Nice...or not so much

I've met tons of pro drummers, and I'd say the vast majority of them are really nice people. A big part of why they hired to do so many gigs/recording is because they are the type of people that other people want to hang around with. Mean people generally don't get very far.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. I won't name names, as Bernard usually doesn't like people talking smack his forum, I'll just say they've been very few and far between.

And occasionally I've caught a person when they were just having a bad day. But ya know, stuff happens.
 
DrumEatDrum;1254902 And occasionally I've caught a person when they were just having a bad day. But ya know said:
I agree with this. I think generally most people (not just professional musicians) are nice. But in the music world there are times when it would be bad to meet others, like before a big show, where the pre-show tension will be high because the artist is getting into the mental zone to perform. So sometimes it's all about when you approach someone too. I've seen fans just be completely oblivious and demanding of their heros at the wrong time and that's a big contribution to how you're received by said hero.
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“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” - Socrates
 
"A witty saying proves nothing." -Voltaire

This has been discussed quite a bit, inevitably someone gets their jimmies rustled but I have to admit that I always enjoy reading these threads.
 
I haven't meet a whole lot of famous people so I really don't know.

Rod Morgenstein seemed like a nice person until I bragged that I would one day be on the cover of Modern Drummer. I jinxed myself as that hasn't happened yet. But he gave me a "yeah, right" look.

That was 20 some odd years ago so I can't hold that against him.

Johnny Kelly was a decent fellow.

Sean Kinney seemed like a nice bloke.

Charlie Benante was rad.

It was a pleasure meeting the acquaintance of Frankie Banali

Liberty DeVitto seemed ok.
 
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Greg Bissonette, Hal Blaine, and Bun E. Carlos are great guys! In fact, most high-profile drummers I know (or have met) are nice guys and gals. Only a few have been unfriendly or otherwise full of themselves, maybe a half-dozen or so. I've also met plenty of drummers who haven't earned their stripes, yet have offensive rock star attitudes.

Bermuda
 
I have gotten to play with and meet lots of extreme/death metal acts. Every drummer that I had the pleasure to talk to was just that, a pleasure. John Longstreth, Paul Mazurkiewicz, and Greg Gall, to name a few, were really down to earth guys that seemed more than happy to spend their time hanging out.

On the flip side, there is a certain guitar player in a very well known metal band that was a complete self absorbed douche ass. Not only did he blow us off when we tried to talk with him, he also blew off my band as worthless before we even got to play our set. After the set, the guitarist in another well known band came up to us, gave us much praise, and even suggested that we should speak with his label.
 
Red Menace said:
"A witty saying proves nothing." -Voltaire
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Oh that was a good laugh, loving the irony. :D

I have a suggestion, how about sharing the story or event that made you form your affection for that perosn? Instead of just listing names! I'd love to read that. :)
 
I have met good people and not so good people in all walks of life in my near 66 years on this planet, and to name names just might make one of them think I'm a bad person, and we all no that's just not so.
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
I'm a complete dick, so I'm out.
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You must have a heck of a time buying clothes then.

I imagine turtlenecks might suit you.




Oh, and I've never met a famous drummer so I have nothing to add. I talked with Neil Degrasse Tyson once and he seemed pretty cool. Non musician, though.
 
Sjogras said:
Oh that was a good laugh, loving the irony. :D

I have a suggestion, how about sharing the story or event that made you form your affection for that person? Instead of just listing names! I'd love to read that. :)
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I've got a nice one...

Mid 90s, I was 23 or so. A buddy and I went to see a Dave Weckl clinic with a concert afterward at a local bar. We had both been worshiping his playing for several years. After the concert, we got at the end of the autograph line. 20 minutes later, we were up. My friend asked him a question that got a couple minute answer. I followed with another, and we talked for 10 minutes. His crew was tearing down and he looked around at the empty bar and said "you guys want a beer?" <Hell yes!> He sat there and chatted with us for the rest of the hour about whatever we wanted to know. It was incredibly cool.

Last year I went alone to see him on the Yamaha 30 year clinic tour on my birthday. Again I got at the very end of the line. I brought my Weckl signature snare that I bought with paper route money when I was 15 and had him sign the inside of the shell. I told him the bar story and how much it meant to me and he was all smiles. Even though he played for a couple of hours, fielded a few good, but mostly moronic audience questions for a while, signed posters for 45 minutes, and had to get up for a mass class the next morning at 8:00 am, he sat there and greeted a couple hundred people with genuine enthusiasm.

Pure class guy all the way.

He also loved the drum. It was one of the first batch and apparently he doesn't run into them that often anymore.
 
There was a somewhat well-known female drummer in the 1990's that was playing with fusion bands...she was an inspiration to me as well as to the several female drum students I had back then.

Fast-forward to about 2010, I encountered her on a thread unrelated to drumming. She called me a bunch of choice names and pretty much attacked me outright, just some nasty stuff. Totally uncalled for!

I sent her a note about how disappointing it was to have had that encounter with her and that I felt slighted in having played her up to so many impressionable young drummers for so long...thinking that somehow she had a sense of regret over the exchange... she came back with some "You idiot liberal, go die on the freeway" or something to that effect.

Every "Idol" I ever met was completely not like I expected them to be. Most of them were total dicks to me.

So I stopped with the whole idolization thing. I don't even like to ask for pictures unless it's Allan Holdsworth or Paul McCartney.

So there's that.... :D
 
I met Hilary not long ago, she seemed nice!

Bermuda
 
BillRayDrums said:
I sent her a note about how disappointing it was to have had that encounter with her and that I felt slighted in having played her up to so many impressionable young drummers for so long...thinking that somehow she had a sense of regret over the exchange... she came back with some "You idiot liberal, go die on the freeway" or something to that effect.
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Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess who that is. haha
Probably why she doesn't gig to much anymore.

I kinda, sorta knew her before she was anyone or had any god gigs. I saw her at this past NAMM, and I said hi, and "I remember you from when you used to hang out and such and such, I was the kid who..." Yeah, she seemed completely disinterested in the conversation. Whatever!

I do have to agree with Bermuda, Greg Bissontte is one of the nicest people on the planet.
And Bermuda himself, of course, is wonderful in person too!
 
I've only ever met Bermuda, chatting pleasantly over Indian food just before he was due on stage. Mental preparation? He finished up the meal in a leisurely way, got himself organised backstage briefly and the band was on. I thought it was a pain-free way of going about things - no stressing or irritation, just playing when it was time to play.

I've also met a bunch of people from the forum (not sure if that counts) and every one was even nicer in person than online. We're all such niiiiiice people awwwwwww *group hug*. That includes you, Duncan, despite your affectations of nastiness ;) I like Jim's turtleneck suggestion!
 
Saw Steve Gadd at a Zildjian clinic almost a decade ago and he was really nice, in fact I learned Heel-Toe from him that night and later on developed it!

I took lessons from Dan Tomlinson years ago for a short time and he was a great guy! Wish I could go back and take the lessons now when I'm much more interested!

Bumped into Dom Moio in a local music store and he was a nice guy but a little busy so I didn't get talk to him really, only for a couple minutes.

It does seem that drummers tend to be generally nicer and somewhat down to earth people.
 
I was fortunate to attend the NAMM show in January 2013. the first and probably last time I'll ever get the opportunity. I saw a few famous drummers but only got up close to a couple. I got my picture with Alan White at the ludwig booth. We didn't talk much as there were quite a few others who santed their picture with him. He came across as humble and down-to-earth. smiling, shaking hands, small talk and stuff.

Also at the Ludwig booth I met Bermuda for a Drummer World meet-up. We spent about 20 minutes discussing the new hardware, new finishes, the gigantic drum set, (I was able to get a picture of myself sitting behind the kit.) Ludwig snare drums, and whatever popped into our heads. We seemed to get on like we were old friends. (In fact, we're close to the same age. I'm about six months older.) I had a great time and it was the highlight of a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I agree with Bo in that most of the not-so-nice musicians (especially drummers) get weeded out at an early stage. It's difficult to get work when you're difficult to work with.
 
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