Pete Lockett

Pete Lockett LP 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Lessons with Taku Hirano, Richie Interview page 98 Palladium Congas Product Test page 104 “Gajate” Garcia, and Glen Caruba page 106 Pete Lockett CROSSING THE GREAT DIVIDE drummagazine.com November 2008 DRUM! 97 Pete Lockett ett ventured inside, had a chat with bleak. “I rented an old concrete store drum teacher John Hammond, and in Finsbury Park in North London that the following week his life changed doubled as a bed-sit,” he says. “The — dramatically. “It turned out to be place was just full of dust and was very the first thing that made sense to me,” cold. It was very depressing.” says the philosophical Lockett in his quiet, friendly tone. “Everything that In Search Of The Music. In STYLES he showed to me, I could do instantly. 1985, a friend invited Lockett to his It was the first time that anything like apartment near Alexander Palace, that had happened to me.” which was hosting the Festival Of HYBRID India, where the venue took on the Immersed In Study. Lockett had look and sounds of that country. “I never shown any interest in music could hear this incredible music and Come Easy To The Former before that moment, and his fam- wondered, ‘What is that?’” The two ily household was virtually devoid of took off in search of the music that music. “We did have a radio, but there filtered through the window. “It was were no records or musical instruments a free concert that featured Zakir in the house,” he says. “But as soon as Hussain, and I’d never seen or heard I discovered drum lessons, that was it anything like it! — big time! Two weeks later I joined a “I was deeply analytical about drum- punk band. I went from a couple of £5 mers and would sit and watch their drum lessons to playing local pubs and every move and watch what they’d DOCKWORKER UK clubs overnight.” do. Even though I couldn’t see what By IAN CROFT Lockett’s first gig was a suitably they were doing, I could conceptual- unusual start for what would prove ize what was going on. One might not The view from Pete to be a uniformly unusual musical be able to do it, but you could imagine Lockett’s North London top-floor flat is career. “I replaced a drummer who a practice regime that would take you as cinematic and epic as his musical bi- would get tired halfway through a towards developing that kind of playing. ography. Climbing up the curving flight song and just stop playing. He’d never Whereas with tablas there is this mas- of stairs to his residence bears testimony learned to use the bass drum pedal sive sound coming out of these tiny little to his hectic schedule. Like ancient hi- and only ever played with his hands, drums and I had no idea how they were eroglyphs, the many scuffmarks along played. Listening to a conga the walls tally his numerous trips up and or djembe player, you get down carting a vast array of percussion “I don’t put barriers an idea as to what they are instruments, and demonstrate the con- doing. With tabla you can’t stant demand for his musical expertise. between things. My even see what is happening, At the age of 45, Lockett boasts a yet they have this massive résumé that stretches to many, many iPod is highly eclectic.” sound, this whole tonal pages, and involves a cross section of spectrum coming from artists that reads like a who’s who of these small drums. Again, it popular music. Whether he is at Ronnie so it was an easy gig to step into.” was this and the lyricism that attracted Scott’s with Steve Smith’s Vital Informa- Lockett smiles at the memory. “I used me to them.” tion, performing with Shakti’s U Shrini- to smash my drums up at the end of Lockett then noticed an advertise- Tycoon Supremo congas feature pro-style vas, or producing and recording with every gig. I even ended up in hospital ment for tabla lessons, and once again, 10” & 11” drums with premium grade Zawinul’s Amit Chatterjee, Lockett is a once to get stitches. I was inspired by that was it. “Yousuf Ali Khan was water buffalo heads and durable, black musical chameleon of enormous pro- Keith Moon, and I loved the drums, teaching the course, and he gave me hardware. This set includes a heavy-duty, portions. Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, the excitement, and the energy. It also free lessons. That was the start of my height adjustable double conga stand and FREE matching bongos. Available in and Jeff Beck have all called upon Lock- taught me a lot about drum building interest in Indian music. Originally, your choice of Natural, Red and Black. ett’s unique percussive ways, as has The as I couldn’t afford to repair mine and I thought that it would complement Verve, Amy Winehouse, and even the had to rebuild them myself.” Lockett’s my drum set playing, but I got totally Offer valid thru December 31, 2008 or while supplies last. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — and diverse instrument collection contains obsessed by it. I stopped playing in we’re just scratching the surface of the a broad assortment of percussive bands and just studied solidly for six broad array of artists expressing a desire items, some homemade, with many years, firstly with Yousuf and then to have Lockett’s percussive imprint resembling nothing you would have South Indian music with Karakudi grace their work. seen before. Krishnamurthy.” Drums and percussion came quite As his facility improved, Lockett im- www.tycoonpercussion.com late in life for the former Portsmouth mersed himself in studying. “At that University Of Life. Lockett was tel: 909-393-5555 dockworker, who at the age of 19 took time, everything stopped for me and I determined to make a career in music Log on to ﬁnd a participating dealer near you a walk along the streets of Fratton on practiced constantly.” After two years and wasn’t going to work a daytime and to learn more about Tycoon’s full line of top-quality percussion instruments. his lunch break only to notice an ad of continual practice, Lockett made the gig. “I didn’t go to university, so study- in the window of the local drum store decision to move to London, despite ing with these great Indian players was — “Drum Lessons” is all it said. Lock- not knowing a soul there. Times were my university.” Discover the New World. 98 DRUM! November 2008 drummagazine.com drummagazine.com November 2008 DRUM! 99 Pete Lockett He took the most logical step and be- and how the drums produced gan to teach drums. “The first thing that “Everything has become hybrid such an amazing array of sounds,” teaching taught me was that if someone he says. “I got deeply into the Music comes alive with showed me something, it was embedded and influenced by everything else” South Indian musical culture for life, but I noticed with some of my and learned the mridangam. I students, they’d either forget what I’d was about to learn the thavil and shown them, or they weren’t interested. I don’t put barriers between things. My upon one thing for that space of time thought, ‘Actually, I can either I found this strange, as I was always iPod is highly eclectic.” to begin a longer practice session really learn that drum or get a career.’” so hungry to learn. I realized that not Since educational resources for hand brings results. And with that epiphany, he be- everybody wants to learn, and there are drums were practically nonexistent, “One problem is that I’ll tour playing gan casting around for work, and very few people that have the commit- Lockett relied on his ears and instincts tablas for a month, and then when I finally got a nibble from a rock ment to get it down. I was shocked.” to develop drumming technique. “Now get back I have a session that requires I band called Thunder, who asked Lockett remembers showing one stu- you can get five-camera angle DVDs,” play another instrument, and I have to him to record on their 1995 release, dent a straight-eighth groove, then the he says. “But back then, starting out quickly re-establish those techniques on Behind Closed Doors. “I played same groove as a shuffle. “He’d come playing bongos, I’d never seen anyone that instrument. But playing something tabla, bongos, and lots of various back and would have learned the shuf- play bongos, nor could you find a video really slowly without putting any strain percussion,” he says. “I went into fle, but had forgotten the straight-eighth that showed you how to do it, so I sat upon yourself for 30 minutes will bring the studio and it was all rigged out version. In the end I told him that he at home and listened to tracks that fea- results.” with skull and crossbones and all might have to think that this wasn’t go- tured bongos to try and work out what As much a form of meditation as other manner of rock trappings ing to work out,” Lockett chuckles. “I’d they were doing. I knew a basic martillo woodshedding, Lockett’s personal prac- — but as I had long hair, I think save him from quintuplets!” pattern and I was lucky in a way, as now tice time led him into a pursuit of cross- I fitted in all right.” Consider- ! t i I have this weird hybrid bongo style due fertilization.

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