Drummers on Drumming

This week’s guest is Connor Denis…drummer for the rock band Beartooth. Connor has been touring since he was 15…making sure that live rock n roll music still rocks. Seriously, he’s a basher, but has all the technical prowess in the world to back it up. He’s got an insanely long career ahead of him and has already accomplished so much at such a relatively young age. I rarely get young, hard hitting rock n rollers on this show, so this was a fun one. Please enjoy the top 5 records (in order) that shaped Connor’s playing.---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Dave Elitch and this chat is long overdue because he’s one of the most-mentioned drummers on this podcast…behind Levon Helm, of course. Dave has played with The Mars Volta, The 1975, Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake…and countless others, but a lot of drummers know him as a “teacher’s teacher”. He’s helped many of the best drummers (and instructors) fine tune their own playing such as Jason McGerr, Benny Greb, Tomas Haake, Chris McHugh and even Bill Burr...who I would love to get on this podcast. His zen-like approach to viewing drummers as athletes and listening to the body and how it relates to one’s goals makes him one of the most sough-after teachers today. His online instructional course, aptly named “Getting Out Of Your Own Way” was just updated (and we do talk about all of that in this episode), but I wanted to get to know the drummer behind the instructor. I hope you enjoy my chat with Dave about the 5 records that helped shaped the way he approaches the instrument. Cheers!As promised: https://drinklmnt.com🤘🏻🥁🔥---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Matt Johnson...one of the most-respected drummers to a handful of the guests I’ve had on this podcast. He is probably most-known in the drumming community for playing on ‘Grace’ by Jeff Buckley. He was also the touring drummer with St. Vincent for a handful of years and played with many, many other artists (you can look them all up), but the two I just mentioned are enough to make him a legend. He’s an incredible teacher and a very philosophical thinker. This episode is chalk full of fun tangents that showcase his deep thinking and very passionate approach to music. We actually recorded this episode earlier in 2021, so I apologize for the wait, but it’s finally here!So…the audio isn’t the best in this one, which is partly why I hadn’t released it, but I think the content is all worth it. The first words you’ll hear from Matt is him responding to a story that I’ve told a few times on this podcast about when we shared practice spaces across the hall from each other at a facility in Los Angeles. I took a lesson with him (it was obviously great) and at the end he wanted to see what kit I was working with him my room. At the time, it was a shared kit; it wasn’t even mine. I wanna say it was an old beat up Ludwig standard? with pitted heads and it was just falling apart. It did not sound good when I played it at all. But when he sat behind the kit, it transformed into the most vibey, musical kit I’d heard in-person in a long time. He proved it really is all in the hands and mind of the player. I think about that moment all time…anyways…enjoy my lighthearted, but simulatanously heavy conversation with one of my favorite drummers matt Johnson.---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**GET YOUR NOTEPAD OUT FOR THIS ONE!**This week’s guest is Terry Keating of the Bonzoleum YouTube Page. Soooo when I first started this podcast, I had no idea what I was doing (and sometimes I feel like I still don’t) so it was just called ‘The Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast’. There wasn’t really any sort of format besides it somehow focusing on drums. In the summer of 2020, however, I started to hone in on a format that excited me, which is what you’re used to now, but I wanted to separate the original episodes from the current state of the show to avoid confusion. The good news is you can still hear all of the conversations at bigfatsnaredrum.com under the Archived Episodes tab, but they no longer exist on this feed. That being said, one of my favorite episodes EVER features Terry Keating, a massive John Bonham historian and enthusiast. While it was one of the most-listened-to episodes, it was released under the ‘Big Fat Snare Drum Podcast’ era so TO THE ARCHIVE IT WENT! For many reasons, I wanted to bring this episode back to life, therefore, I am re-airing it so people can enjoy the energy that is Terry Keating. I initially wanted to get him on the show to discuss 5 hidden gems in John Bonham's catalogue that drummers might not necessarily know unless he or she is a huge Led Zeppelin fan. I’m not NOT a fan, but I’d fall in the category that a lot of my peers fall into of, “yeah, I know Fool in the Rain, Good Times Bad Times, Rock 'n Roll and When the Levee Breaks, but I know I SHOULD know more.” I don’t think we’re a small group, so that's why I wanted to have Terry on. Anyways, we immediately started talking like old friends so I put all my notes away and just pushed record. It ended being an almost-2 hr conversation about what makes Bonzo Bonzo, why people are obsessed with his gear as much as his playing (sometimes more), and just tons of anecdotes/fun pieces of trivia that only a Bonzo aficionado would know. I was gonna try to edit it down, but Terry is super fun to listen to so I basically kept the whole thing running. This might take a few listens, but this ended up being one of my favorite drumming conversations in the past few years. Thank you Terry for being so generous with your time and enthusiasm for all that is Bonzo. Alright, shutting up….cheers! ---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Mr. Joe Plummer. Joe has played drums for Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids, The Shins, The Black Heart Procession and so many more in addition to releasing his own album, Hew Time, with Dale Crover and Coady Willis. Basically, he’s a really cool dude. He’s the epitome of a working drummer and I love the personality he brings to any band he signs on with. He’s also the host of his own podcast called Tour Stories, which we discuss towards the end of the episode. Please enjoy my conversation with Joe about the main influences that shaped him into the very-sought-after drummer he is today. Cheers! And Happy Holidays! Relax for a damn second.---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is part 2 of my conversation with Guy Licata. While we kept to the traditional format in the first half of our chat, I think the topic of today’s episode deserved its own place in the sun. Guy prepared Emmy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed for his role as a drummer in Amazon Studios’ film ‘Sound of Metal’. He was tasked with all aspects of the drum set instruction and preparation for the role over a seven-month period. To crudely sum it up, the movie tells the story of Reuben, a touring metal drummer who experiences sudden and permanent hearing loss and how he has to deal with the life-altering consequences that diagnosis entails. I wanted to hear all about that process and how it most-certainly differs from normal instruction.---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Guy Licata. Guy is most recently known as the founder of Reflexx Practice Pads (now the Zildjian Reflexx Conditioning Pad), but Guy is more than just a business owner; he’s a master player himself. While he’s a very-sought after teacher himself, Guy has studied with the greats including Jim Chapin and Jojo Mayer, which we get into during the episode. He’s played with countless artists over the years including Museum of Love (fronted by LCD Soundsystem’s Pat Mahoney), Santigold, Head Automatica, Shakira, RAC, Fischerspooner and many, many more. He’s a fountain of energy with a passion for talking drums that makes my job as a host very easy. He also prepared Emmy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed for his role as a drummer in Amazon Studios film ‘Sound of Metal’ where he was tasked with all aspects of the drum set instruction and preparation for the role over an intensive seven-month period, with Riz having no formal experience as a drummer. We discussed that experience for a ‘Part 2’ of our conversation coming out at a later date, but for the time being, please enjoy my conversation with Guy Licata as he dissects the top 5 influences that shaped the way he approaches the instrument. We talked for a while prior to pushing record, so you’re jumping into a moving train right off the bat. Cheers! ---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This weeks guest is Mr. Jason McGerr. What can you say about Jason?...wellllllll, he’s the drummer for Death Cab For Cutie and one hell of a drum educator. It seems like everything he says is carefully thought out and this conversation is no exception. Yes, we get into the top 5 influences that shaped the player he is today, but it’s the little pockets of wisdom throughout that made this one of the most fruitful conversations we’ve had on this podcast. I look up to Jason a whole hell of a lot and his perspectives on technique, finding your own voice and ultimately protecting that voice with a vengeance are something we should all subscribe to. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did, and if you haven’t already, please rate and review. Unless you hate it…just have a great day! Cheers. ---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Darshan Doshi. Darshan is a prolific Indian drummer and composer based in Mumbai. He’s recorded a million Bollywood movie soundtracks and is one of the busiest drummers in India for the studio / tv / live stage...basically anywhere you’d need a drummer, Darshan is your guy. I’ve known him for a few years now and his passion for both bringing Indian rhythms to the international stage AND bringing more Western style drumming / drummers to India is very inspiring to say the least. He’s the epitome of a drumming ambassador and I had a blast learning about the influences that made Darshan Darshan. Cheers! ---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s guest is Jonny Scott. Jonny is a badass session drummer for both the studio and stage who’s played with two of my favorite artists The Kills and CHVRCHES (among many others). He’s one of the go-to drummers when a band is looking to start adding the live drummer element after years without. You can trust him to do the job and bring the song to life in the most musical way. I look up to him in a lot of ways and it was an honor to chat with him. Please enjoy learning about what made Jonny Jonny. Cheers! ---Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!🎯 Click here to order now!Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out www.bigfatsnaredrum.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices