drummer Tommy Aldridge has a very hands on approach! solo 85

[DrummaMan75]

This is the whitesnake era!!!

[DisturbedRoytoy]

2nd 2 none!

[stillphil]

1/2 of the guys that play busy fill-ins today don't realize Tommy Aldridge was doing it back in 1985 ... in many cases better than these guys are doing it TODAY.

Go Tommy !

[sjsazy]

@stillphil 1985? He was doing this kind of stuff in the early and mid 70's! Very revolutionary double bass, polyrhythm drummer and probably the most entertaining, mesmerizing drummer I've ever seen and I've seen many of the good ones.

[stillphil]

@sjsazy exactly =) give' em another decade they'll catch up

[Banconslash]

mitico!

[moosehater1011]

why is he using a yamaha those drums fucking sucks ass

[satellitemancan]

Totally cool

[diglottic]

his hands can probably break walls

[receptor1974]

Клоун нах

[TheKevo7777]

Played with many groups including OZZY back in the day.

[whitbyjet65]

I'm sorry but this ISN'T Thin Lizzy.

[restlessbreed10]

wonder if hes channeling bonzo right there ??

[nastymonsters2]

@restlessbreed10 er no.

[blubu68]

Wow nice yamaha rc's

[jason4amd]

awsum hair do

[myspacceer]

TOMMY SMASH.

[jmdrummer7]

One of the most under rated drummers of all time. Saw him live w/ Ozzy back in the early 80's on the Diary of A Madman Tour. Great drummer!

[MonkeyMagic88]

This is one man who said... FUCK YOU I'm gonna do what I love doing and I'm going to help others enjoy life a whole lot more whilst doing it !!!

[j2jkiller]

Nobody can beat this guy.....His the best drummer in the world

[Trashfished]

@j2jkiller I guess you never heard Bill Ward.

[IDontUsePicks]

that must hurt like fuck

[1hipgig]

jo jones did this before morello. I think chick webb did this in the 30's.

[rx2411]

He's a madman no doubt - the comments of myoluser and ariesram74 do seem to apply here. Thing is, he can play a groove when he wants to - check out Pat Travers tune ''crash and burn" or the live version of "boom boom out go the lights" also with Pat T. His double bass shuffle and fills are pretty crazy on that one. His double bass instruction video is quite something also - his deal is that fast kinda reverse 5 stroke roll between the snare and feet. Three on feet then two on snare.

[mikper7]

Definitely 80's, he appears to be rocking Capezios on his feet.

[MonkeyMagic88]

@mikper7 late 80's...possibly early 90's

[ScreamxBloodyxGore]

Lmao @ Peart being in the same sentence as Carr. Carr fucking sucks.

And peart can do quads faster than that. It's a good solo, but this is nothing compared to what peart can do.

[MRCJCOLLINS]

someone says ludwig are better yamaha.! that guy has never owned a set a of yamaha. I have 2 kits from both companys. yamaha is far superior. even owned a set of vistalite. go play some birch custom absolute nouveau and report back. ludwig hasn't made killer!!! drums in 2 decades.

[humbledrumah]

more like Ulrich not even close to peart or bonham or rich

[MrGalaxyDan]

Nothing short of amazing...

[p756]

He is a very good drummer. But Bonham used a single speedKing pedal single Bass (which most drummers can barely pull off Bonhams beats with double pedals!) By the way, Tommy Aldridge starts his solo by using open hand Bonham triplets. Bonham made his Vista Light 5 piece sound like a 10 piece. But, none the less, imitation is the best form of flattery. Kudos to Tommy Aldridge.

[ariesram74]

just do alot of cocaine and you can do this too!

[Kaji617]

@ariesram74 lmao!

[myxoluser]

@ariesram74

Yeah it's funny. He just does the same fast beats over and over for 6 minutes. Don't get me wrong he's an excellent drummer, just probably...uh, "in the zone". ; )

A little more variety maybe, fast or slow.

[mixedmeteor]

yeah those were the super power toms back then, couldn't lower them further than your chin

[5drum5]

Look at the size of those toms! Shit! What do you have up there? 14, 15,

[debraann57]

It doesnt matter " who was the first" Tommy was the best"...seeing him third row, just blew me away! I have seen Led Zepplin with Bonham....Carr, also. Aldridge is the all time best!, no doubt about it! Just look at him and his talent, come on...?

[daveeeed]

endless creativity from single strokes and relatively simple licks, but played beautifully, with energy. i love it. makes me want to get playin again!

[daveeeed]

love his feel, so juicy. kinda like that feeling you get when you're a bit spaced out and you imagine imaginary objects larger than they are in front of you moving as if they're being manipulated remotely from your imagination in a dream like state man

[williamq19]

bonham is my favorite drummer, and ludwig owns yamaha, lol.

[Beholdthecoma]

OUCH!! HOLY FUCK!! RIMSHOT!!! OWWHH!!! :o

[ajasprings]

his hands outta hurt

[ugopk1994]

He plays the drum in the John Henry Bonham's style !

[Jay435]

LOL Tommy reminds me sometimes of Animal from the Muppets. He's fun to watch and a great rocker.

[hamjamnspamalot2]

@Jay435 Or Sideshow Bob, with that hair of his, lol. Yeah, he's a great drummer.

[inuamaru]

wow

[jackthedrummer96]

is it just me or r his toms HUGE???

[oreosmells14]

sick hair

[itssti]

What's the point of doing this?

I guess this was cool back in the 80's..

[einaroneeye]

@itssti Its called a drum solo...where the drummer gets to show off a little bit. Musicians as entertainers, that sort of thing...

[itssti]

@einaroneeye Ok tnx for letting me know

[Jay435]

@itssti Just close your eyes and listen.

[emmaslut69]

no wonder his dad didnt want him to play when he got off work

T A beats the hell outta the skins

[kempo999p]

imagine how his hand feel ow lol

[MuscleBound46]

Excellent drummer for sure. It's amazing to me the added dimension one more bass drum pedal gives you. Wishing I never sold my damn Tama RockStar Double Bass Kit.

It was his exact kit with two more mounted toms.

And now I weep.

[TheSleathable]

Yeah tama rockstars arent worth much at all..there just arent worth selling though because of their power sound that newer kits dont have.

[zowwzee]

check that hair out , yowza, and tha tucked in tee , sa-weeeet

[StefanPriceUK]

I'm not a drummer but I would say buy the best kit you can afford but always leave enough in the budget for some sticks.

[LukeSnyderMusic]

@StefanPriceUK and never skimp on cymbals ;)

[jackkthemackk]

he should kick the bass drum, hahaha.

[foosbal]

ozzy must of shit himself when he listened to tommy an randy go at it first time!

[FreeMTrider]

@foosbal Tommy has been known to say that Randy was one of the best musicians he has every played with and a good friend.

[BrianMorrison71]

This is amazing. It was even more amazing when Bonham did it...

[YogaArmy]

Tommy Aldridge ROCKS!  ONE OF MY FAV DRUMMERS!

[MrStraightdancer]

My favorite rock drummer. I first saw Tommy live in the 70's with Black Oak Arkansas.

[sody2000]

This was the first I saw of Tommy, 1987-1988 with Whitesnake. He was going 15 years before that and 20 later today! Tommy Aldridge is a Living Legend.

[AntiPirateSquad]

It's a poodle soundchecking a drumkit....?

[nosamcuminhand1]

u got kno i dea what an influence he was, only drummerz know, he changed drumming so much

[patrickforpresident]

He's a great drummer, but all his solo's sound the same. I would love to hear him put something into a beat then solo along with the beat. It just makes for a better and more dynamic solo. Like Vinnie Colaiuta does. Now Vinnie is a true master.

[edhead67]

@patrickforpresident....you know what a lot of badass jazz masters lack...the same thing that a lot of guitar virturosos lack...the balls of letting it rock...hence a rock drummer...countless times i've heard recodings of a master(most often a jazz) drummer play absurd things and sound like a douche when trying to lay down a heavy groove or just a hammered out rock beat....and I have had the pleasure of seeing Tommy a few times and it was amazing but I agree with you to a certain degree..

[justusleejolliffe]

You are a turd!

[brentmann]

Tommy has looked the same forever he is a Hard Rock Legend!

[DiamondDEK]

Saw Tommy with Whitesnake. Obviously a great drummer who must have hands like rawhide. Up there with Peart and Carr

[ozzykid169]

@DiamondDEK ERIC CARR IS THE BEST DRUMMER TO EVER LIVE!!!!!!  R.I.P.

[jroach96]

@ozzykid169 Haaaa!!!! Sorry he's gone, but, uh noooooo!!!!! Terry Bozio ring a bell? Stephen Perkins???

[icandoitbetter]

@DiamondDEK Dont even utter Carr in the sentence as Peart. What is wrong with you guys?

[dsaxman72]

@DiamondDEK no way neil peart is of way higher caliber

[AEIOUandSometimesW]

@DiamondDEK much better than carr. . .

[eastwickballa]

looks like sum1 forgot dere sticks at home.. lol naw jk dat iz crazy awesum

[DarthKazi]

Such a monster.  Love this guy.

[RockenDokkenlover91]

why does he look real old in all his pictures?

[RickHubbard1954]

To all you young cats out there. This guy has been around since the early 70's. One of the first to get the maximum potential from a double bass drum setup. As far as i'm concerned he's still the master of the double bass drums. Check him out on Pat Travers Live Album, Go For What You Know,recorded in 1979.

[tonilrogers]

@RickHubbard1954 you need to check out some Louie Bellson double bass work from the 50's. Louie Bellson was the first to use double bass in the late 40's using Gretch Drums.

[FreeMTrider]

@RickHubbard1954 He totally shreds on that album.

[Headcrabs16]

lol no mean to bag out the drummer, he is amazing. But he is the real life animal. From the muppets.

[bchetsker73]

Dudes ever hear of this drummer?

Just type and search:

Paul Wandtke Vic Firth full live drum solo Mandeville, Louisiana

This guy is badass man!!!! I stumbled across this drum solo video via Vic Firth's website.

[Darkwing74]

Just amazing.

[Toasty411]

IVE GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS

[nichisjesus]

how come i've never heard of this guy lol

[JoeJacari]

Big a** drums like that are old school.

[wickedmatt282]

that's insane

[pikeythedrumfreak]

can anybody tell me what heads he's using in this vid? he says himself he uses remo emperors on his toms now but i'm not sure if he did back then, i have no idea. anybody?

[ChuckPaulsen658]

jesus his hands must hurt after that

[longwhip]

I'd like to see him get his hands stuck in his hair and pull out big chunks.....hahaha

[glock868]

thats amazing

[sody2000]

Tommy uses smaller drums now and smaller kicks. Today he'll go 12, 14, 16, 18 with 22" kicks not the 24" kicks. He'll even go 10, 12, 14, 16 toms in the studio.

[sody2000]

Toms are 14" 15" 16" 18" on that kit in 1988-1989. Read the Modern Drummer article. Watch the clip at 1:00 and you'll notice that the first tom is the size of the 14" snare.

[debgibsonfan]

Tommy Aldridge fucking RULES!!!!!!!!!

[sody2000]

Look at those HUGE drums man! 14, 15, 16, 18, and two 24s. He's an ANIMAL. Go Tommy Go! amazing

[mysterytrain666]

lol his 2 front toms are 12x9 and 13x10 BEST DRUMMER EVER!!

[preacet]

i never knew tommy would use his hands?!

[WatchingMamut]

has he got fists of steel?

[TheKickassdrummer]

The single stroke roll man!!

[sitdown34]

stop bragging it makes you sound like a prick

[bendinggreenvans]

great!

[baxdoode]

fuck that must hurt

[louswire]

somewhere around 4:00 ... and again at the 5:05 ...call it rolling thunder!!!

great work!!!

I just love watching a master at his craft!

[scarredman42]

He isn't the first person to use hands on drums. Look at Bonham playing Moby Dick...

[6Zorn6Kind6]

He may not be the first, but he still did a good job. It's like saying Metallica is better than every other thrash band (or whatever you want to call it) because they were the ones who "finalized the sound". I don't know, thats what i think.

[bendinggreenvans]

he did actually say that though :P

[bendinggreenvans]

also Papa Jo Jones did it in 1964

[rtuhlik]

Yes he addmitted that. Bonham was great! But come on...Tommy has it too! Dont be a mr. Bungle. LOL

[Led757]

@scarredman42 bonham was not the first to do so either, look at joe morello

[chrisGTO66]

@Led757 yea Morello was playing with his hands back in the late 50's & early 60's. Great old time drummer. Look at Bellson too. Louie Bellson was the first to play a double bass set back in 1950

[sody2000]

Bonham was only 2 years older than Tommy Aldridge... both playing drums at the same time. They were both doing lots of similar things at the same time.

[ultimatefighter187]

@scarredman42 bonham isnt the first either.

[Buitretom]

How to convert a drum kit into a battlefield...go Tommy!!!

[sk8pwner9]

this great and I would know because i saw him do it live today at a drum clinic in columbus ohio. he is just an amazing drummer!

[fudgyobrian]

wasn't that a great show and such a nice guy too!

[sk8pwner9]

ya. i did not expect that personality from a rocker but that is probably why he never was short of a gig (and his talent of course).

[williambatera1]

vai toma no cu !

[sody2000]

Tommy Aldridge is one of my favorite Rock Drummers of all time. He's AMAZING! This is 1987-1988 and I remember that red Yamaha kit from the Whitesnake tour. Toms are 14, 15, 16, 18 and Kicks are 24s. HUGE drums. A W E S O M E! Go Tommoy Go.

[mikper7]

@sody2000 Hell yeah to 80's power toms!

[slipknotinhell]

look at those fucking toms! looks like they're about to take off :S

[tjfreak]

he sucks ? this guy's an absolute pro...plug and play with most anyone..he appears to lite up that kit to me.

He is absolutely humble about his talent level,and his fame..pretty grounded drummer and person.

[linkinparkiscoolio]

this dude sucks ass

[arthurkitchen]

It's guys like you that just need to be shot in the head, right after I torture your mom and dad in front of you

[hippydippy]

1 WORD... DICK-WAD.

[JoeNJ1]

2 awesome! Must kill his hands tho. I had a drum vid by him that my brother lost on me.

[DocTripp1977]

Damn!!! That's some tight drumming.

[kpanneton1]

Ow, fuck that has to hurt.

[cheddarhobbit6]

this guy pioneered the double bass pedal so show a little respect

[lacika67]

Tommy is the best heavy drummer ever

[RustyBlade69]

One of the best drummers ever!

My favorite drummers are Eric Carr and Tommy Aldridge!

[samalenco]

toca mejor con las manos que con las baquetas

[canvoodoo]

load of old shit

[fewell8]

fuck off i know the him ass hole!!

[stratomaster57]

what the? hes not even using sticks?!?!?!? this guy is amazing...

[enzomdrums]

he es not using shoes neither haha mother fucker is genious

[46542045]

Now he plays with whitesnake,but he played with ozzy at 80's

[FreeMTrider]

@46542045 and Pat Travers

[a7x7636]

what band is this guy from. he is crazy

[paradiddle1]

Whitesnake among others...

[mysterytrain666]

I would love to no how he does that stick trick looks so nice when he does it

[ashkobar]

FUCK YOU, FREAK!

[enzomdrums]

fucking idiot

[Hecklinatyall]

Yeah, cause we all know what you are good at doing with your bare hands. All you are good at doing is leaving hair from your palms on your dick.

[enzomdrums]

hairs from my dick in my pals you meant?

[Hecklinatyall]

Um, sure.

[Hackfrostcs]

TAMA SEET :: POBRE BATERIA

[usatape]

i think that he needed to buy a entire hardware set before this solo

[confusedsay]

BOA!

[GordonFr33man]

After his hands on approach on the drums he should scream (like Beatles Ringo Starr after the song 'Helter Skelter') "I've got blisters on my fingers!!!"

[stuporsession]

that was John Lennon screeaming I got blisters on me fingers

[GordonFr33man]

No, it was Ringo Starr. Read about 'Helter Skelter' on wikipedia. Many think its Lennon, but its Ringo.

[AllisterCooper2008]

'Yeah, but why destroy your hands? I can think of a million uses for my hands than cutting them on a drum's rim.'

Buddy Rich on playing with you bare hands.

Well, John Bonham and Tommy knew what they were doing.

[scene1053R]

ha wish i could do that

[martialfan36]

Great drummer!! 3rd favorite behind neil peart and nicko mcbrain.

[rigo71]

this guy rocks the drum set!!!!!!!!!

the pedals are horrible

[xnideax]

heyyy...Ya inventaron las baquetas :)

[mysterytrain666]

they*

[mysterytrain666]

he must have to buy new skins every time he plays that take beatings lol best drummer ever

[Oladipo5]

yea man for sure...especially because of his signature sticks....they are made of oak!! and are the size of 2b's! Heavy shit

[nemrac76]

Remember those Pro-Mark Bobby Rock signature sticks? You could play baseball with one of those!

[luda09860987603987]

dude hes so freakin good hes my second favorite drummer my all time favorite drummer is eric carr but Tommy Aldridge is hella good

[jnishar]

i love the sound of his tom's!

[BassmanFromDenmark]

I Have See Tommy With Thin Lizzy that was great my fravorite drummer

[CatterLives]

Huffing is fun!

[Cliner97]

Most of Tommy's sound in this vid is coming from his double kicks, not what he's playing on the toms and snare. As I said before, Tommy's a great drummer but IMO he doesn't have the power intensity that Bonham had, and certainly not specifically playing with his hands. I love ZTommy's regular playing, but his hand playing is very unmusical and overcompensated sound-wise by the kicks. Listen and watch and you'll see what I mean.

[Elliminatorz]

Trully, IRON FIST!!! :)

[larkydozer]

I prefer Simon Philips.

Years back, Aldridge insulted Peart, although without naming Neil directly. Anyone who read MD back in the 80's can probably recall this.

[mjulio71]

What did he say about Peart?

[larkydozer]

I can't recall the precise quote, but it was something to the effect of "you can't go playing like a gorilla and look like a librarian".

It struck me as the sort of comment which avoided substantive criticism of a more prolific player (Peart) while speaking to Aldridge's jealousy and self image insecurities.

I can't be sure, but reading the MD piece, it struck me that way.

[Doobear302]

he looks like hes having a break down.

Tommy A:Innovative,creative,and a all around g