#drummer-departure

#drummer-departure

COVID happened. That's it. I'm like, 'I'm not going out there.' That's what happened, 'cause it was new. Now. I'm like... The whole time - I mean, I didn't get vaccinated or anything - but when you reflect on it, that's what happened.

"My world just kind of bottomed out from under me. This thing that I have been dedicated to with complete focus and drive and attention and love... to having nothing but questions."

His playing was very energetic, and I really like that. That's something I feel very comfortable with. I also love playing in a very energetic way.

I'm not really a musician. I'm more a sound man. I was once described derogatorily as a fan who'd got his hands on a mixing desk, and I think I'm more that than a musician.

The company says it designed Tembo to "enable everyone to create music from the very first touch." Co-founder David Davidov that most instruments take "so long to get to the fun part" and that Musical Beings wanted to "help people experience music as something they do, not just something they listen to."

I woke up in hospital. I had fourth-degree burns down my right arm, all the way to the bone marrow. After four weeks in the burns unit, doctors gave me a choice: spend years attempting to save the arm, or amputate and leave hospital within a week. I chose amputation. It was the right decision but it was still devastating.

We wanted to move by our original schedule, but we've realized we would benefit from more time and bandwidth to give beltway, our pride and joy, the moment it deserves. We are postponing the album and all other performances.

I read Geddy's book [ My Effin' Life, published in 2023], and he mentioned about all the drummers kind of offering themselves to them and how much it turned him and Alex off, Portnoy said. I did send my condolences to Geddy and Alex after Neil passed, but I never once tried to throw my hat in the ring for Neil's gig. I realize that's a sacred role that should only ever be filled if Geddy and Alex choose for it to be so. And sure enough, here we are with them choosing to finally do so, which has been really incredible.

She's a wonderful person. So that was half of the quest, can we find somebody that's gonna be really fun to be with? She's really a lovely person. She laughs easily. She felt immediately comfortable. I think she was quite nervous in those first few days... But she worked really hard. She prepped for it. She had five songs, and we went through those songs. But by the fourth day, Ged and I, we talked and we weren't quite sold on it.

Stewart Copeland, founding drummer of The Police, has announced a 2026 summer spoken word tour spanning 34 cities across the United States. Titled "Have I Said Too Much - The Police, Hollywood, and Other Adventures," the trek begins on June 3rd in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, stopping in major cities including Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, and Nashville. See the full schedule below. Get Stewart Copeland Tickets Here Fans can get early access through an artist pre-sale (use code 2026HISTM) beginning on Thursday, February 12th at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster and Copeland's website. The general on-sale is set for Friday, February 13th at the same time.

One 10-year-old kid tells Smith he likes 'punk rock,' and goes on to name his favorite 'punk' bands as 'blink-182, Green Day [and] Red Hot Chili Peppers,' not even realizing he was standing right next to the Chili Peppers drummer. Smith laughs as he responds, 'Red Hot Chili Peppers, they're not really punk rock, but okay!'

Former black midi bassist/vocalist Cameron Picton launched the new group My New Band Believe last year, and they've now announced their self-titled debut album, which will be out April 10 via Rough Trade. The album features contributions from most of caroline, as well as Kiran Leonard, Caius Williams, Steve Noble, Andrew Cheetham, and more. He notes that the album is almost entirely acoustic, "using the barest amount of reverb and electronic effects possible."

Black Country, New Road are set to tour the United States and Canada in June and July. It's the now-sextet's second run of North American shows since releasing Forever Howlong, their first album since the departure of frontman Isaac Wood, last year. Chicago's Horsegirl will open at all dates. Check out Black Country, New Road's full 2026 itinerary below. Revisit the interview Black Country, New Road Head Into the Unknown.

"Many found the music offensive, the dancing objectionable, and the popularity of both with young people verging on a mental health crisis." So writes music historian Susan C. Cook about ragtime, the heavily syncopated ancestor of jazz that arose in the late 1800s. Like all things, ragtime's subversiveness faded over time, and, a century later, the works of Scott Joplin and other practitioners had been relegated to carnivals and fairs, their jaunty piano melodies now evoking quaint notions of old-timey fun.

Designed by Korean up-and-comer Woojin Yang, Everglow is a handheld mini-keyboard that fits into any bag. The "musical sketchbook" of sorts allows artists to quickly jot down ideas when they're not in front of their instruments or computers. The sleekly-designed device comes with a generative AI-based sound system that allows them to iterate and develop a song on the spot, not just transcribe the initial tune.

The Bad Plus have expanded their farewell tour, including stops in Seattle, Boise, NYC, DC, Albany, Montreal, Northampton, and more. All dates are listed below. The NYC show is at Sony Hall on June 19, and tickets for all just-announced dates go on sale Friday, February 6 at 10 AM local time. In addition to the farewell dates, The Bad Plus' Chris Potter and Craig Taborn will be touring a tribute to Keith Jarrett's American Quartet, and those dates are below.

In an Instagram post, the band stressed that while Fogarino "played and co-wrote the new record," he is "still not available" to join them on the road. The percussionist underwent spinal surgery in 2023.