Working with Steve Smith,Derek Roddy and Michael Barker Tomorrow

[joelplagues]

For those who Don't know these guys are all expert drummers in their own right

Steve Smith:Most notibely Journey aswell as Vital Information and Jazz Legacy
Derek Roddy:Hate Eternal,played with Nile, and now Serpents Rise and Traumedy
Michael Barker:Ex John Butler Trio and Split Enz

So every year Drum Scene Magazine hosts an Australian tour featuring 3 major drummers for the Drum Scene Live Clinic.

Fortunatley for me the head lecturer where I study is one of the biggest sound guys in Australia and does the Brisbane show all the time, so he has invited me along to help out.

I'll mainly just be micing up all the kits and patching everything but I get to be there from the start of the day and watch Steve Smith tune and set up his drums. He has been really specific with his rider which is awesome and says that to setup he will need 3 hours. It's gonna be phenomenal so see how someone of his calibre sets this up and maybe gets some tips.

otherwise its gonna be hell rad to meet these guys and watch them play.

 

[Morgan C]

Don't know the other two, but Derek Roddy is a god. 250bpm+ double kicks WITHOUT TRIGGERS is just insane. Plus he's really musical too. Post any tips you learn here!

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Derek Roddy is amazing, not just for speed, but consistency. Maybe if you lick him, you will get magical drum powers. Its worth a try

 

[Metal Overload]

Dude, Steve Smith, don´t judge him just by journey, he`s a GOD at the kit.

 

[updog]

Great names man, congrats and have fun!

 

[Harry Hughes]

Goddamn, sounds like it's gonna be wicked!

 

[Atheist]

He is setting his kit by himself? No roadie?

 

[DestroyTheColossus]

Steve Smith in Vital Information FTW!! My favorite jazz band.

 

[SimonTaddio_Qc]

I've attended a drum clinic with Derek Roddy at Steve's Music Store in Montreal a couple years ago, it was amazing. He's a cyborg on the kit, I've learned a lot, and I don't even play the drums.

 

[joelplagues]

Dude, Steve Smith, don´t judge him just by journey, he`s a GOD at the kit.

I know how amazing Steve Smith is, it was so people who didnt know might take a second look.

He is setting his kit by himself? No roadie?

every guy got designated a "roadie" or 2. very talented drum tech's, Steve Tunes it mainly by himself beating it from every angle possible with some kind of felt mallet(dont beat me up if its wrong im not a drummer.)

Don't know the other two, but Derek Roddy is a god. 250bpm+ double kicks WITHOUT TRIGGERS is just insane. Plus he's really musical too. Post any tips you learn here!

derek was UBER cool had a chat with him after the show about snake smuggling of all things and other stupid shit. he played alot of really cool stuff all to backing tracks, did some awesome swing stuff over some brutal metal tracks.

during question time he brought up that he doesn't and has never trained for speed. it just something he noticed because the music he was playing required fast drums so he just played them. he also isnt too over the top with style/technique he mention that his left heel seems to be higher than his right when doing double bass but because he can play fine and he is "pretty Sure" his timing is correct he isnt going to go out of the way to reteach himself just so his feet are level.

someone also notice his blasting technique. he places his index finger on top of the stick while blasting purely as a sound issue. its not that he is using the finger to blast its that the finger on top creates a different sound that he likes so he blasts that way.

(i spent alot of time on dereks kit because i was in charge of micing it and patching it all.)

derek does use triggers(not performance enhancing ones, i.e I kick once this thing plays 4 times. just augmentation. he has signature kick pedals which have some form of trigger embedded in the pedal. he runs out of that and into i beleive a roland unit and then mono out of that. the trigger is blended with both kick mics aswell.

something derek does for getting things in unison for control of all sorts of things is he picks a rythm usually something like 5 hits. plays it on his kicks and hands and tries to play a little out of his comfort zone tempo wise.

PTC Steve Smith was amazing. the mans control of the drum kit is incredible.

also if you have seen his video on youtube called mr hi hat. you'll dig this. apparently steve hasn't done it since whenever that video was filmed and the host of the event actually asked if he would do it for us....HE DID and it was incredible. although he did almost stop because people were trying to film.

michael barker was really cool aswell doing some awesome pitch bending and flawless percussion stuff on another kit. really nice guy aswell

 

[Ol'Dirty Bastard]

Tips and video footage would be dank... Never get tired of watching Derek drum cam videos etc, my pals is NASTY. Everything from straight blasts to his crazy polyrhythms is amazing, I wish I could play like him :/ haha.

 

[JMarz]

Fuuuuck man, I thought you meant Steve Smyth for a second

Almost creamed, but awesome shit nonetheless!

 

[joelplagues]

Fuuuuck man, I thought you meant Steve Smyth for a second

Almost creamed, but awesome shit nonetheless!

ahaha that would be awesome. hopefully some guitar clinic comes along that I get invited too