Drummers
Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.
Modern Drummer's 2023 Hall of Fame Inductee: Alex Van Halen
The latest induction into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame is... Alex Van Halen! The original drummer and co-founder of Van Halen has left his mark on entire eras of rock music, from his scrappy early days in Mammoth to the…
Carl Palmer "Feeling Really Good" Following Heart Surgery
Photo by Alex Kluft Carl Palmer is "feeling really good" after undergoing heart surgery. The Emerson, Lake & Palmer drummer recently underwent an atrial fibrillation ablation to fix an irregular heartbeat. In a Facebook post, he thanked fans for their…
U2 to Play Las Vegas Residency Without Larry Mullen Jr.
U2, photo courtesy of band After announcing their upcoming Las Vegas residency titled "U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere” during the Super Bowl, the band has confirmed their performances will not feature their longtime drummer Larry Mullen Jr.,…
Travis Barker Dislocates Finger While Rehearsing for Blink-182 Tour
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker suffered a dislocated finger while rehearsing for the band's upcoming reunion tour. "I was playing the drums at rehearsals yesterday and I smashed my finger so hard I dislocated it and tore the ligaments," Barker wrote…
On The Beat with Dave Weckl: Talks Making the Singer Happy
Hey all! I wanted to share a project that is a little different than my usual jazz/fusion content. Although I don’t get the opportunity too much these days, I’ve always loved playing with, for, and behind great vocalists. I really…
Melkbelly's James Wetzel on Time and Space
Wetzel conjuring new vistas of time and space. Hello, Modern Drummers! My name is James Wetzel, and I play drums in the noise rock band Melkbelly, along with a few other projects (Ree-Yees, Mode Hexe). I’m honored to contribute here,…
Quarantine Home Recording #3: Five Ways to Tank Your Drum Mix
Don't let this be an allegorical representation of your drum mixing skills! Home recording can be a fabulous oasis of no rules, no judgement, no fear, and no regrets, because YOU are the benevolent dictator of your own audio kingdom.…
Clementine on Channeling John Bonham in 12 Steps
Clementine of all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella. Step One Love Led Zeppelin. How did John Bonham become one of a handful of drummers who are celebrated as much as any of the other guys in the band? Chalk it…
Quarantine Home Recording #2: The Source Sound
By Michael Molenda Choose your assistant engineers carefully — Shiba Inus are a horrible option because they don't follow orders. Ever. Hopefully, our first article in this home-recording series — Don't Say "Can't" — convinced you to stop worrying about…
Quarantine Home Recording: Don't Say "Can't"
By Michael Molenda, Modern Drummer Chief Digital Editor Photo from Reddit DoubleBass336 If the pandemic has taught creative artists anything other than, well, truly horrible and depressing stuff, it's that spending the time to improve and expand your craft during…
Chris Hornbrook On his Play-Through Video for Greg Puciato's "Deep Set"
Chris Hornbrook “Deep Set” was one of the first songs that Greg Puciato presented to me for his first solo record, Child Soldier: Creator of God. We’ve known each other for more than 20 years, and both of our prior…
Clementine on Ten Ways to Shine as a Session Drummer
Clementine of the All-Female Led Zeppelin Tribute, Zepparella. Photo by Matt Granz. Nearly every item on this list is based on one truth: A hired musician must respect the clock, as studio time is precious. As someone hired for a…
Jonathan Barber on Keeping The Vision Ahead
Photos by Lauren Desberg In early March, I was two weeks into a West Coast tour with my band Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead. For me, this was a special tour, considering I organized it myself to promote my upcoming…
Jake Cochran on Small Kits and Playing While Standing Up
Jake Cochran Hello Modern Drummer! My name is Jake Cochran, and I am the drummer half of alt-rock duo Illiterate Light. I'm coming off of an incredible two-month headlining U.S. tour, and diving into writing for our next record—a shift…
