Buying The WEIRDEST Drum Set I Could Find at Sam Ash

Drums Only Version: • 7 Piece North Drum Set
Follow on IG: / davidraouf
Support on Patreon: / rdavidr
Music used (background & playalongs)
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Gear (Affilate Links):
Pair of Slate ML-1 (as overheads):
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Austrian Audio CC8 (as rooms):
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Earthworks DK7 Drum Mic Kit:
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Lewitt DTP 640 REX Bass Drum Mic
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Austrian Audio Hi-X60 Headphones:
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18” Zildjian K Special Dry Crash
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20" Zildjian Crash of Doom:
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19” Zildjian Ultra Hammered China
imp.i114863.ne...
DW Rack Clamps:
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DW L-Arm
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Gibraltar Curved Rack:
imp.i114863.ne...
Remo Clear CS Dots:
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Vic Firth Freestyle 5b Drum Sticks:
imp.i114863.ne...
Vic Firth VKB5 Beater:
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Roc n’ Soc Drum Throne:
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Tama Road Pro/ Iron Cobra Hardware:
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Ok... I thought the Impact drum set I bought a couple weeks ago was the weirdest, but no! North Drums definitely take that title! Sure enough after I talk about North Drums in the Impact drum kit video, this one comes up for sale at a local music store. That means I was forced to buy it... Or well, I forced myself to lol. North Drums are fiberglass shells that feature a horn bell on the resonant side to amplify the sound. These drums are LOUD!
The kit came with a bunch of goodies like a Gibraltar curved rack with DW clamps and tom arms plus the original North rack. The original rack would work a little better than the more modern Gibraltar since the curve is tighter and the legs dont extent past the cross bar. The 4 rack toms barely fit in-between the Gibraltar legs, but I was able to make it work!
Okay... THIS is the WEIRDEST Drum Set

[@rdavidr]

What the first song you would play on this kit? 🥁

[@bobj1234]

Orion by Metallica lmao

[@crystalfaieguatato6453]

we are the champions by queen

[@Fl_Broccodile]

Definitely the most 80's Tom fill I can think of 🤣

[@clarknova7331]

Something off Bleach?

[@craigstrickland1572]

"Lashed to the slave stick" Nile!!!

[@fungalcoffee]

Thanks to wade, I am here

[@joshgreen2164]

Me too

[@derekjtaylor]

Me three

[@sketchydrumchannelph]

dankpods? cuz he sent me here

[@fungalcoffee]

@@sketchydrumchannelph yes, the guys name is wade

[@Eectrics_onlyn2]

Yes he sent me from hell to here

[@NebulonRanger]

Man, one of the big sampling houses should find one of these and sample the shit out of it, such a unique sound.

[@gr3y_eminence]

Totally agree with you, from the perspective of programing percussion, it's very cool to find a sample set of something more left-field and it would benefit people playing electronic kits possibly; I've never tried the latter.

[@Sugarsail1]

To be fair a lot of the reason rdavidr 's drums sound great in his video is the $$$$ mics he's using. I've heard North Drums in person a few times and they do sound unique and LOUD but they have a rather thin sound and not as warm and rich as this video.

[@SlyHikari03]

Spectrasonics says Hi

[@bioniclefan1]

That's like, the perfect tom sound 😭

[@coreyw5981]

True! but can we achieve that with concert toms because these things are ridiculous 🤣

[@allyemeraart]

you would love concert toms then! super easy to try by just removing the reso heads

[@boofert.washington2499]

They all sound the same tho.

[@hpatss4966]

If only concert toms sounded like that

[@arnoldhernandez1910]

It’s a very satisfying noise i miss been on the drums.

[@Jude_5555]

Coming from Dankpods, this is awesome!

[@JamLlama9000]

Technically we're coming from "The Drum Thing" but it's still pretty Dank :D

[@rmcBloody]

Same

[@zoonal-gg]

Can't wait to Bing watch this guy!

[@blakksheep736]

I'm here too from there.

[@AquaMarineFBVA]

honestly the show factor of these make them super cool. you show up to a gig playing these they gonna remeber!

[@Musiknird]

You can check out the swedish band The Ark that are really good and the drummer in the band played these kind of drums for awhile.

[@gmrios]

Remeber. Yup 😄

[@JupiterKnight]

sus

[@adamcoleman4419]

Chad Channing used these drums in the late 80s for Nirvana

[@harryballsacky]

I CAN NEVER REMEBER

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

Also here from Dankpods/"The Drum Thing", lol.

[@zfactor01]

Honestly… I was a bit skeptical about this one when I clicked on it.. but I just kept having to watch it. That kit actually sounded fantastic! I was pretty impressed with how cool it sounded. Definitely a kit to save for an 80s cover band night. Lol! Thanks for the fun video!

[@roomdog40]

I was skeptical too. He proved me wrong.

[@JohnPrepuce]

A bit of a hollow tone but I bet the projection is great. I would love to hear it with microphones set up a bit further from the openings. The drums are probably more for live performance than a studio.

[@triggertime90]

Tue, true. Each tom tom had a distinctively lower sound than the one before it.

[@decibelinterference2033]

Aside from electronic drums, the big players in the drum industry market have turned a snob nose to alot of different and innovative percussion ideas which center around the traditional drumset. It's lame they'd focus their attention on petty and useless theories like 20 different ways just to mount a rack tom, when something like this kit sounds great. I know from experience trying to introduce new ideas and upgrades to hardware/shells which actually function better and weigh less while sounding good.

[@russellbordeaux2425]

This kicked all the ass 👍👍

[@patrickteahanofficial]

I've sold and shipped one of these which was nuts. I loved the end when you played it with a china and an 87 Rocky 3 vibe 😂

[@ndSpaz]

This is my favourite drum sound out of all the drums you've had on this channel!

[@hpatss4966]

@Qefna Ija shut up

[@Rhythm911]

That's the way single head kits should all sound !!! :D

[@brianmelody8930]

Wow! At first I thought you really bought the weirdest, crappiest old drum kit ever but after you worked your magic I was blown away and fell in love it. Awesome drum playing too!

[@Gretschnut]

Cool drums. Been loving your channel since the $20 drum kit. Always entertaining, informative and enjoyable. BTW you're playing has gotten sick and you're really killing on this video. Just love those tom fills and cymbal crashes!

[@Gatchi]

I would SO love to see another series like the $20 drum kit! That was the best!

[@cabalcore2555]

Wade needs to get his fixed because these sound amazing. Great work!

[@tombrown4074]

Phil collins has entered the chat. I love unique drums like these. They stand out where so many other kits just look like each other, and therefore sound and inspire you to play the same as each other. These are funky and powerful and draw something out of the player.

[@hpatss4966]

Alan white has entered the chat*

[@alexlawrence9205]

That’s what I thought too! I loved the first piece he played. Reminded me of Collins’ and Phillip Bailey

[@32toddv]

@@alexlawrence9205 my thoughts exactly 💯 ...

[@micahwinters7021]

Here for the GOAT again thanks to The Drum Thing

[@fenderfive9380]

Absolutely killer kit, and those wingnuts? They are Premier! When they first introduced that mounting system it was so good you would see drums of a different brand with their mounting system!

[@hydorah]

Oh I just commented that! Then saw your comment! Snap! Love vintage Premier drums :-)

[@ownenlikeaboss]

Haha that explains it! I was thinking that those wingnuts were normal. I play a vintage premier kit

[@fenderfive9380]

@@ownenlikeaboss Know what you mean! Bought some couple weeks back absolutely awesome drums 😎

[@08mlascelles]

I thought I recognised them, I use vintage premier lockfast stands and they have them on the bottom!

[@PsyckadeliOfficial]

Man I love your drumming. The fills at 9:45 is so good...

[@rogerweiland6384]

I heard these drums back in the 80's when they were new. They sound great, even without mics. They are very loud and cut right through.

[@jons2614]

Actually, North drums go back to the 70's.......................I specifically remember Alan White of Yes (he recently passed away, RIP Alan) using North drums for the 1976/1977 Yes tours, and the Blue Devils (DCI world champion drums corps) used them in 1976 and 1986 - I'm sure there were many other people using them as well at that time. They were kinda trendy in the 70's but their popularity faded in the 1980's. The unique visual look of North drums also prompted other companies like Slingerland (and later on Ludwig and Yamaha) to create the 'cutaway' look of marching tenor drums - a design element that is pretty much standard on today's marching tenors. Gotta admit though, these ARE cool sounding drums!!

[@markrushton1516]

Billy Cobham was one. Staccato in the UK copied the idea.

[@dennishough3709]

I believe I also remember Dave Barbarossa using a similar kit When he was in Bow Wow Wow.

[@thomasposlusny9687]

@@jons2614 Yes ! BD from Concord California, I marched in 76 and they kicked arse.

[@bongjovi4928]

@@jons2614 ackshually

[@fredygump5578]

I never really thought about what a "hair band" drum sounds like, but this is it!

[@therockaholic4009]

Love how musical his playing is; not playing the drums, playing a song! So refreshing to hear someone that doesn’t just vomit push pull chops.

[@xyanide1986]

What's push pull chops?

[@byebyecitybyebye]

@@xyanide1986 same question

[@vetlerradio]

@@xyanide1986 It's when people play super complex drums fills, but they are not following the pulsation so their tempo is all over the place, pushing and pulling back like a beginner.

[@xyanide1986]

@@vetlerradio ok yeah i getcha now

[@silentype3008]

@@xyanide1986 push/pull is actually a style of stroke where you use the rebound of the head/cymbal to perform double stokes, which is what the original commenter is referencing. velterradio is referencing rushing/dragging which is essentially falling off tempo.

[@parkermurray7435]

Yoooo. It’s crazy how much Dave’s drumming has improved over the coarse of his channel. Great job bro!

[@ferretyluv]

*course Sand is coarse.

[@jimdandypicker11]

That was fun, thanks. I had the poster of this kit on my wall in collage. I think it was from modern drummer magazine.

[@canadianlightbulbs]

You can see how happy he is every time he gets to play a fill

[@Goliemaskguy]

Hi David I wanted to let you know I just watched this video and have now spent the last 30 minutes learning that Tom grove. Thanks for the awesome content and the practice inspiration

[@philippes1987]

Those toms sound fantastic!

[@rdavidr]

I was really surprised tbh

[@T_Burd_75]

Looks like a field kit. Some marching bands incorporate a drum kit that they will bring out onto the field on a platform for the show. I played a kit in marching band one year, but it was a regular drum kit that we used. That was thirty years ago.

[@jaqueslagerweij6882]

i kinda love the kitt. and your drumfills are tasty AF

[@rdavidr]

any fill on a 7 piece sounds good tbh haha

[@BigHead2615]

Damn, I'm so jealous. I've been wanting a North Drums kit ever since about 2000 or 2001, which was roughly when I first heard Nirvana's Bleach, as well as read the book Come As You Are (Chad Channing, their primary drummer for Bleach, had a 6-piece kit I believe, and a video exists of him playing that kit, which was released on the Nirvana box With The Lights Out, of a rehearsal they did in 1988); that album is also the reason that I own an Ibanez Black Eagle bass (2609b, 40th anniversary 2015 reissue). You definitely play and make that kit sound better than any of those Bleach songs, but still, back when I did not have a kit and wanted one, it was my dream to get a North Drums one.

[@BamBam_PDX]

Roger North lives in Portland, OR and still plays North drums to this day. Also, have to say this is hands down the best recorded sound of a kit I’ve seen on your channel. The track you played with is perfect for those drums.

[@Baribrotzer]

I knew he lived here, but I didn't know he was still active.

[@kodykindhart5644]

Crazy I’m gonna look him up Jeff kirsh is a great resource here for drummers same with rhythm traders If you are in Pdx got check out super secret band or lost ox or Jay si proof

[@bathtubgin21]

And his son Tye plays bass and lives in PDX!

[@funfreq9282]

These drums are pretty cool! They remind me of something you would see in a Dr Seuss cartoon.

[@craigstrickland1572]

Love some North drums!! I had a huge Gibraltor rack at one time, and the fault with them is the tube design. I crushed so many tubes trying to make it where the stands and cymbals wouldn't move.

[@dennisyoung4631]

Perhaps replace the tubes with aircraft grade 4130?

[@Mickocarbomb]

It's probably amazing to mic this kit, looks like a whole lot of fun.

[@pseudodidact3956]

I’m shocked at how good that kit sounds😂

[@mndlessdrwer]

The sound these things make is particularly 70's-80's. Not sure exactly how versatile or useful they'll be, but as a show piece, definitely cool.

[@Santaheckler]

This is from an era where musicians put on a visual show equally as a musical one by using unique instruments. I say that kit is an awesome piece of history!

[@vanitazazas]

The floor tom looks like a furniture from the 60's, I always wanted to try these drums

[@SlamBolts]

Loved the 80s training montage track at the end, this kit sounds as insane as it looks!

[@ner.tan11]

If you don't have any affects running and need that 80s sound for a live gig, this would be stellar!!! I could also see it used in a marching band show, but only if they brought it out on the field. Wouldn't be too great in a front ensemble setting, I don't think. Cool stuff though, It's not super versatile, but it has some real practicality to it. Thank you for sharing!!

[@dakel20]

Wow, these things have an absolutely fantastic sound to them.

[@SpaceJockey805]

Dude, they sound so good!! Fun fact: Chad Channing from Nirvana used this kit. It’s on the cover of Bleach

[@jonathandale7157]

They actually sound great!

[@RokDAWG1]

I actually dig the kit! I’d love to hear it with mics on the top of the toms as well. I bet it’s LOUD in person!

[@AndrewLemmings]

I always wanted to own a North drum set. They’ve always looked so cool to me. Chad Channing is the drummer who got me into the look when I was still in primary school, watching Nirvana’s With The Lights Out dvd when the box set first came out. So glad to see you post a video testing a kit out!

[@67to94]

surprised more people haven't mentioned this. I always thought of it at the Chad Channing kit

[@gadda-da-vida]

@@67to94 yes same.

[@jacklaplante4143]

He recorded Bleach on a North Kit if i’m right ?

[@bazsheasby6529]

Sounds awesome with this play along good choice of music shows the kit off well!! Superb drumming man!!

[@othervinny]

This is exactly the kind of weird shit that would come through when I worked at a Sam Ash. Wish they paid their employees enough for them to dust their drum kits ;)

[@michaelturner6030]

Russ Kunkel played these drums. I was always fascinated with the horn shaped toms that were featured on the cover of "Running on Empty" by Jackson Browne.

[@timheeley2637]

I remember seeing these in a catalog as a kid and wanting them sooo bad. However glad I went with my Tama Swingstars. 34 years and still going strong!!

[@michaelbecker5995]

I had a swing star kit from craigs list, amazing kit! my only one so i dont have anything else to go off of, but yeah

[@aryehhaller]

I have an early 80s swingstar kit, killer drums I’ve got a great sense of the tuning on them now, so yea dw or any of the other big brands newer kits might anyways be inherently better both sonically and visually but to me they’re just as good

[@ShermanWilson]

Dave, North drums are great kits. Staccatos are even stranger. If you can find an “old” Stingray kit. I would recommend trying them. I was interested in their Power Wedge system. But Stingray closed shop before I had the money in hand. I played the Power Wedge kit at the 1991 Winter NAMM.

[@BayouMaccabee]

Cool find, David. This brings back some great memories for me. I was lead singer in a band as a freshman back in high school where our "drummer" had a yellow North kit just like that one. However, the guy was a terrible drummer who couldn't play any of the songs, so I ended up playing his drums while singing lead vocals just so we could get through all of the songs. This of course led me to buying my own set of Tama Swingstar drums (which was black with 2 bass drums, 4 rack toms, and a floor tom), starting me down my drumming road. So because of this, North drums are kind of near & dear to my heart.

[@Mike-ol7xp]

John Bonham used that style shell during the ''In through the Outdoor'' recording sessions.

[@m6hill983]

That kit sounds great! Also would love to see a full refurbish of them..

[@gizmorodriguez48]

i believe Chad Channing, first drummer for Nirvana used one of those kits

[@TonyVazquez8265]

If I had my own transportation (a VAN) I would own a North kit. I love that black North kit. And I LOVE how you mic'ed it, you made them sound so good... for that sound quality this has become my favorite episode in your channel, hands down! 🤘

[@robertnobody]

They sound great with the mics, much better than concert toms, they have great tone but they are real heavy with a nice bottom end. Keep an eye out for a North drum rack, they will mount a lot easier, there has to be some still out there somewhere.

[@axeavier]

the channel The Drum Thing linked us to this video, it's fantastic

[@rokker101]

those wing nuts look like a 70's Premier design

[@hoochrocks]

The tone is good. I had a friend that owned those many years ago, and when I was up front watching his band, the toms were just too loud aiming right at the crowd. Overpowered everything.

[@djentlover]

It's hard to imagine toms overpowering everything

[@hoochrocks]

@@djentlover They were brutally loud.

[@machupikachu1085]

@@djentlover those drums were made for club gigs in the 70's when the toms were never miked - they are megaphones pointed right at your ears. They are crazy loud. It's like putting you ear right up against the kick drum. The drummer in my band in high school bought a used set, and his parents made him return them after less than a week for a conventional kit.

[@rich3083]

I'd absolutely love to try Land of Confusion or something with these, tho I'd do the Disturbed version just for the fuck of it. Because I'm way more interested in bringing this 80's style sound to some of their songs, especially Enough, with the amount of toms that are in that song

[@RealGengarTV]

A drummer i used to play with had Gibraltar rack. He was constantly struggling with moving toms because round right. So he bought a square rack from some other brand, worked a charm

[@djentlover]

I don't understand who thought that using round pipe would be a good idea for this application

[@nickwallette6201]

@@djentlover Me either. I bought a Pearl ICON rack years ago, and loved it. It was expensive, especially with all the extra mounting hardware, but nothing ever moved.

[@cletusbeauregard1972]

Alan White used these with Yes in the late '70s. Live, anyway - don't know if he ever used them in the studio.

[@Ominous39]

8:46 is when he starts playing

[@LeoR2222]

Wow, this made me smile big. So much play joy in them! :D

[@Tendies7645]

Danky boys

[@kyronnewbury]

I was so happy to see him mention RDavidR and even shout him out lol

[@notenoughmemes1847]

arm the nug

[@rogereaston1188]

Years ago I saw one of these kits in the window of a second hand store. I went in and looked at them, and looked at them, and looked at them some more, then walked away. About a week later I went and looked at them again, and walked away. That's been 20 years ago and they still cross my mind every so often. That was the only time I ever saw any. Yesterday they crossed my mind again. Then today this video shows up on my feed... just shaking my head... Thanks for the great vids. Keep up the good work.

[@briantruck2284]

😂wow

[@ofadetergentsud]

The sound reminds me of 5 gallon buckets.

[@jamesloffredo1239]

Those are the goodest sounding drums you've done!

[@MajicFreeman]

Frank Beard of ZZ-top played these for a few decades, hell he still probably plays them from time to time. I knew a drummer with some and they were set up at a buddies house for about a year and I took them through their paces and they fuckin ripped.

[@michelguyfortin]

Feels like there's a need for some 80's gated reverb, LOL! Great sound, though.

[@j.j.s.6736]

Great presentation. Great drumming too.

[@TeddyLeppard]

Those toms sound fantastic.

[@Uninterested69420]

Isnt this the type of drumkit chad channing uses on bleach?

[@rwelpers]

I worked with a band twenty years ago who had that drum kit

[@Geese_Inc]

Just came from wade's vid. Awesome stuff man

[@rokkimason4199]

Brutha I am dead serious. If you are selling this,I WILL BUY IT!!!!

[@paulbauer8188]

I’ve been trying to figure out how to take the spurs off my bass drum (I have a fibes.) THANK YOU

[@woofspider330]

8:45 I'm getting serious Steve Miller "Abracadabra" vibes from this

[@ElectricDragonfly]

I often notice that many drum fills travel down (pitchwise) on the toms (from smallest to largest), but I don't know if I've ever heard an upward drum fill (going upward in pitch toward the smaller toms). Is there a reason for this? Is an upward fill hard or awkward to play? or perhaps it would just sound weird, and wouldn't fit the music?

[@acattoir]

Had three North kits over the years. Here's a few pictures of my North "Marathon" kit (the largest they made) along with a recording of them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXSyhJqOfrqZbck

[@piccalillipit9211]

*THEY SOUND EXPENSIVE* outputted this video through my KT88 tube amp and Wilson Benech Square 5's and all I can say is they sounded EXPENSIVE

[@scottquistdrummer]

This was the kit that the original drummer in Nirvana, Chad Channing had.

[@lanceduponte8241]

Drum set sounds great 👍 seriously I've seen a white pare like that but never heard them as far as sound goes but these sound fantastic 👌 👍 great job sir 👍

[@aluminati9918]

Supercool. I get strong Hal Blaine vibes.

[@godbluffvdgg]

My Boy Alan White *RIP... had a killer set of North's in the 70's ...We fellow drummers thought they looked awesome...

[@gaconhair]

Try this gong hi hat those toms and kick drum and floor Tom and china crash symbol and normal splash cymbals and ride symbol should be the smallest ride you can find

[@offxthexwall7098]

You’re a drumming wizard 🧙‍♂️

[@georgereynes5988]

I like it ! , Sound very balance , studio sound !

[@bearhogg]

fun fact nirvanas bleach albums drums where done on one of those kits

[@DrRawBalls_TheDummy]

Not only did I subscribed for you big buddy I even smashed that like button and watched the video I’m full 👍🏻 I came across your buddy that does the marching band drums an got watching his videos while back then like a week or so ago I came across your video with the gong high hats lol and bc of that and a few other videos ive seen of yours, now your videos are popping up in my recommendations and I like what I see so far and keep up the great videos 👍🏻

[@tunes699moon2]

Great work, great demo!

[@Sonic-sh2vh]

I remember North Drums, they never really sold well but I gotta give them credit. It’s not often that someone tries to reinvent drums. Didn’t Peavey produce a weird drumset ?

[@SamDrumzOfficial]

I know you don't really do drum covers on your channel. BUT, this kit needs some songs covered! 🎶🥁🪘🛢

[@marcdedouvan]

THAT ONE IS AWESOME AND SOUNDS AWESOME: REALLY CREATIVE, BEAUTIFUL AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACURATE (HORNS LIKE).

[@mikebarker9187]

David, see the album cover of Jackson Brown’s Running on Empty live album

[@richardlanchester249]

They are actually horn-loaded, with the flaring out, and also curved to project forwards. Horn loading increaes volume, as it allows,a sound wavefront to expand sideways more efficiently than when a sound suddenly escapes a parallel sided container, this is the principle used in horn loaded spwaker cabinets. A few North Kits were sold in the UK, but drummers in the UK should note there is a similar brand from the same era called Staccato, the difference being the front orifice had a different shape from round, and the bass drum was bizarre anx huge, with two front orifices and a shape like a giant pair of shorts. Do a google search, and you'll see what I mean. There are still a few of these vintage kits around, so you might find one. The only drummer i saw using one was with Bow Wow Wow in the mid 1980s, i understand he also played with Adam and the Ants. A pretty hot and dynamic drummer, too. I long ago had three odd Staccato toms, 6, 8, 10 heads, i used them in a standup percussion rack for a time. And they did lookcool.

[@Greg-om2hb]

HANA of GACHARIC SPIN played a kit like that in white for several years. You can see it in action here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o33RcmV9iLCmkLc

[@1992ImaStain]

Whenever I see these drums, I automatically think of Chad Channing, Nirvana’s drummer before Grohl.

[@mikeaporter5231]

Id love to own this kit

[@loganrosepiler2005]

Why the thumbnail look like he’s on a Dharr Mann episode? “David plays weird kit, what happens next will shock you”?

[@muchopomposo.6394]

Ps. The "Collin's fill" sounds like the record, minus the effects. I wonder if he used a kit like this on the record..? 🤔

[@jamesjoseph1449_]

right before he played the phill collins fill i was thinking to myself, "imagine playing the fill on a 7 piece, that would sound great." then just after that he did it lol