Nicko's drumming technique

2Mins said:
Nicko was well established as a drummer before bands started using two bass drums, or the double bass pedals. It would have taken a lot to "re-learn" his technique to accommodate them, if he had wanted to.
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Bullshit.

First, double bass drums have been used for a very long time in rock.

Ginger Baker:
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Keith Moon:
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Second, as a single bass drummer who eventually got a double-bass pedal: it's not at all hard to learn. Any drummer who chooses to put in the practice time can do it. Difficulty is neither an obstacle nor an excuse.
 
Correct, although their use wasn't that notable. Please correct me if I am wrong. Examples are welcome.

I thought that the first in rock (it happened earlier in jazz!) was probably Billy Cobham on Mahavishnu Orchestra's 2nd album, Birds of Fire.

And still I guess it would indeed have taken a lot for Nicko to "re-learn" his technique to accommodate them, if he had wanted to. It's not for everyone.
 
@SinisterMinisterX I was writing from my experience of being a metal-loving teenager in the '80s. The majority of metal bands at the start of the '80s used one bass drum. It was the thrash bands that popularized two bass drums and they didn't go overground until '84/'85. By that time Nicko's career was well established. He'd been around a long time before joining Maiden and, since joining them, had recorded two albums and been on two world tours. I can imagine he felt no compunction to change his style.

Yes, double bass drums were around. I should, perhaps, have been clearer.
 
Forostar said:
Awesome indeed! Very fast. Listen to this as well:
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One of the most insane Nicko performances (at least of those who have been caught on tape). The bass drum work is already fast on the album version, and this is significantly faster.

He plays those heavy metal songs with footwork impeccable, to paraphrase Monty Python :D
 
Out of the Shadows - That's great drumming. Crisp, unfussy but with enough going on to fill out the song but not spoil it. Top Nicko work.
 
I remember from some interview (or Kevin's diary?) that Out of the Shadows was a difficult one for Nicko to get it right (to play something fitting to the music). At some point he got it, and then the result was satisfying.
 
Funny Janick. At some point they laugh so much that I don't hear well, what the "solution" was in the end. Almost as if Kevin did/corrected it. ;)
 
Forostar said:
Funny Janick. At some point they laugh so much that I don't hear well, what the "solution" was in the end. Almost as if Kevin did/corrected it. ;)
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Nicko says they "Beat Detective-d" the song.

Effectively, they altered the timing of his performance by realigning places where he was rushing or dragging so that they sound "in time".
 
I wonder why they had to do that? After all, Nicko had to learn to play it live for the tour. Would it have been time constraints in the studio?
 
2Mins said:
I wonder why they had to do that? After all, Nicko had to learn to play it live for the tour. Would it have been time constraints in the studio?
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They probably didn't want to sit around while Nicko learned it. Dude was frustrated!

And besides, a little time aligning here and there is standard these days, although less so for great drummers.
 
Nicko has a unmistakable sound, and that is of course great for any musician to have. One of the things I especially like of his playing is how clearly he marks each period. It's very pop-ish and "squared" way of thinking around the music, and it's cool. Even if a riff repeats 4 times during a verse or so, each time is still viewed as its own self-contained part, in a way.

Favourite drumming is either A Matter of Life and Death (the sound of that snare!) or The X Factor. Brave New World is also cool.
 
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