Bands with two drummers

[backsmith]

What do you guys think about bands with two drummers? I not a big fan of it personally, If there are two drummers I really would expect something mind blowing,

 

[bobdadruma]

I frequently play with two drummers plus a conga player.
It's not about putting on a fantastic drum show because there are two drummers.
It's about playing parts that compliment so that the band has a nice full percussion section.

We do have fun trading 4s and 8s sometimes.
We mostly do it because we are friends and its fun
If we have a big stage gig my friend who used to be the drummer for the band that I play in plays with us.

 

[Big Foot]

not much different than 2 guitars or 2 saxes....But I think I know what ya mean - it's shouldn't sound like a flam fest!

check out Joe Lovano's Us Five that's how ya do it

 

[Monica McCoy]

Zappa and the Mothers had two drummers. Danny Carey plays in a band called Volto and the lead singer plays drums also. I think that Segar song Hollywood Nights was recorded with two drummers.

 

[Homeularis]

I never have really liked it. Its just a little awkward for me.
I like the whole kit drummer and seperate percussion setup but not two kit drummers.

 

[larryace]

I don't even like it when the lead singer picks up a cowbell. Their timing is usually not too developed and they end up rushing.

I like listening to bands w/ 2 drummers but I don't like playing w/ 2 drummers. Percussion is OK provided they are tasteful.

I used to play a lot of open mic blues jams and we used to have this one guy come in and play one of those metal guiros. Ugh. I really don't care for that tone in the first place, but he would just use it to destroy any shuffle tune played. I really just wanted to take that thing and stomp on it, but you have to play the game, be nice, it's a jam...ugh.

 

[bobdadruma]

The type of music that is being played matters when using two drummers.
I used to do Southern Rock with a drummer that sang a lot.
He liked it when I played with him because he could concentrate on his singing and know that I would still be there to keep the groove clean.

He set up lefty and I righty. We would set up with his kit next to mine on my left.
We would do things like share each others Hats. Sync our fills so that I played half of the fill and he played the other half.
We would both play the exact same fill sometimes.
The lefty/righty thing allowed us to roll down the toms in opposite directions.
One of us could be on the hats while the other was on the ride.

We really put on a pretty good show.
The audience loved it.

 

[backsmith]

I recently saw arcade fire and they had two drummers for some of their songs. You could easily tell who was the real drummer. They were'nt playing anything really syncopated or complex and it seemed so unnecessary as though there was a want to be drummer. I believe the other drummer was the singer's wife. Almost as if she said "I want to play drums too..." in a whiny voice. And then there she is on stage with a kit.

When it come to drum and bass I get annoyed when there is more than one.

Sorry for ranting.

 

[backsmith]

He set up lefty and I righty. We would set up with his kit next to mine on my left.
We would do things like share each others Hats. Sync our fills so that I played half of the fill and he played the other half.
We would both play the exact same fill sometimes.
The lefty/righty thing allowed us to roll down the toms in opposite directions.
One of us could be on the hats while the other was on the ride.

We really put on a pretty good show.
The audience loved it.

THis is more what I would expect out of two drummers, some creativity.

 

[Wick]

Greatful Dead.

nuff' said

 

[backsmith]

I don't even like it when the lead singer picks up a cowbell. Their timing is usually not too developed and they end up rushing..

LOL! I had to literally write with a white marker on my cowbell, "This is not a toy"because everybody and their dog thinks they can hold a rhythm

 

[Andy]

If there are two drummers I really would expect something mind blowing,

Yes, you would, & That's because you're a drummer. 99.999% of audiences are not drummers. Visual impact aside, two drummers can add huge presence to the right kind of stuff, even if they're playing exactly the same thing. Try telling any rock fan that the collaboration between Rush & Max Webster produced a pointless result. Here's Kim Mitchell putting down the vibe with three drummers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtDmZob6bGs Give the clip a chance, & you'll hopefully pick up the superb chorus effect of three groovers. Just so cool at concert volume & presence. Ok, this is very specific, and I know some think you can create the same vibe with delays, etc, but that's one powerful performance right there, & the drums contribute to that IMO.

 

[Bo Eder]

What do you guys think about bands with two drummers? I not a big fan of it personally, If there are two drummers I really would expect something mind blowing,

I just spent some time with a, er,....how do I say this without losing my cool exterior?....Ah, a high school show choir, and the director had this crazy idea of having two drummers, and me being the money-whore I am, said 'yes'.

It actually turned out pretty cool, we actually split beats: he'd play the top of the kit, and I'd play the bottom (bass drum and low toms - with him providing the snare back beat and cymbals). Very 90s King Crimson. It got really interesting when we did some latin stuff. It was actually alot of fun after we had worked out a bunch of stuff. The show choir was rather large so we didn't have a volume issue. I recall an Airto interview when he told his wife, when he's playing the skins, she should play something metal, and vice-versa. That's basically what we did.

Only problem was when either one of us couldn't make a show, then the one that was left had to figure out how to play the whole show alone - at times it sounded empty....
But that's my extent of double drumming.

 

[eamesuser]

I have seen the Allman Brothers band a few times and those guys are so in sync and play so well off each other it was hard for me to absorb,on a lot of the stuff I couldn't get my head around what they were doing, on the bluesy shuffle tunes they played different parts,but very subtle,abd an important part of their sound I think,with all the personnel changes the still sound like the Allman Bros to me.

 

[Fuzrock]

This topic has also been discussed in this thread http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63702

 

[bobdadruma]

I can remember Bachman Turner Overdrive putting on some great live double drummer shows back in the day. Mid 1970's
I couldn't find any vids of those shows.
I can testify that the drumming was great! I was there for several of them.

 

[720hours World Record]

I have seen the Allman Brothers band a few times and those guys are so in sync and play so well off each other it was hard for me to absorb,......

to have 2 drummers they MUST learn how to play off each other. Its a gift when it works well.

I am looking for a 2nd drummer for my band >> to promote my soon to be released 4th CD >> I have not found the right person yet (but I will)

 

[drthemez]

One of my favorite bands modest mouse toured with two drummers for a while. They use a lot of percussion though and they werent both necessarily playing the "set" together that often.

 

[bobdadruma]

The concept of two drummers has existed in various forms for many years.
It is a drumming force that has it's moments.
I urge everyone to try it for themselves before passing judgement on the concept.
It can be the best of musical times and the worst.
It is what the drummers and the band make it.

 

[baodes]

The Melvins come to mind when I think of a band with two drummers.