What makes your favorite band your favorite band? You don't have to be a super music nerd to answer that. As long as you have a working brain stem, you should be just fine on this entry. Everyone likes different shit, but whatever you're into, you're into because to you it's cooler. Well for me, Coady Willis and Dale Crover are cooler than most drummers out there and I'm going to type a bunch of words you're going to read that explain why. Now being a drummer myself, this could be a fairly extensive read, so I'll try not to mention any other drummers or veer too far off target here. Also, feel free to read this with ten mailboxes in your ass.
A fair chunk of people think Dave Grohl is the best drummer out there. That's an ok start, because that dude definitely hits hard, but he's still playing the same beats every 15 year old drummer plays at Guitar Center. I'd much rather hear people say Dave Grohl is the best drummer as compared to someone as boring as Ringo. As a drummer, I know that it can be very cathartic to just turn into the Hulk and start smashing drums, but it should still boil down to you actually playing a cool drum beat. That's where Dave and many other drummers fall millions of miles short in my opinion.
Ironically enough, there's a very big connection between Dave Grohl and the Melvin's. Dave worshiped Dale in the Nirvana years and they would switch off during Nirvana/Melvin's sets. Dave Grohl was actually supposed to be IN the Melvin's when Kurt died, but decided to start up the Foo Fighters instead. They were rigging up a huge kit they would both play together live, much like Dale and Coady do now. Dave Grohl did actually play on some Melvin's material as well and did a hell of a job! This of course was back when Dave actually did things that sounded cool rather than just looked cool to be a part of in Rolling Stone. Getting off topic...
Now the two drummers from this point are amazing drummers on their own. Dale did an excellent job carving the groove for the style drumming that inspired Coady and Coady did an amazing job bringing in his own groove with respect to Dale. Not only are they both bad asses, they both play together in the Melvin's! If you didn't know that, you should probably do your ears a favor and check them out.
A fair chunk of people think Dave Grohl is the best drummer out there. That's an ok start, because that dude definitely hits hard, but he's still playing the same beats every 15 year old drummer plays at Guitar Center. I'd much rather hear people say Dave Grohl is the best drummer as compared to someone as boring as Ringo. As a drummer, I know that it can be very cathartic to just turn into the Hulk and start smashing drums, but it should still boil down to you actually playing a cool drum beat. That's where Dave and many other drummers fall millions of miles short in my opinion.
Ironically enough, there's a very big connection between Dave Grohl and the Melvin's. Dave worshiped Dale in the Nirvana years and they would switch off during Nirvana/Melvin's sets. Dave Grohl was actually supposed to be IN the Melvin's when Kurt died, but decided to start up the Foo Fighters instead. They were rigging up a huge kit they would both play together live, much like Dale and Coady do now. Dave Grohl did actually play on some Melvin's material as well and did a hell of a job! This of course was back when Dave actually did things that sounded cool rather than just looked cool to be a part of in Rolling Stone. Getting off topic...
Now the two drummers from this point are amazing drummers on their own. Dale did an excellent job carving the groove for the style drumming that inspired Coady and Coady did an amazing job bringing in his own groove with respect to Dale. Not only are they both bad asses, they both play together in the Melvin's! If you didn't know that, you should probably do your ears a favor and check them out.
Dale Crover is a heavy hitting drum pioneer. He's been writing drum tracks that have you tapping your foot to a tempo you didn't even know existed, and he's been doing it longer than your dad's been cheating on your mom. The first time I heard Melvin's drums I remember picturing the drummer lifting his sticks up to the ceiling to get the sheer volume of the drum sounds coming out, and that's basically what I see watching him play. Songs like "Bloated pope" have drum tracks that really blow me away.
Coady Willis is a bad ass. Drumming in bands like the Melvin's, White Shit, and Big Business, Coady never disappoints. I just saw Big Business open for the Sword a few weeks ago. Coady's kit was set up dead center on the Grog Shop stage, just about on the edge to make room for the other band's equipment. I had a perfect balance of his live drums, his monitors, and the PA for the audience. He kept to himself as he set up his own drum kit piece by piece. Before anyone even noticed the band was ready to play, Coady started fucking destroying his drums to start off the set.
These guys play their drums with balls, but weird balls. Did I just turn you on? Seeing two drummers play the exact same weirdo fills with the speed and force that they do will make your brain hurt. There's nothing that bothers me more than going to see a band with a drummer who looks bored or tired behind his kit. Well, any member of the band, but especially the drummer. I know you can't just be Animal back there every single song, but I feel like a solid drummer can make a decent band a bad ass band. I mean to me, everyone in the band should be on top of their game. You shouldn't need a flashy guitar player to make up for your socially awkward bassist who's too afraid to move on stage, everyone should be up there kicking ass.
Whether they're playing a straight beat or doing off tempo tom patterns, they're always playing as if it's the grand finale. Every snare hit, every ding and dang is played with such impressive accuracy yet aggression that I just start ejaculating everywhere. It's sort of embarrassing actually.. I always forget to wear semen-proof underwear when I see them play.
It's really as simple as playing your instrument how it should be played. You should treat your instruments ruggedly because that's what the fuck they're made for. It's weird to me seeing so many people get that wrong. Obviously you should have cases and tune the things, but I feel like so many drummers play like they're going to get in trouble if they play with them too loud. I feel as if it may be misunderstood that I don't understand the importance of dynamics, so I want to point that out again. You can't just break cymbals for every song.
Anyways, if you've read this far you clearly have some time on your hands so don't be a bird penis and watch the video of these guys nailing it with the Melvin's below:
-Novak
It's really as simple as playing your instrument how it should be played. You should treat your instruments ruggedly because that's what the fuck they're made for. It's weird to me seeing so many people get that wrong. Obviously you should have cases and tune the things, but I feel like so many drummers play like they're going to get in trouble if they play with them too loud. I feel as if it may be misunderstood that I don't understand the importance of dynamics, so I want to point that out again. You can't just break cymbals for every song.
Anyways, if you've read this far you clearly have some time on your hands so don't be a bird penis and watch the video of these guys nailing it with the Melvin's below: