Dave Grohl talks drums, Them Crooked vultures

"I [Dave Grohl] sat down and started playing, John [Paul Jones] locked in, Josh [Homme] joined in and that was it - we knew that we had something." That 'something' turned out to be Them Crooked Vultures…

Following Guitarist Magazine's axe-centric low-down, our friends at Rhythm have secured the drum world's biggest scoop in years: not only is Dave Grohl back behind the kit; he's back behind the kit and loving it. And Rhythm have got the exclusive TCV drumming interview.

"My priority was just to have a great sound, I didn't want the drums to be too effected, or too mechanical," said Grohl on the recording process of Them Crooked Vultures self-titled debut.

"There was a smaller room with an old red Ludwig in, that the three of us would cram ourselves into, and then there was a larger room with a bigger '80s Gretsch," recalled Grohl on Josh Homme's Pink Duck studio.

"The basic tracking for drums, bass and guitar on all the songs is live performance - it's the three of us playing off each other. There's no click, no gridding or stuff like that. We'd just hit the red button and go…"

Dave Grohl's drum setup

The news that'll really get drum-fans salivating, however, is Rhythm's exclusive skinny on Them Crooked Vultures' drum setup. And who better to tell it than Dave Grohl's personal drum tech, Gersh.

"I wanted to combine all that we'd done in the studio into one kit," said Gersh on Grohl's live setup. "We decided on DW's Jazz Series shells; old technology, new design."

"We made a 24" bass drum, 12", 13" and 14" tom-toms, 16" and 18" floor toms and a 20" gong drum. Dave had used a gong drum on Warsaw Or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up, and it became an integral part of the kit."

You can read the full interviews with Dave Grohl and Gersh plus see exclusive pictures of Them Crooked Vultures' live drum setup in the current issue of Rhythm Magazine, available now. Or subscribe to Rhythm here.