Deads Days to Grohl: The Phenomenon of Drummers that sing

Some talents can’t be kept at the back of the set, and are anxious to show that wailing, enthusiastic audience what other cards lay up their sleeves, or lack thereof. A modern example of this is UK based Dead Days, a vibrant, on the heavier side alt rock band with Travis Marc smashing out on the kit while bearing his soul on the mic. This band is roaring with talent and banging tunes, as shown here in the link below.
https://deaddaysband.com/media

Now, when you think of famous drummers turned front-man, the first name bound to come up may be Dave Grohl or Phil Collins; ex-the drummer of the 90’s grunge sensation Nirvana, and the drummer of the multi-generational rock band Genesis. Grohl had the Nirvana platform and the skills to launch forth his own dynamic singing direction with his band the Foo Fighters, and Collins not only showed off his husky signature voice in Genesis, but in a successful solo career and other collaborative ventures.(Paul McCartney, Adele, Live Aid) However, these talented show offs are more common than you think.
The truth is, nowadays musicians need to be more versatile. In a world crowded with rising talents and well passed down musical genetics, people are striving harder than ever to do things that others can’t. If you think about some of your favourite rock icons today, few of them stick to one instrument or genre. (i.e Brendon Urie playing virtually all instruments heard on his record Death of a Bachelor.) According to ABRSM UK, Seven out of ten children (69%) say they play at least one musical instrument, which is a huge increase from previous years. In the UK today, it “in fact seems almost to be expected if you are taking music seriously” says one reply on the ABRSM website. Believe it or not, musicians like Grohl identify with several talents such as singing, songwriting, guitar playing, drumming, record producing and even film directing. The now 48-year old was definitely adept to using all the crayons in the crayon box, as many youth are gunning to be.

However, if we’re talking about drummers who sang behind the drum kit, that’s a specific ensemble in itself. Legends who started to sing along with the front-man at the safety of their kit include the Catman from Kiss, (Peter Kriss) who was actually recruited into the line-up for his singing ability in the first place, and other names such as Sheila E, Dave Clark, Karen Carpenter, Don Henley and many more. It’s no easy feat to sing along while keeping the beat intact, which is an impressive acquired skill itself.

The conclusion I make from this is that this seemingly rare ‘phenomenon’ is set to become more casual and even necessary the more our musical world develops. It is a common fantasy to want to hear our drummers and guitarists who usually stick to their own devices, grabbing the mic and letting the audience have it. Doing so in your own band may very well highlight the versatility of your ensemble, and impress special audience members who scout for these kinds of talent, while also pleasing your fans. The art of singing and drumming is still very much alive and kicking, so keep up the hard work! For more blogs and useful content, check out the Quite Great! website, under Blogs.
-by Daniel Hunwick
