2012 - a year in Rhythm

Maybe you're new to Rhythm, or you skipped an issue or two of 2012, we've rounded up some of the highlights from last year's mags. You can still get back issues - many enhanced with video and audio - for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch from Apple Newsstand, and select print back issues frommyfavouritemagazines.co.uk.

Read on to check out what we did last year...

Vinnie Colauita reflects on his amazing career

Legend isn’t too strong a superlative for Vinnie Colauita. One of the world’s most revered session drummers, Vinnie has played for Sting, Frank Zappa, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck and more. As you’d expect, he had much information and valuable experience to impart.

“When you’re young, you think you’re a hot-shot, ready for everything because because you’ve played along to records and learnt all those little tricks. But here’s the thing –you don’t know how and why those drummers played what they did until you have the benefit of experience. I’ve sweated blood – literally – and put a lot of work into what I do.”

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All the year's big drum news covered

Rhythm spoke to the men responsible for assembling an army of 1,000 drummers for the Olympics opening ceremony. Their story – and that of the 1,000 drummers – in pictures featured in issue 207, September 2012. We were also there with coverage of the Roland V-Drums Championships, the NAMM gear show in LA, Young Drummer Of The Year, the Stick It To MS record-breaking drum event and the Buddy Rich memorial concert in London to mark 25 years since the great man’s passing.

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New talent

Rival Sons’ Michael Miley, Rise Against’s Brendan Barnes, Lower Than Atlantis’ Eddy Thrower, Every Time I Die’s Ryan Leger, Architects’ Dan Searle, Brand New’s Brian Lane, Periphery’s Matt Halpern, Ben Thompson from Two Door Cinema Club and You Me At Six’s Dan Flint were all interviewed in Rhythm in 2012. In addition, we introduced you to no less than 62 new drummers in our regular Introducing section of the mag, covering new bands and the sticksmen driving them.

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Drum Heroes

The Rhythm Interview – in which, if you didn’t know, we talk through the careers of great sticksmen – in 2012 featured Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Ginger Baker (Cream), Kenney Jones (Small Faces), Paul Cook (Sex Pistols), Bill Gibson (Huey Lewis & The News), Jerry Shirley (Humble Pie), Carl Palmer (ELP), John Coghlan (Status Quo), Vinnie Paul (Pantera) and more.

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The story of a Brit drum icon

Rhythm was allowed full access to the Premier archives as the Brit drum-maker celebrated 90 years, revealing some great pics of Keith Moon at the factory, classic shots from the Premier catalogues and more. We also enlisted the help of Premier-loving sticksmen Kenney Jones, Bobby Elliott, Clem Burke, Nicko McBrain and Chris Sharrock who told us why they love the marque.

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A year of great tuition

Among the tunes you could learn from Rhythm in 2012 were tracks by Toots & The Maytals, Queen, Bloc Party, Deftones, Arctic Monkeys, Small Faces, You Me At Six, Marilyn Manson, Foo Fighters, Rival Sons, Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, The Killers, Jimmy Cliff, Dave Matthews Band, Paramore, Black Veil Brides, Ray Charles, Foo Fighters, The Cure, Adele, Stevie Wonder and more. On top of this was a year’s top tuition from our team of brilliant drum tutors.

Gear of the year

We brought you in-depth reviews of all of 2012’s best new gear, from kits to percussion, hardware to cymbals and more. Last year, Rhythm's team of expert reviewers looked at: Roland TD-11K, TD-11KV and HD-3 kits, Pearl’s Throne Thumper, Lion cajons, Spaun’s Custom LED Kit, Yamaha DTX540K, Zildjian K Constantinoples, Alesis Samplepad, Sabian Holy Chinas, Pearl Tru Track Pack heads, Yamaha Bebop kit, Natal American Walnut Kit, Istanbul ART20 cymbals, Pearl Ian Paice Signature kit, the Jojo Mayer Perfect Balance pedal, Ludwig Club Date kit, AD Custom snares, Dream Dark Matter cymbals, Toca congos and bongos and tons more!

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Make money playing drums

In issues 204-206 (July, August, Summer 2012) James Hester presented a three-part guide on how to set yourself up as a remote session drummer, covering everything from building your own studio to recording and miking up your kit to nailing the tracks as your clients demand. James enlisted the help of some industry experts such as session players Ralph Salmins, Russ Miller and Emre Ramazanoglu, as well as Rhythm CD editor Pete Riley.

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Stewart Copeland, still loving the drums

The legendary sticksmen reflected on his career with The Police, the band’s legacy and his latter involvement with film and composition.

“There’s great power in music that’s established,” said Stewart of the enduring power of The Police’s music and their 2007 reunion. “An old oak tree just has more gravitas than a new sapling. That music has just gathered power, and wo when we come together, we’re recreating something that already exists. We’re performing a powerful, moving ceremony.”

On the subject of Police reunions, Copeland also hinted that, “I wouldn be surprised if we don’t do it again sometime.”

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Tips and advice for drummers

Throughout 2012, Rhythm was full of useful tips about how to drum and peform better…

Gareth Dylan Smith’s column Going Pro featured advice on how to nail everything from practising to grooving in 6/8. Every month of 2012, a name drummer gave us their top five tips on everything from adding electronics (Ray Luzier), via being in a tribute band (Paul Bonney, Australian Pink Floyd) to punk drumming (Bad Religion’s Brooks Wackerman). Plus we aimed to pack our pages with as many useful snippets of advice we could!

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