What an original ...That's what i love about his playing, He doesn't sound like anyone else, that's something that not enough emphasis is placed on as it has been in older generations of musicians. I remember this guy when he was 15 man. He was really playing then too!.Great guy
He solos exactly with the energy Michael is giving. It's just amazing, and I don't see any point in critisising him! Nobody's perfect, but what the hell! Are you fucking joking? I think all you haters can say what you want, but there's no way you're ever going to be this good at something, anything. Stop it, just stop it. This guy is a genius. And if you can't understand that, you have to start wondering why it is, that you still don't have a girlfriend, even after ALL THESE YEARS...
I love that fact that he's always REALLY into what he's playing! I can appreciate that. I'm just never into listening to him. I try, but his style just does NOT appeal to me. Too much.
Suuure, tell Thomas to play the 16th note feel without any syncopation, and just stick to boring ass quaver fills.. im sure that'd be awesome to watch. all the fucking amateur bitches watching are just wetting their pants and getting upset. Thomas is way different to your typical jazz drummer..you idiots shit your pants when you watched this..
Look at him smiling, its clear that he does it for the pure love of music.Must have a metronome with all different dimensions tied inside his brain. I feel like he plays beats backwards sometimes as if they were to be created that way. Fantastic. Love thomas pridgen
@SirBaga How you coincide me mentioning Guitar Center (which like it or not, is a huge supplier of drums and cymbals to many drummers) with me thinking I am a good drummer is absurd. Eat a dick!
was he even listening to the song? Playing slop over a groove doesn't impress me. I can walk into a guitar center and here these fills played and not be distracted by a Michael Jackson tune underneath the mess.
@Steeltowner you obviously either are not a drummer, or are new to drumming. The technicality behind what Thomas plays is ridiculous, probably the whole time he has ghost notes going, and he incorporates every rudiment into his playing. This is not a mess, this is a masterpiece.
@DrumDrumOn....I am listeninng to his technical ability but that doesn't mean shit. Yeah, he can play anything he can think of. But thats his problem! He is over the top on everything. I guess my point was that players are sometimes easily impressed with this doodling...but I bet Bernard Purdie would play this track and light a fire uner Thomas' ass!
@Steeltowner I am pretty sure that his technical ability does stand for something.... And yes he is over the top, because this is nothing but drums, but when he plays with The Memorials he keeps it right in the pocket. And please don't compare him to a veteran drummer, also the most recorded drummer of all time... not really a fair comparison
@Steeltowner Over the top? Of course he's over the top! That's his thing. That's what pretty much everyone knows him for. He overplays absolutely everything. But that's his style, and he really does make it work.
@SubwayStar7 understood, I guess I am just one of those guys who can only take that type of playing in small doses. Thats cool though, he really is a monster player but not cup of tea.
@SubwayStar7 I think that's true, he is really emotional, but you did say so: that's his style. I think he is as good that he can let himself flow so fitting good anyway. He plays tasty. XD
@jaleesamg A cover is simply a recording of a previously recorded song made popular by someone else. I really don't think it has to be lick for lick so long as it's a popular song re-recorded; although, it usually is at least similar haha. When I think of a remix, the actual audio track is being altered and re-recorded (ex. Aaron Spears had Usher's "Caught Up" altered with new hits within the actual track). Since Michael's track is played over rather than changed I think it's being covered :)
I agree that he's bandless in this vid, therefore having fun, but you never see a vid of him acting like part of a band, instead of a giant wanking act
@gerbenrebel That dude just wails on the drums, he has horrible timing, horrible technique, and all he does is is fast single strokes. It's fine for that noise rock he plays, but Vinnie is lightyears ahead of him, or anybody else for that matter. Watch Jeff Beck play "Scatterbrain" live at Ronnie Scott's. Vinnie is playing with him.
@TheBass2themax I wasn't talking about Thomas Pridgen, I was talking about Brian Chippendale. Maybe you should read the whole conversation before you comment, or better yet, just stay out of it, because you just made yourself look stupid.
@PoeticJustice05 I do like how Thomas brings some flare and originality to his playing. It's not that same boring, mundane, style you hear from hundreds of drummers. A lot of these "highly technical" drummers have that same shitty, dated, sound...even though they are very talented.
@TripwireAlarm Everybody's good in their own right. If by dated you mean that most those cats have a jazz background, therefore most of the great players out there use jazz licks, then ok, in that sense Thomas is different. He was brought up playing gospel, so he uses a lot of gospel licks.
@AckAttack77 I'd say it says more about their taste and maturity as a musician rather than their skill. Normally I agree that less is more in most cases...but Pridgen does well to add his own, chaotic style to the music he plays. For most drummers, overplaying makes listeners just sort of feel overwhelmed, but somehow Pridgen makes it work, in my opinion. I like him mostly because of his energy and originality, and I think there are only a few places where it might be better for him to cut back.
@SubwayStar7 i completely agree, but big name people aren't exactly lining up to have him play with them. If he showed more control then his versatility would be winning him grammys left and right (not like grammys matter) but hey, a little recognition is nice lol.
@AckAttack77 That's funny. He gave a clinic here in Kansas City and just went nuts the whole time. I don't know where he gets all that energy, but I'd think he'd want to play a little more musically at just some point.
Who said keep it simple? This guy's the drummer for The Mars Volta they're everything but simple and that's what makes them amazing. Can you imagine how boring it would be to watch him cover the track?? eh...people these days.
@ThtTerracottaDrummer He's no longer the drummer for The Mars Volta. He quit in 2009 and formed a new band called The Memorials. They are fucking awesome. Check them out.
thomas really takes the typical 'snare on 2 + 4' patterns and throws them out the picture.. THIS is amazing! technical yet still grooving hard (to some ears at least) i really like his playing style, although like ive said it can be hard for some to grasp. still, what a drummer xD
The greatest drummers of our time like Steve Gadd and Jeff Porcaro would never insult this tune like this. This song is all about groove. This guy is just jerking himself off and the audience as well. A drummer with wisdom and taste would find a way to underline the SIMPLE FUNK GROOVE of the tune while still showing off some chops. This guy has technique but this is grotesque.
@chizmo7 Dude, chill. He's completely jamming out. He has the capability to do something like that, but he's just choosing to rock out because he feels like having a good time up there. It's his style.
@nothadnotbad Well, think of it..do you talk differently when you speak to different people at different times? Nope, cause it's the vernacular you use everyday. Playing at that level, or any level actually, there are things you instinctively do. I imagine it's the same with him. Plus, compared to the greats like Weckle, Coliuta, Gad, and Royster, he's still young. If you think he's killing now...wait about another 5 or maybe 8 years and then check him out. God have mercy on us all!!!!!
It's a clinic and this is a point to show off your chop. Normally he wouldn't play to this song for the gig, so who's ever hating and respect that he's grooving to this track as a solo the whole time his way and putting on a show. If he were to play the song like it is then you would say it's probably boring. Thomas is awesome and a Jedi Knight on the kit.
Maybe so but I see him take this approach on everything. Aaron Spears would have killed it to but would have made sure his material fit. Thomas plays it weather it fits or not. Just hammers through everything. Its obvious he has a obsession with speed. That a groove killer for sure. But he is fast no doubt about it.
Man he is all over the kit. Playing the whole song like its a fill. If he played that song like that in front of michael jackson he would have been showed the door. I was taught that you don't play ever note. just the sweet ones. space can be good. these are licks I see him play in every song I see wheather they fit or not. Aaron Spears goes off to but doesn't go fishing after he finds that badass groove Thomas will jump out of a perfectly fine groove and change everything for no reason.
@badmotorscooter1000 Hallmark of any well-rounded drummer is the ability to adapt to any time, tone, or otherwise. Thomas proves order and chaos can get along.
this guys like a fucking incredible drummer in terms of technique but seems to have no sense of rhythm so the steady beat thats typical of an 80s pop, michael jackson song is just lost in the endless solo im just waiting and waiting for him to have a slight pause and start a half time groove or something but it just never comes :(
This guy is fast but a joke, he plays the same licks everytime I watch him. hammers through everything sprays notes everywhere that don't fit, never plays the grove. One trick pony. Way to cocky!
@badmotorscooter1000 The term you're looking for instead of "sprays", is called "syncopated". Playing off beat, yet still keeping with time is considered by all of us drummers as being very skilled. This is a great song that he completely crushed. I've known him since I was a kid playing at gospel conventions together, and have seen the progression from being great, to really great. There's a reason that he plays professionally, and it's because he's gifted...he's confident, not cocky
Great play with the timing. In most drum fills, what gets me going is the accentuation of the weak/syncopated beats, and when that's done really well, it can take the listener completely by surprise in a pleasant way. And this guy is quite full of such technique. Great stuff :)
All of u that don't like it don't understand why he played it like that. U fuckn dips. He can hold down a groove so sick. He really can. He's blessed with wicked chops and is very well versed in many different styles. Fuck u hatres. Just mad cuz this cat was better than u older guys when he was 15
OK i dnt evenly like this nigga for real but he respected Michael Jackson with this and just gave the best he had and enjoyed what he was doing! He killed this joant ! he cool in m book off this.
OK i dnt evenly like this nigga for real but he respected Michael Jackson with this and just gave the best he had and enjoyed what he was doing! He killed this joant ! he cool in m book off this.
@metalking21 Haha i also realised that the other day when listening to The Bedlam in Goliath when i was blazed, i understood him so well at that point
He obviously wouldnt play like this if it were a performance with MJ listen to the mars volta for instance does he play like this during a performance with them? i think not!
@k0stil Cedric and Omar want everything to be exactly as they want it and if its not then its a huge problem. Cedric and Omar are now listed as the only members of The Mars Volta. Other members are The Mars Volta Group. On their old label, credit and money was split evenly among everyone in The Mars Volta and The Mars Volta Group. However, when they signed to a new label or worked out a new deal with their current label, they made the deal so Cedric and Omar got the majority of the profits.
Ignorance.......why would he keep it simple? This is obviously a cover, there is no band to accompany, He's simply playin to michael's music....the audience is there to see him....and he's giving them a show. And an good one at that!
@veinsofchrist i don't think this is a cover, i think this is more like a remix. doesn't a cover mean that you play the same things that were played on the track? please correct me if i'm wrong :)
ohhh. myy. good. I love thomas pridgen; yea he's really damn good at the drums, but he also is crazy good at making musical statements (the actual music part of playing music). He's not just like "hey look at how fast i can play, check me out guise," he actually plays the poop out of them with meaning and intention. And yea, this is him jamming, sorry if some of you guys are used to boom boom tat, and don't get what he's playing.
It's amazing how many people don't understand simple thing about a drum solo being played over a song structure on a drum festival...Thomas could have played groove to this song when he was in his mother's womb. His chops are amazing... he is beyond unbelievable...he is beyond awesome ...he's BEAWESOMELIEVABLE!!!!!!!
Those of you who say he doesn't groove are idiots. Maybe you need a greater appreciation for Wanna Be Starting Something to realize just how well he's grooving to it. Incredibly bad-ass.
@spudman3000 Ya you're right. People assume that if you play a lot of notes you're not grooving, which is a bunch of garbage, seeing as Thomas IS grooving right here. Obviously you won't get a gig playing as much notes as Thomas, but that doesn't mean the groove isn't there. And Thomas played a butt load of pocket gigs when he was coming up. People now see him as the (ex) drummer of the Mars Volta, so when they go to his clinics, this is what they want to see.
@spudman3000 ". Maybe you need a greater appreciation for Wanna Be Starting Something to realize just how well he's grooving to it. "
And there is a very good reason why the drums for this song sound exactly like this performance does not. People want to dance. Let's see him do this ... without the headphones.
@spudman3000 Hes a great prog rock drummer, but if you cant play back in black, no studio is going to want to hire you for any other gig than something that takes more chops then that. Thats not grooving, thats filling a song till its overflowing with stuff dude.
I love the lil blue lighting as he hits his cymbals. is he really hitting them that hard that he has the force or something? lol..anyways... amazing drummer for mars volta
Personally, I think he's way overrated. Dude can rape on the drums, but it never sounds that interesting. He's got speed definitely- but he doesn't really give songs the depth that many others do.
didnt know kofi kingston played drums
whiteley1989 1 month ago
man, when this brotha hits, he really HITS huh?
ofirharlev 2 months ago
He Kiddo,
Your right of course, but I think Thomas can do the job pretty well himself if he put his mind to it.
youhoneyman 2 months ago
I'm afraid this is the new thing....What about playing drums ... instead of making noise.
I know you can do that. Just contain yourself.
youhoneyman 2 months ago
@youhoneyman If they just wanted a beat man they couldve invited ?uestlove, Steve Jordan, etc.
Kiddowesth 2 months ago
@youhoneyman The audience are there for the drums, not the actual music being played. Just leave it at that.
EA369 2 months ago
mother of god
brimcrim121 2 months ago
He's an amazing drummer and he likes Micheal Jackson. WHAT could possibly make him cooler? Oh yeah he drummer for the Mars Volta... (:
andthemushrooms123 3 months ago
@andthemushrooms123 *drummed.
andthemushrooms123 3 months ago
look at him grinnin/lovin it ... maybe it's from having a superfluous floor tom/two
queenmcsleaze 3 months ago
looks like his cymbals get struck by lightning when he hits them
wld0 3 months ago
very good!
genninho1 4 months ago
Solid Chops & Ears like radar!
eisenyeo 4 months ago
he plays really hard!! don't you think so??
SERCHSOS3722 5 months ago
The trouble about Thomas Pridgen is, he can't just play a simple beat without going into a fill or going crazy.
turts02 5 months ago
@turts02 Why is that troubling?
cantinman23 5 months ago
@turts02 he so can dude. he's putting on a show here, if he played a plain beat everyone would walk out. this is what we want!
Bentoss612 3 months ago
bro is cheesin
xxddrummerxx 5 months ago in playlist xxddrummerxx's Favorited Videos
What an original ...That's what i love about his playing, He doesn't sound like anyone else, that's something that not enough emphasis is placed on as it has been in older generations of musicians. I remember this guy when he was 15 man. He was really playing then too!.Great guy
mendocinoplayboy 5 months ago
I love the way everything about his body language says, man I fucking LOVE this.
HotRosin 5 months ago 18
Pridgen is just great at all...
GZuraman 5 months ago
He solos exactly with the energy Michael is giving. It's just amazing, and I don't see any point in critisising him! Nobody's perfect, but what the hell! Are you fucking joking? I think all you haters can say what you want, but there's no way you're ever going to be this good at something, anything. Stop it, just stop it. This guy is a genius. And if you can't understand that, you have to start wondering why it is, that you still don't have a girlfriend, even after ALL THESE YEARS...
drummerbauke 5 months ago
I love that fact that he's always REALLY into what he's playing! I can appreciate that. I'm just never into listening to him. I try, but his style just does NOT appeal to me. Too much.
yaboyreece22 5 months ago
stop uploading shitty sounding crap
eqsmooth 5 months ago
I didn't know he owned a T shirt!
falseimpressions99 5 months ago 56
He's a monster.
killamcr 5 months ago
Suuure, tell Thomas to play the 16th note feel without any syncopation, and just stick to boring ass quaver fills.. im sure that'd be awesome to watch. all the fucking amateur bitches watching are just wetting their pants and getting upset. Thomas is way different to your typical jazz drummer..you idiots shit your pants when you watched this..
Euphilippos 5 months ago
Look at him smiling, its clear that he does it for the pure love of music.Must have a metronome with all different dimensions tied inside his brain. I feel like he plays beats backwards sometimes as if they were to be created that way. Fantastic. Love thomas pridgen
101fattypancakes 6 months ago
@SirBaga How you coincide me mentioning Guitar Center (which like it or not, is a huge supplier of drums and cymbals to many drummers) with me thinking I am a good drummer is absurd. Eat a dick!
Steeltowner 6 months ago
damn michael wouldve turned black again if thomas was in his band lol
ChrisCandelario100 6 months ago
was he even listening to the song? Playing slop over a groove doesn't impress me. I can walk into a guitar center and here these fills played and not be distracted by a Michael Jackson tune underneath the mess.
Steeltowner 6 months ago
@Steeltowner you obviously either are not a drummer, or are new to drumming. The technicality behind what Thomas plays is ridiculous, probably the whole time he has ghost notes going, and he incorporates every rudiment into his playing. This is not a mess, this is a masterpiece.
DrumDrumOn 6 months ago
@DrumDrumOn....I am listeninng to his technical ability but that doesn't mean shit. Yeah, he can play anything he can think of. But thats his problem! He is over the top on everything. I guess my point was that players are sometimes easily impressed with this doodling...but I bet Bernard Purdie would play this track and light a fire uner Thomas' ass!
Steeltowner 6 months ago
@Steeltowner I am pretty sure that his technical ability does stand for something.... And yes he is over the top, because this is nothing but drums, but when he plays with The Memorials he keeps it right in the pocket. And please don't compare him to a veteran drummer, also the most recorded drummer of all time... not really a fair comparison
DrumDrumOn 6 months ago
@Steeltowner Over the top? Of course he's over the top! That's his thing. That's what pretty much everyone knows him for. He overplays absolutely everything. But that's his style, and he really does make it work.
SubwayStar7 6 months ago
@SubwayStar7 understood, I guess I am just one of those guys who can only take that type of playing in small doses. Thats cool though, he really is a monster player but not cup of tea.
Steeltowner 5 months ago
@SubwayStar7 I think that's true, he is really emotional, but you did say so: that's his style. I think he is as good that he can let himself flow so fitting good anyway. He plays tasty. XD
GZuraman 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
songname is Wanna Be Startin' Something.
hamakko4649 6 months ago
somebody could tell me what the name of this song is please : )
JimBlackyHeart 7 months ago
thomas pridgen playing michael jackson....michael jackson is looking down and smiling
MATTlovesDRUMS 7 months ago
@MATTlovesDRUMS no dude, michael jackson is busy looking down on the little boys room. lol
iamsicsic6 6 months ago
@iamsicsic6 LOL
MATTlovesDRUMS 6 months ago
he summons lighting tho
rockstarbabyeah 7 months ago
Good Timing! Bad precision!
toomuchtumar 7 months ago
@jaleesamg A cover is simply a recording of a previously recorded song made popular by someone else. I really don't think it has to be lick for lick so long as it's a popular song re-recorded; although, it usually is at least similar haha. When I think of a remix, the actual audio track is being altered and re-recorded (ex. Aaron Spears had Usher's "Caught Up" altered with new hits within the actual track). Since Michael's track is played over rather than changed I think it's being covered :)
veinsofchrist 7 months ago
this is by far the best drummin i have seen
myvoicesodelicious16 7 months ago
I agree that he's bandless in this vid, therefore having fun, but you never see a vid of him acting like part of a band, instead of a giant wanking act
david30918 7 months ago
he and brian chippendale are the best drummers alive
gerbenrebel 7 months ago
@gerbenrebel TP is amazing, props to him, but while Vinnie Colaiuta is alive, he will be the greatest drummer alive.
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
@PoeticJustice05 ofcourse he is awesome, but brian chippendale will beat him i guess, he just needs a snare and a bass drum and some cymbals
gerbenrebel 7 months ago
@gerbenrebel That dude just wails on the drums, he has horrible timing, horrible technique, and all he does is is fast single strokes. It's fine for that noise rock he plays, but Vinnie is lightyears ahead of him, or anybody else for that matter. Watch Jeff Beck play "Scatterbrain" live at Ronnie Scott's. Vinnie is playing with him.
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
Comment removed
TheBass2themax 7 months ago
@TheBass2themax I wasn't talking about Thomas Pridgen, I was talking about Brian Chippendale. Maybe you should read the whole conversation before you comment, or better yet, just stay out of it, because you just made yourself look stupid.
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
@PoeticJustice05 I do like how Thomas brings some flare and originality to his playing. It's not that same boring, mundane, style you hear from hundreds of drummers. A lot of these "highly technical" drummers have that same shitty, dated, sound...even though they are very talented.
TripwireAlarm 7 months ago
@TripwireAlarm Everybody's good in their own right. If by dated you mean that most those cats have a jazz background, therefore most of the great players out there use jazz licks, then ok, in that sense Thomas is different. He was brought up playing gospel, so he uses a lot of gospel licks.
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
@TripwireAlarm i think it speaks more about a person's skill when they do more with less, something pridgen will hopefully learn with time.
AckAttack77 6 months ago
@AckAttack77 I'd say it says more about their taste and maturity as a musician rather than their skill. Normally I agree that less is more in most cases...but Pridgen does well to add his own, chaotic style to the music he plays. For most drummers, overplaying makes listeners just sort of feel overwhelmed, but somehow Pridgen makes it work, in my opinion. I like him mostly because of his energy and originality, and I think there are only a few places where it might be better for him to cut back.
SubwayStar7 6 months ago
@SubwayStar7 i completely agree, but big name people aren't exactly lining up to have him play with them. If he showed more control then his versatility would be winning him grammys left and right (not like grammys matter) but hey, a little recognition is nice lol.
AckAttack77 6 months ago
@AckAttack77 That's funny. He gave a clinic here in Kansas City and just went nuts the whole time. I don't know where he gets all that energy, but I'd think he'd want to play a little more musically at just some point.
DCussen 6 months ago
Who said keep it simple? This guy's the drummer for The Mars Volta they're everything but simple and that's what makes them amazing. Can you imagine how boring it would be to watch him cover the track?? eh...people these days.
ThtTerracottaDrummer 7 months ago
@ThtTerracottaDrummer He's no longer the drummer for The Mars Volta. He quit in 2009 and formed a new band called The Memorials. They are fucking awesome. Check them out.
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
@PoeticJustice05 i would not call them awesome lol good maybe.
1800Chillayz 7 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@1800Chillayz Who do you refer to?
PoeticJustice05 7 months ago
This guy....is the fucking man.
lilajuanita 7 months ago
thomas really takes the typical 'snare on 2 + 4' patterns and throws them out the picture.. THIS is amazing! technical yet still grooving hard (to some ears at least) i really like his playing style, although like ive said it can be hard for some to grasp. still, what a drummer xD
StickyyWinklee 7 months ago
anyone going to point out he goes out of time at spot cause he's too busy feeding his ego and not doing whats right for the music?
ezion 7 months ago
Travis Barker is a stupid hack
MrBlack666satan 7 months ago
awwww lush, looses it a couple of times but he's soo much in the drumming zone who gives a fuck !
Skunkybiffta 7 months ago
The greatest drummers of our time like Steve Gadd and Jeff Porcaro would never insult this tune like this. This song is all about groove. This guy is just jerking himself off and the audience as well. A drummer with wisdom and taste would find a way to underline the SIMPLE FUNK GROOVE of the tune while still showing off some chops. This guy has technique but this is grotesque.
chizmo7 7 months ago
@chizmo7 Dude, chill. He's completely jamming out. He has the capability to do something like that, but he's just choosing to rock out because he feels like having a good time up there. It's his style.
SubwayStar7 7 months ago
iv gone to 2 vids of him in a row where he was wearin a shirt!!! wTF!
Sublemon7 7 months ago
Hes not playing music hes just making noise the whole song was just a solo drum i know its a tape music but hes not playing with the band .
hoygising1 7 months ago
its the same fills but he does the fill differently each,time
jalenmichaelheggie 7 months ago
I hate micheal Jackson I love Thomas pridgen
Voicecrackguy9 7 months ago
@Voicecrackguy9 I hate you.
xx311musicxx 7 months ago
youtube.com/watch?v=uX3H2xtAzQM&feature=related&hd=1
elgabriels 7 months ago
The dude is off da hook on his chops but i yhink he killed the groove of da song with his displacements, but never the less hes got mad chops!
drrythm69 8 months ago
dude is a monster
DaeNooftheskys 8 months ago
pridgen should have done the drum track for the recording of this song!!!
Galadrm 8 months ago
this guy is good but uses the same chops over and over and over and over in each video i see
nothadnotbad 8 months ago
@nothadnotbad if i could chop like that... id do it over an over an over too hahah
brennanryan89 8 months ago
@nothadnotbad Well, think of it..do you talk differently when you speak to different people at different times? Nope, cause it's the vernacular you use everyday. Playing at that level, or any level actually, there are things you instinctively do. I imagine it's the same with him. Plus, compared to the greats like Weckle, Coliuta, Gad, and Royster, he's still young. If you think he's killing now...wait about another 5 or maybe 8 years and then check him out. God have mercy on us all!!!!!
livingmusic37 8 months ago
It's a clinic and this is a point to show off your chop. Normally he wouldn't play to this song for the gig, so who's ever hating and respect that he's grooving to this track as a solo the whole time his way and putting on a show. If he were to play the song like it is then you would say it's probably boring. Thomas is awesome and a Jedi Knight on the kit.
quinzire 8 months ago
22 people are drunk.
OwensDrumming 8 months ago
looks like hes using light-sabers to drum with.
dysfunction1 8 months ago
Drummers like this one only come around once in a while !
Ramblon1 8 months ago
1:56 : lightnings from the gods of drums fall into Pridgen's crash
juanpablo1990mx2 8 months ago 33
I advise all my fellow drummers here to play along to this song... You'll be grinning like this guy at some point
martinmedeski 9 months ago
Besides having talent, I don't think he opened his eyes once!
morgant04 9 months ago
stamina
thatkidwhoplaysdrums 9 months ago
Maybe so but I see him take this approach on everything. Aaron Spears would have killed it to but would have made sure his material fit. Thomas plays it weather it fits or not. Just hammers through everything. Its obvious he has a obsession with speed. That a groove killer for sure. But he is fast no doubt about it.
badmotorscooter1000 9 months ago
Awesome, the dude's got music flowing out of every pore. He's one happy drummer...
TeslaNick2 9 months ago
Man he is all over the kit. Playing the whole song like its a fill. If he played that song like that in front of michael jackson he would have been showed the door. I was taught that you don't play ever note. just the sweet ones. space can be good. these are licks I see him play in every song I see wheather they fit or not. Aaron Spears goes off to but doesn't go fishing after he finds that badass groove Thomas will jump out of a perfectly fine groove and change everything for no reason.
badmotorscooter1000 9 months ago
@badmotorscooter1000 Hallmark of any well-rounded drummer is the ability to adapt to any time, tone, or otherwise. Thomas proves order and chaos can get along.
Lateralus03 9 months ago
I like it!
stixie211 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
holy fuckin shit
1Reg0 9 months ago
this guys like a fucking incredible drummer in terms of technique but seems to have no sense of rhythm so the steady beat thats typical of an 80s pop, michael jackson song is just lost in the endless solo im just waiting and waiting for him to have a slight pause and start a half time groove or something but it just never comes :(
masterexploder112255 9 months ago
This guy is fast but a joke, he plays the same licks everytime I watch him. hammers through everything sprays notes everywhere that don't fit, never plays the grove. One trick pony. Way to cocky!
badmotorscooter1000 9 months ago
@badmotorscooter1000 The term you're looking for instead of "sprays", is called "syncopated". Playing off beat, yet still keeping with time is considered by all of us drummers as being very skilled. This is a great song that he completely crushed. I've known him since I was a kid playing at gospel conventions together, and have seen the progression from being great, to really great. There's a reason that he plays professionally, and it's because he's gifted...he's confident, not cocky
swimp15 9 months ago
Wow, you must have been really ninja to keep your camera concealed! I was there and staff were confiscating phones left right and center!
Oli4drums 10 months ago
sick!
doncabb 10 months ago
He's in the memorials now**
LedZeppelinIsrad 10 months ago
He's in the memorials
LedZeppelinIsrad 10 months ago
@toadfrogblues Wrong, he was in The Mars Volta, not anymore.
JustinSchoolfield 10 months ago
@MiguelFranicous He is in The Mars Volta
toadfrogblues 10 months ago
Great play with the timing. In most drum fills, what gets me going is the accentuation of the weak/syncopated beats, and when that's done really well, it can take the listener completely by surprise in a pleasant way. And this guy is quite full of such technique. Great stuff :)
manilamaestro 10 months ago 3
All of u that don't like it don't understand why he played it like that. U fuckn dips. He can hold down a groove so sick. He really can. He's blessed with wicked chops and is very well versed in many different styles. Fuck u hatres. Just mad cuz this cat was better than u older guys when he was 15
ediot6969 10 months ago
I love Thomas...I'm actually a guitarist, but I just love how he creates such a happy environment on his kit.
jacobdallen2 10 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
OK i dnt evenly like this nigga for real but he respected Michael Jackson with this and just gave the best he had and enjoyed what he was doing! He killed this joant ! he cool in m book off this.
Dez864 10 months ago
OK i dnt evenly like this nigga for real but he respected Michael Jackson with this and just gave the best he had and enjoyed what he was doing! He killed this joant ! he cool in m book off this.
Dez864 10 months ago
how to drown out your band mates video.
timboju 10 months ago
@timboju How to play to a track in front of what is most likely a clinic video. Dumbass.
NoahIceDrums 10 months ago
That's what I call having fun behind the kit and really enjoying what you're doing.
Jesseday125 10 months ago
im sorry im just not a fan of this style of drumming
MoreThanAchievements 10 months ago
@MoreThanAchievements I know what you mean, it's terrible, it sounds like shit. It's a lot easier to go crazy than it is to keep it simple
zackattack94 10 months ago
He's having fun and I'm having fun watching him! Well done!
snorpthus 10 months ago
awesome... !!!! duuuuuudeee!! keeep it on!!! heeelll yeaaaahh..!!!
zoelfahmee 10 months ago
Thomas Pridgen is so awesome his cymbals shoot lightning...
TheDav967 10 months ago
His drumming is so much easier to understand when your high, you can see all the patterns and the grooves.
metalking21 10 months ago 8
@metalking21 Haha i also realised that the other day when listening to The Bedlam in Goliath when i was blazed, i understood him so well at that point
KarniTreeTones 10 months ago
can someone please tell Thomas there's music playing and its not a full out solo.
UCdrummer 11 months ago
He obviously wouldnt play like this if it were a performance with MJ listen to the mars volta for instance does he play like this during a performance with them? i think not!
MSantos4126 11 months ago
@MSantos4126 Nah he does !! Great for the Voltas but a nightmare of a funk pop soul drummer :)
checkabreak 10 months ago
This sounded like shit
sixsixsixenigma 11 months ago
BADASSS
carlnathan 11 months ago
where is this? and when? :)
carlnathan 11 months ago
His neighbors must be deaf.
VictorTheBestR10 11 months ago 2
#1. Michael Jackson wouldn't dance to this, just be amazed
#2. He's simply soloing over it w/ his incredible chops, not keeping a pocket
#3. If ur a musician or at least enjoy musical talent u should have soiled pants by now
#4. He's one of the most incredible drummers i've ever seen
drumma771 11 months ago 11
@drumma771 Good call. Check out "matt halpern": I think you'll like him.
EwingPatric 6 months ago
i like that big smile!
ImaFez 11 months ago
why they fired him???
k0stil 11 months ago
@k0stil Because Cedric is impossible to work with.
tommykUD 11 months ago
@tommykUD
why?
k0stil 11 months ago
@k0stil Cedric and Omar want everything to be exactly as they want it and if its not then its a huge problem. Cedric and Omar are now listed as the only members of The Mars Volta. Other members are The Mars Volta Group. On their old label, credit and money was split evenly among everyone in The Mars Volta and The Mars Volta Group. However, when they signed to a new label or worked out a new deal with their current label, they made the deal so Cedric and Omar got the majority of the profits.
tommykUD 10 months ago
かっこいい！！=cool
evangelioff 11 months ago
かっこいい！！
evangelioff 11 months ago
Ignorance.......why would he keep it simple? This is obviously a cover, there is no band to accompany, He's simply playin to michael's music....the audience is there to see him....and he's giving them a show. And an good one at that!
veinsofchrist 11 months ago 45
@veinsofchrist i don't think this is a cover, i think this is more like a remix. doesn't a cover mean that you play the same things that were played on the track? please correct me if i'm wrong :)
jaleesamg 7 months ago
Better than Travis Barker
jakeiscool1995 11 months ago 25
@jakeiscool1995
yeah no shit man
1juggly 7 months ago
@jakeiscool1995 100x better
davidsolak 7 months ago
man, some of you are retarded, hes doing a clinic, like just chill, hes havin fun with it.
he obviously wouldn't go all out like this live.
Fattydrums910 11 months ago
Looks like a bolt of electricity is shooting out from his cymbal :-)
Retro255 11 months ago
wish this was better quality...
ElJefeUltimo 1 year ago
That Hot!!
cpdrumming 1 year ago
Steve Jordan could do it better.
shadetyped 1 year ago
ohhh. myy. good. I love thomas pridgen; yea he's really damn good at the drums, but he also is crazy good at making musical statements (the actual music part of playing music). He's not just like "hey look at how fast i can play, check me out guise," he actually plays the poop out of them with meaning and intention. And yea, this is him jamming, sorry if some of you guys are used to boom boom tat, and don't get what he's playing.
ThePurplPanda 1 year ago
@ThePurplPanda "and don't get what he's playing."
Oh, we get it. The point is he playing a style that does not the material. That's called not getting the gig.
captvanhalen 11 months ago
Man, I wish you guys would practice instead of complain.
SketchCityDrummer 1 year ago 2
Anyone who cant appreciate this just sucks at life.
Gonzo707 1 year ago
hey is wack
Papahkk1 1 year ago
I WAS THERE, WHAT A BEAST
kinggezzington 1 year ago
hahahaha pause at 1:25 LOL !
MrMJ7 1 year ago
RIP Billy May
drumpro64 1 year ago
this is dope. its like he's tapdancing over the original beat.
gotjuice9 1 year ago
It's amazing how many people don't understand simple thing about a drum solo being played over a song structure on a drum festival...Thomas could have played groove to this song when he was in his mother's womb. His chops are amazing... he is beyond unbelievable...he is beyond awesome ...he's BEAWESOMELIEVABLE!!!!!!!
sinchrostick 1 year ago
I wonder what song he's listening to on the headphones..
ONBEER 1 year ago 4
This has been flagged as spam show
Thats what I am talking about
herbertlopezdrummer 1 year ago
this is retarded!
theasthenia 1 year ago
@theasthenia
it really isn't.
pascalzifffhume 1 year ago
Those of you who say he doesn't groove are idiots. Maybe you need a greater appreciation for Wanna Be Starting Something to realize just how well he's grooving to it. Incredibly bad-ass.
spudman3000 1 year ago 65
@spudman3000 Ya you're right. People assume that if you play a lot of notes you're not grooving, which is a bunch of garbage, seeing as Thomas IS grooving right here. Obviously you won't get a gig playing as much notes as Thomas, but that doesn't mean the groove isn't there. And Thomas played a butt load of pocket gigs when he was coming up. People now see him as the (ex) drummer of the Mars Volta, so when they go to his clinics, this is what they want to see.
anthonyjohn14 1 year ago
@spudman3000 well said. Thomas is a beassssstt
Bonnaroo10klmf 1 year ago
@spudman3000 ". Maybe you need a greater appreciation for Wanna Be Starting Something to realize just how well he's grooving to it. "
And there is a very good reason why the drums for this song sound exactly like this performance does not. People want to dance. Let's see him do this ... without the headphones.
captvanhalen 11 months ago
@captvanhalen
jravell 11 months ago
@spudman3000 Hes a great prog rock drummer, but if you cant play back in black, no studio is going to want to hire you for any other gig than something that takes more chops then that. Thats not grooving, thats filling a song till its overflowing with stuff dude.
Benjaminhaun 11 months ago
I love the lil blue lighting as he hits his cymbals. is he really hitting them that hard that he has the force or something? lol..anyways... amazing drummer for mars volta
andreb06 1 year ago 2
Who's Quincy Jones gonna call, Thomas Pridgen or John Robinson ?
AS5A 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Personally, I think he's way overrated. Dude can rape on the drums, but it never sounds that interesting. He's got speed definitely- but he doesn't really give songs the depth that many others do.
davidrush85 1 year ago
Apparantly there is alot of wanna be drummers in this comment page who dont get the point of a clinic.
metal4eternityX 1 year ago 3
thomas>eric moore
drummin4him4life 1 year ago