Drummer Blog | Jeff Consi | Melbourne, Australia

John Bonham

This is a drummer’s dream! A web site dedicated to streaming Led Zeppelin’s rough mixes, drum-only takes, rehearsals, and alternate takes. The ability to listen to John Bonham upclose is something a drummer should not take for granted. There is no other drummer that has even come close to his groove and feel. There are some gems for everyone at this site:

John Bonham / Led Zeppelin Sessions

Do yourself a favor and have a listen. The only drawback is that you will need to download the ‘non-standard’ RealOne Player if you don’t have it already. It’s not the most user-friendly music player to use, and the install can be a bit tricky if you don’t follow the instructions.

A very special thanks to Andrew Elledge for the Zep link!

Aura Bass Shaker

One of the drawbacks of using in-ear monitors is that you lose the feel, vibration, and air displacement of 15” wedges pointed at your body. So, when you hit the kick drum, you hear it, but don’t feel the thump. This can effect your playing a bit, especially if you like to dig into the kick drum and feel it through your body.

Enter the Aura Bass Shaker…

The Aura DSK-50 Bass Shaker is a sub speaker magnet that you can mount onto your drum throne, and when properly amplified, reproduces the low-end vibrations of the drum set. It doesn’t feel as great as a big fat wedge, but it does come in at a close second, I use two of them when doing large gigs. I power them with a little Behringer XENYX 802 mixer and an Alesis RA150 Reference Amplifier, all in a rack. All you need is a feed from the live stage mix, and away you go. This system works well, especially if you are trying to save your hearing by using an in-ear system.

Anyone interested in playing a drum machine like a real kit would love to see this one:

It’s a video of bassist Alvin Mills and an un-named drummer playing what looks like an old Alesis HR-16. They are doing a burning version of “Actual Proof” from Herbie Hancock’s Thrust record. Pretty cool. I am sure some DJs would love to work with this guy. Judging from his finger chops, he would be able to play some nasty break beats.

Special thanks to my good friend MAZ for the link! Maz also came up with the MySpace goods. The drummer’s name is D. Haynes:

http://www.myspace.com/dhaynesakafingerrs

Etymotic ER6

“What? Say that again please?” This is what I am sometimes forced to say, much to the dismay of whoever I am talking to, because I have a slight hearing loss from doing too many shows and rehearsals without protecting my ears. I have a constant, low volume, high-pitched ringing in my ears which actually gets louder if I am tired. In addition to the lovely ringing, I am sometimes unable to clearly differentiate T’s and D’s when listening to someone in a crowded environment. It’s not fun, for me, or anyone I talk to.

If you think you may have some hearing loss from prolonged exposure to loud music, it’s a good idea to get a hearing test from an audiologist. Another thing you may want to look into are in-ear monitors or professional musician ear plugs. I use the Etymotic ER-25 for gigs. They are earplugs that cut dB instead of muffling the sound like foam earplugs do.

If you use an iPod, ditch those Apple ear buds and check out the Etymotic ER-6i, which are in-ear buds that cut out nearly 30dB of external noise, so you can listen to music clearly, at a lower volume. Any of the Shure in-ears work well too. Then there are the high-end Sensaphonics, which can be custom moulded to your ears. In-ears in general take a bit of getting used to, but they sound amazing without killing your ears.

While I was in the market for a new drum rug, which can be quite expensive, I stumbled upon these mini $2 door mats from Ikea. They were perfect. They were black, light weight, and they had non-slip rubber underneath. I thought to myself, “What if I could somehow string these together, and get them to fold neatly into a trap case?” And, that is just what I did.

I scooped up 8 of these IKEA BORRIS door mats, brought them home, lined them up in two groups of four mats each, and applied good old black duct/gaffer tape to them. I wrapped the tape around the top and bottom to make sure it would hold securely, leaving about .5cm in between so you could fold it with ease. When you need to use them, you just line the both of them up together and set up your kit. Works a treat. See figure A.

So, for $16 and a little duct tape, you can have a rug that folds up into one of your cases for those gigs where you show up and find the drummer’s worst nightmare… the slippery, hard wood floor!

Billy Preston

Hearing that Billy Preston had past away really hit home. He was a favourite around the house when I was younger. “Nothing from Nothing” and “Will It Go Round In Circles” have always been favorites of mine, but it wasn’t until much later that I found out that he was a highly sought after player for the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Eric Clapton. I was fortunate enough to actually see him live in 2000 with Clapton in Boston. It was a smooth show, especially with Steve Gadd on the kit. Billy Preston was a free, inspiring musician.

Rest in peace Billy Preston…

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings

Last weekend we went to catch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Prince of Wales here in Melbourne. We had been hearing these rave reviews for about a week before the show, so we were hoping it wouldn’t spoil it if they weren’t as good as everyone was saying they were. Even radio DJs were betting that it was the best show they had seen all year, and you know they must see quite a few.

From the first note this band had the entire audience in the palm of their hands. Every tune they played was as if it came down from somewhere up above and blessed the audience with groove. I have never seen a band switch gears so effortlessly before, and Sharon Jones delivered it all with a smile. She knows. It’s the only way to describe her. She just knows music and life. And what a voice.

The band were first rate, dressed in suits, and played in the pocket all night long. The drummer played kick, snare, hats, and a crash/ride. That’s it! He turned it out though, especially with such a mean left hand. I think every drummer should try that setup sometime, it’s a true test to see how musical you can be. Sounds like it would be easy, but it isn’t.

The band was headed to Europe next. If they come to your city, or you see that name somewhere in your city, go buy tickets. You will witness a true celebration of music, in the form of a nasty, funk & soul review.

Robert Palmer

Forget everything you think of Robert Palmer from the 80’s and 90’s. “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” is a true 70’s New Orleans-flavored funk masterpiece in every way. Vocal, melodies, music, production… they are all bad to the bone. Not to mention the fact that the band is a mix of The Meters and Little Feat. Zigaboo Modeliste! Every drummer should know that name if they don’t already. He is a drumming pioneer.

Robert Palmer is so smooth as well. It’s probably safe to say that he gives one of the best vocal performances ever recorded. This was when rock stars were actually real stars, the genuine thing. It is pure talent. Purely musical. They aren’t trying to be anything, they’re just playing from the heart. You can actually feel it. Lowell George’s guitar parts on this record go where most musicians can only dream of. Truly. And when you listen with headphones, this record is like an orgasm of instruments and vocals filling your ears.

[Please stand]

The Lord is my drummer, I shall not rush.
He maketh me to lay out in tasteful places
He leadeth me beside cool meter changes
He restoreth my “one”.

Yeah man, though I read through the trickiest of charts,
I will fear no train wrecks.
For You are with it.
Your ride and Your snare, they comfort me

You setteth up a solo for me
In the presence of mine guitarists.
You annointeth my lines with drive.
My groove overfloweth.

Surely good feel and swing will follow me
through all the tunes of each set.
And I will dwell in the pocket
the whole gig long.

Amen.

In The Jungle Groove

It has been a while. I’m finally back to posting again after a long holiday on the north coast of New South Wales. Up and down the East Coast of Australia is just amazing. It’s all beach! Boogie boards, fishing, swimming, walking, lovely!

It’s been a while since I wrote about a great funk CD, so I thought this one would put the grease back in your stride! It’s James Brown’s In the Jungle Groove. This CD was James Brown’s transition from soul to funk, and this record solidified it. I think the album cover says it all. One of the best in my collection.

In the Jungle Groove is a pinnacle album for drummers because it contains two versions of “Funky Drummer”, a song with the baddest beat in the entire world. It’s certainly the most sampled beat ever. Funky Drummer contains the Clyde Stubblefield drum break that has been almost a foundation for hip-hop. It is the supreme drum loop! Full stop. This CD is worthy of a purchase just to learn that lick. And with an all-star cast of players, the entire album is bangin’ and in the pocket from start to finish.