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Reviewed by: Dawn Rose
Rhythm Magazine
A little later in the year than usual, the annual Drumfest made a welcome return to Birmingham Conservatoire School of Music. And Rhythm reporter Dawn Rose was there with her trusty notebook.
Nicko McBrain gambols onto the stage, dressed to pull, and charms us all with his affable confidence and good-humoured jokes. He introduces Jason Bowld from Pitchshifter, who explodes into a song he later tells us is partly his own composition. After this stonking introduction to his playing, he grins like a teenager with a new skateboard and says, ‘Its ace to be here’. He explains that he is using a lot of sub-bass and hi-end loops to play along with, and he drops in and out of some loops to illustrate this. In the band’s live shows, the acoustic kit gives immediacy and attack, and the loops enhance the ambience. Jason discusses his equipment and the differences he needs for live and studio work. His other tips include really breaking the heads in and using lug locks on the snare to stop the loosening that occurs with rimshots. He also gives us some ideas for practice which he illustrates by sounding like a jet engine revving up. Jason finishes his opening slot by telling us that all the rules are there to be broken, and humbly thanks everyone for watching him. Jason’s natural and direct approach – informed but not anal – is a real hit.
The birdman cometh Russ Miller, currently playing with Mick Jagger, cruises in with a swaggering musical solo, utilising lots of different sounds and techniques. I am amazed this is his first clinic in England. He explains that he now focuses on recording, but has been on the road with Gloria Estefan and Slash. He points out that there is a big difference between being a great drummer and great musician who plays drums. Drawing on his varied career, he tells us that three things have had a major effect on his ability to work. Firstly, feel and emotion – basically, your identity as a player. Secondly, time. Russ makes an interesting point that playing just the 1/8th notes leaves too much room for mistakes. If you think in terms of subdivisions, ie 1/16ths, you will get a much better feel, even on a simple groove. Gadd told him he would never ‘play the drums good’ until he could really play the space. He illustrates his approach to time by playing Nelly Furtado’s hit single, ‘I’m Like A Bird’, during which he doesn’t play in the centre of the groove at all. The verse is on top of the beat and the chorus behind, and this is how he gives the song so much movement. Thirdly, the dynamics of your playing. He suggests using the contrasts between being eight or 12 inches away from the drum. These three aspects give you communication, which is essential for finding your own voice in music.
It’s Nicko time!
A short break, “for the boys and girls”, as Nicko puts it, and then we are treated to some of his own ideas. He is playing on a tiny kit compared to his normal rig, but he still sounds like Nicko McBrain. His excuse for his usual kit size is that the more drums there are, the more likely he is to actually hit something, but he doesn’t fool anyone with his self-effacement. He just impresses us even more. His love affair with Paiste is evident and he plays his cymbals with surprising grace whilst he thumps and grinds along to songs written by Phil Hilborne. Nicko manages to balance fun, advice and a bit of showing off with the ease of the unintimidated. He would never apologise for having a good time. His advice is to stay positive and remember that it’s learning from the mistakes that’s really important. He then draws the raffle, with prizes provided by The Drum Company and himself, and even manages to make the process of losing more enjoyable than usual.
Bible of the beats
How often does a drum clinic make you want to get up and dance? Jojo Mayer’s grooves are hot, but even with all this energy, he has the patience and wisdom to explain his concept of reverse engineering in clear detail. This involves listening to loops, his example being the famous James Brown ‘Funky Drummer’ loop, and working it out. When trying to recreate this beat, it doesn’t sound authentic until you start manipulating the sounds you are using, and so you have to readjust your touch. However, he counsels that it is very important to relax when trying to speed up break-beats to get the correct sonic textures, or else you just end up ‘sounding like a mechanical monkey’! Jojo explains how DJ culture has had a massive effect on his approach to drumming, and when I look around I see plenty of wide eyes and open mouths for this genuinely inspirational player.
Jazz it up
Top of the bill today is Steve Smith of Journey and Vital Information fame. He starts playing a sexy little brush solo which grows as he swaps to sticks and back again. As he explains how he establishes a pulse, he gets us all clapping to try to keep the beat, although it is impossible to concentrate while watching his amazing and delicate footwork. He reinforces the theme of manipulating the sounds through touch by playing a wonderful version of ‘The Drum Also Waltzes’. Steve then gives us a fantastic history of drumming and how African rhythms came to America via the slave trade and amalgamated and evolved into swing. He leads us through the stages by playing whilst he talks, as if it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. Then, whilst still playing it, he takes the hi-hat to the front of the stage and produces an outstanding solo incorporating technical brilliance, exquisite feel and an armful of flashy stick tricks.
Today, I was surprised to see how drumming has developed even in one year. Each drummer really concentrated on letting their personality shine through, and it was interesting that this was all on smaller kits. The sound was excellent, and Nicko did a brilliant job as the compare, making everyone feel relaxed enough to help this development of ideas sink in.
Roll on next year.
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