Queensryche-Live, at the High Voltage Festival!

Little bit of Queensryche to start the day.  Scott Rockenfield on a Trans Black Dios M kit.

Uproar, roars into Tampa

Summer touring season keeps rolling right along.  Tampa played host to Rockstar Energy Drink's second festival tour, Uproar.  Playing counterpoint to Mayhem, earlier this year, playing the main stage was yet another ddrum artist, John Humphrey with Seether! John is a rock drummer of the highest order.  Seether takes the stage as a power trio these days, which really allows John to shine.  He anchors the band while spicing up the arrangements with well-placed tom hits and tasteful double pedal work.  The song is the number one priority, and John lays it down with authority.  The set was lean, and powerful, with radio-hit after radio hit, including the brand new single Tonight, and their previous single Country Song.  This was John's 6th show, on his all-new Dios kit.  For this tour, we custom-fitted a red cherry sparkle kit, with black-nickel hardware.  The hardware made the already rich painted finish even deeper and more intense.  John augmented his usual one rack, two floor set up, with a 14" floor tom to the left.  This added a bit of dimension to grooves and fills. Ever the explorer, John has 3 different snares on this tour.  In addition to his signature snare, he is also rocking the Dios Bamboo, and the Dios Zebra.  He choose the bamboo for this show, and it cracked through the PA like a metal drum, but with added warmth and punch, that can only be had from a wood shell.

Have you met....Adam Pierce...?

Fresh off the Rockstar Mayhem tour, Adam Pierce with All Shall Perish.

A few words on Adam, from Adam himself....

I began playing drums when I was 12 years old when me and my cousin decided to start a cover band. At first we were unsure who was going to play what, but it soon became apparent that I would be the one to pick up the drums seeing how two of my uncles were both drummers. Soon after, me and my cousin begged our parents to buy us both our instruments. I fortunately was able to borrow a drum set from my uncle and I began taking drum lessons in the Fall of '98. I continued taking drum lessons for 3 years until I felt that I needed to grow and find my own way as a musician. Taking lessons taught me a lot, but I soon learned that one of my biggest teachers would become playing along to my favorite records.

Early on, my uncle Doug was a huge inspiration in my playing. He exposed me to a lot of  new music. He is honestly responsible for giving me the extra push I needed to really work at making music my career. I remember watching King Crimson's live DVD Deja Vrooom with him and realizing at that moment I wanted to make music for a living.

Throughout my high school career I gigged around in bands in the Louisville area. I began pulling influences from the local Midwest metalcore scene. Along the way I made some amazing friends which helped me network to where I am today. Some of my biggest influences are Mike Portnoy, Dave Abbruzzese, and Pat Mastelotto.

Adam is playing Dios M series in Transparent Black:
6x14 Dios Maple snare or 6.5x14 Dios Bamboo snare
7x10 tom
8x12 tom
14x16 floor tom
20x22 bass drum x2

John Humphrey's new Uproar tour kit.

Here it is, the first shot of John's new kit for Uproar.  Dios with a twist.  We added black-nickel hardware to match John's soon-to-be-released signature snare. 

Uproar will be rolling through Tampa on September 3rd, stay tuned for more pics and maybe a little video of this beast in action!

Have you met....Blake Allison?

Blake Allison has played drums for 12 years. Coming from Little Rock Arkansas, he started playing in bands when he was 16. His influences are Chad Smith, Abe Cunningham, Matt Cameron, Travis Barker,
and Abe Laboriel Jr. After playing in jam bands through high school, he was awarded a scholarship to the University Of Memphis for music education. He signed his first record deal at the age of 20 and was recording his first nationally distributed record with Josh Abraham (Korn, Limp Biscuit, 30 Seconds To Mars, Linkin Park). Over the next few years he toured heavily as the drummer for the band Egypt Central sharing the stage with Disturbed, Nonpoint, Drowning Pool, Hinder, Pop Evil, Adelitas Way, Five Finger Death Punch, Saving Abel, and 12 Stones as well as a tour on both Ozzfest and Family Values.

He currently is touring off his second record with Egypt Central promoting the single "White Rabbit". Which reached 15 on the active rock chart

Blake is currently touring with a White on White Reflex kit, in the following configuration:

6x14 Artisan Hammered Iron snare

9x13 tom

14x16 floor tom

20x22 bass drum

MIGGS, with ddrum artist Walker Adams, "Let the Games Begin" Staring Lindsay Lohan

Also in the video, Dios Ash in Cherry Red.

Blackberry Smoke perform "Up in Smoke"

Atlanta based Blackberry Smoke continues to grow into the premiere Southern Rock band of America. On drums, Brit Turner plays show after show with his ddrum USA kit. This video was taken recently in Athens, Georgia playing their hit "Up in Smoke".

Brit Turner's Configuration:

14" x 24" kick 

14" x 6.5" snare 

13" x 9" tom 

16" x 16" floor 

For more information:

www.blackberrysmoke.com

www.ddrum.com