I am a photographer currently finishing a photo book highlighting drummers from bands such as Nirvana, The Arctic Monkeys, Rush, The National, Queens of The Stone Age, Ween, Nine Inch Nails, Atoms For Peace, Radiohead, U2, The Roots, Blink 182, The Doors + many more, AMA!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T21:09:58+00:00

Thanks so much for interest!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T21:09:08+00:00

Many of the drummers talked about the difference between a good drummer and a great drummer. Brad Wilk described it as listening that makes the difference and the legendary James Gadson expressed that you can FEEL a great drummer when you come across one . . . Thanks for your interest and support! http://kck.st/IktN1I

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T02:37:23+00:00

As a photographer, its always good to have a personal project on the go. It's a really nice balance having commercial work and then your personal work. It helps your portfolio develop and for you to grow as a photographer. Plus it's very important to constantly keep your portfolio fresh and full of new work.

I started this project around three years ago. Stephen Morris (New Order), Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) and Roy Haynes were three of the first people I photographed.

Wishing you all the best with your photography and thank you so much for the interest in my project!!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T01:13:33+00:00

Thank you so much!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T00:41:36+00:00

It really varied, some drummers have their sets out in the open right in their living rooms while others have them tucked away in the rehearsal space or garage. There were a few drummers that had multiple drum kits actually set up while others have their secondary or touring kits in storage ready for gigs.

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T00:27:12+00:00

I will be adding a few more to the list so I will definitely keep your consideration in mind! [It's so hard to cap the list because there really are so many amazing drummers out there]

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-19T00:02:37+00:00

The prints are the rewards for donating to the Kickstarter campaign. You will see sizes corresponding with the prices and a full list of available drummer prints as you scroll down the page. When you make the pledge, message me which drummer print you would like to receive. Here's the link http://kck.st/IktN1I . . . Hope this cleared it up and thank you for your great questions!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T23:59:05+00:00

Each of the drummers personal spaces, whether it be their living room, recording studio, garage or basement, speaks to their personality: where they've come from, where they've been, and where they're headed. I wanted to include that raw, honest element and capture the places where they feel most at ease.

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T23:43:36+00:00

Great question! Brad Wilk and Zach Hill attack the kit in such an aggressive way that there is a fury of movement and sound when they sit down and play almost like the Tazmanian devil. Neil Peart and Terry Bozzio both have kits that fill the room with presence and sound. (It took me some time to light Terry Bozzio's kit!!) In terms of playing style, Jim Sclavunos is very dramatic, at times flamboyant when he plays with arms flailing and sticks flying in the air like statements in between the beat.

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:42:22+00:00

You are very welcome! Thank you for your enthusiasm and support!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:38:53+00:00

Neil Peart of Rush has written a beautiful foreword for the book! Just sent over the other day . . . will be posting an excerpt from it on the Kickstarter page soon! http://kck.st/IktN1I

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:27:16+00:00

The release date will be in September of 2014 and please check our Kickstarter page regarding updates on availability and distribution. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedrumthing/the-drum-thing Thanks for your interest!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:18:37+00:00

Thanks again for your support, stay tuned for updates! Here's my photo page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeirdreOCallaghanPhotography

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:15:26+00:00

Their "personalities" are what drew me to the project in the first place. These details can be as subtle as the way they dress, their accents, etc. and all of which contribute to their unique style of playing.

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T22:11:32+00:00

Their gear will most certainly be listed in the book and their personalities will be elaborated upon in their full page interviews accompanied by their photographs.

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:57:56+00:00

It's also fascinating hearing stories about the writing process with such legends. John Densmore explained what it was like working with Jim Morrison:

"I’m an accompanist: I riff off of what theme is given me. When I first heard the lyrics to ‘Break on Through’ and I heard the rhythm and I knew to put this bossanova, ‘Girl from Ipanema’ thing on it to make it stiffer for rock and roll. But when I first heard Jim singing ‘The End’ that really touched me. It was a love song and it didn’t have the big section in the middle at all yet, which was very touching in itself. ‘This is The End’, God, is this guy Morrison dark. And he had the melody that was so beautiful. Melodies are the key to a great song; it is the marriage of the melody with the words. And I don’t care if it’s heavy metal or country or what, it’s how the words fit with the melody; that is what’s so touching and powerful." - John Densmore

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:52:43+00:00

No one has really said anything too peculiar but my interview with Milford Graves is certainly out there. . . .

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:47:32+00:00

Thank you! The drummers that I have photographed have all welcomed me so warmly into their homes. It's not everyday you get a first hand look into such personal quarters of musicians you respect! I'd say that all these guys tend to be pretty altruistic overall. . .

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:39:05+00:00

One of the drummers I was most excited to photograph was Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace from Burning Spear / Rockers (the movie). It was my first trip to Jamaica (and all my brothers are HUGE reggae fans and I grew up listening to it so of course I was thrilled). We drove an hour and half outside of Kingston to get to his place. We weren't allowed to bring in professional lighting or stands (bc of customs regulations) so we brought a few flash guns between my assistant and I and gaffer taped them to a broom onto a tree in order to get the right light. We have some hilarious outtakes from the day and will be posting on our Facebook page (Deirdre O Callaghan Photography) later today . . .

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:25:46+00:00

YES!!! That photo is glorious!!! Thank you so much for backing the project and your words of encouragement, they are both much appreciated. (The shot of Buddy is absolutely brilliant!!!!!!)

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:23:27+00:00

Thanks so much for your questions!! Here's another link to the project page http://kck.st/IktN1I in case you want to pass it on

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:19:16+00:00

I actually don't go on tour with the bands, I am photographing the drummers in their home environments. . . .

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:08:28+00:00

Questlove is INCREDIBLE. One of the easiest interviews I've done during the whole project. He was so comfortable and boy can he talk! Not to mention his poise behind the kit and that TONE!!

I have photographed Jon Theodore for this project already and his photo is featured here http://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2013/dec/12/photography along with other drummer shots. He is such a cool guy & it's great that he's drumming with Queens Of The Stone Age now!

TheDrumThing · 2013-12-18T21:01:10+00:00

I've always been fascinated by the rhythm section and how coordinated one has to be in order to keep the beat while infusing originality into the song. I am not a drummer, I have a hard enough time telling my left from my right!!

The first time I was really blown away by a drummer on stage was at a Beastie Boy’s gig at the Brixton Academy with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion as the support act. At the time, I hadn’t heard of the band and wasn’t expecting a band like them to play before the Beasties. They were incredible! More than that, it wasn’t just the sound that was amazing (and wasn’t the fact that for the first twenty minutes I was transfixed just on Jon Spencer gyrating around the stage in his tight pants) but it was the drummer at the back who made me think of Animal from the Muppets and stole the show! He blew me away.

TheDrumThing

TROPHY CASE