Drummers on Drumming

What is up? Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

I decided to move this episode toward the top of the feed and revisit it.

Last weekend, Tim Very, the drummer for Manchester Orchestra, passed away. While we weren’t super close, we stayed in touch over the years. He was kind enough to be part of my first book, and he also came on the podcast to do a Big Fat Five. That’s what you’re going to hear today.

Going back and listening to this conversation was a real gift. Tim was such a creative drummer. Powerful, playful, and always deeply respectful of the song. He knew exactly where to sit in a part. You can hear how thoughtful he was, not just as a musician, but as a person.

Quick heads up about the audio. He was calling in from the back of his tour bus over Zoom. The Wi-Fi was rough. There’s some generator noise. The first half isn’t perfect, but what he says is worth it.

About halfway through, the connection dropped completely. And just to show you the kind of guy he was, he re-recorded his final three picks as voice notes and sent them to me so the episode could still come out on time.

That’s Tim.

I first saw him live at The Fillmore in Philadelphia in 2018. I didn’t buy a ticket. I was playing upstairs at The Foundry with my band. To get to our dressing room, we had to walk along a path overlooking the main room. Manchester Orchestra was sold out below us.

It’s either motivation or humiliation, depending on how your tour’s going.

But I remember watching him and thinking, this guy really understands how to serve a song.

So with that said, this is Tim Very’s Big Fat Five. The five records that helped shape his playing.

I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it inspires you the way it inspired me revisiting it.

TIM'S BIG FAT FIVE:

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Artist - Foo Fighters 

Album - The Colour and the Shape

Release Year - 1997 

Key Track - "Hey, Johnny Park!" 

Drummer - Dave Grohl / William Goldsmith

-

Artist - AC/DC

Album - Highway to Hell

Release Year - 1979

Key Track - "Highway to Hell"

Drummer - Phil Rudd

-

Artist - Wilco

Album - A Ghost is Born

Release Year - 2004

Key Track - "At Least That's What You Said"

Drummer - Glenn Kotche

-

Artist - The Refused

Album - The Shape of Punk To Come

Release Year - 1998

Key Track - "The Deadly Rhythm"

Drummer - David Sandström

-

Artist - Colour Revolt

Album - Plunder, Beg, and Curse

Release Year - 2008

Key Track - "Ageless Everytime"

Drummer - Len Clark

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today!

🎯 ⁠Click here to order now!⁠

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠ and follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, Twitter, and TikTok.
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Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

This episode is a new installment of The Drum Panel, and it’s Part One of Two diving into Chick Corea’s Cheap But Good Advice For Playing Music in a Group.

I’m joined by good friend of mine Rafa Vidal, who also plays with the band Almost Monday, who are currently killing it, and of course Eric Somers-Urrea is back on the panel. We start off reacting to a post from Tommy Igoe about drum education and who should really be setting the agenda in lessons. That opens the door to a bigger conversation about intention, listening, and what it actually means to function inside a band.

From there, we break down the first six pieces of Chick’s advice and what they look like in real life:


Play only what you hear.


If you don’t hear anything, don’t play anything.


Don’t let your fingers and limbs just wander—place them intentionally.


Don’t improvise endlessly—play something with intention, develop it or not, but then end off, take a break.


Leave space—create space—intentionally create places where you don’t play.


Make your sound blend. Listen to your sound and adjust it to the rest of the band and the room.

We also get into a Rafa's new endeavor called Touch Grooves. Check out more information on that HERE

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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Welcome back to Big Fat Five, a segment of Drummers on Drumming, powered by Big Fat Snare Drum. This episode is a first for the show. For the first time ever, Big Fat Five has two hosts. I explain it more at the top of the episode, but today Eric Urrea is joining me as a co-host. Eric’s someone I trust musically and personally, and having him in the room added a different kind of energy and flow that I really loved. It felt natural, and honestly, it raised the bar.

Our guest today is Patch Mahoney. Patch and I share the same lockout facility, and I walk past his room all the time. I’ve wanted to have him on the show for a while, not just because he’s a great drummer, but because he’s genuinely one of the nicest dudes around. Patch plays with Hilary Duff, Bebe Rexha, and many more and has built a career rooted in taste, feel, and adaptability. We sat down and talked through the records that helped shape him into the drummer he is today, and along the way we got into things like practice habits, recording yourself, restraint, gospel influence, drum tones, and how a drummer’s voice actually develops over time. And with that, here’s Patch Mahoney’s Big Fat Five.

PATCH'S BIG FAT FIVE:

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Artist – Tower Of Power

Album – Tower Of Power

Release Year – 1973

Key Track – “What Is Hip?”

Drummer – David Garibaldi

-

Artist – Steely Dan

Album – Aja

Release Year – 1977

Key Track – “Aja”

Drummer – Steve Gadd

-

Artist – Phoenix

Album – Bankrupt!

Release Year – 2013

Key Track – “Entertainment”

Drummer – Thomas Hedlund

-

Artist – Young The Giant

Album – Home Of The Strange

Release Year – 2016

Key Track – “Titus Was Born”

Drummer – Francois Comtois

-

Artist – Transformation Worship

Album – Overflow: The Album (Live)

Release Year – 2024

Key Track – “Impossible? (Nothing At All) – Live”

Drummer – Tony Taylor

-

Honorable Mentions:

Glory Sound Prep – Jon Bellion

Random Access Memories – Daft Punk

The Captain and Me – The Doobie Brothers

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Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum.

This week's Drum Panel features myself (Ben Hilzinger) alongside Eric Urrea (Marina City) and Gunnar Olsen (Puscifer) aka **The Dream Team**

We talk about:

The specific tools we each use to stay on top of gigs, holds, and payments

The not-so-obvious challenges of over-scheduling and saying “yes” to everything

Gunnar’s hot take on whether live percussionists should be allowed cymbals

How double-drummer bands actually work, including famous examples and personal wish lists

The real anxieties and logistics behind committing to tours vs. staying available for “dream” gigs or family

Practical advice for 22-year-old drummers moving to new cities—and why being physically local still matters for working players

Social media as a calling card: when it helps, when it’s oversaturated, and how to post for the gigs you want

---

Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
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Welcome back to Drummers on Drumming ... a podcast powered by Big Fat Snare Drum

This week’s Drum Panel has me joined by Mark Stepro and Kris Mazzarisi for a wide-ranging conversation about what happens when gigs fall through, routines get shaken, and you’re forced to rethink how you want to work and live as a drummer.

In this episode, we talk about:

How to respond when a major gig disappears

Why direct, personal outreach still beats mass posts

Aging, touring, and shifting priorities

Social media’s role vs real relationships

Practicing vs working, and why confusing them stalls growth

Tracking progress without over-measuring

Onstage anxiety, depersonalization, and mental spirals

Balancing family, business, touring, and sanity

Letting go of shame around how your brain works

Building a career that isn’t dependent on constant touring

---

Get Your Copy of the Drummers on Drumming Book Today

🎯 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to order now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Drummers on Drumming (the book) takes you inside the stories, records, and moments that shaped some of the world’s greatest drummers. Built on the Big Fat Five format of digging into top influences, it’s packed with candid interviews and personal insights. Whether you’re just starting out or have been playing for years, this book is here to inspire you to sharpen your skills and find your own voice behind the kit.

For more information on Big Fat Snare Drum, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.bigfatsnaredrum.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices