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I have been playing drums since age 12. It’s perhaps easy to underestimate the impact of devoting one’s life to music. It’s been a hugely positive experience, and to a much lesser extent, a source of frustration and disappointment.
When I started playing drums my drum-hero was Rat Scabies (The Damned) & I managed to do a pretty good imitation of him in no time at all! He recorded some amazing performances - it’s still inspiring to hear him on tracks such as “Curtain Call”.
My early playing style was also heavily influenced by Big Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke) & the Joke were to shape my path in ways that are beyond measure, & certainly beyond reason! Also, Phil Animal Taylor & Pete Gill (both Motorhead) & D H Peligro (Dead Kennedys) were guys that I tried to emulate on the drums.
I vividly recall seeing old footage of Louie Bellson playing a drum solo around the time I started learning drums & this really sparked my interest in the more virtuosic approaches to drum set playing. By the time I left High School music was the most important thing for me & drummers such as Randy Castillo (Ozzy), Neil Peart (Rush), Stewart Copeland (The Police), Jimmy Copley (Go West) & Tim Alexander (Primus) were great inspirations.
I should point out that the very first time I played drums was during my first lesson. The experience of being taught the instrument by working drummers has been invaluable to me & I urge every apprentice drummer to study with the guidance of a good tutor. During a lesson with my 2nd tutor, Tony Lawson, I was shown an instructional video by Steve Smith. This was pre-internet & it was amazing just to see a player of his calibre on the screen!
He was the first of the “big four” (as I like to refer to them!) that I discovered: sometime later I heard Dave Weckl (& loved the Chick Corea Elektric Band) ; Vinnie Colauita (Sting) , and last of all Dennis Chambers. Like many drummers out there these guys have been monumental inspirations for me, as have Virgil Donati, Manu Katche, Gavin Harrison, Ian Moseley, Peter Erskine, Simon Phillips, Carter Beauford & countless others.
For as long as I can remember I’ve been of the opinion that the most difficult thing in music is to find other musicians that you can really connect with. This after all is difficult in every other facet of life. It is especially difficult if you are trying to do something different musically.
As with any endeavor, there are those that chose to conduct things on an artistic basis. I feel it is important to view the life of an artist-musician from a fundamentally emotional and irrational standpoint. Issues concerning earning a living from playing such music should never be allowed to compromise artistic decisions. Everyone, I believe, struggles to reconcile these polarizing pressures.
Playing music I dislike for money has often left a bitter taste, especially when one considered such an event as a defeat: a wound inflicted by the banal and uneducated masses. But, there are ways to navigate this. I have found that having a deep appreciation for your instrument can allow you to find enjoyment in most musical situations. You become simply an instrumentalist for that time: try to do a great job & most importantly… always have a creative vehicle to come home to. The Fightback Starts Here!
I have always had a creative project in my musical life, and for me it is absolutely necessary to maintain sanity. I have utmost respect for anyone that becomes expert in their chosen field, but the creative people are those that must direct civilization.