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"Be awesome and just be different from every other drummer"
Tama hardware; Iron Cobra pedal; Pro-Mark All Natural Series 2B sticks; Buttkicker (Luke has his stool backwards so the Buttkicker “gets right up in the mix”); heads: Remo–Weatherking Emperor X on snare; Coated Emperors on toms
“Going back to when I was playing drums when I was younger, my dad was a manager and he said, ‘A drummer is the guy that sits at the back and stares at the arse of the guy that’s going to sack him. So make yourself unsackable!’
“And I was like, 'How the f**k am I going to make myself unsackable?' And he was like, ’Be awesome and just be different from every other drummer.’ And back then, I can’t remember any real showmen other than Keith Moon. And I love Keith Moon. His beats and idea of being behind the drums was nuts, and I loved Bonham.
“Jimmy Chamberlin’s my favourite drummer of all time. I used to play to every Smashing Pumpkins album, but he’s not really a showman - he’s like Mr Rudiments where I feel I’m more a visual drummer. And that comes from my dad saying be unsackable.
“So when I was younger I used to stand up and kick my drums over and be a little more wild. Then it kind of calmed down a bit. When I joined Amen, Casey [Chaos, Amen frontman] said, ‘Watch videos of [Godsmack’s] Shannon Larkin - play like him.’ And because I was young and just wanted to be in this Californian punk band I watched a lot of Shannon’s videos.
“Shannon is an absolutely fantastic drummer, and he’s got this weird robotic style. So I kind of pilfered a few things from him, y’know? And I feel it’s all incorporated into my thing.”
Now check out Rhythm’s new Issue 204 for an exclusive interview with the legendary Vinnie Colaiuta. Or subscribe to Rhythm here for a monthly dose of new gear reviews, kit buying guides, pro drum lessons and all-star interviews.
Liked this? Now read: Drum kits of the pros: stars' live and studio drum setups in pictures
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