Moody Blues on HDNET: Why two sets of drummers?

[gypsyman]

So I am watching the Moody Blues on HDNET from a 2007 LA concert and they have two complete sets of drummers. I remember seeing the Grateful Dead on TV do the same thing. Can you drummers out there comment on this? MY untrained ear can only discern one set of drums. Whats the upside to two drummers?

 

[jlee]

More is better?

 

[zzuupp]

Graeme is getting a bit old. This gives him an extra break.

 

[gypsyman]

Originally posted by: zzuupp
Graeme is getting a bit old. This gives him an extra break.

As I watch it, Graeme is playing the full concert and has not taken a break. Are you saying the maybe the sound mixer people are cueing in the other guy and perhaps Graeme is going thru the motions?

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: gypsyman
So I am watching the Moody Blues on HDNET from a 2007 LA concert and they have two complete sets of drummers. I remember seeing the Grateful Dead on TV do the same thing. Can you drummers out there comment on this? MY untrained ear can only discern one set of drums. Whats the upside to two drummers?

Were both drummers actually playing at the same time? I've seen footage of bands like The Eagles and Genesis doing it because Henley and Collins don't drum on every song - the other drummer plays when those guys are out front.

 

[gypsyman]

They are both playing at the same time for the full concert. They do pull away shots and you can see them both drumming. They also pan back and forth during the same song from drummer to drummer.

 

[Nik]

They're not playing the same groove. Makes the drums sound more complex.

 

[SAWYER]

This is one of my favorite Dead live performances, it has some good shots of the drummers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYxNQ0eu1s

OT, but the drum solo(well the whole performance) is mind blowin!~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnamP4-M9ko

The solo starts at 3:08

 

[zzuupp]

Originally posted by: gypsyman

Originally posted by: zzuupp
Graeme is getting a bit old. This gives him an extra break.

As I watch it, Graeme is playing the full concert and has not taken a break. Are you saying the maybe the sound mixer people are cueing in the other guy and perhaps Graeme is going thru the motions?

No, I'm not.
IIRC, he did take an extra break when I saw them in '05 or so.

 

[compman25]

The Allman Brothers Band does also, it's pretty incredible seeing them live.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: JLee
More is better?

word.

double base drums or 4x base drum with double pedals...

as for the Dead, they added Mickey Hart as a more versatile percussionist. He's far more talented than Kreutzman, and while they often drummed in tandem, Hart would often be running around playing large crazy drums.

One of the complaints was that while 2 drummers was awesome, it didn't allow them the freedom to move around in the music as much (important for The Dead's style). They couldn't "turn on a dime" with their improvisation as well as they could when they only had one drummer.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Sawyer
This is one of my favorite Dead live performances, it has some good shots of the drummers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYxNQ0eu1s

Holy shit that's a great video. ...is that from Festival Train? I was wondering why I hadn't seen that before, then realized it could be from that tour, and that I actually have it on DVD. haven't watched it in a while though....

:thumbsup: to your music.

 

[nakedfrog]

Pink Floyd played with two drummers at times as well.

 

[BornStar]

The other drummer is way more active than Graeme is. My guess is he just isn't able to keep up these days.

 

[SAWYER]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Sawyer
This is one of my favorite Dead live performances, it has some good shots of the drummers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tYxNQ0eu1s

Holy shit that's a great video. ...is that from Festival Train? I was wondering why I hadn't seen that before, then realized it could be from that tour, and that I actually have it on DVD. haven't watched it in a while though....

:thumbsup: to your music.

Yes it's from the Festival Express, I highly recommend that movie to anyone who loves music!

 

[dennilfloss]

I think the Doobie Brothers also used to have two drummers.