Drum Dog Podcast

Drum Dog

The Drum Dog Podcast goes deep on the instrument we love. In our interviews, we sit down with world-class drummers, from session players to festival headliners, for honest, unhurried conversations about their playing, their careers and the craft behind the kit. Guests include Bill Bruford, Gavin Harrison Antonio Sánchez, and Mel Gaynor.On 'The Back Beat', our weekly format, Dan talks spotlights drummers worth your attention, goes through albums that are must-listens, worthwhile gear, and think-pieces to ruminate on. Hit follow so you don't miss any drum chat.Drum Dog is the UK membership platform for drummers, combining world-class lesson packs, live events, gear discounts, and an ad-free community. Join at drumdog.com

  1. 2d ago

    Anika Nilles: The YouTube Drummer Who Joined Rush

    Full video essay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNJzWNIoiHg&t Anika Nilles went from a preschool classroom in Germany to a viral YouTube video, Jeff Beck's final touring band and Neil Peart's seat in Rush. In this video I look at how she got there, and what it takes to play a feel that isn't naturally yours. Anika was picked by the Patreon community as the next drummer I cover. Want a vote on who's next? Join here:   / offbeatmusic  Chapters: 00:00 The Name Geddy Half Remembered 01:19 Early Start & YouTube 04:05 The Beck Call 05:57 Joining Rush 07:14 Anika's Technique & Style Support Anna's journey to Berklee! - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-anna-... 🌏 The biggest protection in the game! Upgrade your online protection with an all-in-one security app! Get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/special/?utm_medi.... It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee! For any enquiries: offbeatmusicchannel@gmail.com 🥁 You can learn plenty from what a drummer played. Sometimes you learn even more from why they played it. Drum Dog membership brings together artist stories, interviews, performances and practical lessons, helping you stay close to the music and players that made you want to drum in the first place. Take a look inside: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join Membership includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. #anikanilles #rush #drumdog Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    Anika Nilles: The YouTube Drummer Who Joined Rush
  2. 5d ago

    Mel Gaynor: Why Bonham Played Behind the Beat

    A bite-size insight from our interview with Mel Gaynor, the Simple Minds drummer. This is one moment from a longer conversation, and you can watch the full interview on the Drum Dog YouTube channel. Mel explains how he approaches John Bonham’s drum parts, and the difference between drummers who sit on the beat and drummers who sit behind it. He covers Bonham’s lazy feel, Jeff Porcaro, Buddy Rich holding back, and Phil Rudd’s groove. His closing point is that feel counts for more than technique. You can find our interview with Mel on our profile or on YouTube, 🥁 Less scrolling. More playing. The full Drum Dog lesson library gives you somewhere useful to go when you have ten minutes, half an hour or a proper session behind the kit. No grades and nothing to prove, just good ideas from drummers who have lived them. Take a look inside. Membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join 🎧 Listen to the Drum Dog Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2s8IAlRWNnu3SGOZo0BxTW Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drum-dog-podcast/id1806605706 Amazon → https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b859c830-c051-46c6-a094-cc9b92973e4a/drum-dog-podcast 🔔 Subscribe for interviews, lessons, gear and performances from world-class drummers. Follow us: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drumdoguk/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/drumdoguk TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@drumdoguk Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    Mel Gaynor: Why Bonham Played Behind the Beat
  3. Oct 16

    "I'm Almost Playing Nothing": The Genius of Omar Hakim

    Video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDp_tV8MhOc&t Omar Hakim is the drummer you've heard on more classic records than you probably realise: David Bowie's Let's Dance, Sting's The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Miles Davis's Tutu and Daft Punk's Get Lucky, plus years behind Madonna and a spell in Weather Report. Drawing on his own interviews, this video follows his path from the jazz clubs of Jamaica, Queens to the biggest stages in the world. It covers the Weather Report call he took without an audition, the Let's Dance session, how he made Money for Nothing by almost playing nothing, and why he believes a room full of humans still matters. 00:00 intro 01:34 Growing Up in Queens 03:31 The Weather Report Call 05:02 Bowie, Dire Straits and Sting 07:41 The Frame Around the Picture 11:11 Daft Punk 12:22 Freedom, Soul and Legacy 🫶 Support the channel:   / offbeatmusic  🌏 The biggest protection in the game! Upgrade your online protection with an all-in-one security app! Get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here ➼  https://nordvpn.com/special/?utm_medi.... It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee! For any enquiries: offbeatmusicchannel@gmail.com 🥁 You can learn plenty from what a drummer played. Sometimes you learn even more from why they played it. Drum Dog membership brings together artist stories, interviews, performances and practical lessons, helping you stay close to the music and players that made you want to drum in the first place. Take a look inside: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join Membership includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    "I'm Almost Playing Nothing": The Genius of Omar Hakim
  4. Oct 13

    Studio Tips for Drummers | Rob Brian’s Session Secrets

    Studio tips for drummers from Rob Brian, who’s been making records for 35 to 40 years and says he’s still picking up new tricks. Rob has recently worked at Abbey Road and Real World Studios. Here he shares what he’s learnt about walking into a session ready to play. We cover what gear to bring (and why a few spares in the car always pay off), how to choose kit, heads and cymbals for the style of music, and why you should carry plenty of drum keys, including a slotted one for house kits. We also get into working with engineers, producers and everyone else in the room, and why being easy to work with keeps the calls coming. Then Rob talks through preparing for a session with your own charts and questions for the artist, and what to do when you’re handed nothing. Plus staying consistent between takes, keeping your head in the game, and whether the room changes how you play. 00:00 Intro: studio wisdom with Rob Brian 01:19 What gear to bring to a session 03:11 Choices: sticks, heads and tuning tricks 04:34 Why you need a pile of drum keys 05:28 Getting on with everyone in the room 07:23 Why being easy to work with gets you rehired 08:59 Preparing the material 10:48 Walking in cold: counting bars and tape pressure 13:04 When the producer changes the plan 14:04 Consistency between takes 15:04 Staying in the zone (no phones) 16:51 Give them more takes to choose from 17:37 Does the room change how you play? 18:44 Match grip requests and the “naive” sound 19:50 Outro 👉 Check out Drum Dog for more lessons from world-class drummers: https://drum.dog #RobBrian #StudioDrumming #DrumDog 🥁 Less scrolling. More playing. The full Drum Dog lesson library gives you somewhere useful to go when you have ten minutes, half an hour or a proper session behind the kit. No grades and nothing to prove, just good ideas from drummers who have lived them. Take a look inside. Membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join 🎧 Listen to the Drum Dog Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2s8IAlRWNnu3SGOZo0BxTW Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drum-dog-podcast/id1806605706 Amazon → https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b859c830-c051-46c6-a094-cc9b92973e4a/drum-dog-podcast 🔔 Subscribe for interviews, lessons, gear and performances from world-class drummers. Follow us: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drumdoguk/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/drumdoguk TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@drumdoguk Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    Studio Tips for Drummers | Rob Brian’s Session Secrets
  5. Oct 9

    BLACK SABBATH DOCUMENTARY: A Brief History

    Four working-class kids from one of the roughest corners of Birmingham picked up guitars, bass and drums with no plan beyond getting out of the factories - and ended up inventing an entire genre. This is the story of Black Sabbath: the blues club circuit, the accident that nearly ended Tony Iommi's career before it started, the album that gave heavy metal its name, the firing that could have finished them, the singers who came and went, and the final, impossible night 57 years later when the original four stood on a stage in Aston one last time. 00:00 Intro  01:06 Earth: Blues, Jazz and Birmingham  07:06 The Debut Album and the Sabbath Sound 11:04 Paranoid to Never Say Die: The Ozzy Years  14:13 Ozzy's Exit  15:25 The Dio Era & The Revolving Door  19:20 Reunion 23:45 Legacy #blacksabbath #ozzyosbourne #heavymetal 🫶 Support the channel:   / offbeatmusic  🌏 The biggest protection in the game! Upgrade your online protection with an all-in-one security app! Get an exclusive NordVPN deal + 4 months extra here ➼  https://nordvpn.com/special/?utm_medi.... It’s risk free with NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee! For any enquiries: offbeatmusicchannel@gmail.com 🥁 You can learn plenty from what a drummer played. Sometimes you learn even more from why they played it. Drum Dog membership brings together artist stories, interviews, performances and practical lessons, helping you stay close to the music and players that made you want to drum in the first place. Take a look inside: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join Membership includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    BLACK SABBATH DOCUMENTARY: A Brief History
  6. Oct 6

    Pat Garvey (Ozric Tentacles) Interview: Teaching Drummers, Touring Etiquette, & Portfolio Careers

    Had a great chat with Pat Garvey ahead of Ozric Tentacles' UK tour to talk about 32 years as a working drummer. He tells us how he landed the teaching gig at BIM, how he went on to start the Brighton Drum School, and what it was like recording drums for the new Ozrics album, Harmonic Mind. We also get into how to stay professional (and pleasant) on the road, why the portfolio career has taken over, and how social media is changing the way young drummers learn. If you've ever wondered what it takes to last as a professional drummer, this one's for you. 00:00 A Day in the Life of Pat Garvey 01:47 Who Is Pat Garvey? 04:14 Joining BIM and First Day Teaching 07:41 Balancing Teaching and Touring 09:35 Skills Beyond the Kit 12:40 Staying Professional on Tour 14:17 How Young Drummers Have Changed 17:44 Ozric Tentacles Tour and New Album 21:38 The Sound of Ozric Tentacles 24:20 Freddie G's Drum Camp 29:19 Hosting Drum Events That Hold Their Value 👉 Check out Drum Dog for more lessons from world-class drummers: https://drum.dog #patgarvey #ozrictentacles #drumdog 🥁 Less scrolling. More playing. The full Drum Dog lesson library gives you somewhere useful to go when you have ten minutes, half an hour or a proper session behind the kit. No grades and nothing to prove, just good ideas from drummers who have lived them. Take a look inside. Membership comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee: 👉 https://link.drum.dog/join 🎧 Listen to the Drum Dog Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2s8IAlRWNnu3SGOZo0BxTW Apple → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drum-dog-podcast/id1806605706 Amazon → https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b859c830-c051-46c6-a094-cc9b92973e4a/drum-dog-podcast 🔔 Subscribe for interviews, lessons, gear and performances from world-class drummers. Follow us: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drumdoguk/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/drumdoguk TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@drumdoguk Send us Fan Mail Support the show

    Pat Garvey (Ozric Tentacles) Interview: Teaching Drummers, Touring Etiquette, & Portfolio Careers
  7. Sep 29

    Simon Phillips at UK Drum Show 2026, Hiromi's Voice & Why Drummers Rush

    Simon Phillips is one of four people we're interviewing at the UK Drum Show 2026 in Liverpool, so this week I'm digging into why his Voice record with Hiromi is on repeat, plus the four culprits behind rushing and how to fix them. 00:00 - Cold open: UK Drum Show 2026, Simon Phillips & the science of rushing 01:00 - Drummer Spotlight: Simon Phillips, UK Drum Show 2026 interview in the Drum Dog Experience Room 02:27 - Heavy Rotation: Hiromi, Voice (feat. Anthony Jackson & Simon Phillips) 03:48 - Think Piece: Why drummers rush (adrenaline, anticipation, tension & empty space) 06:53 - Outro & fanmail Referenced in this episode: → UK Drum Show 2026 tickets: https://theukdrumshow.com/drum-dog-experience-room/ → Book your seat in the Drum Dog Experience Room (25 max per session): https://tinyurl.com/2z4hfrxa → Join Drum Dog (members get early access to book and a free UK Drum Show ticket, use code DD10XR for 10% off): https://join.drum.dog/upgrade Got a drummer you want spotlighted, gear you reckon I should check out, or an album that's been on your heavy rotation? Drop me a message: 📩 Spotify fanmail (built into the app) 📷 Instagram: @drumdoguk ✉️ dan@drum.dog New episodes every Tuesday. Hit follow so you don't miss out on any drum chat! About Drum Dog: Drum Dog is the UK membership platform for drummers, combining world-class lesson packs, live events, gear discounts, and an ad-free community. Join at drum.dog. #TheBackBeat #DrumDog #Drumming #Drummers #DrumPodcast #SimonPhillips #Hiromi #UKDrumShow #DrumTiming #DrumCommunity Send us Fan Mail Support the show

About

The Drum Dog Podcast goes deep on the instrument we love. In our interviews, we sit down with world-class drummers, from session players to festival headliners, for honest, unhurried conversations about their playing, their careers and the craft behind the kit. Guests include Bill Bruford, Gavin Harrison Antonio Sánchez, and Mel Gaynor.On 'The Back Beat', our weekly format, Dan talks spotlights drummers worth your attention, goes through albums that are must-listens, worthwhile gear, and think-pieces to ruminate on. Hit follow so you don't miss any drum chat.Drum Dog is the UK membership platform for drummers, combining world-class lesson packs, live events, gear discounts, and an ad-free community. Join at drumdog.com

You Might Also Like