Skip to main content

They have a drummer?


A short list of drummers who don't get enough credit


When Ola Brunkert, ABBA's tour drummer, died, I circulated the news around the office like a good music nerd. The overwhelming reaction to my macabre message was, "ABBA had a drummer?" Humorous, yes, but it made me think about the percussion profession. Drummers are that integral, yet often overlooked, member of a band whose position at the back of the stage belies his/her importance. This is most true in rock circles. Drummers for jazz and blues bands tend to receive a little more attention, i.e. the drum solo. But unless you are Rick Allen or Mo Tucker, or Animal, your role as percussionist may never be known past the liner notes.


Until now.


Continuing the selfless service on which we pride ourselves at Duck & Cover, here is a small list of (relatively) unknown drummers--or, here is a list of bands on whose mention you might say, "No shit. They have a drummer?":



  • Charlie Adams (Yanni) :: Quell your disbelief--Yanni has a drummer. It's not some one-off thing, either. Adams has been Yanni's concert drummer for nine tours. You know what's weird, though? They met in Minnesota. I know, I know: what the hell is Yanni doing in Minnesota?

  • Steve Barnard (Robbie Williams) :: This would kinda suck, I think. Knowing Williams's preference for repetitive beats, Barnard could probably just whack a few snares and symbols then hit "repeat."

  • Roger Andrew Taylor (Duran Duran) :: My older sister used to have a Duran Duran poster in her room during the 80s when I was just a wee lad. I'm quite sure there were only two of them.

  • Marty Beller, Brian Doherty (They Might Be Giants) :: And here I thought John and John just used a synthesizer to create their beats. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've never seen a drummer the few times I've seen them live.

  • Paddy Boom (Scissor Sisters) :: Besides having the perfect name for a drummer, he also has his own record label called--wait for it--"Boom Boom Records."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

May Day Is Lei Day

For the past 31 years in Honolulu, the Brothers Cazimero have hosted an annual May Day variety show at the Waikiki Shell Ampitheatre (because May Day is Lei Day!). When living there, I had the privilege of attending twice, the last time being the 30th anniversary, and just after the sad passing of the legendary Don Ho. Both times were, at the risk of allowing my cynical mask slip, magical. The May Day show is great fun, and follows the format of an old time variety show -- there is an aura of glamour interspersed with a decidedly camp sensibility, with hula stars of past and present gracing the stage. Spirits are high, and the banter among the performers is priceless; at times it feels as though you've wandered into a family reunion, and are a long lost cousin -- instantly at home and enveloped in the warmth. It's a time to celebrate the spirit and culture that truly do make the islands such a special place. There's a song that plays before the Sunset On The Beach movies...

Contest! Design the Official Decemberists Show Poster

On March 18th, The Decemberists will give the debut live performance of their epic new song cycle The Hazards of Love when they headline NPR Music's SXSW showcase at Stubb's in Austin. To mark the occassion, Capitol Records (who will release the album on March 24) and Imeem are inviting fans to design the official poster for the showcase with a contest -- the winning design will be hand-picked by the band and contestants can enter on the Decemberists' Imeem page . The Decemberists will play The Hazards of Love, in sequence, in its entirety. Joining all five members of the band on stage will be Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, who lend leading vocals to the album. Opening bands are North Carolina trio The Avett Brothers, set to debut songs from its forthcoming album produced by Rick Rubin, and bluesy rockers Heartless Bastards, riding the success of its third record, The Mountain. The concert will begin at 10pm CST and will be str...

Odd Stories in the World of Music

As it's Friday, we like to round up a few of the stranger music-related stories and share them with our beloved readers. First, there was the TechDirt article about bands (or the labels who represent the bands) who pull their songs from iTunes after said songs have become popular. Apparently, they think it will force people to buy more CDs, which is kind of like selling tires, then shutting all the stores and telling people they have to buy cars to get the tires they want. TechDirt reacts with the appropriate "WTF". Moving on, we find a lovely post about the "peculiar pocket trumpet" from Trumpet Instruments. Finally, there's this: a homemade hurdy gurdy built from circut hacked Furbies, appropriately named the "furby gurdy."