Matt Abts

ECVail

Senior Member
I saw Matt recently in Las Vegas with Gov't Mule at The Joint in the Hard Rock hotel. I've been a big Warren Haynes fan for a long time and hooked on Gov't Mule as soon as I heard he and Abts together. I know he's no Portnoy/Gadd/Peart, but his sense of time and "pocket" is uncanny. He's proof, to me, that carrying the groove is the most important aspect in rock drumming. And have you ever seen him play? Cool as a cucumber - seems to lock into the beat effortlessly.

For a real treat, check out the Deep End (vol 1 and 2) - Matt and Warren team up with some of the best bass players music has seen, from all styles and genres after the untimely death of bass player Allen Woody. A personal favorite is the track "Sco-Mule" which includes Matt, Warren, John Scofield, Chris Wood and Bernie Worrell.

You've also got to love the Slingerland kit with the woofer. Talk about a cannon, at the Hard Rock you could feel the bass in your gut.

abts.jpg
 
First off, Gov't Mule is one of the most IMPORTANT, yet underrated bands working today. They are stellar performers and Warren is an incredible songwriter. I've had the pleasure to spend time with Matt, Warren & Woody in the late 90's on a couple of occasions. All down to earth, all very sincere people. Matt is extremely musical and his ability to push and pull time is uncanny. Great stuff.

TOMANO
 
Abst is the reason I bought my HHXplosion crash...his sound amazing!

His bass drum is cool too, in that he has two 14" deep ones front to back!

Gov't Mule refuses to sell out and dress all cool and all that image BS, because they make enough money doing what they love, and they don't care about selling out to make even MORE money. That man completely shreds on a guitar.
 
Yes! I am so glad we finally have a Matt Abts thread! I have seen Gov't Mule twice and each time I find my self watching Abts for about the whole show, once from the front row too! Matt Abts I would have to say is my personal favorite drummer. He really give the Mule such a unbeleivable groove, and he always plays for the song, not himself, which I find super cool. He does the neatest fills too, his work on "Sco-Mule" is definatly one of my favorites too. Other good ones are "Sin's A Good Mans Brother", "Thorazine Shuffle", "Game Face", "No Need To Suffer", just about every Mule song is great in my opinion! I really like how well he plays off of other musicians too, if Warren or Andy (bass player) play something that catches his attention he always answers back and they build off of it. He's just too good!

EDIT

I Can't belive I forgot to mention that at my first Mule show I got a drum head afterwards. It is one of my most prized possessions. The second time I saw them one of his drum sticks bounced out of my hand when they threw it into the crowed, it landed on the otherside of a fence and the jerk bouncer through it back towards the stage...so close!
 
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Bummer on the stick - but I'd have that head framed and mounted in a place of prominence!

Watching Matt play really gives me something to strive for. I say that because, IMHO, it's the music as a whole that matters most. Peart exemplifies this theory to me, as does Abts. The parts they play from grooves to fills to solos contribute in a vital way to the uniqueness of the performance. Drummers like Bozio and Donati are great, truly amazing craftsmen - but I think something's lost when the focal point of any group is one specialist. Also, the guy looks completely unaffected while playing. It's utterly effortless for him and I wish the same was true for me.

Rippin' sticks and cracking heads......EC in Vail
 
I found this interesting, and hopefully you will too! At the mules site they added a "in the studio section" here's the link. They have some pictures of Matt's set, and he has added something alittle weird.

011906_03.jpg


It looks like he set up a bass drum to use as tom! I've seen drummer do similar stuff before, I just find it very strange! They have a few other pictures of it, this one shows it the best though. It also looks like he is using a few cymbal sizzlers on a couple of his cymbals. He seems like the kind of drummer who likes to try new weird things, I just hope it sounds as cool as it looks!
 
My buddy turned me on to Gov't Mule and I have Deep End I & II, and I agree, they are some great player. Matt Abts plays some great grooves and fills. Whether the songs blues or funky he's right there on the money.
 
ive just recently gotten into Gov't Mule because he played with the allman brothers band at the concert i went to, hes a phenomenal guitarists, but i havent really listened to to Abts, but from what ive heard a good solid blues and rock player.
 
Seems Matt now plays Pearl. Check his site for the specs. Amazing looking kit. Gotta love the 14 x 11 ride tom.
 
baldmann said:
Seems Matt now plays Pearl. Check his site for the specs. Amazing looking kit. Gotta love the 14 x 11 ride tom.

Ok, I take my comment back that they refuse to sell out ;-)
 
awsome versitile drummer. i bought the deepest end dvd and cd set last year. i think the lazer is about to cut them in half ive watched it so many times, fantastic performance. i was wondering if all 36 songs were done on the first take?
 
Dannar said:
I found this interesting, and hopefully you will too! At the mules site they added a "in the studio section" here's the link. They have some pictures of Matt's set, and he has added something alittle weird.

011906_03.jpg


It looks like he set up a bass drum to use as tom! I've seen drummer do similar stuff before, I just find it very strange! They have a few other pictures of it, this one shows it the best though. It also looks like he is using a few cymbal sizzlers on a couple of his cymbals. He seems like the kind of drummer who likes to try new weird things, I just hope it sounds as cool as it looks!
they used to call it a "gong bass drum" I refer you to early day's of rush, for more pics look through old modern drummer mag's
 
TOMANO said:
First off, Gov't Mule is one of the most IMPORTANT, yet underrated bands working today. They are stellar performers and Warren is an incredible songwriter. I've had the pleasure to spend time with Matt, Warren & Woody in the late 90's on a couple of occasions. All down to earth, all very sincere people. Matt is extremely musical and his ability to push and pull time is uncanny. Great stuff.

TOMANO
you that's true i was playing a jazz gig at a high profile blues bar about five minuts walk from where gov't was to perform that evening and first the sound/ lighting crew cam in for a few pops and then I saw matt and few of the guys from the crew come in and matt was as cool a guy as any to talk with [I of course dig his slingerland kit over the pearl but hey]a memorable night for me in any event! cool dude!
 
Maybe this a little bit off topic, but does any of you guys knows anuthing about the music played on Matt's website.
I have tried to mail him a couple of time, but with no luck.
http://www.mattabts.com/index.shtml
 
Saw Gov't Mule at the Fillmore in Denver this past Friday night and WOW.

Now that Andy and Danny have had quite a bit of time to get into the groove - these guys are slaying it. The show was amazing,

Matt's new Pearl Reference kit sounded great (of course that's just a matter of having a good sound guy to tweak your mic EQs and such). It's fun to watch Matt play - he just seems so perfectly relaxed that it lulls you a little and then BOOM - wicked (but tasteful) double-bass fills.

This is the first time I had heard the band cover Zep's No Quarter. Usually, I don't like Zep covers, but this was impressive.

I'll be downloading the 4/27/2007 SBD show from muletracks.com for sure.
 
I just saw GM last Sunday finally after missing them for the last 3 times they've been through the Detroit/Michigan area. I was not dissapointed!

I was able to be front row, and I watched matt pretty much the whole time.
He's been a fave for a while. I love his feel, groove, sound and what he plays.
I was supprised at how light his touch is compared to how it sounds.
He was toatally relaxed the whole time playing, his solo was cool as hell, and he was fun to watch.

He was avery cool guy when I was able to chat with him after the show too. talking drums with him a little was pretty cool.
I didn't need anything signed, because my friend got the whole band to sign a drumhead for me last year, but he was cool to everyone that asked for a pic, or autograph.
Total class act.

That pic of the Slingerland kit with the 2 kicks back to back is cool too.
 
The true monster back beat, laying the bottom, tastiest most appropriate playing, seasoned by years of being on the road creds belong to this guy.
 
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