Getting to know your drum heros

[benrand]

Well, imagine having someone emulate you down to the hairstyle.

That has GOT to be wierd...

[CLWarunki]

Great topic!

Back when I started drumming (the grunge era), I was a HUGE pearl jam / dave abbruzzese fan and I sent dave a "fan-mail" letter via sabian. I put my phone number in it hoping that he would have the heart to call me if he did not have the time to write back via snail mail. Sure enough, weeks later the phone rings, and you wouldn't believe it... it was Dave! We talked for a good half our on his long distance tab, what an amazing person and great hero he was to do that at the time. I will never forget that. It's too bad Eddie sacked him for all the wrong reasons.

I also met Mike Portnoy when I went through my Dream Theater phase, that was nice. He was a very down-to-earth and kind guy... no ego like you would imagine!

Steve Smith: humble, gentle, soft-spoken.

Mike Mangini: Bursting with energy and personality, never a dull moment!

Dom Famularo: Neverending enthusiasm and motivation, with excellent delivery!

Billy Cobham: We'll let his drumming speak for him [img]frown.gif[/img]

Virgil Donati: Modest off stage, seems like a good guy.

Kenny Arnoff: Heard bad thnigs from a friend who teched for him at a clinic... gave me looks (don't know if it was good or bad) when I was playing an elec kit near his autograph signing table.

Chad Smith: Great guy, eccentric in a good way.

Anyways, the list goes on...

[funkycarnivore]

Yeah, I heard that guy got fired from Pearl Jam for being too normal. He always seemed like a cool guy.

[FuseU1]

Rudy, I know someone who had a similar exp w DG [because i was there also]. I've heard others who had similar exp's w BC as yours, but my pleasant exp w da Boom on da Cob was fairly recent ['03].

Gary Novak was also a nice cat [aft a CCEB2 PTW show].

I forgot about Will K. He was a very nice & positive cat also. So was Rod M.

O Baterista - funny comment by Sorum. [img]wink.gif[/img] I can relate... ;c\

Met Bruf in the early 80's...soft-spoken, articulate, & very "English"-proper. [img]wink.gif[/img]

Ditto about JR. Bayers, too - groove-meister, AWA Nash's Paul Leim, Lonnie Wilson, Milton Sledge, Steve Turner, Greg Morrow...some are not chops guys & some are. But all can pocket like a mutha.

I've heard several stories that resonate the same about TW. There are a couple of guys in here that have exp'd similarly.

Ashbaugh was also a cool guy too.

"gave me looks (don't know if it was good or bad) when I was playing an elec kit near his autograph signing table"

"Yeah, I heard that guy got fired from Pearl Jam for being too normal"

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">LOL

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ January 12, 2005 05:46 PM: Message edited by: fuseU1 ]</font>

[ed4644]

Ahhh Chad Smith- went to see a clinic of him when I was 10 years old. He made fun of my grandmother, who was at the clinic with me...He told her that instead of being at the clinic she should be at home sitting in a rocking chair smoking crack!

I guess he was being "funny"-kinda rude though

-Ed

[PocketPlayer]

Ditto on ALL HOD'ers! Everybody I've met has been great!

Randy and I spoke over the phone once for over an hour. Very straight up guy--obviously very informative dude.

Seeing Steve H play in a little jazz trio was wonderful (Java N' Jazz)--never forget that yell during a fill ("Yeah!")--enthusiasm rocks!

T-Bo was fun to hang with at the UCLA Vinnie gig and Smith clinic--humble guy with movie star looks. Funny as heck.

Drums4Fun couldn't be nicer.

LA DANNY--sweet spirit. Great salad dressing!

I feel I know so many here. Trading with many as well.

JR was a super guy at NAMM. He took the time to really instruct a young 13YO drummer w/his dad--giving educational advice. Very sincere.

Johnny Rabb was also a great guy, and I concur about Will K--spiritually strong and his wife is equally as classy.

Jonathon Moffit--Class! Very humble and gentle spirit.

Man...I'm pumped about NAMM again! Have we nailed down the time & place to meet? Sat 3PM was it?

[matricks]

Chris, that is an awesome story about Dave from Pearl Jam... i loved his playing with them.

[Daniel LeClaire]

I've told this story on here a hundred times but, I got to spend a few hours taking lessons with Billy Ashbaugh while on vacation in Florida a few years ago. Super nice and friendly, very down to earth guy.

After a clinic I got to hang out with Stanton Moore and shoot the breeze for about 15-20 mins. He was really nice, in fact I was standing around and he came over and talked to me! He invited me to a gig he was doing but, at the time, I wasn't old enough to get into the bar he was playing at. [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]


I also think it's an interesting topic regarding your personality coming out in your playing. I think your personality will definitely come out in your playing, as well as anything else you do in life. I think to find you voice on the instrument you first have to be confident in who you are as a person.

[Steve Holmes]

I met Pocket Player at the BP a couple of times. He was very nice. Derek Defields is a straight-up good friend, as well as Drumdawg, and T-bo. I met Drums4fun a couple of times as well. Extremely nice.

Seriously, I don't like to name name's really but I've heard good and bad stories about the guys I like. I agree there's no excuse for being disrespectful (including fame) but we all know what it's like to have bad day, or snap at someone. And that's just under normal day-to-day circumstances without guys wanting pictures or autographs all the time after dealing with a retarded soundman on a gig. Again, I don't excuse it, but I do understand it. It sucks some folks don't have the discipline to not be dicks. And it can be particularly damaging when your hero is a dick to you too. It's not some Joe off the street obviously.

[CLWarunki]

Originally posted by the grove:
Yeah, I heard that guy got fired from Pearl Jam for being too normal. He always seemed like a cool guy.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dave was fired due to personal differences with Vedder. Eddie disliked the fact that Dave used so many cymbals and that he had a cover story in modern drummer among other pathetic reasons. Eddie didn't even have the guts to fire him face to face, so he got Stone to do it. Pathetic! A shame really since the band went downhill right after his departure!