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Drumfest Birmingham 2005
31st July 2005 – Birmingham Conservatoire Brought to the masses by Professional Music Technology (PMT) and Roland electronics, Drumfest is an annual event staged to showcase some of the top drumming talent from around the world. Each performer takes turn to play tracks and solos, answer questions and talk to the audience. This year seven drummers were driven, shipped and flown into the UK to perform for a packed audience at Birmingham’s Conservatoire theatre. This line up had something for everyone, from rock to metal, pop to electronic, country to jazz, as the variety of people in the audience showed. After quite a delay to start the proceedings (sound checking seven drum kits is a big task) the lights went down and, to the beat of heavy rock, onto the stage strutted Paul Stanley, bass player of glam rock band KISS! (This was in fact not THE Paul Stanley, but Ash Brooks, of PMT guitar section!). Then, from a top stage door appeared none other than Ozzy Osborne! Again, the elaborate hoax of Jason Roper, also of PMT, who filled in the role excellently. After a few words from our rock legend hosts we were asked to put our hands together and welcome… |
…local-boy-done-good Andy Edwards. This must have been a daunting position as some of the worlds top drummers were due to follow his set, but Andy is definitely no stranger to performing and speaking to large crowds. As chief UK demo artist for Tama drum clinics, and new member of Prog band IQ, Andy flew straight into the first track with relaxed professionalism. As he sat behind a double bass drum Tama Superstar kit he leapt into a blistering Asian-fusion track of high-speed chops and double pedal leaving audience members gob-smacked. Suddenly the name Andy Edwards seems every bit fitting on a gig list such as this. Andy also spoke to the crowd and answered questions on areas such as his influences and how not to drop sticks. The ‘Ace of Spades’ and superglue were mentioned. He finished by thanking everyone involved and gave his admiration for the performers to follow. |
Next up was Russel Gilbrook. Drummer, clinician, Mapex drums endorsee , Mr. Gilbrook is all entertainment. He is clearly at home on stage, and equally comfortable off it as, for the first 2 minutes of his first track ‘Earth Song’ by Michael Jackson, he sat in the audience waiting for the drum entry. And quite an entry he made. You almost feel sorry for his heads and cymbals as he set to pummelling his kit. His powerful driving style tempered by tasteful and open playing and his obvious love of music and entertainment is a connecting channel with his audience. This guy is a comedian, but he can really play. Sweating hard, he then came to the front of the stage to speak to the audience and share some gems of Russel Gilbrook wisdom: ‘If you play really hard, the bass player will have to follow you, and the guitarist and the singer. Then YOU will be running the band!’ Nobody is safe from his wit as he chats with children in the front row and a gentleman with snare drum tension rod problems; ‘Just do it up REALLY hard, mate!’ Russel Gilbrook brings out the fun and passion in drumming and was a real hit with the audience. Just remember, if you need a drummer and a stand up comedian, then hire Andy Edwards and Billy Connolly! (only joking, Russel!) |
To round off the first session was a man who had been sending a buzz around loads of the younger drummers in the audience. Adrian Erlandsson of Speed-Doom metal band Cradle of Filth sat at his all black Pearl Masterworks double kick kit and played along to tracks from his albums showing off his complex rhythm structures, blast beats and famous double pedal work. He was relaxed and modest as he took questions from the audience. He explained how, at 6’4”, his low seating position is to help him keep a straight back when playing and how he was in awe of the other performers at Drumfest. However, Adrian had heads nodding (head-banging while seated) to his playing and I met several hard-core fans who had come to Drumfest just to see him perform. He certainly did not disappoint, with his pedalling getting wows from all who were present. The half hour interval that followed was a chance for the audience to stretch their legs, absorb some of the things they had seen and heard, try out some of the Roland electronic kits on demo and browse for bargains in the foyer. PMT had set up shop with everything from earplugs (good idea) to limited edition Drumfest Mapex Burl Maple snare drums. There were many happy shoppers wielding new toys as they returned to the auditorium for the next instalment. Enter the mighty Kenny Aronoff. Kenny Aronoff is no less than a session legend, in demand for the last quarter of a century with some of the biggest names in music. Names such as Tony Iomi, John Foggarty (Credence Clearwater Revival), Alice Cooper, John Cougar Mellencamp and Alanis Morissette (although he says he never actually met her!) crop up as he chatted briefly about his work and why he is in demand. |
The Kenny Aronoff ingredients of success are like a ‘creative cake’, he says. You need the right time (tempo), beat and groove to make the musical cake. Also being able to read music is a great help, he says, especially when you are against the clock in the studio. Only when you have the right mix of these can you add the icing of creativity, your own personal stamp on a tune. He proceeded to play along with tracks by Tony Iomi, Alice cooper and Melissa Etheridge, tunes which varied from heavy rock to ballads and progressive styles. His sound and style were massive, his huge backbeats seemingly so simple but perfectly placed. He played a mixture of cross hand and open handed hi hat and (classic Kenny sounding) snare drum. The new Tama Bubinga Omnitune kit sounded immense and Kenny finished up with a very hi speed version of ‘Straight, No Chaser’, the Thelonious Monk tune he played on the Buddy Rich tribute album, ‘Burning for Buddy’. This showed his amazing control and speed and had the audience gripped in awe. A true drumming great, there are few who could top the mighty Kenny Aronoff. |
Except, perhaps, Greg Bissonnette? He has worked as session drummer and live performer for artists such as David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, Toto and Ringo Starr and his outlook and advice were much the same as Kenny’s: Play for the song, read music, be prepared. It is clear that Greg and Kenny are great friends, and deeply respect each other. As Greg sat at his Mapex Saturn Kit (Maple and Walnut) Kenny sat at the side of the stage to watch the show. And Mr. Bissonnette delivered the goods. He played a solo based on the hook of ‘Footprints’ by Wayne Shorter which, played on the toms, he returned to periodically. The solo wound through many musical styles, tempos and time figures showing the wide variety of his expertise and experience. With double pedalling, drum and bass, latin, jazz and independence exercises there seemed nothing this man cannot do. Then, in classic Greg Bissonnette style, he talked about session drumming, Mapex drums, his influences and English accents, all while bursting with enthusiasm, love and respect for his peers and his own position. He rounded off with his tribute to one of the last great influences in drumming, Stuart Copeland. While reading music he had prepared on a long haul flight, he played along with a medley of tracks by The Police, all with the same execution and precision as the originals. As the audience went for another break, they were left in no doubt as to why Greg Bissonnette is the first call drummer for the world’s top musicians. |
After more gear purchasing, leg stretching and general drum banter the stage was set for one of the show favourites, drummer for the Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Chamberlin. The atmosphere was electric, with young and old alike on the edge of their seats as Jimmy Chamberlin took to the stage with his Yamaha Maple Custom Nouveau kit. Firstly he spoke in earnest of Drumfest as he paid humble tribute to all the other performers, modestly dismissing his own abilities. By his own admission he does not really do the drum clinic thing, but as he started to play his first track, ‘Street Crawler’ he appeared relaxed and in control. This is what he does best. His timing and creativity were just right for the song, his years of experience and dedication showing how important it is to work hard to achieve success. Indeed, Jimmy is a busy man, writing, recording and performing with his own band, The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex and to the delight of fans he confirmed that the Smashing Pumpkins will be reforming to release another album. He also spoke of his beginnings as a drummer, playing every gig that came his way and of his enjoyment of the song writing process, an area often missed out on by drummers. He gallantly shortened his set as time was flying by, and finished by reminding all to believe in themselves as musicians. Along with great feel, chops and years of experience Jimmy Chamberlin inspires the masses by the fact he is an honest, hardworking and self-conscious human being. Finally, the headline slot. This is a revered and hallowed position with regards to all the talent gone before. There are few drummers who would have been eligible to take on this task. However, Drumfest had this covered and this day the honour rightly went to Mr. Thomas Lang. Over recent years the name Thomas Lang has used with utmost reverence by those that have witnessed his playing. His credits include Robbie Williams, Bewitched, Ozzy and Sugar babes. |
As he approached his double sized Roland TD-20 electronic kit with SIX (!) bass drum pedals, a mob of world-class drummers (Greg Bissonnette, Kenny Aronoff, Jimmy Chamberlin and Craig Blundell (Mike Rutherford, Mapex clinician)) ran onstage to bestow hero worship at his feet. They then returned to the wings of the stage to watch in awe and disbelief. This is the level of regard at which Thomas Lang is held by his peers. He firstly played a tune by the Sugarbabes, with whom he is touring, laying down hard grooves and fancy fills. He then launched into his now legendary soloing. This was when jaws really hit the floor. I would not be able to fully cover the technical expertise that Mr. Lang employs at the drum set in this article. For those who have not seen him in action I suggest you secure yourselves a copy of his current best selling DVD, ‘Creative Control’. To cut a very long story short he played a myriad of interlacing patterns, his feet each dancing between their three pedals, all made very easy to watch by the layout of the Roland gear (each Sonor pedal was used to trigger the compact Roland KD-7 bass drum trigger). Sometimes using acoustic kit sounds, sometimes with other percussive effects Mr. Lang showed how he can construct an ostinato with each separate limb, often each in different time signatures, to build a wall of blisteringly fast grooves and sounds. His speed and agility are almost certainly unmatched anywhere by anyone. Using two TD-20 sound modules to accommodate the large number of drum, cymbal and kick triggers, he scrolled through differing kit sounds, almost without ceasing his relentless powerhouse soloing. Stunts such as stick twirl and playing double stokes with hands AND feet, and then speeding up one while the other slows in tempo had the crowd roaring in disbelief. After nearly forty minutes of drum acrobatics Thomas Lang ended his solo to a standing ovation. He then answered questions from a shell-shocked audience and showed his ‘simple’ practice routine of playing sets of singles, doubles, triple etc. strokes with each limb. By playing one stroke type with hands and working up through the sets with feet (or vice versa) he explained, he has been able to achieve true limb independence. This is the art of drumming at its peak. However, before finishing with a final track, he was careful to point out that, like all the other Drumfest players, he only gets the work by playing for the song, and that chops and stunts are only for clinics. In all Birmingham Drumfest 2005 was, if a little long, a great success,. There were many happy raffle winners, as some excellent prizes were handed out including heads, sticks, pedals and snare drums. Such a great line up is a rare treat in the UK, and the hard work of Roland and PMT staff was clearly appreciated by all. Long may Drumfest continue. Chris Dennis |
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