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

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ett ventured inside, had a chat with bleak. “I rented an old concrete store drum teacher John Hammond, and in Finsbury Park in North 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 Dockworker drum lessons to playing local pubs and every move and watch what they’d 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. , , 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, , 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 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. “Everything has become ing that this was the late ’80s, it p

A Taste For Diversity. By now, to trying to discover how it was done.” hybrid and influenced by everything was fairly adventurous for a rock a r Lockett was listening to all styles of Lockett threw himself into studying, else, so a lot of the techniques have be- band to consider adding such t S music and took an interest in drummers and developed unorthodox regimens come interspersed onto different drums. unusual instruments as tablas. “I

like Stewart Copeland, Mark Brzezicki, that depended on patience as much So I might use some of the Indian tech- was shocked, as I got paid decent

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and Steve Gadd. “Chick Corea’s as coordination. “Even when I first niques on the cajon, or darabuka.” money to do the things that I really t

i

Leprechaun’s Dream was a big influence started, I always — and still do — have wanted to do!” k

c for me, and I’d go and buy a Leo Sayer this practice routine where I’ll have A Musical Flow. Lockett grew This early recording experience a

m album just because it had Gadd on it! I a 30-minute or one-hour session of consumed by his study of eclectic taught Lockett a valuable lesson. “I S also liked Joni Mitchell and her drum- just playing one thing continually on percussion, burning through hours always try to approach everything RELEASE YOUR INNER GO JO. mers. I’d listen to The Who, or Ravi whatever instrument I’m working on, of practice and piles of money to buy with an open mind and make every- Winning Best of Show at NAMM 2008, the Shankar, and to some extent that has and every five minutes I move it up new instruments. “I was fascinated thing musical rather than trying to

LP Go-Jo Bag is the world’s only mutable shaker. ! t reflected in the player that I am now, as by 5 bpm. I found that concentrating with the technique of how it was done impress with a dazzling solo. I make i It’s a unique percussive sound that drum wizards music so that it has some flow to w like Stephen Perkins use to release rhythm. o it, rather than a barrage of noise or r Th sounds that are inappropriate.” To bring your music to life, pete’s percussion G visit LPmusic.com drums Remo H Organic Beats. The Thunder 1 11" x 30" Quinto 9 14" x 4" Regero sessions brought further visibility 2 11.75 x 30" Conga 10 12" Trilok Snare F to Lockett’s adventurous talents, ! 3 12.5" x 30" Tumba 11 Ashiko E it 4 and led to the opportunity to play Feel 4 12" x 8" Surdo 12 Klong Yao 5 I 5 14" x 14" Floor Tom 13 32" Taiko Drum D on Björk’s 1995 album, Post. “I C J 6 Djembe 14 Bongos 2 3 7 always say that if you send out a 6 7 10" x 4" Regero 15 Cajon ! 1 hundred things, expect one phone Live it 8 12" x 4" Regero 16 Tablas B A 10 8 call back, or two at most,” he says. K “Even with a big CV it can be two cymbals Zildjian 9 A 8" Z Splash G 20" Oriental China R years before you hear anything. Although I mostly get calls to play B 10" Nipple Gong H 22" Oriental China 14 11 C 20" Wind Gong I 12" ReMix Hi-Hat percussion, my first instrument P Q L D 8" Zil Bell J 10" Splash 16 12 was the drum set, so I do have to E 12" Azuka K 12" Splash remind people that I can cover F 14" Azuka L 18" ReMix Ride M 15 O that area too.” And these days producers also N percussion Remo call on Lockett to punch buttons. M Spring Drum Q DidgeHarp and 13 are you in? N Finger Drums Ginga Shakers “I’m currently programming all the O Click Clack R Roland SPD-S Pad percussion for the new Bond movie P Assorted Frame and I do what I call organic beat Drums programming. It’s not total hard- ©2008 Latin Percussion, A Division of KMC, Garfield, NJ core electronics, but there’s a lot of Pete Lockett also uses Dixon hardware, Remo drumheads, Pro-Mark signature timbale electronics and sound design going sticks and lightening rods, and Protection Racket cases. i nfo g ra phic by jo sh s u k ov on. Craig Armstrong asked me to

100 DRUM! November 2008 drummagazine.com 101 Pete Lockett do the programming for the Incredible “I got a call from Roxy Music’s Phil at the Rhythm Sticks Festival of percus- Hulk movie, and he’s known for a cou- Manzarena and most of the session was sion in London. The normally garrulous ple of years that I can program. standard stuff and it was going well. Lockett found himself at a loss. “You have to be patient. I never hassle And then he wanted me to build an- “I genuinely did not know what to people for work because people don’t other percussion track on junk sounds. say and said I’d think about it,” he re- like being hassled. You make your case, We took the light down from the ceiling, members. “I had not performed solo say, ‘This is what I can do. You can lis- the bin from the street came in, the grill before so it was a big deal at the time. ten to it on my site or on the disc that I from the fire got used, and it was great. Right before that call I had been work- sent to you,’ and that’s it. Leave it to lie Originally, I was thinking that I wasn’t ing with Joji Hirota and I thought that and see what comes back.” so sure, but it turned out brilliantly. It we could do a project together that certainly makes you think how you can incorporated tabla and taiko drums. I Cowbell Anyone? Success has hap- use different sounds. Think about in- called Joji, we got together, and that pened for Lockett organically, and he struments such as congas and bongos, was my first sold-out show. The pro- has worked hard to get where he is. But they are commonplace in popular music moter loved it and suddenly we were he believes that his ability to be flexible now, whereas 30 years ago they were doing 30-, 40-date tours around Eu- is equally as important as his finesse as a considered exotic — and it’s the same rope. Bill Bruford had come to one of drummer and programmer. “Sometimes with tabla. Though that is a harder in- our gigs and I got talking to him and it I get asked for something that I think strument to learn, you do hear it incor- began the Network Of Sparks project might not suit the tabla, but you have to porated more into popular music.” with him.” get to their ideas,” he explains. “I always During these duo tours Lockett sud- remain open to what the producer might Going Solo. It seemed as if Lockett had denly had to please someone other than be asking for, as they obviously want achieved every possible goal that a percus- a record producer (even worse — his something a little different that can’t be sionist could dream of until a promoter peers!), which once again found him found on a drum sample CD. asked if he was interested in performing plumbing his inner musicality. “I know that sitting respectfully through a drum selected discography clinic can become a little boring if peo- ple aren’t playing musically. Whether the audience is all drummers, or simply Bob from up the road, you have to give them something musical to latch onto.” Tours and sessions continue to intro- 1995 1995 1997 1997 1998 1999 duce the uninitiated to Lockett’s various Behind Closed Post Storm Vande Tigers Of Hot Pants Idol projects. “I’ve been working with beat- Doors Björk Vanessa-Mae Mataram The Raj David Toop Thunder A.R. Rahman James Asher boxer Shlomo and we played the Glas- tonbury festival — it was great. There are great talents in all genres and I try not to pre-conceptualize or be snobbish or judgmental about different styles and players. It helps keep my ears open to different influences, which helps devel- 1999 2000 2001 2002 2002 2002 op my broader eclectic approach, and in Nightlife One Encounter Bring It Back From Around Sean-Nós Nua Pete Lockett’s John Palmer McAlmont & The World Sinead turn makes it difficult to categorize what Network Of Butler Pete Lockett O’Connor Sparks I do. I like that.” Lockett is excited about his most recent project, which finds the percussionist expanding into an entirely different type of media — print. Hudson Music has just released his long awaited method book, 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 Indian Rhythms For The Drumset. “The Body Music Seed Sixty-Six To Taiko To Tabla Trouble In Dakshina book came about over a long period of Chicken Lips Afro Celt Timbuktu Pete Locket Paradise Deva Premal Sound System Robert Plant & Joji Hirota B.J. Cole time,” he says. “I was teaching the South Indian rhythmic system and that became the core of the book. Once I had my ap- proach to the system in place I was able to approach the system in a slightly more abstract way, so that the building blocks 2006 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 could be utilized by all musicians. Autek Twisted Live In Istanbul Vitalization Cinema Sonics Acoustic “I believe it is a book that will last a Parallax Beat Artifacts Pete Lockett Steve Smith Doug Wimbish Revenge Brothers — Parallax Beat And Vital Antonio long time and is not a moment of fashion Pete Lockett & Brothers — Information Forcione that won’t be of interest in five years. I Scanner Pete Lockett & Scanner like to give things back. It would be nice if more players did that.”

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