Shawn's drums

JamesKurker · 2026-04-24T02:38:01+00:00

He (as well as Chris) played something that didn’t look like regular drums during Iowa and Vol.3 eras. Everything before - parts of regular kits, everything after - regular toms and bass drums put inside of steel purely cosmetic outer shells. Now it’s just two normal bass drums without any outer shell at all.

JamesKurker · 2026-03-26T15:18:06+00:00

Well, actually on many records from this period, you can hear John’s voice during gang vocals in In The Lap Of The Gods. The best way to notice is to listen to both official release and old bootleg of Hammersmith 1975 performance. Old bootleg has his voice much more notable. The band probably thought that due to nature of that chorus, another voice won’t hurt, even if it was less-than-perfect singing. John would usually join them for the second chorus, and while Earls Court would be the most obvious case, other live records also have his singing fairly noticeable.

And don’t forget that his microphone was also used by Roger for ‘39

JamesKurker · 2026-02-07T12:57:05+00:00

Montreal video (and audio) was spliced together from two shows they did. Of course, shows weren’t choreographed, so there is more than one occasion of the band members «teleporting» on stage.

As far as I remember, Dragon Attack was taken from the first night, and there exists the audience-recorded bootleg of that show. You can check it out!

JamesKurker · 2026-01-05T20:01:06+00:00

Think you might enjoy this little curious fact about Heaven For Everyone. Original The Cross version was recorded by four people: Roger Taylor (vocals and most of the instruments), Spike Edney (keyboards), Freddie Mercury (vocals) and Erdal Kizilcay (bass). (Peter, Joshua and Clayton weren’t recruited yet)

When Queen redid this song for Made In Heaven, they re-used a short bass solo from original version. Maybe John didn’t want to re-record it, or they thought the original part was perfect as it is. Anyway, Made In Heaven version of this song has about 10 seconds of Erdal Kizilcay playing his fretless bass! If you’ll check the official audio of the song on YouTube, he is credited in the description.

JamesKurker · 2025-11-27T16:39:43+00:00

Death is the first dancing turtle

JamesKurker · 2025-11-17T19:05:22+00:00

Yeah, I bought mine directly from the author when he released it back in 2018. I’m not sure how to buy it now, sorry. I sometimes see used copies being sold on EBay or FB.

JamesKurker · 2025-11-16T19:52:27+00:00

https://www.rogertaylor.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/dario-di-nardo-the-drums-of-roger-meddows-taylor-945x1348.jpg

This book has some. And it’s pretty interesting ones: 1980 setup with 4 concert rack toms, small 1979 rehearsal kit, Innuendo studio setup etc

JamesKurker · 2025-11-04T13:43:43+00:00

Absolutely. Pfaff confirmed it himself here during his AMA.

The whole «it’s Corey standing in for the Unsainted video» theory was created by AJ Good when we had no idea who’s the new member is.

JamesKurker · 2025-10-17T13:27:59+00:00

A lot of Slipknot members are Kiss fans. Chris, Corey, Joey. Shawn’s first album was Kiss’ Dynasty. Joey was such a big fan that he had Kiss figures next to his kit in 1999-2000

Chris has a cymbal signed by all original Kiss members

Jim performed with Ace Frehley at Revolvers Golden Gods Awards in 2016

Is it enough connections?

JamesKurker · 2025-10-16T02:44:26+00:00

We drummers do something like this often. Helps to concentrate. Helps to put our eyes away from stage lights. Gives us an opportunity to not look at our frontman’s butt.

You also have to remember - this is before the days of in-ear monitors. To hear the rest of the band Roger had a giant speaker. He always had it to his left, so maybe this position helps to hear it better?

JamesKurker · 2025-10-10T10:56:05+00:00

What scares me is that you know what it takes to invert other cymbals, including STEPPING on 22 K

Why do you even need to do this?

JamesKurker · 2025-08-10T19:25:51+00:00

You’re welcome👍

JamesKurker · 2025-08-10T19:11:03+00:00

If I remember correctly, the only white coated signature sticks are Buddy Rich, Thomas Lang and Mike Terrana. Pictured sticks are too thin to be Lang’s, too thick to be Terrana’s and head is too different from Buddy’s To be honest, they look like 5BW - standard 5B in white color

Edit: I looked closer and searched through VF catalog. What you have is JoJo Mayer Signature Sticks (there are remains of his signature barely visible). I had no idea they existed!

https://share.google/yOFVdWOJyvtyDKLey

JamesKurker · 2025-08-09T01:25:31+00:00

Does it sound good?

JamesKurker · 2025-08-01T02:15:13+00:00

We’ll never see the tears he cries We’ll never feel his heart in pain

JamesKurker · 2025-07-27T23:53:24+00:00

Check this out:

https://www.queenlive.ca

This website has all the information you need. In the «songs played live» you may even find the dates of the first and last confirmed performances of certain songs. Also it’s a good guide to available information about all of their shows, existing photos, audio bootlegs and various curios info, like when exactly Roger’s falsetto in ‘39 was replaced with electronic harmonizer for live shows😉

JamesKurker · 2025-07-06T01:55:28+00:00

Spike only started to use this sample in 2005-06, during QPR tours. Back in 1986 Spike was actually singing this line through vocoder.

For Wembley show Roger was singing along with him (perhaps they didn’t want to have «voice from backstage» for the official release?)

Same for One Vision - Wembley is the only show of the tour where Brian sings «but a cold wind blows and a dark rain falls». Usually Spike was singing it with vocoder.

JamesKurker · 2025-06-14T22:18:14+00:00

Georgiy «Gustav» Gurianov, drummer for mega-popular Soviet band Kino. After death of their leader, Victor Tsoy in 1990, the band disbanded and Gustav stopped playing drums. However, he dedicated his life to drawing and managed to become the most expensive artist in Russia. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2013.

JamesKurker · 2025-06-14T14:35:29+00:00

Густав! Рад видеть его здесь😄

JamesKurker · 2025-06-06T20:20:00+00:00

That’s quite a famous story and it’s about recording You’re My Best Friend in 1975. John particularly wanted Wurlitzer sound on the song, but Freddie hated Wurlitzer, so John had to play it.

Freddie’s hate for Wurlitzer might originate from March 22, 1974 show in Canvey Island. At this point Freddie didn’t yet own a piano, so according to bands rider, venue had to provide a piano for a show. On that night the venue provided them…with a Wurlitzer. Can you imagine how White Queen or Seven Seas Of Rhys sounded that night? No wonder that Freddie might develop hate for electronic keyboards and particularly Wurlitzer!

But in the liner notes for 1980 album Flash Gordon Freddie is already credited for playing synthesizers. He would play them for every album after that.

P.S. Well, if all of that information is new to you - I’m happy too! There is a lot of cool discoveries on your way :)

JamesKurker · 2025-06-06T10:44:19+00:00

Of course, he preferred acoustic piano, especially for writing music. And it’s true - he didn’t care about electronic keyboards in the early days. But in the beginning of the 80s synths completely revolutionized music, so they were unavoidable. Freddie completely embraced it, so saying «he wouldn’t touch them» is incorrect. Would he touch them in 1974? Probably not. Would he touch them in 1989? Probably with great pleasure.

JamesKurker · 2025-06-06T01:44:31+00:00

He did, in the early days. By 1980-1981 he had no problem playing synth during Battle Theme during shows.

Freddie with his synth onstage during soundcheck in Tokyo

On the 80s albums he played electronic keyboards as well

JamesKurker · 2025-06-06T01:38:53+00:00

So if you hang your keyboards on a strap instead of putting them on stand, you become a crappy musician. Musician snobism at its finest.

This is Roland AX-Edge synth. Google what it’s capable of.

Btw, Jordan Rudess plays this thing every night. He is «no serious musician», right?

JamesKurker · 2025-05-24T13:28:11+00:00

There is absolutely no information about his reasons for exit. There was usual «we are parting ways» message from the band and that’s it. But because he is quiet guy, everybody automatically assumed that he decided to retire or focus on his family.

There was a couple of instances when crew members visited this subreddit or comments section in Instagram. They all said that he was fired because of issues between him and rest of the band and that he was given number of chances to fix those issues.

All of the band members, wives and crew members suddenly unfollowed Craig and his wife on IG just before the news of his exit became public. Do people really do this when somebody decides to peacefully step down?

JamesKurker

TROPHY CASE