Peterson's Drum Blog
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Inside Drummer - Vinny Appice
Vinny is a major rock icon who we are very proud to have come to the site and be interviewed. Please enjoy.
Petersons Drun Blog:
What was your first drum set?
Vinny Appice:
My first set was a Carmine hand me down. Gretsch red sparkle.
PDB:
When you were 9, you took drum lessons from the same teacher Carmine had. Did he teach you anything before or after that time.VA:
Carmine was always on the road but when he did come by he showed me a few licks here and there.
PDB:
Who was your teacher and what did you admire most about his teaching?VA:
His name is Dick Benett. He was a great teacher, he had patience and he knew when you didn't practice the leassons.
He was also a great jazz drummer so when he played it was inspiring and made me want to practice.
PDB:
In 1980 you joined Black Sabbath on their Heaven and Hell tour, what was the tour like, being your first that big?VA:
Before that I played with Derringer and we were the opening band for Aerosmith and Boston so I was experienced in playing big halls.
With Sabbath I was now the headliner so it was a lot cooler!
PDB:
In 81' you appeared on the Sabbath album Mob Rules and then played on Live Evil in 82'. What kit did you use on those recordings and any reason why you choose those?VA:
I was endorsed by Ludwig, at that time they were the best and that's what I used on those albums and tours. I loved the sound.
PDB:
In 1992 you rejoined Black Sabbath, with Ronnie James Dio, for the Dehumanizer tour. What was it like for you to get back on stage with those guys after so many years.VA:
Well it's always amazing to play with these guys. They practically invented heavy music. It's playing with the best of the best! Total pros!
PDB:
How many instructional drumming videos have you released?
VA:
1
PDB:
Why do you choose to play single bass insted of double?VA:
Always did. I have a pretty fast, loud right foot and I intend to keep it that way by not becoming reliant on another bassdrum or pedal to fill up.
PDB:
You play a lot of clinics, what has been your favorite so far?VA:
I love doing clinics, there are no favs. They are all fun to do. I like meeting and talking to the people afterwards. After all if if weren't for them I would be here playing all these years.
PDB:
Have you or are you ever going to release a self titled solo album?VA:
No. I am a team playing a band member. I don't need a cd call VA etc to get off.
I just like to play in a kick ass band together and give it 110%!!
Link:
To find out more about Vinny, go to
http://www.vinnyappice.com/
or add him on Myspace,
http://www.myspace.com/vinnieappice
Or go to Vinny's Inside Drummer page: Click Here
Labels: interview, Vinny Appice interview
Friday, May 16, 2008
New to the site...
We have added a new calendar to the site. This is so you can see what's is going on and what is coming soon.
Go check it out!
http://peterson.ulmb.com/calendar.html
Go check it out!
http://peterson.ulmb.com/calendar.html
Labels: new calendar
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Updates v.3 BIG news! (Read!)
To start off..
Bad News,
No marching section coming soon! That was an idea that went down the tubes, but I have not yet given up hope on it. So maybe you will see it later on in time, but I'll keep you posted on that news.
Another thing is, we are still having a problem with pop ups on the Inside Drummer page. Plus, the contact forms. Please forgive us for this problem, that can not be fixed.
And then the better news...
We have gotten a lot of great feedback from the Liberty DeVitto interview and the first Gig Talk. So much feedback, that people are starting to demand more interviews. So I have decided to switch the main reason for the website. It is now all about interviews and teaching about drums, insted of drum news all the time. So, to kick off this new switch, we will have 3 interviews from huge names in the business. But if I told you who they are, then that would take the fun out of it! Please do come back and see what's going on here!
and Dont Forget...
Gig Talk is always taking new storys from new and old drummers. If you send us a story, it will be posted. Last months was a very good post, I really want to say the same about this month to!
Contact Us
I love hearing from you! So contact us...
Add Us!
petersonsdrumblog@gmail.com
Bad News,
No marching section coming soon! That was an idea that went down the tubes, but I have not yet given up hope on it. So maybe you will see it later on in time, but I'll keep you posted on that news.
Another thing is, we are still having a problem with pop ups on the Inside Drummer page. Plus, the contact forms. Please forgive us for this problem, that can not be fixed.
And then the better news...
We have gotten a lot of great feedback from the Liberty DeVitto interview and the first Gig Talk. So much feedback, that people are starting to demand more interviews. So I have decided to switch the main reason for the website. It is now all about interviews and teaching about drums, insted of drum news all the time. So, to kick off this new switch, we will have 3 interviews from huge names in the business. But if I told you who they are, then that would take the fun out of it! Please do come back and see what's going on here!
and Dont Forget...
Gig Talk is always taking new storys from new and old drummers. If you send us a story, it will be posted. Last months was a very good post, I really want to say the same about this month to!
Contact Us
I love hearing from you! So contact us...
Add Us!
petersonsdrumblog@gmail.com
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Gig Talk
Well, for the first post in our Gig Talk, we have some good storys!
If you would like to submit a story, please do so by emailing us in our email form. You can find a link to that to the left of this post.
Tarik
Well, on March 21st, my band SHAPSHOOTER had a show in West Chester, PA at Fennario. It took forever to get there because I-95 was crowded due to the millions of people leaving Christiana mall. So, on top of getting there half an hour late, we saw the venue and it couldn't have been more than fifteen feet wide. But, we made due, accepting the teeny "stage" area and having a great first show anyway. Until the end of the night when the guy who was running the show just left without paying any of the bands at all. Needless to say, we were all pissed. But there was nothing we could do about it. We still played a great show and had fun, which just goes to show you that even assholes can't get in the way of having a great time!
Josh
I went to a block party where my dad's girlfriend's (mouthful I know) son, Paul was playing with a band. All of these musicians were older in their 30's while I was just 15. Well Paul knew that I played drums and decided that he was gonna call me up to play a few tunes with the band. I was called up unexpectedly and all the buzzed adults around were all cheering. I sat down behind the kit and played a quick little fill and it got quiet. The band told me we were gonna play "Mustang Sally", a song which I didn't really know the structure of, so i asked the drummer what the beat was. He gave me a verbal example and the band started to play. I kicked and everyone looked a little surprised that this "young kid" was playing, apparently, very confidently. I played through the song and then we proceeded to play Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused." After I finished I got off the set and bunch of people I didn't know were coming up to me giving m e compliments and what not. One guy even went as far to say that I sounded "like Bonham" (psh as if.) Even so it was nice to hear these things. Being a drummer I hated the way I played and pointed out everything I did wrong to my Dad. But all in all it was a great experience and nice to get some kind of reputation with older more experienced musicians. If any of you other drummers get the opportunity to sit in with a band, I highly suggest you take it. The experience is priceless.
Carl
I was playing a gig back in the 80's with my band ROCK ISLAND"..Smokin trio band BTW..Anyhow, I really liked this hot girl and she came to the gig...The theatre was packed to the walls...It was my time to show of..I did this wicked drum solo..I was breaking sticks left and right and just throwing them out to the audience..The place was on fire..Just me killing it on a solo..Anyhow...later after the show I was looking for this chick...Couldn't find her...I later found out that she took her mom to the show that nite,and she later took her to the ER cause out of 800 or so people,HER mom got hit directly in the head with 3 of my razor sharp broken sticks...Oh well...Never even got a kiss from her...Her mom wanted me dead...Don't know if thats a cool story or a cruel story...
Stefan Ray
Well, I guess when we all start playing drums we dream of playing to sold out arenas, huge drum solos, and travel the world. Can you picture yourself doing that? I was told a long time ago that if I could picture it in my head it was possible.
Fast Forward 19 years and there I was. Walking across the stage of Shania Twains stage to do the sound check on my kit inside Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville,FL. It was a hot July afternoon, but I could not even think about the heat. I was about 4 hours away from playing in front of the biggest crowd I had ever seen from behind a kit.
The stage is near the East endzone and there are people milling about out on the field and around the sound engineer. As I started hitting everything individually I was blown away by the sound. The kick drum actually did sound like cannon's going off in the empty stadium. Then the sound engineer gives me the signal to start playing around on the whole ki t to make sure it all sounds good. It was like a dream. It's 90 degrees outside and I do not even notice it. This got me really anxious for the actual concert. Shane Minor was the opening act for Shania and that is who I was playing for. I was filling in for his drummer.
The concert started a little late, but when the lights came up I couldn't see anything at first. All I could hear were my monitors and my drums were actually kicking my butt through the monitors. The monitors were so loud I knew I was going to have permanent hearing damage before the night was over. As the night went on and it actually got dark I could see the crowd really well. It was packed. Lighters blaring, people singing and screaming, and everyone swaying to the grove I was laying down. It is the most adrenaline pumping thing I have ever experienced in my life. It's like I was controlling all 50,000 people inside that place. It took me back to when I was in my room pretending I was Peter Cr iss jamming out to Kiss tunes in front of what seemed like the world at that age. I will never forget that day and night. It was the turning point for me. I got to experience a dream while I was awake. There is not a feeling like it in the world accept for when I get to hug my wife and hold my kids. They are another dream I experience while I am awake. Well, that is my coolest gig up until today. I hope you enjoyed it and remember, if you can see it, it can happen.
If you would like to submit a story, please do so by emailing us in our email form. You can find a link to that to the left of this post.
Tarik
Well, on March 21st, my band SHAPSHOOTER had a show in West Chester, PA at Fennario. It took forever to get there because I-95 was crowded due to the millions of people leaving Christiana mall. So, on top of getting there half an hour late, we saw the venue and it couldn't have been more than fifteen feet wide. But, we made due, accepting the teeny "stage" area and having a great first show anyway. Until the end of the night when the guy who was running the show just left without paying any of the bands at all. Needless to say, we were all pissed. But there was nothing we could do about it. We still played a great show and had fun, which just goes to show you that even assholes can't get in the way of having a great time!
Josh
I went to a block party where my dad's girlfriend's (mouthful I know) son, Paul was playing with a band. All of these musicians were older in their 30's while I was just 15. Well Paul knew that I played drums and decided that he was gonna call me up to play a few tunes with the band. I was called up unexpectedly and all the buzzed adults around were all cheering. I sat down behind the kit and played a quick little fill and it got quiet. The band told me we were gonna play "Mustang Sally", a song which I didn't really know the structure of, so i asked the drummer what the beat was. He gave me a verbal example and the band started to play. I kicked and everyone looked a little surprised that this "young kid" was playing, apparently, very confidently. I played through the song and then we proceeded to play Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused." After I finished I got off the set and bunch of people I didn't know were coming up to me giving m e compliments and what not. One guy even went as far to say that I sounded "like Bonham" (psh as if.) Even so it was nice to hear these things. Being a drummer I hated the way I played and pointed out everything I did wrong to my Dad. But all in all it was a great experience and nice to get some kind of reputation with older more experienced musicians. If any of you other drummers get the opportunity to sit in with a band, I highly suggest you take it. The experience is priceless.
Carl
I was playing a gig back in the 80's with my band ROCK ISLAND"..Smokin trio band BTW..Anyhow, I really liked this hot girl and she came to the gig...The theatre was packed to the walls...It was my time to show of..I did this wicked drum solo..I was breaking sticks left and right and just throwing them out to the audience..The place was on fire..Just me killing it on a solo..Anyhow...later after the show I was looking for this chick...Couldn't find her...I later found out that she took her mom to the show that nite,and she later took her to the ER cause out of 800 or so people,HER mom got hit directly in the head with 3 of my razor sharp broken sticks...Oh well...Never even got a kiss from her...Her mom wanted me dead...Don't know if thats a cool story or a cruel story...
Stefan Ray
Well, I guess when we all start playing drums we dream of playing to sold out arenas, huge drum solos, and travel the world. Can you picture yourself doing that? I was told a long time ago that if I could picture it in my head it was possible.
Fast Forward 19 years and there I was. Walking across the stage of Shania Twains stage to do the sound check on my kit inside Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville,FL. It was a hot July afternoon, but I could not even think about the heat. I was about 4 hours away from playing in front of the biggest crowd I had ever seen from behind a kit.
The stage is near the East endzone and there are people milling about out on the field and around the sound engineer. As I started hitting everything individually I was blown away by the sound. The kick drum actually did sound like cannon's going off in the empty stadium. Then the sound engineer gives me the signal to start playing around on the whole ki t to make sure it all sounds good. It was like a dream. It's 90 degrees outside and I do not even notice it. This got me really anxious for the actual concert. Shane Minor was the opening act for Shania and that is who I was playing for. I was filling in for his drummer.
The concert started a little late, but when the lights came up I couldn't see anything at first. All I could hear were my monitors and my drums were actually kicking my butt through the monitors. The monitors were so loud I knew I was going to have permanent hearing damage before the night was over. As the night went on and it actually got dark I could see the crowd really well. It was packed. Lighters blaring, people singing and screaming, and everyone swaying to the grove I was laying down. It is the most adrenaline pumping thing I have ever experienced in my life. It's like I was controlling all 50,000 people inside that place. It took me back to when I was in my room pretending I was Peter Cr iss jamming out to Kiss tunes in front of what seemed like the world at that age. I will never forget that day and night. It was the turning point for me. I got to experience a dream while I was awake. There is not a feeling like it in the world accept for when I get to hug my wife and hold my kids. They are another dream I experience while I am awake. Well, that is my coolest gig up until today. I hope you enjoyed it and remember, if you can see it, it can happen.
Labels: gig talk 1