Five drummers to check out from this month's Rhythm

Patrick Carney

The Black Keys have achieved phenomenal success in the last few years, with their latest album El Camino picking up Brit and Grammy awards. But Patrick Carney, the drumming half of the blues-rock duo, reveals in Rhythm this month that he’s never learned how to play a paradiddle.

“Because I never took lessons, I approach drums from a more simplistic point of view. I don’t know how to do a paradiddle, I really don’t! That’s not necessarily a good thing, it’s just one of the limitations I have. I think it’s cool to approach stuff from your own point of view. I’ve taught myself everything.”

Read more about Patrick’s unique approach to drums in this month’s Rhythm! In the meantime, here’s Patrick with partner Dan Auerbach peforming on Letterman:

Tico Torres

Bon Jovi’s veteran hitmaker is still playing to stadiums after 30 years with the New Jersey rockers. In this month’s Rhythm, Tico recalls his start on the drums, how he first hooked up with Bon Jovi, jamming with Miles Davis and the huge success of Slippery When Wet.

Of that album’s recording, Tico reveals: “Slippery… came together and we did the rhythm tracks in three days, boom, boom, boom. When you have a good song you don’t need to take the time putting a round peg in a square hole.”

Read more of the interview with Tico in Rhythm, on the shelves right now!

Rhythm took a tour of Tico’s set up in 2011, with his tech, JD:

Rob Needham

Rob Needham, drummer with rising UK metallers Burials powers the band’s in-your-face mix of 21st Century metal and brutal 1980s hardcore. His frighteningly quick kick work, combined with his love of Van Halen, Zeppelin and the drum work of Portnoy and Peart, make him a drummer to watch out for.

“If you like bands like Architects, Devil Sold His Soul and Oh Sleeper, then you might like what we do!” he tells Rhythm this month. “I am a drummer who would rather play something tasteful within my comfort zone rather than try and stand out from the rest of the band with over-the-top theatrics.”

Read more about Rob and Burials in the Introducing section of this month’s mag.

Here’s the band’s video for ‘The Haunting’:

Brian Tichy

The Whitesnake drummer put together the Natal Bonzo Bash at this year’s NAMM, and Rhythm were present to film much of it and interview some of the drummers taking part as they came off stage. Among those performances were Nicko McBrain doing ‘Immigrant Song’, Dave Lombardo doing ‘Down By The Seaside’, Simon Phillips doing ‘Trampled Underfoot’ and Mike Portnoy doing ‘How Many More Times’. Brian himself did a fantastic version of ‘Rock And Roll’. The drummers talk us through what Bonham means to them and how they emulate their hero on the kit in our Play Like Bonham cover feature! You can see the videos with the enhanced Newsstand edition of this month’s mag. Meantime, check out Brian in action for Whitesnake.

Sam Doyle

“I’ve always been quite a traditionalist drummer,” Maccabees sticksman Sam Doyle tells Rhythm this month, “I’ve always admire the acoustic-ness of drums and the sound and timbre of them.” However, he admits that for his gig with the Brighton indie rock outfit, he’s brought a few programmed beats to the stage too. “You find that there are some things you can’t do without and you can’t physically play so you have to resort to tracks.”

The results are undoubtedly great, as you can tell from this clip of Sam in action with the Maccabees. Read more of Sam’s interview in April’s Rhythm!