Leon “Ndugu” Chancler
The great drummer, known for his work with Santana, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, and Michael Jackson, among many others, passed away on February 3. This interview originally ran in the November 1983 issue of Modern Drummer. Ndugu. The name…
Joe LaBarbera — Goal Achiever
Sometimes, jazz just seems to run in the family. There are the Joneses (Hank, Thad and Elvin), Chuck and Gap Mangione, Tootie, Percy and Jimmy Heath, the Brecker Brothers, the Brubecks (Dave, Darius, Chris and Danny), and the LaBarberas—saxophonist Pat,…
Sandy Nelson
For those who grew up in the '60s, Sandy Nelson needs little introduction. Those who are not familiar with him should find someone who has one or 35 of Sandy's albums and start listening! One of the few drummers to…
Def Leppard's Rick Allen
Rick Allen carefully studies his hands, which are blistered already, just a few days into Def Leppard's tour with Billy Squier. "Yeah, I've often thought about it," he says, examining one especially calloused finger, "how playing the drums has totally…
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News
Keep up to date with the drum world via news items, interviews, lists, and more
Maná Celebrates 40 Years with Global YouTube Premiere of “Vivir Sin Aire Tour: Live From Red Rocks”
The legendary Mexican rock band marks four decades of music with a free worldwide concert premiere on November 6, ahead of major Latin American stadium performances. Celebrating 40 years of groundbreaking music and international success, Mexican rock icons Maná are…
Ohana Festival
Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival in Dana Point, CA celebrated its 10th anniversary. Over the years artists such as Lana Del Rey, Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, The Pretenders, Kings of Leon, Stevie Nicks. P!NK, Jack Johnson, Elvis Costello,…
Shane Hawkins Performs Taylor Hawkins’ Real Favorite Foo Fighters Song to Play: Watch
At a drum clinic in England, Shane Hawkins, the son of late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, revealed that his dad’s favorite Foos song to play was actually the track “Low,” not the tune “Aurora,” as commonly suggested. Shane took…
Drummer Nic Collins (Phil Collins’ Son) Learns and Performs RUSH’s Epic “2112” Suite in One Sitting: Watch
The folks at Drumeo are putting Nic Collins through the wringer. First, they challenged him to play Opeth’s mammoth “Ghost of Perdition” as he heard it for the first time, and now they’ve made him learn and play RUSH’s absolutely…
Tour Kit Rundowns
Your favorite drummers walk you through every detail of their drum setups.
Metal Sticks
Dedicated to interviewing iconic artists, educating drummers of all styles and genres, amplifying young talent, and showcasing Nicko McBrain’s archive of iconic gear & memorabilia, Metal Sticks aims to inspire all generations of heavy metal fans.
Gear
Detailed assessments of the latest drum kits and accessories
The Jason Sutter Collection
Jason Sutter knows how to get around! In 1995, he completed his master’s degree in music armed with intense chops honed at North Texas University. With a deep passion for rock’n’roll and the hustle of a native New Yorker, he…
NEW YAMAHA SNARE STANDS, AUDIO-TECHNICA REINTRODUCES THE ATM25, DW DESIGN SERIES GOES EXOTIC, ROLAND UPDATES V-DRUMS LINEUP
New Yamaha Snare Stands Yamaha is proud to introduce two new additions to its percussion hardware lineup, available now: the SS6H Concert Snare Stand and SS7HR Reversible Concert Snare Stand. Designed with the brand’s commitment on durability, stability, and ease of use,…
Yamaha EAD20 Drum Module
If you’ve been following along, this is my third trip into Yamaha’s Electronic Acoustic Drum world. In September 2024 I took a hands-on look at the EAD10, the little box that convinced a lot of us that a great drum…
New Yamaha Snare Drum and Cymbal Stands: Shaping the Way Drummers Play!
Yamaha has provided top quality hardware for decades and this new series of hardware certainly extends that already impressive lineup. Modern Drummer received a couple boxes packed full of the new line of snare drum and cymbal stands to see…
Gretsch Drums and Memorabilia from the Northup Drums Museum
“That great Gretsch sound” is an iconic saying that sums up one of the greatest and oldest drum companies in America. In 1883, German immigrant Friedrich Gretsch opened a small musical instrument shop in Brooklyn, NY making banjos, tambourines,…
MEINL ANIKA NILLES LUNAR RIDE AND HATS, TAMA ANIKA NILLES SIGNATURE SNARE, SABIAN RAY LUZIER MANTARAY
Meinl Introduces New Anika Nilles Lunar Ride and Hats Meinl Cymbals has expanded its collaboration with Anika Nilles with the introduction of the new Lunar Ride and Lunar Hats, adding two new signature sounds to the drummer’s setup. The release…
Kit of the Month
Frank’s Fall Color Coordinated Roto-Tom Kit
Just in time for Fall, comes this month’s Modern Drummer Kit of the Month. This orange themed kit comes to us from Frank Campus. His kit is a color coordinated combination of orange…
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Hall of Fame
A look back at the legendary drummers elected to Modern Drummer’s Hall of Fame
Keith Moon Elected to Hall of Fame in 1982
Excerpted from the September 2003 issue In his last interview, published posthumously in October 1978, Keith told International Musician and Recording World, “You can’t work out things too much. We do certain build-ups and things, but you can run into…
John Bonham Elected to Hall of Fame in 1981
Excerpted from the John Bonham tribute issue, July 1984 John Bonham played, for the most part, a very simple drumkit, consisting of a 14x26 bass drum, a 12x15 small tom—at first mounted on a snare stand and later on the…
Buddy Rich Elected to Hall of Fame in 1980
Excerpted from the January 1977 issue When it comes to interviewing Buddy, one must learn to expect the unexpected. You can end up with a first rate story, or no story at all. He’s a very intense human being, with…
Gene Krupa Elected to Hall of Fame in 1979
Excerpted from the October/November 1979 issue “I’m happy that I succeeded in doing two things: I made the drummer a highpriced guy, and I was able to draw more people to jazz.” The above quote of drum master Gene Krupa…
Zendé Murdock - The Runarounds - Tour Kit Rundown
Modern Drummer Official 8.6K views September 1, 2026 1:00 PM