Pete started of the show with a fantastic tabla performance, and brought in a wonderful array of different percussion pieces. After warming up the show with his incredible playing he brought in some interesting vocal patterns which he then got all the audience involved in. Having never had much of a chance to explore this type of music this was a great experience to learn and hear something so very new and fresh to me. With the different time signatures and sounds this was a real new perspective on drumming and how it can be approached.

After such a superb display it was now Phil’s turn to equally wow us all with his Latin drumming expertise. Phil jumped straight in with some great grooves and beats to showcase some of his playing, and gave us all a much better understanding of Latin drumming for the drum set. He followed on this theme by talking to everyone about Latin drumming, and about making it sound more authentic. One example of this was talking about Samba patterns and playing them the authentic way, as opposed to the more ‘jazzy’ patterns many people play (including myself) and call Samba even though it’s not true Samba.

With two very impressive performances, both Pete and Phil then showcased some more of their talents by playing together for the audience. This was great to see as it gave everyone the chance to see two very different players and styles merging together to make some really great music. After playing both Pete and Phil spoke to the audience about the show and started a question and answer session. This gave them a chance to connect more with the audience and talk about their reasons for doing the clinic together, how to apply it to your playing and many other useful pieces of advice. The show was finished with another great performance with both of these guys together doing what they do best.

If you ever get the chance go see these guys play you will not be disappointed. Amazing master class, and I can’t wait for the next one!

by Craig Zindani (Drumtech One Year Diploma)