Percussion Discussion Podcast

Rikki Rockett  is the co-founder and original drummer of the multi-platinum glam metal band Poison. Alongside frontman Bret Michaels, Rockett formed the group in 1983, going on to sell over 40–50 million records worldwide behind massive hits like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" and "Talk Dirty to Me". 

As an essential driving force behind Poison's songwriting, rhythm, and distinct aesthetic, Rockett helped anchor studio staples like Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986), Open Up and Say... Ahh! (1988), and Flesh & Blood (1990). He frequently attributes Poison’s lasting chemistry to a reckless, hard-pushing live synergy balanced by a dedicated "blue-collar" work ethic. Beyond Poison, he has launched other projects, including the supergroup Devil City Angels and his 70s-style rock tribute group, Rockett Mafia. 

In September 2026, Rockett released his highly anticipated memoir, Ghost Notes: My Life in Poison, which chronicles the less visible, behind-the-scenes "grace notes" of his life, career, and band dynamics. He has also hinted at the possibility of Poison reuniting for a tour in 2027. 

Huge thanks to Rikki for giving up his time so generously to talk to me,  he has been on my list for at least 6 years, im so glad we got to make it happen!

Stanton Moore is a Grammy Award-winning American drummer, educator, and native of New Orleans, best known as a founding member of the essential funk band Galactic. His signature style blends traditional New Orleans second-line drumming with modern funk, jazz, and rock 'n' roll. 
Beyond performing, Moore is a world-renowned authority on groove and rhythm, running his own comprehensive online education platform, the Stanton Moore Drum Academy.

Galactic: Formed in the early 1990s, this powerhouse funk group serves as his primary touring and recording project.
Solo Career: Moore has released nine solo albums, including his acclaimed debut All Kooked Out! and Groove Alchemy.
Collaborations: He performs with the Stanton Moore Trio, Garage A Trois, and has recorded with diverse acts ranging from jazz artists to the heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity.
Tipitina's: In 2018, Moore and his Galactic bandmates purchased this legendary New Orleans music venue to preserve its cultural history. 


Instructional Books: His book Groove Alchemy was named one of the top 25 instructional drum books of all time by Modern Drummer magazine.
Online School: The Stanton Moore Drum Academy provides video courses, a massive 400+ page eBook, and direct student interaction.
University Work: He serves as an artist-in-residence at Louisiana State University (LSU), teaching drum set performance.

Huge thanks to Stanton for sharing his time, knowledge and remarkable drumming talent with us, massive thanks also to Stanton’s excellent engineer Nick for looking after us so well.

www.stantonmoore.com

Percussion Discussion Podcast - Episode 192  - Ed Evans

Joining me today is Ed Evans.

Ed is ( i think ) The youngest drummer to appear on the podcast so far, however at the tender age of just 21 Ed and the equally young band that he plays for Jayler have achieved more in the last few years than many musicians will achieve in a life time!!

The midlands based band already have an EP and a full album entitle Voices Unheard that was released earlier in 2026, Festival appearances worldwide, a recent support tour with Sammy Hagar and his band, including legendary musicians Joe Satriani, Kenny Aronoff and Michael Anthony. Later this year the band embark on a lengthy European tour supporting the mighty Deep Purple!

Ed already has endorsements with  Ludwig Drums, Paiste Cymbals and Vater Drumsticks, this combined with a level headed approach, a glorious feel, and a playing style with a nod to the pioneers of rock drumming such as Bonham, Bill Ward and Mitch Mitchell can only propel him and Jayler further up the ladder!

Huge thanks to Ed for giving up his time to do this and for creating the stunning backdrop of his new Blue Ludwig Drum Set, Paiste Cymbals including the Magnificent gong!

Percussion Discussion Podcast - Episode 191 - Russell Gilbrook

Russell had his first lesson when he was 4 years old, earning money from the age of 6, and was depping West End shows at the age of 12. He turned professional at 16 and did every kind of gig i.e. cabaret, cruises, touring shows, pub gigs, sessions etc.

Russell has toured with Alan Price (The Animals) Chris Barbers jazz and blues band and Van Morrision. Russell has also worked with Toniy Iommi (Black Sabbath).He is also an accomplished clinician with almost 200 clinics throughout Europe, these have also been alongside Billy Cobham, Greg Bissionette, Kenny Aronoff, Liberty Divito to name a few.

Russell has been a member of the legendary band Uriah Heep for the last 19 years, and to date they have toured in over 53 countries. In 2011 Heep toured 23 countries in 229 days. Uriah Heep has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has 2 European Grammy awards.

Huge thanks to Russ for giving up his time so generously, i really appreciate it, i have seen him play with Uriah Heep twice, both times i was blown away by his skill, power and dexterity behind the drums - a true powerhouse!

Joining me today is Geoff Nicholls,

 Geoff Nicholls is a highly respected British professional drummer, author, music journalist, and lecturer. He is widely recognized as one of the world's foremost experts on the history and evolution of the modern drum kit. 

Television and Educational WorkBBC's Rockschool: He co-wrote, co-presented, and played drums on both series of the iconic BBC2 television show Rockschool during the 1980s.

 Instructional Videos: 

He presented the Virgin video How To Play Drums and wrote the acclaimed Rock Drum Method for Boosey & Hawkes.Academic Lecturing: He taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama's Jazz and Rock Summer School for decades and has lectured extensively on music business and copyright law.

 Acclaimed Books and Journalism 

The Drum Book: First published in 1997, this remains celebrated as the definitive account detailing the history and evolution of the rock drum kit. 

John Bonham: A Thunder of Drums: Co-authored with Chris Welch in 2002, this is a highly regarded biographical look at the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer. 

The Drum Handbook: A comprehensive guide focused on buying, maintaining, and getting the best performance out of a drum kit.

 Music Journalism: He was the longest-serving contributor to Rhythm magazine and has written gear reviews and articles for major publications like Mojo, The Guardian, The Independent, and MusicRadar.

Performance Career,before shifting heavily into journalism and education. Nicholls played in original bands signed to major labels like Decca, RCA, and EMI. Throughout his career, he has toured the United States with Capitol-EMI artist Hugh Harris, spent years playing with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, and performed alongside Chicago blues legends like Carey Bell and Louisiana Red. 

Huge thanks to Geoff for giving his time up to do this, it was wonderful to just sit and chat about his hugely varied and interesting career. i do hope you enjoy it!

Claus Hessler  is an internationally acclaimed German drummer, author, and educator widely recognized as a foremost authority on drum technique and history. He is especially renowned for preserving and expanding complex coordination styles and historical rudimental methodologies.

Technical Expertise
Moeller Technique: Regarded as a legitimate successor to his mentor Jim Chapin, Hessler is a premier authority on teaching the fluid, forearm-driven Moeller method in its purest form

Open-Handed Playing: He is a global pioneer of this style, where drummers play the hi-hat with the left hand and the snare with the right (for right-handed kits), avoiding crossing their arms to increase ergonomic comfort and expand creative options.

Rudimental Frameworks: He specializes in combining traditional European rudiments (like Basel drumming) with modern drum set orchestration.

Hessler has written several highly acclaimed books that have earned award nominations from major industry publications like Modern Drummer and DRUM! magazine

Open-Handed Playing Vol. 1 & 2 (co-authored with legendary educator Dom Famularo)
Daily Drumset Workout
Drumming Kairos
Collapsed Rudiments (Completing and expanding upon structural concepts initially conceptualized by Jim Chapin)

Huge thanks to Claus for giving up his time so generously to do this interview.

Claus is performing masterclasses on July 4th in Rotherham Yorkshire for Bobs Drum School, please checkout Bobs Drum School on Social Media for More Information.

July 5th finds Claus Performing 2 masterclasses in Denbigh North Wales, please contact me for further details if you are interested [email protected]

Joining me today is the legendary Mikkey Dee.

Mikkey Dee is a legendary Swedish heavy metal drummer best known for his long tenure with Motörhead and his current role in the Scorpions. Renowned for his extreme speed, precision, and hard-hitting style, he is widely considered one of the most influential drummers in rock and metal history.

 Lex Legion: In 2026, Mikkey Dee reunited with the classic 1988 King Diamond line-up, alongside vocalist Nils K. Rue, to form a new side-project called Lex Legion. They released their debut single "Sleep Eternally" 

in May 2026 He tracked drums as part of a temporary metal supergroup—alongside Phil Anselmo, Kirk Hammett, and Billy Sheehan—for a reworked version of "Fast As A Shark" on Accept's 50th-anniversary album.

 Motörhead (1992–2015): Dee joined the iconic British band in 1992, replacing Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor. He remained a core member alongside Lemmy Kilmister and Phil Campbell for over two decades, recording 12 studio albums including Bastards, Inferno, and their final record, Bad Magic. The band officially dissolved following Lemmy's death in late 2015. 

Scorpions (2016–Present): In September 2016, Dee was announced as the permanent replacement for James Kottak in the Scorpions. He featured on their 2022 studio release, Rock Believer

 Huge thanks to Mikkey for giving up his time to chat with me, we had such a great chat, incorporating Mikkeys new band Lex Legion as well as Motorhead and The Scorpions of course! 

please checkout lex Legions website - www.lexlegionofficial.com the new album is released on Friday June 12th 2026

Episode 187 - Bobby Elliott

 Bobby Elliott is an iconic English rock drummer best known as the powerhouse driving force behind the classic pop/rock band The Hollies. Widely considered one of the finest and most influential drummers of the British Invasion era, he has remained a continuous member of the band since joining them in 1963.

 * Jazz Beginnings: Growing up in Burnley, Lancashire, Elliott discovered jazz at a young age. He initially emulated big-band legends like Gene Krupa and Chico Hamilton by practicing on makeshift biscuit tins and Cadbury's chocolate boxes with paintbrush handles.

 * Signature Sound: Renowned for his exceptional timing, dynamic tom-tom rolls, and precise fills, his drumming style provided a fiercely energetic yet sophisticated foundation for The Hollies' famous three-part vocal harmonies. * Peer Recognition: He famously won the 1965 Beat Instrumental Drummer Poll—relegating Keith Moon to third place. Renowned players like Cozy Powell, Ian Paice, and Max Weinberg have cited him as a major influence. 

* Hit Machine: Alongside guitarist Tony Hicks, Elliott anchored the band through decades of massive hits, including "Bus Stop", "Just One Look", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)", and "The Air That I Breathe". * Wings Invitation: In 1973, Paul McCartney personally invited Elliott to join his band, Wings. Elliott turned the offer down because his loyalty and "heart" belonged entirely to The Hollies. 

* Hall of Fame: He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. However, he and Hicks skipped the ceremony in New York because they refused to cancel a pre-booked gig at the London Palladium. 

* In late 2020, Elliott published his official autobiography, titled It Ain't Heavy, It's My Story, which offers a firsthand look into his six decades on the road and inside iconic studios like Abbey Road 

Huge thanks to Bobby for taking the time to chat with me about his incredible career, what a truly wonderful gentleman. 

Equally huge thanks to another legend of the British drumming scene and a good friend of the podcast Bob Henrit for introducing Bobby to me.

Percussion Discussion Podcast Episode 186 - Rufus Tiger Taylor
Rufus Tiger Taylor  is a prominent English rock drummer, best known as a permanent member of the British rock band The Darkness. He is the son of legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

The Darkness: Rufus joined the British hard rock group in May 2015,  He has since recorded on several of their albums, including Pinewood Smile and Easter Is Cancelled, and continues to tour with them globally.

Queen + Adam Lambert: He served as a touring percussionist and drummer for Queen + Adam Lambert from 2011 to 2015. During live shows, he famously engaged in "drum battles" with his father on stage.

Foo Fighters Connection: Rufus had a close bond with the late Taylor Hawkins, who described him as a "little brother". Following Hawkins' death in 2022, Rufus performed at the tribute concerts in London and Los Angeles.

I was very honoured to grab a very rare podcast interview with Rufus, what an absolute pleasure to spend 45 minutes with him, we talked about everything from We Will Rock You and Queen through to Jeff Beck, The Darkness and of course Rufus’ friendship with the late great Taylor Hawkins.

i know you are going to enjoy this conversation - please feel free to share it with your fiends.

Rufus, Thanks so much for giving up your time so generously.

Cindy Blackman Santana is a virtuoso American jazz and rock drummer celebrated for her powerful, explosive style and technical versatility. Originally known for her deep roots in jazz fusion and a long tenure as the drummer for Lenny Kravitz (notably appearing in the "Are You Gonna Go My Way" video), she has been the regular touring drummer for Santana since 2016. She is married to guitar legend Carlos Santana, who proposed to her on stage during a concert in July 2010. 

Musical Career and Influence Blackman Santana's career spans over four decades, beginning as a street performer in New York City in the 1980s. 

Jazz Foundations: Heavily influenced by Tony Williams, she has released numerous jazz albums as a bandleader, including the critically acclaimed Another Lifetime (2010). 

Collaborations: She has performed and recorded with a diverse range of artists, such as Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, Joss Stone, and Joe Henderson.

 Lenny Kravitz Era: She spent roughly 18 years touring and recording with Lenny Kravitz between 1992 and 2015. 

Current Projects: She continues to release solo material, such as the 17-track album Give the Drummer Some (2020), which showcases her skills as both a drummer and vocalist. 

Huge Thanks to Cindy for gicing me some time from her crazy schedule, i really appreciate it!

 Equally huge thanks must go to friend of the podcast and legendary Free/Bad Company Drummer Simon Kirke for putting us in touch, Simon i am eternally grateful for all you do to help.

 www.cindyblackmansantana.com

 www.santana.com