Silver Badger Drum Studios
I'm an early-60s amateur drummer in Aotearoa New Zealand. I have no illusions about my abilities. Drumming and music in general is, for me, largely about preserving mental health, as running my small business can be stressful at times. These videos are just my diary of ideas, progress, and notes on the 2nd-hand gear I impulsively acquire.
Currently I play drums in about 5 different non-professional bands (3 original/improv, 2 mainly post-punk covers), none of which plays gigs often. I don't play drum solos during gigs and have never cared to in the past. Ironically, my channel is full of drum solos. YT seems a good space in which to explore the sounds and potential of a growing collection of vintage drums and cymbals and to experiment with improvisation, so please forgive my self-indulgence. Hopefully the channel content is somewhat useful for people with similar interests. Feedback is (mostly) appreciated, likewise any questions.
Thanks for watching. Please subscribe!
Cheers,
James
DF no.342, Drum cover of Colony by Joy Division from "Closer" album, music education resource only
DF no.341, swapping drum heads from Evans UV1 to Remo Ambassador, vintage Ludwig/WFL. Updated video
DF no.339, Improvised solo on White Ghost drum kit. Vintage Premier drums, multiple bass drums
DICK: Reading 'Richard', Bats, Wellington, Simon Sweetman reads The Richard Poems, with Filtersphere
Filtersphere 9, Wellington Jazz Festival 2025, experimental ambient soundscape guitar fx percussion
Filtersphere 10 at Pyramid Club 4/10/25, experimental ambient soundscape, guitar fx percussion duo
DF no.334, White Ghost meets Rhythm Ace FR-1, vintage drums, 1960s electronics, early drum machine
DF no.331, Paradiddle variations, drum rudiment exercises, Para-did-diddle, Para-did-did-diddle
DF no.330 1970s vintage Ludwig Power Factory kit, Butchers Block wrap, concert toms, improvised solo
DF no.327, Take 2 in-full of Zildjian Odds & Ends, vintage cymbals I never play but can't part with.
DF no.324, Improvised drum solo using flams & other rudiments played with multirods on Premier Crown
DF321, Dick: Reading Richard, 2025 Wellington Fringe Fest, Simon Sweetman, Filtersphere, live poetry
DF no.319, demo play of early 1970s Paiste Formula 602 18" flat ride, vintage Premier Crown kit.
DF no.317 - "2024" - A profile of my year as an improvised drum solo, White Ghost vintage drum kit
DF no.315 - demo of mid-1980s vintage Premier Crown drum kit, 2000 CoA snare, vintage Paiste 602s
Condenser - punk covers and originals - 'Stay In' by Condemned Sector, 1/11/2024 at Music Planet, NZ
Filtersphere-7, 30 Nov 2024 @ the gallery w/Perpets. Ambient improvisation, guitar fx, vox fx, drums
DF no.313 - vintage '57 William F. Ludwig, 60s Ludwig, Istanbul cymbals, improvised solo 1 abridged.
DF no.312a - shorter Demo of Sabian 13" HH Fusion hi-hats, 90s Premier Signia, vintage A Zildjians
DF no.311, Using big marching bass drum to enhance extend bass drum resonance, vintage Premier drums
DF no.305 - More Sizzle part 3, 60s-80s vintage Zildjians, c.1970 Paiste 602, 1960s Premier '54' kit
DF no.305 - More Sizzle part 2, 60s-80s vintage Zildjians, 1970 Paiste 602, 60s Premier with mallets
DF no.305 - More Sizzle part 1 - putting split rivets in a Canadian-made A.Zildjian 21" ride cymbal
DF no.304, cover of Pretty Vacant (Pistols) by Condenser, punk/post-punk band in NZ. Pearl DLX kit
DF no.303, cover of Love Battery (Buzzocks) by Condenser punk/post-punk band in NZ. Pearl DLX
Condenser tribute to Wire's 'Pink Flag' album at Moon, Newtown, Wellington, NZ 17/8/24 post-punk
'12XU' from Condenser's tribute to Wire's 'Pink Flag' album, Moon, Wellington, NZ, 17/8/24 post-punk
DF no.302, Filtersphere 6 at Common Ground, Featherston NZ, experimental ambient guitar & percussion
DF no.301 - 5 vintage Pearl snares, Pearl DLX, Chad Smith Ltd Tricolon, B4514 CoB Stewart Copeland
DF no.300 - Sizzle cymbals, vintage Paiste 602, & A. Zildjian, 1960s Premier kit, freeform drum solo