Top 10 drummers you've seen in the flesh?

supermac

Senior Member
I was thinking of some of the great players I'd seen live (and one or two I'd wish I'd seen)

In no particular order:

Neil Peart
Dennis Chambers
Billy Cobham
Jojo Mayer
Aaron Spears
Vinnie Colaiuta
Todd Suchermann
Gavin Harrison
Virgil Donati
Keith Carlock

Wish I'd seen Bonham and Buddy...
 
At 15 YO, at my first concert, there was some crazy looking skinny guy named Ginger Baker.

In the next few years, the stand out drummers I saw were John Bonham, Clive Bunker, Ian Paice, Billy Cobham, Carmine Appice, Cozy Powell, Stewart Copeland.

I got burned out with music for a long time and have not seen any of the current legends.
 
I can't think of anyone of note except Ron Thaler. Did a sweet clinic, then said hey come for signing after... And seriously like 50 people crowded his kit and three of us actually went to talk to him. Seriously, what are you going to learn from a kit? How to be shiney?

Oh I lie. Jordan Mancino. I saw him from the circle pit :D

There's a guy here probably no one knows, my old drum tutor Paul Russell, most in the pocket dude I ever knew.

But generally here in NZ no one ever comes, I think most people missed the memo that we have both electricity AND running water, and that we can in fact speak full sentences without grunting.
 
10 is too few to list the people who have completely blown me away but off the cuff I'll list these. In no particular order.........

Steve Gadd (countless times)
Buddy Rich (5 times)
Louie Bellison (3 times)
Art Blakey (twice)
Roy Haynes (twice)
Vinnie Colauita (few times)
Dave Weckl (several)
Steve Smith (countless times)
Jeff Tain Watts (several)
Jack DeJohnette (several)

Because I can't single these people out, I'm listing them since they also had a big impact on me after I saw them.... Joe LaBarbera, Herlin Riley, Bill Stewart, Brian Blade, Antonio Sanchez, Jeff Hamilton, Stanton Moore.

Never got to see these before they passed: Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones, Joe Morello, Max Roach

I've seen many others though.
 
In order of my preference, based on the performance/performances I have seen live.

Stewart Copeland.
Bill Brufford.
Ian Paice.
Alan White.
Barrimore Barlow.
Simon Kirk.
Bob Henrit.
Pick Withers.
Clive Bunker.
Cozy Powell.
 
These are no particular order.

Neil Peart
Jack DeJohnette
Phil Ehart (Kansas)
Gregg Bissonette
Vinnie Colaiuta
Billy Cobham
Johnny Vidacovich
Stewart Copeland
Barrimore Barlow (Jethro Tull)
Dave Weckl


Peace and goodwill
 
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dave weckl was really good. buddy was freaky. i sat about ten feet away from him. i will never see anything like that again. louie bellson was good.
 
Just 10? Hard to narrow it down....

Terry Bozzio
Simon Phillips
Vinnie Colaiuta
Steve Smith
Neil Peart
Dennis Chambers
Billy Cobham
Mike Mangini
Jojo Mayer
Louie Bellson
Elvin Jones
Rod Morgenstien
Mark Zonder
Dave Weckl
And the list goes on........
 
name them I've probably seen them

unless they were dead before 1980 or so

up until about 2 years ago I was all but obsessed with checking out every drummer I could seek out known and unknown
 
Amazed at the players you northern hemisphere-ites get to see!

I've seen Keith Carlock but I didn't care for Steely Dan's sound in the awful acoustics of the Entertainment Centre, ditto Barrimore with Tull. They'd be amongst the best drummers I've seen but their performance gave me less pleasure than many lesser players.

Anyway, in no order ...

Terry Bozzio
Cozy Powell
Roger Taylor
Tony Smith
Colin Walcott
Don Moye
Soko Richardson
Warren Daly (local)
Bermuda

Locally:

Rob Hirst
Mark Kennedy
John Annas
Steve Hopes
Paul Hester
Various no name jazz and fusion drummers who were far better than their status

I've seen Phil Rudd and always been bemused by the admiration he gets - in the early days their yahooing and Angus Young's brilliance was what set them apart.

Phil was always rock solid with a good groove - and in that he was unexceptional amongst Sydney pub rock drummers ... Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil, Gary Young from Jo Jo Zep, Kerry Jacobson of Dragon, Johnny Dick from The Aztecs, Steve Prestwich from Cold Chisel, and Doug Falconer from Hunters & Collectors etc etc.
 
With venues like Yoshis and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in the neighborhood I've been fortunate to hear and see some favorite folks closer up and without having to listen to a big PA in a hockey rink. Vinnie, Dennis, Weckl, Virgil Donati, Toss Panos, Adam Dietch, Bill Stewart, Thomas Pridgen, Jeff Hamilton, Gene Washington, oh. Have to stop at ten.
 
I haven't seen a bunch, but I have seen

Brian Blade (with Chick Corea's Five Peace Band)
Jeff Queen (@ PASIC)
Vic Firth (@ PASIC)
Steve Gadd (ran into him in Hawaii)
Chris Layton (highschool friends of my father-in-law; came to my wedding!)
 
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Neil Peart

Alex Van Halen

Kenny Aronoff

Vinny Appice

Bill Bruford

Tommy Lee

Gil Moore

Tommy Aldridge

Carmine Appice

Paul Bonney (Aussie Pink Floyd)
 
Ian Paice
John Bonham
Bill Ward
Vinnie Appice

(down under we don't have as much exposure!)
 
In no particular order :

Mike Portnoy
John Bonham
Buddy Rich
Tommy Aldridge
Ian Paice
Neil Peart
Dave Weckl
Sheila E
Lenny White
Ginger Baker

And I still want to see.............Simon Phillips & Mike Mangini.
 
In no particular order :

Mike Portnoy
John Bonham
Buddy Rich
Tommy Aldridge
Ian Paice
Neil Peart
Dave Weckl
Sheila E
Lenny White
Ginger Baker

And I still want to see.............Simon Phillips & Mike Mangini.

WOW thats an impressive list.. I am envious.
 
Neil Peart
Bill Bruford
Alan White
Gavin Harrison
Billy Cobham
Mike Bordin

Those are the ones I can think of off the top...
 
Once I got going, I found it hard to limit myself to just 10, but here's a reasonably fair list of favourites I've gotten to see in the flesh:

- Taylor Hawkins (with Foo Fighters)
- Max Weinberg (with Bruce Springsteen)
- Gavin Harrison (with Porcupine Tree)
- Dominic Howard (with Muse)
- Nicko McBrain (with Iron Maiden)
- Mario Duplantier (with Gojira)
- Simon Phillips (with Toto)
- Mike Mangini (with Dream Theater and in clinics)
- Chad Szeliga (with Black Label Society)
- Vinnie Colaiuta (with Sting)
 
Chad Sexton (311)
Chad Smith (RHCP)
Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
Dave Grohl (QOTSA)
Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera)
Brendan Canty (Fugazi)
Jimmy Chamberlin (The Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, Zwan)
Sean Kinney (Alice in Chains)
Eric Kretz (Stone Temple Pilots)
Erik Sandin (NOFX)
 
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