Top 20 Rock Drummer Nicknames

I’m hoping banjo, but I’ll also accept a love of crabs. The eating kind.
Sorry to disappoint, it was neither

I got the nickname after having to dig out my stuck van from the mud after a Triple A guy, with the equipment he needed...wouldn't even try it. After a gig. On the guys lawn we were playing at. Boy did I tear his lawn up lol

I dug like 20 feet of mud out...both sides...with the best tool I had available....a clawhammer...and managed to get it out just as it was getting light out.

I can't believe the AAA guy just left me to twist in the wind. He was enormous.
 
Yea and I don't even mind the nickname. Beats the snot out of Larry Lovetrain, my former nickname

Roundabouts I understand. Swings? That's new to me. Unless you're talking swingsets.
 
Roundabouts I understand. Swings? That's new to me. Unless you're talking swingsets.
What you lose on the roundabouts you make up on the swings (ie you went through a crappy experience but now have a new nickname and story to tell). Gotta love those cultural differences ;)
 
Ranking algorithm gives primary weight to the coolness of the nickname and also considers the drummer's influence and fame.

1. John "Jabo" Starks - The JBs (James Brown)

2. Cornelius Ellwood "Neil" (aka. "The Professor" or "Bubba") Peart - Rush

3. Colin Trevor "Cozy Powell" Flooks - Jeff Beck Band, Emerson, Lake & Powell

4. Chris "Whipper" Layton - Double Trouble

5. Brad M. “Bun E. Carlos” Carlson

6. Micael Kiriakos "Mikkey Dee" Delaoglou - Motörhead, The Scorpions

7. Charles "Chuck Biscuits" Montgomery - Danzig, Social Distortion

8. "Ringo" Starkey - The Beatles

9. Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste - The Meters

10.Nicholas Bowen "Topper" Headon

11. Frank Edwin "Tré Cool," Wright III - Green Day

12. James Owen "The Rev" Sullivan - Avenged Sevenfold

13.Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker

14. Eric "Smelly" Sandlin - NOFX

15. John "Bonzo" Bonham - Led Zeppelin

16. Laurence Gordon "Corky" Laing - Mountain

17. Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Steely Dan

18, John Lee "Jaimoe" Johnson - Allman Brothers

19. Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad - Satyricon, 1349

20. Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson - The Roots, John Mayer

21. Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey - Parliament Funkadelic

No mention of Cozy Powell's most famous band, Rainbow?
 
Mike Portnoy during his Dream Theater period was affectionately called The Lama because of all the loogies he just to spat out during live shows
 
I never suspected that "Nicko" was the nickname part of the drummer, but instead, for decades assumed "McBrain" was the made up part. It is such an unusual name that it seemed only logical that it was a made-up last name... In fact, to this day, it still seems to be the case despite facts to the contrary...:LOL:
 
Gordon "Sting" Sumner
Brian "Marylin Manson" Warner
 
Samus "66Samus" Paulicelli - Devin Townsend, Decrepit Birth.
Brian "Brain" Mantia - Primus
 
"Chick" Webb, "Buddy" Schutz, "Papa Jo" Jones, "Big Sid" Catlett, "Tiny" Kahn. All jazz players.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top