The Kits are waiting....
Saturday
Saturday morning ... caught the early trains across london to the Excel Center - a building so big it can be seen from space. i met Bernhard at his hotel and we walked over to the exhibition rooms to find Zoro sound-checking in the auditorium. it was fabulous to stand right up on the stage and see the master of R'nB doing his thing. so simple and elegant and then every now and then a flash of chops to let you know that there is more there than just groove.
On the toe of the stage with his family and pals was none other than young drummer of the year, James Birt (with his trademark hat and long blonde hair.) He is a cool guy, very approachable with a good sense of humour.
I could brag much in this report about meeting all the great drummers backstage, having access all areas, spending time with a very witty Bernhard, being allowed into all the sound checks, going on the stage during the shows to snap photos etc etc ... it all happened and that's all I'll say for now.
But this festival is all about the drummers hey?
so...
It is daunting to open a drum show but 17 year old James Birt took it all in his stride. His drumming was powerful and actually very cool. He has a great rock feel and superb fills. One drummer to certainly watch. In fact, as he went along he seemed to grow more impressive until it would seem that any drummer would hate to have to follow James' performance.
But then again ... the next drummer wasn't just any drummer. Tony Royster Jr. has come a long way from the 12 year old prodigy on youtube.com. Now in his early twenties, he kicked off by unexpectedly playing some powerhouse rock songs, then he did a solo that had jaws dropping and certainly removed any doubts that he'd peaked at the guitar center drum-off all those years ago. It seems that collaborating with Dennis Chambers has rubbed off well on the guy. His fills are blinding!
So who could follow all of that?
Well the next drummer up had the longest line for entering the auditorium, the fullest hall and the loudest cheers after each song (just like last year really).
So, who indeed...
but Nicko McBrain. - legend!
... and what a set. The MC for the whole weekend, who had been in a snazzy suit until then, came out barefoot and in his shorts and vest. He took us on a whistle-stop tour of his influences, playing such songs and drummers as: take five; the Beatles; the Who; wipe-out and then a truly impressive cover of Moby Dick. Yes - so all the other drummers who featured in this show had great chops and groove ... but Niko was by far the best entertainer. Then he and his mini-maiden band played 'run to the hills' and a few other numbers that got him a well deserved standing ovation. Later on I chatted with him about snare drums and John Bonham (I planted the seed of the 'Burning for Bonzo' idea there and Niko was very excited by it - maybe he'll organise something for the 30th anniversary in a few years time). Niko is hilarious and educational at once - a pity more school teachers cannot be like him (imagine that though).
 After all of that raucous joy we needed someone educational, quieter perhaps ... someone with colours in his playing. Step up to the plate our Billy Ward. Yes, even he seems to have come a long way since his own instructional DVD (Big Time). Billy played intense and beautiful drumming throughout his set. Diverse and wonderful, this super drummer stole the show in his own inimitable style. and of course he is a great guy to meet back stage as well.
Remember Eloy Casegrande? Well he wasn't there ... but his teacher was. The next drummer up was Aquiles Priester, a South African born but South American raised drummer of great skill. I saw a lot of Eloy's chops in the solos that followed. Very impressive both in speed but also in groove - lots of clave embedded. It was all a bit too much for me by that stage though.
Fortunately Zoro was next and he played simple elegant grooves with great feel. He started by saying, 'the first groove I'm going to play is one you will never forget.' He then flipped on his iPod and drummed along to 'chitty chitty bang bang' - so yeah, unforgettable it was. His smiling performance was a perfect end to a perfect day.
I rushed home and went to my gig where all the day's inspiration poured out of me in my drum solo segment. It was a great relief to get that energy expressed.
SUNDAY
Sunday morning ... I walked into the auditorium before opening time to see Bernhard chatting to Benny Greb. He looked up and smiled at me as I approached. 'hello noootha Jason'. I was nearly speachless. 'Its a great honour to meet you Benny,' I said, 'I think you are the best drummer on the planet'. We hung around backstage with him as he set up his Sonor and warmed up with a very accurate version of 'crazy army'.
Soon after that the show started and today the opening volley came from a drummer I was very curious to see ... as many on this forum have called him 'God'. Well, he isn't that high up the celestial plane but Tomas Haake was incredible none the less. No mere mortal should play double bass like that (and in shoes like that neither), but he showed a wonderful sense of groove as well as speed and power. The guy is a master of convoluted time and texture. I also think he wins the prize for having the best looking kit out of the all the performers. Sonor does make them pretty.
After Tomas came (for me) the highlight of the show: Benny Greb
Sitting next to Aquiles in the front row, with Tony Jr not too far away neither, we - and it seemed everyone else (for the was standing room only in the hall) - were once again floored by the touch and sheer brilliance that is Benny Greb. Benny did songs from his new album - Grebfruit. Then he did a solo that went from brushes to sticks to hands and was a masterwork of percussion. Included in the show was his lovely multiple pedal stuff that raised a huge cheer from the crowd once they realised what he was doing. After that Benny told us he was going to end with something with a new orleans beat. 'I am shitting myself a bit,' he said, 'because Stanton is back-stage'.
Indeed, after Benny came mister Stanton Moore himself, having flown for more than a day from South America just for us ... and you couldn't tell he was tired. No sir. The guy gave us the only true clinic of the whole festival. After a short solo he took us through four nuances to be learned through second line drumming, the most interesting of which was the subtleties between very staight and very swung drumming. He then mentioned the drummer who he felt got the halfway point between the two exactly right. I thought he was going to say Steve Gadd or something but no, it was John Bonham. He showed how a Bonham groove can be played as written ...straight, and sound corny, or played swung, and sound corny too. Then he showed us the halfway point and then we were suddenly hearing the illusive Bonham sound. A great lesson, masterfully taught. Buy his DVDs through the DW mainsite for more on this.
Next a very odd, very flat Tama drumset was wheeled on the stage and a very serious looking drummer followed it. But as it turned out he had a dry sense of humour and he cracked a few smiles whenever he saw his feet on the giant screens or an audience member grinning at him. Bill Bruford joked that he couldn't play 4/4 time but only odd time. He really has a nearly instinctive feel for where the 'one' is (although in King Crimson and the like it feels as if the 'one' could go just about anywhere). Listening to him play is like trying to think inside a corscrew. Very interesting, unique and clear drumming from a master. He is a national treasure or should be.
By the time Akira Jimbo came on I had nearly had enough, but he was very interesting to watch playing what he calls hybrid drumming ... he programs a set of pads and triggers(see pics below) to play an orchestrated set of notes. He then plays a beat while at the same time hitting the pads and so he provides his own accomaniment ... sort of like a crazy one man band. He played all sorts of songs this way... we wil rock you, stairway to heaven, superstition. The guy must have two minds. Its a mental independance on an incredible level.
...and thats that. I shook Bernhard's hand goodbye and went home in a daze.
I maintain that you cannot learn much from such a weekend ... there is too much to absorb and its not interactive enough for true learning to occour ... but boy is it inspirational.
j |
