Explains L7’s Latest Record and Her Gear

Hello Modern Drummer peeps! My name is Dee Plakas (aka “The Goddess of Thunder”) and I have been drumming for L7 since 1988. The band gave the nickname to me!

I played drums on Smell the Magic, Bricks are Heavy, Hungry for Stink, The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum, Slap Happy, as well as various compilation and soundtrack albums. I also played the drums on Donita Sparks’ solo record Transmiticate, which was released in 2007.

I’m happy to announce that we just finished recording a new record called Scatter the Rats to be released in May on Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records. We’ll be touring throughout the year—check our Facebook page L7 Official to see if we’re coming to your town. Advertisement

Drumming for L7 is like being on a wild ride. You’ve got to lean in and put on your seat belt. Sometimes it’s super-fast, other times there’s a groovy mid-tempo beat, and then there’s the slow, head banging heavy stuff. All of it loud and catchy and backed with incredibly entertaining rock shows, whether it’s a festival or a packed, crowded sweaty club.

For my go-to gear I’m lucky to be endorsed by DW. Their drums always sound amazing, and they’re always fabulous looking too. I recently rocked their Black Velvet kit on tour; it looked and sounded so great on stage. Over the years, many sound engineers have told me that my DW drums always sounded “thunderous!” Although my nickname preceded my endorsement to DW, it was a cool synchronicity.

I’ve always played Zildjian cymbals; I love their heavy rides and Dark crashes. I play Promark sticks, and also use their stick wrap—it helps me keep a hold on the sticks on hot, sweaty nights. I use Evan drumheads—I dig the Black Onyx series. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you on tour! Advertisement

For tour dates and more with Dee and L7, visit http://l7theband.com.

Watch L7 “Burn Baby” here: