Brad Roberts aka Gizmak the Gusher of Gwar, in this month's Modern Drummer!

This month in Modern Drummer features an article called: "Get Good Stage Presence".  Featuring three contributors, including the one and only Brad Roberts! The article goes into depth in regard to one of the harder to explain aspects of playing drums.  Sure, you may have mastered the quadruple paradiddle....but does anyone enjoy watching you play it?  The ability to communicate visually, AND make a musical difference belongs to a rare breed, and Brad has that in spades.  Favorite quote: You should treat every moment of your life as a performance, because you never know if GWAR will be behind the corner to kill you with a rubber sword."  Words to live by....

Congrats to John Humphrey and Seether, for the Number 1 Single on the Rock and Alternative chart.

In what looks to be the start of a big year for Seether, the band currently has the number one spot on the Rock and Alternative chart with their single "Country Song".  This is the first release from their upcoming full length, Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray.  The new disc was produced by Brendan O'Brien.  All early indications look to this be the strongest release, to-date, from a band that has already proven to be one of modern rock's top-draws!  In drum news, we will be debuting the new John Humphrey signature snare very shortly, for specs, check out the snare section of our website.  John is currently rocking a Yellow-Gold Fade Dios kit on the Road, as the band makes the rounds on Late-night TV and select festivals. For a complete list of tour dates, hit the link below:
http://www.seether.com/sub.asp?type=tour

'The Big 4' receive double-platinum award in Indio, CA

Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax ("The Big 4") were presented with a double platinum award for the two-disc DVD version of "The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria" last Saturday at the first ever "Big 4" show in the US at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA.

"The Big Four: Live From Sofia, Bulgaria" was certified double platinum on December 17, 2010 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies. (Note: Due to the fact that the set consists of two discs, it was eligible for platinum certification after shipping 50,000 copies; platinum certification for a single-disc release is 100,000 copies.

Shawn Drover of Megadeth plays ddrum kits along with his signature ddrum snare.

Black Veil Brides WINS Best New Band, Revolver Golden God Awards!

Congratulations to Christian Coma of Black Veil Brides, for last night's win at the Revolver Golden Gods Award show.  Despite fierce completion from the other bands in the category, the boys in black walked away with top honors.  All of this comes 2 days prior to CC taking possession of his ALL NEW custom DDRUM kit.  Black Veil Brides will be stopping by St Petersburg, on the current AP tour and we will be personally delivering his new kit for use that very night, and on the rest of the tour, as well as their run on Warped Tour and beyond.  More details as well as pics and vid to come from their stop here on Friday, as well as COMPLETE specs on CC's new kit.

CCs Dios Ash Kit, in our photo studio. Pics of his set up coming soon.

A View from the Road. Craig Morgan's Russ Whittman

Sometimes, there is nothing in the world like some pics of a kick-@$$ drum set.  Here is the latest from Russ Whitman, currently on tour with craig morgan.  Russ is using a dios maple player kit with the "tons-o-options" setting all the way to the right.  In addition to the 14" add-on floor tom, Russ is also using the the matching wood hoops on all of the toms and the 7x13 snare.  Then a pair of trans-black wood hoops on the Hammered Bronze snare.

More pics, from the Office of Special Projects.....

What could they possibly be?

Relient K in the studio with DDRUM!

Received a picture text from Ethan Luck in Reliant K.  The band is currently in the studio, recording a cover album.  Ethan is playing a Dios Maple kit in Pearl White, one of our most stunning and subtle finishes.  Ethan has been using this kit since late 2010, and reports that all of its tone is translating very well in the studio.  The Dios series, which has always been superb in live settings, is finding a second home in recording studios across the country.  The warm maple shells, combined with low mass hardware and depth ratios, makes for a recording kit that ranks with some of the finest studio kits in the world.  Ethan's set-up for the recording is as follows:

Dios M in Pearl White
7x14 cast chrome snare (or 6x14 Dios M in olive sparkle)

9x13 tom

14x16 floor tom

16x18 floor tom (not in photo)
20x24 bass drum.