where the vessel stood remains onthe ground, complete with an outline of the different

compartments and decks. It gives you a real sense of just

how big it was and how many peopaccommodate.

Directly across the water are the stof Trones, the vast majority of whin Northern Ireland.

We had King Joffrey come dowrecen

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Chris pauses. Yeah, youre right. It is a clich. But its probably whatanyone in a band wants in some shape or form. Why kid yourself?

You seem to place a lot of emphasis on being able to do thingson your own terms, so would you have any reservations aboutsigning to a major label? Because thats one way of getting yourmusic to as many people as possible.

Being in a band is a career at the end of the day and I like to

think I can remain gracious whatever happens. If that situationdid arise, of course Id entertain it. Itd be hypocritical of me to sayotherwise. Im not going to standhere and say that Im a musicianand Im doing everything out ofsheer love. Dont get me wrong - Ilove what I do but, yes - it has towork financially.

Teres been a few times whenweve done interviews and Ive feltreally ill or tired. When the tourmanager comes over and says, ok,

the interviewer is here, I have feltthat Id give anything not to haveto do it. But then I usually havea moment of clarity. Tis is myjob, its amazing that this personis taking an interest in what were doing. It comes down to this:if youre not interested, you cannot expect anyone else to be.Tere is no secret to it. You just have to get out there and play.If you want it to be your job - treat it like one.

By 10pm I was once again sat on a plane, slightly unsure whatto make of the trip. It had been enjoyable but I had to remindmyself I wasnt writing an article on Belfast itself. It also occurred

to me we hadnt spent that much time talking specifically about

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drums. But during the process of accideready-salted peanuts over the person saits very easy to become preoccupied wsomething instead of why youre doing iBelfast to discuss stuff Id read on the intor the band. Id gone to learn things that any rate, Im not sure any book about thconsider choking a bouncer an acceptabor that logistical issues should be addres

buying a shite van.

I felt slightly odd talking about Belfastsso little about it. Tat thought alone mIt made me realise that occasionally, yothe bad stuff - its how you avoid cosame mistakes. Tis applies on a numbto practise what theyre already good at next time, practise something you knowat - its harder to do than you might thto learn something, especially where theAnd if you happen to save three poundprocess, then its definitely worth it.

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SELECTIVEXPLANATIO

Words and Images by K

My beloved cymbal bag has stood up well over the yethe first drum set I ever bought, quite a long time ago. I can recall, this bag has amassed an impressively odd which, out of sheer laziness, I have never bothered t

1. Inappropriate sticks. If you cant make them out, ladies on. Whats worse is my mum gave me the

awkward. Ive never actua

2. Pens. Youd never know but one of these d

3. Kola Cube.

4. Drum keys. An assortment. You can never have toto disappear roughly at the r ate at which water evap

5. Spare felts. Genuinely handy to have - the encountered cymbal stands with no felts when

6. 4mm Allen Key. I lost the one my bass pedal camreplacement. In fact, Ive never actually adjusted

7. RAM booklet. I used to play along to this CD reits in such good condition. It was wedged behind some of


1.

2.

6.

4.

5.

3.

7.

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T H E D R U M M E R S J O U R N A LT H E D R U M M E R S J O U R N A L

8. A Yamaha Memory Clamp. Strange as Ive never owned aYamaha kit.

9. Hi Hat Clutch. Another life saver - finding yourself withoutone is the worst.

10. Metronome. I should use this more often.

11. Koala? Im not too sure what this little guy is supposed to bebut he used to be resident on my bass drum hoop.

12. E45 hand cream (empty). Great for preventing blisters ifyou play as unschooled as I.

13. Carbosticks. Without doubt the weirdest sticks ever. Teyreoddly heavy and have a strange balance point. Te plus side isthat theyre indestructible, and likely good for self-defence.

14. Sock. Tats pretty disguising really. I play barefoot usuallyso its probably been stuffed into the bag in a hurry.

15. Swiss Army Card. Tis thing is amazing. It contains a knife,scissors, tweezers and a toothpick. Ive never yet needed it once.

16. Recorder. I can actually play the recorder quite well but thetime for me to do so live on stage has yet to arise.

17. Paracetamol. Just in case.

18. ama Pedal Drum key. urns out it wasnt lost after all.

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9.

8.

17.

18.

10.

11.

12.

14.

15.

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WIN!

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erms and Conditions: Te competition is open to anyone in UK, Europe or North America. All entries

must be received by 14/6/2014. A winner will be selected at random and notified within seven days

of the above closing date by email. Te winner will then have seven days to respond and claim the

prize. Te winner will be required to supply details of a delivery address in the UK, Europe or North

America and the prize will be posted out entirely free of charge. By entering, you are simply subscribing

to Te Drummers Journal and our monthly newsletter at no cost. You can unsubscribe at anytime. Te

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SOUNDINVESTMENTSP F N M

Words by om HoarePhotos by Bex Wade, unless stated

Nick doesnt tend to do interI read the email. Resisting thrationalised that when youre

the most commercially successful bands of all time, you dont really

Perhaps Id been somewhat prId been reading only five minuInside Out: A Personal History by Nick himself, it details the bands career; from recording soalbums in popular music historyled to the bands demise.

Te books cover displays the grabove Battersea Power Station. Tof the artwork for Pink Floyds o capture the original still, a gtethered to one of the power statthen broke free from its moorin

flight path of planes on approamuch to the surprise of th

eventually landed in a field farmer claimed it had, sca

Te email concluded: Lemay be a while. Even thouflown previously for Pink

wouldnt be such an occas

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Several months later Im stood outside a privatemembers club in west London, conscious that myscuffed trainers stand somewhat at odds with the

three piece suits that are entering and exiting the building.Acutely aware of looking like a vagrant, I attempt a stealthyshuffle to the elevator to avoid attracting the attentions ofthose behind the reception desk.

Can I help you?

In what was originally an effort to avoid arousing suspicion,Im now stood frozen inmotion about a metre awayfrom the elevator. Makingthings more awkward, myresponse is delivered in theform of a question: Imhere to see Nick Mason?

Floor Tree.

Te elevator doors open,revealing a busy room withlarge glass windows and lotsof sofas. Beyond the businesslunches, the chimneys ofBattersea Power Station arevisible in the distance.

Im directed to an armchairopposite two men talking about fiscal regulation. Feelingparticularly imposturous, I try and obscure myself behinda broad, pink newspaper. It also serves to cover the largepenguin on the front of my jumper, which Im confidentdoesnt pass as business casual.

Nick arrives with one hand outstpapers clutched in the other. Seempenguin, he smiles and gestures dowin Conference Room B, Ill be with

Tis building is partly owned by Floyds decision to disband, he wainterests in motorsport and aviationinvestment portfolio, which includ

musical institution, Footes Musicthis. Nick had stepped in and, inavoicent

In Nickimpglanwatc

Te YoufromnowsharNickexist

heard the shop was to close becausbank, I felt it was such a shame tocalled the owners and said Id considin because Ive always felt drum sho

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Was it more of a personal investment as opposed to a financial one?In some ways, yes. I dont see an enormous profit in it, but I think it couldbe successful. Tat said, I didnt buy a music shop as a vanity project. Ijust like drum shops and I like people who go into drum shops (laughs).

Seeing Ginger Baker play made quite an impression on you. Howwould you describe the evolution of drumming in the 1960s?Prior to 1960, drummers for pop groups were on a riser at the back withsomeone good looking at the front nodding along to the music. WithGinger, it suddenly became about a band and not just about a pop star

and that was enormously attractive to a lot of people. It challenged theidea that popular music was for teenage girls. For Cream, the realitywas that the main audience were all guys in trench coats (laughs).

When I look back at the 1960s, it seems like the decade of thesuperstar drummer - John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ginger Bakerand Ringo Starr. Would you agree?Yes and no. Tere was a period of superstar drummers before them;Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Louis Bellson - the big band swingdrummers - they did stick tricks and had double bass drums too.

And this projected on what you wanted toYes. Absolutely. I wanted to be part of it, no

You said initially that you didnt feel technicallYes. I still feel that. Im still learning to live w

Did that make you self-conscious as a muIt still does. Its hard to know now but if Idargument to say that I wouldnt have played tis Im grateful to have developed my own sty

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You spent time travelling around the USA in the 1960s. You met anewly-wed couple on a Greyhound bus, where the husband stated he

was leaving the week after to serve in Vietnam. For me, the 1960s seemslike a really polarised decade - theres a lot of romanticism about it,

when in actual fact it wasnt all peace and loveYeah, absolutely. In America it was a lot grittier because they were fightinga war. I think it was very short lived, the whole Summer of Love becauseit became commercial almost instantly. Te period of free concerts and allthe rest of it was very brief before it became, hang on, this

band could sell a million albums.

Do you feel that music does have revolutionary potential?I think its overrated but there is an element there. Its abilityto change perceptions is limited - it actually becomes quitepartisan. People often identify themselves by the music theylike. In the 1960s, if people were into certain bands it wasusually a good indication as to what their politics were,where they were educated and even their social class. Butsometimes, with someone like Bob Dylan, there are peoplewho can send messages of considerable importance.

Would you consider yourself someone like that?No.

With Pink Floyd there was no sugar-coating thecommercial aspirations of the bandRight. What was blindingly obvious pretty early on was thatif you were successful you could have more studio time,bigger shows, better equipment and better sound.

With some of your early shows, the press made a big deal out of the LSDassociation and freak-out aspects. Did you actually feel subversive?No. We were never that mad about being called psychedelic, that was avery brief period. Saying that, music is whatever you believe it to be andif people wanted to take LSD and trip to our music so be it, but it wasntwritten in that way.

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You described the transition from architecture student to professionalmusician as, being propelled into a position of fantasy. Did you feel

yourself changing as a person throughout that process?Id say its actually quite rare for people to feel they change as a person.People often ask what it was like and I always say it was just normal - wejust got on with what we were doing. It wasnt like we suddenly had goldplated taps. Te transition from being a student to being in the back of vanwasnt that shocking.

Te Dark Side of the Moon is one of the mostfamous albums in the worldI couldnt possibly comment (laughs).

If you were to present someone with an albumwhich you felt encapsulated what you wanted toachieve as a musician, what would you choose?Id choose Dark Side. Its the most completealbum. Terere lots of others I like, but DarkSide has a lovely mix of everyone contributing toit. I think Te Wall was a hell of a piece of workbut its probably too long. What might have beennice to have Dark Side a little longer and TeWall a little shorter. Its got some great songs, andRogers lyrics are extraordinary. Te fact he wasonly 23 still amazes me.

A question I get asked all the time is, why is DarkSide so successful? Apart from the marvellousRototoms which was obviously the main sellingpoint (laughs), the truth is Capitol Records decided to make this recordwork - we had total support from the label.

What did you get from your solo material that you couldnt achievewith Pink Floyd?Not operating as a group and not having to worry about group acceptancewith some quite powerful people is a great release. I think drummers by

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nature operate in bands, not as solo artists. Teres the old joke that a band isa rhythm section and a couple of novelty acts, but you cant go on tour solelyas a drummer. I think I prefer doing production to solo records really. It wasgreat to have the opportunity but if someone asked if I wanted to do anothersolo album Id say, not really.

Do you want to do another solo album?Not really.

When things were becoming more challenginginterpersonally in the band, did that ever affecthow you saw the drum set as an instrument?Did you ever resent having to play?Do you mean, did I ever lose the enthusiasm?Well, the answer to that is no. Tere wereodd moments where I became consciousthat things might implode. I think it dividesup into people who project resentment ontowhatever they might be doing, or people whothink its all ok when theyre playing. Telatter was the case for me, even when we weredoing Te Wall shows and things were gettingdifficult. Rick (Wright) had been taken out of

the band but brought back in for the showsand, yes, relations were very strained. We all had separate portacabins for theshows at Earls Court. But being on stage was always great. And thats wherethe interaction was.

o reunite for Live 8 in 2005 - what did that mean to you personally?I really wanted to establish that we are grown up enough to do things for oneanother. Also, it was in memory of all the good things that happened. We dohave a reputation as being the band that always fought, but I think the realityis that a lot of bands do. Most of the time we spent together was terrific andrecognition of that is important. For me personally, it was also important fromthe point of view of my children - seeing that adults can get together, set asidetheir differences and do the right thing for the right reason.

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How would you describe it as an experience? Play


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How would you describe it as an experience? Playstage as Pink Floyd after 25 years?Its very hard to describe. It was such fun but it wathat. It gave an enormous amount of pleasure, morebeen fans for years - the people who have, essenlifestyles. I know Ive frittered mine away on old cainvested it wisely (laughs).

You said what ywas the shared a band. Do youmotorsport? Mobeing a bit loneTe team aspect similar, but the bare in a car you aTe great thing things go wrongthree or four othe first rule of dmake a mistakeangrily at the ba

In terms of whaPink Floyd and

in other areas, such as racing Le Mans or writicomparable in terms of what they mean as achmean more than others?Not really because theyre very different. Id say they but the motorsport thing is more personal. With thIm part of a group, so however successful that is its nits a collaborative success. Te book actually is a beWhen I take credit for it, its my book. If someonutterly wonderful it is, Im happy to sit there and simto tell me how great the band is, its almost more iwrong, its great people like it and Id far rather peo

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fans of Pink Floyd instead of Deep Purple but achievements related to the


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fans of Pink Floyd instead of Deep Purple, but achievements related to theband I almost see as once removed.

With the book, how was the writing process?I really enjoyed it. Te only difficult thingwas getting star ted because of the endlessdeliberation on whether the book shouldbe done by the band or by an individual.And trying to reach an agreement on anystory it became obvious it wasnt goingto happen. So I thought, well, Im goingto do my own version. You guys can allwrite your own books.

Was it a self-reflective process as muchas reflecting on others?Yes, very much so. Tere were bits thatwere quite painful, dealing with Rickleaving, Roger leaving and all the rest of it.But its interesting how many things getforgotten that you have to be remindedof. Also, there were people who were veryimportant to the stories who have died or

gone missing. Tat made me feel it wasimportant to get the thing written.

Now you have an honorary doctoratefrom the University of Westminster, dopeople address you as Dr Nick Mason?No, unfortunately not (laughs). Initially,when it was suggested, I loved the ideabut thought the others would sneer at me. Ten I found out that DavidGilmour had already accepted one from somewhere, so I thought, stuffthat I want one too!

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BEYONDREPAIR

L O O

Words by om HoarePhotography by Anton Rodriquez

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At Te Waters Edge


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Getting to the lake for 6.30am was important. At this time, just beforesunrise, the lake has a layer of fog partially obscuring its surface. Whendawn breaks, the effect is like a poor mans Northern Lights except itsnot in the sky. And not green. But its still impressive.

We arrived when it was still dark and freezing cold. Our hesitations areheightened because the walk to the lakeshore isnt exactly a light stroll;its about half a mile. Carrying an oak bass drum, let alone an entire

kit, is little different from carrying a chest of draws. Half a mile doesntsound very far but, in reality, it is - especially when you cant see whereyoure going.

At the lake, theres no fog. None. Not even a whisper. We set the kit upby the edge of the water and wait.

Te bass drum spurs sink satisfyingly into the gravelly beach. Te pebbleswork the lacquer on the hoop of the kick and I wish Id brought a mat.I wish more that Id brought something to sit on and not accidently leftthe stool at home.

Instead of the orangey glow wed expected, the landscape began turning

from black to progressively lighter shades of blue.

Te noise of the kit was a shock so early in the morning and it soundedsurprisingly deadpan. No echo, and nothing to cause any reverberation.

When everything began to turn grey we left.

Te Boat House

We were keen to t ake some photographs on a small jetty by the lake.Unfortunately, most of these are privately owned and the ones thatarent are inaccessible out of hours.


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We skirt the road round the lake looking for a suitabledid ll i h


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candidate, eventually spotting one next to a guesthouse onthe lakeshore. Te question here was whether to do the rightthing: knock at the house and ask permission to use the pier,or sneakily unload the car and attempt to pass unnoticed. Wesoon realise that once we begin to play, a stealthy approachwould be made redundant and wed be subject to the wrath ofholidaymakers awoken early.

We knock at the door and a man answers, wearing only some

scandalously tight underwear. Helooks very, very tired, but seems happyto outline how hed only gone to bedtwo hours previous having enjoyedan excellent birthday celebration. Weask to use the pier, but intentionallyforget mention well be using it as aplace to set up and play drums. Tehouse looks double glazed anyway.

Te piers wooden deck is shockinglyslippy and slanted in a way whichensures that any loss of balance will

be catastrophic. Whilst the waterisnt dangerously deep at least bythe pier itself sliding into the lakealong with the entire drum set isnt too appealing. Matters arecomplicated further because the pier is actually quite narrow.Fitting everything on means hanging the bass drum over theedge so you can sit down confident youre not heading arse-first straight into the water.

Te sound shoots out across the open water. Even stood over200 metres away along the shoreline its surprising how loudit is. I imagine the sound bouncing off the windows of theguesthouse house and shaking the revellers inside awake.

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Te way sound seems to travel enis to do with how the water affect


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is to do with how the water affectair. At the waters surface, the air the sound waves here travel moresound is able to travel faster wherdiscrepancy between cold and wwaves to change direction. Instconcentric arcs, some head direcand eventually back toward the w

Y-fronts is stood at the window.

Te Cutting in the Head of the

At the end of the lake is a small viits usually heaving with people.its deserted and all the cafes are

Te only place that shows anyterraced house with an open sigExactly what type of business thfor isnt immediately obvious, san elderly man sitting in an arm

Tere are a couple of small wooand a gas fire heating the room.

Breakfast? he asks, looking disappearing, presumably, intoaround for some menus but ther

He returns after about 20 minplates laden with sausages, batomatoes, depositing them on towering stack of toast. He asks ufor the day and we chat for a whilset up hills before saying our goo

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We follow the road up the pass at the end of the valley.Its steep and the car struggles. Just before the summit we

from the workings was deposited before being hauled tothe surface. Connecting the two quarries, the cave exists


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p gg Jpull into a lay-by and haul the drums on foot further upthe hillside and away from the road.

Where the ground levels, we set everything up. o the leftand right are large rocky crags and the sound of the snarericochets off them creating an impressive echo that seemsto progress further and further down the valley.

Before long we notice the minibus pulled over on theroadside along with a line of people all with cameraspointing up at us.

As we pass them on the way down a man asks, do you do thiseveryday? Perhaps he thought we were triggering avalanches.

Te Cave

Te path leading down to the cave is steep. It inspiresvisions of an expensive drum set reduced to little morethan kindling.

Te cave sits beneath a huge wall of rock which separatestwo chasmal quarries. Long since abandoned, one sideis little more than a huge water-filled shaft, sank some50 metres deep. Its an imposing sight. Te water looksjet black and peril ously cold . If you fell in and survivedthe fall, physically trying to get out would be almostimpossible. Itd be like trying to pull yourself out ofa well the size of a swimming pool - a scenario, nodoubt, fit to test even Lassies decision-making abilitiesto the extreme.

On the other side of the dividing face is the second void.Tis one is just as perilous; its where the slate excavated

g q ,because its where much of the machinery to conductsuch an operation was housed.

We tentatively make our way down into the dry basin,following the path that is cutinto the only part that isntcompletely vertical. Walkingover slate, even without heavy

wooden objects in hand, is liketraversing a bed of golf ballscoated with eflon.

Inside the cave are the remainsof a rusting crane which extendsout over the water. Te cranehas snapped and the other halfpresumably lies several fathomsbelow at the bottom of thewaterlogged excavations, alongwith god knows what else.

Te sound in here is shockinglyloud but muddy thanks tothe effects of reverb and echo.Although both are concerned with how we perceive soundwaves, they are not terms to be used interchangeably.

Reverb is when a reflected sound reaches your ears withinthirty milliseconds of the original sound occurring. Ifyou sing in the shower, for example, the sound reflects offthe walls and comes back to you almost instantaneously.You hear the or iginal sound combined with the soundas it bounces back. Tis is what gives you the sense of aprolonged single sound. Reverb occurs in pretty much


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Echo, however, occurs when a sound reaches your ears after 30 milliseconds.Now, the time delay is significant enough to register a repetition of theinitial sound, instead of a prolonged single event.

In the cave, perceiving the immediate reverb from the walls and theprolonged echo from the quarries sounds like we are throwing the drumsaround instead of playing them. It is a novel, if largely unpleasant sensation.

Still, its far more preferable to the sensation of hauling the drums back outof the void. Te only small victory was that, in the process of disassemblingthe kit, I realise wed forgotten to retract the spurs that stop the hi-hat pedalsliding around on uncarpeted surfaces. Expecting the worst, it actuallyturned out theyd gouged some impressive channels into the rock on whichit had been sat. Nice.

Te Castle

Te drive back from the quarries is long. Now roughly 3pm, the novelty ofour undertaking has all but worn off. As the sun begins to break throughthe clouds, we make another effort to pull over and set up the kit on a hill

overlooking the valley. Im glad we did.

Although its starting to get dark, we have one last stop in mind - a privatelyowned gothic castle. Once a grand stately home, it had fallen into chronicdisrepair after World War II. When the owner died, his grandson inheritedthe estate along with the huge debts it accrued during the great depression.In his own words, the grandson saw the castle as, a place that exemplifiedgross imperial decadence during a period of abject poverty. Te only reasonit still stands is because no one wanted to front the bill to have it completelydemolished. Instead, its roof was removed and it was left to fester. Whatwas once one of the most famous homes in the country, ultimately becamea shell to shelter farm animals. More recently, a fund has been establishedto restore parts of the structure and open it to the public.

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Te workmen eye us suspiciously as we unload the car. Wed been grantedpermission to shoot in one room only and we were to keep off the grass.T i lf i li b I d b h d h


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Te estate itself is sprawling but I doubt we were heard more than tenmetres away over the sound of the JCBs tearing up the courtyard. I dontenvy such a monumental undertaking. When we left we put what mustseem a laughably insignificant amount in the donation box.

We sat in the pub later that evening still a bit unsurewhy we had decided to visit these places. Te truth wasthere wasnt a single overriding reason. Wed just gone

out and done it. It wasnt exactly life changing. But itwasnt boring either. Te majority of the time, whenwe met other people - Y fronts, the elderly man whomade us breakfast, the tourists, and now the workmen- they all had the same bewildered expression. I thinkthat alone was worth it.

Well be making some of these images availabe as prints and free desktopbackgrounds in various sizes, so keep an eye on our online shop.

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COGNITIVE
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COGNITIVEMOMENTUM

Words and Illustrations by Ben Martin

N - TOLKIENWe might practise drumming for any number of reasons, but are we aware of every aspect ofour learning and the neurological links that we are building? Like most activities, playing thedrums creates neural or mental associations which we have very little awareness of. Tese links

and associations take many more forms than you may think.

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Is it possible to use these associations to develop an enhanced awareness ofour subconscious; one that improves the quality of our practice, stamina,and musicality? Tis is not a hypothetical concept but something we have

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on your pre-learned physical and cognitive associations. After that, you playthe rhythm over and over, working on specific parts and tweaking it until itbecomes 'natural' (or fully absorbed by the unconscious). Once a pattern is

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all experienced to some extent before.

Our subconscious minds can be consciously utilised in any number of ways.Psychologists and hypnotherapists have known this for years. Troughperseverance, musicians can develop an awareness of the unconscious mind'spower to enhance our musicality and unique learning style, bettering ouroutput in the process.

Could further insight into this process put us onthe path to becoming more efficient, developingin any given direction at a faster rate? Perhaps byanalysing our subconscious further we can becomemore aware of what we need to learn and how,thus enhancing our ability to address issues andaccelerate the processes as applied to drumming.

Our minds have a handy mechanism for dealingwith unnecessary and irrelevant information. Weblock huge amounts out through an informationprocessing system, akin to our email accountsfiltering spam on our behalf. For example, think ofa familiar route you take on a regular basis. Howoften have you arrived at your destination withoutfully comprehending your route? Our mind hasthe capacity to switch to 'automatic pilot' modewithout any conscious effort on our part. Rather than view this smart humanquirk as an automatic process with little happening cognitively, we could see itas a form of focused concentration; an opportunity allowing us mental spaceto contemplate the possibilities open to us.

Tis mechanism is very similar to the process involved in learning a newpattern. You start by listening, reading, thinking about or improvising a newpattern. You then begin to figure out the coordination involved by building

appropriately absorbed we can focus on it in a much more informal way, withthe opportunity to bring in new ideas or alter aspects of the groove.

Further to the above, we know that at some point, purposeful consciousattention becomes automated with the help of the unconscious. Tisis something that can put many of us in a position where wehave to work hard to get out of certain automatic musical

responses. With practiceand over time, neuralpathways are created thatcan effectively speed upthe short delay betweencognitive directionand muscular response(something we might callmuscle memory); I will talk moreabout this concept in issue seven.

When playing the drums the following subconsciousprocesses are integral to our performance:

1: Our genetically programmed ability forlanguage assimilation and retention, includingthe ability to use and understand freneticpatterns without being taught them.

At an early age, children are able to make their own complex sentences withouthaving been taught the associations involved. Tis is evidence of an in-builtpattern recognition system which predisposes us to complex language. Tisincludes, but is not limited to, music.

As an example, imagine a pattern on the drums that you can play off by heart.You could start at any point within its structure and still know what it is

INSTEADOFBEINGCAREFULTOGETTHEPATTERNRIGHT,ONCEYOUHAVETHEGENERALGIST, TRYMAKINGDELIBERATE

MISTAKES.

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that came before or after. You could, equally, play this patternin a completely different way, by changing the dynamics orreversing some of the coordination to play it open handed. Te

i i h k i ll h ill d d i

realise you can get the last four kits doncreate an assembly line approach. You wthat at the start.


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point is that you know it so well that you still understand itsmeaning no matter how you change its structure. It is the samewith language. Te sentence, I love Te Drummers Journalcould be said in many different ways and still mean the samething. You can change the inference but you are still left witha very similar meaning. Even while I am writing this I amconstantly adapting my sentence structure to get the message I

want to achieve correct. It is the same for drumming.

2: A mechanism that allows us to transfer learned tasks fromshort-term memory into long-term memory.

Tis is an interesting one. Imagine you had ten identical packsof flat-packed furniture. You have to put them all together.Te first one takes ages because putting together flat-packedfurniture is a pain in the ass. You either follow the instructionsas close as you can or decide you know best and just go for it.

Tis can depend on the type of person youare and how confident you feel in

your ability. At some pointyou make a mistake andhave to go back a few steps,undoing bolts and screws,but eventually you get there.Te finished result is good

but it's not perfect. Te nexttwo packs you work through

methodically, conscious notto make the same mistake. Bythe fourth attempt you consider

yourself a pro and throw away theinstructions but have to double check a few things

first. By the fifth time you have it down pat. On the sixth you

If we apply the same logic to learning somon the drums, we notice a similar proceit's a new beat that comes out of an impother extreme, a detailed piece of sight rit we have to figure out the instructions.the beat in the first place. ypically, onc

getting somewhere we will often lose oumistakes. Tis is the point at which our to work, essentially putting the whole attempt to put pieces of the puzzle in for its current understanding of coordstructures. We have to constantly re-evalat this point to ensure that we are doing tperiod of assimilation, the pattern is meto manipulate the pattern increases. Thoning our instincts until we get the feethis point we are totally comfortable witever seemed so hard to play at all.

For every one of our thoughts and assaware of only a handful. In fact, wthoughts a day, far too many to recall olife is directed by many small happeto make up all the aspects of our lifeand personalises our experiences, emIt is impossible for us to be aware ofof information. Only 10% of our brimmediate awareness and thought pruse of some of the leftover 90% in ato accelerate our learning process. Perhsome of our conscious control over ourdeeper level process integral to enhancin

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So - heres some suggested exercises:

E O: M

I'm sure as drummers we have all encountered the following comment ontelling someone what we do: it must be great to have something to take youranger out on, or something to that effect.


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.

Developing pattern recognition skills is key to improving our ability toadapt and learn on the fly. Drummers have a tendency to fall for set musicalresponses or licks over and over again, effectively digging a coordination holefor ourselves which is a constant battle to avoid. Ironically this trap could beused as a way to help get past the problem.

If you can, record yourself as you practise this: try playing a challengingnew beat. Instead of being careful to get the pattern right, once you havethe general gist, try making deliberate mistakes. Tis could be with timing,phrasing or just deliberately out of place fills. Dont let these mistakes stopyou from continuing the beat but listen to the drumming that happens as yourecover your place. Ten, either by listening back to the recording or on thefly, see if you can compose new patterns by copying the automatic phrases thathappen as you recover. Tese bits of drumming are fuelled by your ingrainedcoordination and musical associations and may be the key to finding new licksas well as helping you to develop pattern recognition and a confidence in yourability to make mistakes.

E : E .

Te sort of focused attention present when performing is believed to be atrance-like or hypnotic state. Its similar to being fully engrossed in a goodbook and therefore largely unaware of what might be going on around you.If you become aware of this whilst playing, you may find that you are ableto hold elements of this experience in conscious awareness long enough tomake use of its qualities. Tese situations can be a good time to examine thedetails of a technique you are working on or some rhythmic problem you aregrappling with.

E : E .

Anger is one emotion that can shape our experiences in life and perhaps in turn,our playing. Tere are many more subtle emotions that enrich our lives andin turn more subtle nuances that may be impacting on our drumming whilstgoing unexplored. So in just the way that listening to a particular type of musicat one time may trigger your creativity at a later point in time, so too do oureveryday experiences impact on our playing. Perhaps our subconscious minds

have no bias when it comes to things that can influence our emotions. ryloosely improvising with an emotive thought or sensation held inmind. Sometimes this type of awareness brings out new ideas.

Ultimately, drummers provide momentum and shapedynamics within the musical form, but without specificneural pathways, developed through practice, this would notbe the case. In turn the music that we play hopefullytranslates our message into a visceral experiencefor our audience. In performance, we partakein a shared experience, with everyone presenttaking their own experience of the event awaywith them. Tis experience no doubt plays a rolein shaping our views and understanding of theworld. For musicians it also plays a part in our futureplaying as we further refine our skills and approachto performing. We take our experiences, good and bad,obvious and subtle, and these become part of our approachto the music we make.

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In 1963, John F. Kennedy visited Berlin andmade what would become one of his mostfamous speeches. Stood before a crowd of

almost half a million, he declared to the world:

Ich bin ein Berliner!

At this time, Germany existed as two separatestates, geographically divided into the communistEast and the democratic West. Kennedys speechwas, ultimately, a message to Nikita Khrushchev- an assertion of Anglo-American foreign policyagainst that of the Soviet Union.

By 1968, the voluminous export of British rockmusic was in full swing. Having already made aconsiderable impact in the US, continental Europe

also became a target market. Whilst many Britirock bands would be well received in West Germansome felt there was little truly progressive about whsuch music offered. Te British Invasion, desp

its success across the Atlantic, fuelled a growidisquiet that German post-war culture was beinimported as opposed to being created organicalby the German people. One such sympathiser wJaki Liebezeit, a founding member of Can - oof the most influential German bands ever to haexisted.

HALFMAN,HALFMACHINEJ LWords by om Hoareitle photo by Roberto Domnguez

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Can helped establish a musical movement the Britishpress would label as krautrock. Te music wasexperimental, improvisational and infused with an

electronic sensibility. It verged from funky breaks to chaotic

Because you wanted long hair?!No! Because we were not satisfiedwere getting. People were bored ome personally, I had played free jaz


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electronic sensibility. It verged from funky breaks to chaoticfrenzy. Quite importantly, it was unlike what any Anglo-American blues-rock bands were doing. It was, instead, adistinctly German approach.

Jakis drumming is wildlydistinctive. Having becomedisillusioned with free jazz andlatterly the form of the moderndrum set in general, Jakibrought to Can more abstractnotions of composition andperformance. As a result,talking to Jaki about rhythm isintimidating. Although hes oneof the nicest people youll evermeet, its his understandingand conceptualisation of musicin general which goes beyondwhat the average drummer canlikely comprehend. Tis is, in

part, what made Jakis playingso iconic. He is, ultimately, avirtuoso musician of the highestcalibre.

Te Drummers Journal: How would you describe musicin Germany in 1968 when you formed Can?Jaki Liebezeit: It was quite bourgeois. 1968 was a period ofrevolution in Germany - a student revolution against oldstates of mind left from Nazi Germany. People grew theirhair long to look different, and thats why we started Can.

me personally, I had played free jazsomething new. And then all this eland thats how we came together.

How wto Can,At first like it adifficultthat beenthusia

ProgresbecomiUK at tan aversJa. TeGermanbands. English like Eng

they wetook ansounded

German accent (laughs). We tried deEnglish and so when Can went to Endifferent. At the same time in GermCan cant play properly because theylike English or American bands.

Did that bother you?Not especially.

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How did you feel about the krautrock label used by the Britishpress? Te word makes me a bit uncomfortable to be honest.At the beginning I didnt like it. Krautrock. It reminded me ofWorld War wo dont mention the war (laughs)! Kraut was a

is. But in the 1990s, I think music chaknew the traditional drum kit, so to spemusic. I was listening to a lot of Africamusic, much of which does not require


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gname for the Germans because the world thought we ate krautall the time. But today it has changed and its more positive- people dont think of a kraut as a German soldier anymore.But the other problem was that everything that came out ofGermany was labelled krautrock. oday, I dont mind the label.o be honest, I dont mind the word kraut anymore either, its

the word rock I have a problem with. Rock isdead and it doesnt mean anything anymore.It has lost its message.

Why is that?It is so common now. You can use it foreverything. Even the right wing radical rockin Germany - Nazi bands use hardcore rockmusic now. In the beginning there was arevolutionary leftist character, but that hasall gone.

We interviewed Bill Bruford a while ago. Hesaid rhythm was becoming homogenised

in Popular Music. Do you agree?Ja absolutely. Its also the reason why Ihavent used a normal jazz or rock kit for the

last 20 years. I dont use a hi-hat or kick drum anymore. I wasinfluenced very much by techno music in the 1990s. Back inthe 70s, I was influenced by drum machines and sequencers. Ithought the drum kit was not made for that kind of music, soI adapted it.

In its basic form the drum set hasnt changed too much overtime, would you agree?I think for rock and jazz, the drum set is very much ok as it

Is it true drums were initially thoughinstrument because of the Catholic chYes - drums in music were initially forchurch. Tats why flamenco music hasinvolves clapping. Tey were seen as an inmake people move in a way which was sinthe instrument of the devil. In Europe, introduced by the military and the ChTe modern drum kit has its origins in udrums were used to make soldiers march

So what about the future of the drumI feel very confident about the future, I doever die out, they have survived for millentheir look a little it, but they will stay for

Youre often referred to as a human drcompliment - do you see yourself as a Ja - when I play I program myself. I know

do. Although the difference, of course, bmachine, is that I can listen and I can re

And you dont have batteries.Ja (laughs). I dont. But there was a list rof the 100 best alternative drummers - Imeant by that - but a Roland drum macI thought that was funny. It was the Rol

Didnt you appear in that list too?Ja. In quite a good place, I believe

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Go on -I was fifth (laughs).

Do you consider yourself an alternative drummer?Tere were lots of famous drummers on that list. In first place wasthe drummer from Nirvana. And Bernard Purdie hes one of themost recorded drummers ever. He played for everyone in America. Imet him once when he came to Cologne.

Do you still practise?Oh yes. I practise a lot. Im always in search of new rhythms. I have strangesystems of constructing rhythms, but I like to use E code mostly.

E code?People think of Extra errestrial when I tell them that, they think Im mad.

So its not to do with aliens then?(Laughs) No. Its to do with the letter E and in Morse code. Teletter E is a dot and the is a dash, and from that you can make all

sorts of rhythms. Its like the binary system of numbers.

Where did that inspiration come from?I was listening to some Morse code and I found it interesting becauseits so rhythmical. Its basically two elements and by combining themyou can make all kinds of rhythms.

For me to understand this youre going to have to afford me avery, very basic explanation.Ok - so take the two main rudiments of drumming - the singlestroke roll and the double stroke roll. A single stroke would be thedot, and a double stroke would be the dash, so you can make all

kinds of rhythms just from these two thingsreally. But Ive done this for a long time.

How did technology impact the studio envIf you make good music, technology wontmake bad music, then technology can help need big studios and lots of staff anymore. Whave a computer, microphones and the interfand distortion can all be added on.

Omar Hakim said technology replaced thebecause people didnt have to get togetherWe had that problem with Can. When we stawas very basic. When we got multi-track macthe band didnt need to play together like in

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person at a time could come into the stuand the other members of the band cowas not good for the band, and finallybecause we never played together anymof h


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for the music.

Do you collect vinyl?Yes, I prefer vinyl of course. I dont like(chuckles). But vinyl - its coming back

better than Chaving somethI always compfood and normprefer the real microwave foo

Your other grhas been perbut its only nmake a recordI like playing worried makinseem artificialtime. Also, the

any records todmissing. If you put all that work into a sell, its not really worth it. Teres more I think.

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