Let me tell you my story about Marco Minnemann. I am 45 years old, and have been a drum enthusiast since I was 14. After several years of hiatus, I decided to start again, so I began a serious rudiments routine, etc. While looking for new equipment in my country (Mexico), I learned that DW was going to do the Latin American Tour, with Chester Thompson, Marco Minnemann and Álvaro López... and the tour was going to begin in Mexico! I felt very happy and fortunate because I was going to see one of my idols: Chester Thompson. Wow. I was already familiar with the great playing by Álvaro López (go watch him play someday; you won't regret it) and, well, "that Minnemann guy must be very good if he is going to play side by side with those monters", I thought. What an understatement, I know, but then I had no idea about who was Marco Minnemann.
And so the great day arrived. It was one o'clock in the afternoon with a scorching sun when I arrived at the place to meet some other 3000 guys, many of whom were wearing Minnemann's t-shirts and the like. Ninety per cent of them were between 15 and 20 years old, so I felt really out of place. While I was waiting in line, I heard several fragments of conversations and nobody even knew who Chester Thomson was. They were there to watch and hear Minnemann. "As soon as Chester starts playing, they will see", I thought.
And then, the event: Álvaro López did a great job. No doubt about it. Then came Chester. Oh my God: I had never seen anything like it live. His forty minutes solo left the audience ecstatic. And then Marco took the stage, said: "Hola cabrones!" and started an impossible solo, an incredible solo, a happy solo, a playful, serious and eye opening solo. I suddenly realized how old I was, how thorougly obsessed I had been with the classics, how blind a drum enthusiast I was. Please believe me when I say I am no idiot. I am a well read guy who loves music and who trully loves drumming. Before that day, I thought I knew what drumming was about. When Marco Minnemann, Mr Marco Minnemann, left the stage, I was sure that life had given me a lesson I was not going to forget soon. My whole concept of drums and drumming had changed forever.
For those of you who happen to have the chance to see Marco live, please do yourself and your beloved ones a favor, and show them what the new drumming is all about.
I just hope that someday DW decides to publish the video of that first day of the Latin American Tour. If they do, you will soon understand what I am talking about
Thank you very much, mister Minnemann, if you happen to read these lines.
Actualization: the Brazilian people posted the entire solo Marco Minnemann did on Sao Paolo, on the DW 40th Anniversary Latin American Tour. We are lucky they did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxhiX13b_Ik
And so the great day arrived. It was one o'clock in the afternoon with a scorching sun when I arrived at the place to meet some other 3000 guys, many of whom were wearing Minnemann's t-shirts and the like. Ninety per cent of them were between 15 and 20 years old, so I felt really out of place. While I was waiting in line, I heard several fragments of conversations and nobody even knew who Chester Thomson was. They were there to watch and hear Minnemann. "As soon as Chester starts playing, they will see", I thought.
And then, the event: Álvaro López did a great job. No doubt about it. Then came Chester. Oh my God: I had never seen anything like it live. His forty minutes solo left the audience ecstatic. And then Marco took the stage, said: "Hola cabrones!" and started an impossible solo, an incredible solo, a happy solo, a playful, serious and eye opening solo. I suddenly realized how old I was, how thorougly obsessed I had been with the classics, how blind a drum enthusiast I was. Please believe me when I say I am no idiot. I am a well read guy who loves music and who trully loves drumming. Before that day, I thought I knew what drumming was about. When Marco Minnemann, Mr Marco Minnemann, left the stage, I was sure that life had given me a lesson I was not going to forget soon. My whole concept of drums and drumming had changed forever.
For those of you who happen to have the chance to see Marco live, please do yourself and your beloved ones a favor, and show them what the new drumming is all about.
I just hope that someday DW decides to publish the video of that first day of the Latin American Tour. If they do, you will soon understand what I am talking about
Thank you very much, mister Minnemann, if you happen to read these lines.
Actualization: the Brazilian people posted the entire solo Marco Minnemann did on Sao Paolo, on the DW 40th Anniversary Latin American Tour. We are lucky they did:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxhiX13b_Ik
Last edited: