Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) Why I Play The Drums Standing Up?

In this clip, Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats explains why he chooses to play the drums whilst standing up instead of sitting down like the vast majority of drummers.
Please check out episode 32 of Drum For The Song podcast featuring Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats and HeadCat for the full conversation.
In this episode we talk about the origins of the Stray Cats, with himself (drums), Brian Setzer (guitar and vocals) and Lee Rocker (upbright double bass) forming in high school and mastering their craft playing 5 nights a week in their home of Long Island, migrating over to England and eventually becoming part of the London scene, playing shows and getting noticed which resulted in getting signed and having Dave Edmunds record their debut album!
We also talked a lot about his great friendship with Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead who he also had a rockabilly side project band with called HeadCat with Danny B. Harvey. He describes how the band ended up forming after a recording an Elvis Presley track for a tribute album. He also explains how he and Lemmy became neighbours which helped their friendship grow over the years and how he was with Lemmy when he sadly passed away on 28th December 2015 at the age of 70.
We also discussed the band's choice of having a small drum kit at the front of the stage (rather than at the back) with Slim Jim Phantom playing whilst standing up and how difficult it was to adjust to playing that way and idea of having that extra spark and character is needed to become a star in the music industry.
We also talked about Slim Jim Phantom's favourite rockabilly drummers, drum injuries, living with actual cats, how loud Lemmy played onstage, his favourite and most memorable moments with Lemmy, his drum endorsements Gretsch, Zildjian, Vic Firth, re-enforcing a bass drum to enable him to stand on it, blues shuffle stick techniques, his upcoming rockabilly documentary and more.
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#SlimJimPhantom #StrayCats #HeadCat

[@carlnoble1491]

Slim Jim Phantom>>>> You Rock!!

[@jumpingjacks5558]

He's a great drummer. First time I saw the "Stray Cats" and he was standing while playing blew my mind. I have never seen that before. The band was great.

[@downtownbobbybrown6237]

I love this guy ! Saw him in Bridgeport Conn last summer ,Just Unreal !

[@YZ250W1]

Love his style!

[@DrumForTheSongPodcast]

Me too!

[@GrahamsGO]

Bloody hell, one of the first singles I bought was Stray Cat Strut when I was ten or eleven but Jim looks at least twenty years younger than me!

[@DrumForTheSongPodcast]

He sure looks great!

[@panther105]

Thank you for this. Getting into Stray Cats Christmas music this year. Led me to here....

[@DrumForTheSongPodcast]

Rock on!

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

Yes, I remember him saying in the 80s that he thought that a lot of drummers in the 50s played standing up because of the photos and album covers with them standing with a high hat and snare. He said then that he learnt to play drums that way from the start though. I still have the magazines, I borrowed them from the library and then moved house so I never took them back. I should dig them out.

[@nindraco3173]

So you admittedly said you didn't return something that wasn't yours. That makes you a thief. 😅

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

@nindraco3173 Yes, my Dad brought that up in his speech at my wedding!

[@salomonflores-i3y]

standing up drums... best workout ever.... just need a good ok snare.. and a ride/crash and some fukn rhythm

[@ghoulinthegraveyard399]

I completely agree with you, timing is the key and the heart fills the rest.

[@grantdenn]

Three leads!

[@jamesdean1143]

Becomes difficult to play standing up when you get over 60. Phil Collins can’t even play sitting down anymore.

[@thomashverring9484]

His hips must be wrecked!

[@grantdenn]

nah!

[@guessundheit6494]

I remember seeing pics of the horribly mediocre band Night Ranger. They played five side by side across the stage, no front and back row because the drummer was one of the two singers. Whether that was their own decision or stolen from the Stray Cats, I don't know.

[@divcvetic722]

"Horribly mediocre" ???

[@LoxleyMusic]

@@divcvetic722 Yeah man! They only sold over 16 million albums... Bunch of wannabe's XD (Some people seem to think that, if THEY don't like a band, the band must be bad. Or sometimes horribly mediocre... XD )