Potential drummer discussion

[joostone]

So this thread is not a drummer discussion. Meaning it's not about Dave K, Dave A, Jack or Matt Cameron.

This band had several moments to pick a drummer. They landed on any of the above. But what would happen if they landed on someone else?

Jeff, Stone and Mike made their first demo in 1990, the drums were done by Matt Cameron and Chris Friel. Then they asked Jack to be their drummer, he only knew a singer. Ultimately they ended on Dave Krusen who was not a well known drummer in the scene. Do you think Greg? Gilmore was considered? I don't think so, he and Bruce Fairweather started another short-lived band after MLB. Maybe Chris Friel was also considered. He was Mike's good friend and drummer on the first demo (Black and Footsteps). But since they only asked him for the slow songs they probably thought he was too light. Jeff was playing with Richard Stuverrud at that time, but he was in a popular band already (War Babies).

Summer of '91: They kicked Krusen out of the band, not because of his abililities or personality but the guy had drinking issues. They had shows planned and TEN was coming out in 3 months orso. Eddie suggests his bandmate from San Diego, named Brad Wilk. Brad flew out to England (were the record was being mixed) to try-out.
Brad Wilk in a recent interview:

“I’m like shitting my pants – I’ve never been out of the country. I’ve got to go get my fucking passport, I’m listening to the songs, I’m super-young and thinking, ‘This is my break. This is my time!’ I go to Europe and we play together. Me and Eddie have this history, and we’re bonding over in Europe. But to the others I’m just the new guy.”

Wilk admitted it was clear very quickly that it wasn’t going to work out. “Long story short, I go there, and I just don’t click musically, mostly with Jeff [Ament], who is an incredible bass player, awesome guy. … This is a classic case – it doesn’t matter how good you are, chemistry is everything. It just wasn’t clicking. … I just wasn’t the guy.”

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/brad-wilk-pearl-jam-audition/

But luckily for him he called Eddie when he had a new band months later. Eddie sent their A+R guy to see RAGE, and the deal was done.

The shows were coming up, a videoshoot was coming up. They needed a drummer! They landed on Matt Chamberlain. Matt was already an established drummer, he was very very skilled. But after a month of gigs he decided to focus on sessionwork. To this day he's done an insane amount of sessionwork. With the release of TEN only weeks away he suggested a drummer he knew from Texas called Dave Abbruzese.

In the summer of 1994 Dave Abbruzzese was fired due to personal reasons. Once again they needed another drummer, but this time around they had no rush. It was decided that each member could bring in one drummer. The famous drummer picks:

Mike's pick: Chris Friel
Jeff's pick: Richard Stuverrud
Stone's pick: Josh Freese
Ed's pick: Jack Irons

I have no idea why they have choosen Jack, but Im glad they did. But it does seems like an odd choice, both Stuverrud and Freese were interesting choices.

Couple of years later Jack felt he wasn't able to tour so they landed on Matt Cameron as their final drummer.

What would have happened if they had landed on any of the other drummers? This is not just another drummer discussion, it's a potential drummer discussion

Last edited by joostone on Sat November 10, 2018 9:17 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Anders]

Actually I believe Matt Cameron was the first and main drummer to play on the initial demos. But he had Soundgarden, and couldn’t commit to two bands.

Very interesting thread.

Last edited by Anders on Sat November 10, 2018 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

[joostone]

Actually I believe Matt Caneron was the first and main drummer to play on the initial demos. But he had Soundgarden, and couldn’t commit to two bands.

Very interesting thread.

He did! But he was not an option at that time. Chris Friel also drums on that first demo, but only the slow songs.

[Anders]

Actually I believe Matt Cameron was the first and main drummer to play on the initial demos. But he had Soundgarden, and couldn’t commit to two bands.

Very interesting thread.

He did! But he was not an option at that time. Chris Friel also drums on that first demo, but only the slow songs.

We’ll never know what could have been. Happy with what we’ve got.

Freese would have been cool.

[Birds in Hell]

I really wish Matt Chamberlain had decided to hang around longer; he's probably the best drummer they've had.

[joostone]

Interesting to see that they are still close with most of these guys.

Mike and Chris Friel are still besties. They made a record together with 'The Rockfords', they jammed on many occasions.

Richard Stuverud made many records with Jeff. Together they did two 'Three Fish' records, two 'RNDM' records, one 'Tres MTS' record and three solo records. They have been making records together for 25 years now!

Stone had Matt Chamberlain on his solo albums, and he played on Josh Freese solo records.

[joostone]

I really wish Matt Chamberlain had decided to hang around longer; he's probably the best drummer they've had.

Agreed. Technically he's amazing. I saw him play with Soundgarden on that 2014 tour that Matt Cam was sitting out on. He did it very very well, but he's not as powerfull as Matt Cameron. Matt Cameron is just a beast!

[E.H. Ruddock]

Didn't Adam Levine ask to tour with them as a temporary drummer back in 2012 when MC was touring with Soundgarden?

[evenslow]

Stuverud is a fucking awesome drummer but for some reason I don't see him fitting within the PJ aesthetic. He'd play the shit out of Black Red and Yellow though.

[VinylGuy]

Stuverud is great...it could have been a good choice. Its interesting to think that Brad Wilk and Jeff didnt quite clicked musically...i love Brad but he seems to only play good with Timmy C. I saw him with a version of the Pumpkins here in argentina, and it sounded good, but mostly restrained.

[evenslow]

I love that we've talked about the drummers so much by this point that our discussion has moved to the theoretical.

[VinylGuy]

I feel its a step forward to healing.

[wease]

I never knew Ed had turned Epic on to Rage.

[Bammer]

I was available in 1998. They passed on me. Idiots. Made a great record with Matt (Binaural) but downhill from there. I could have prevented the PRAMG.

[Kevin Davis]

I really wish Matt Chamberlain had decided to hang around longer; he's probably the best drummer they've had.

And risk depriving us of 20 years of hand-wringing over Dave A. drama? No way, Jose. Stick to your jazz records, Matty!

[UglyRedHonda]

I really wish Matt Chamberlain had decided to hang around longer; he's probably the best drummer they've had.

Agreed. Technically he's amazing. I saw him play with Soundgarden on that 2014 tour that Matt Cam was sitting out on. He did it very very well, but he's not as powerfull as Matt Cameron. Matt Cameron is just a beast!

Agreed on Chamberlain in PJ - the "Alive" video is still my favorite version of that song.

One fun side note:

I ran into Ben Shepherd (SG bassist) between shows during that 2014 tour. I got into an extended conversation with him about it - he's a total curmudgeon (obviously) so it was pretty fun. I started by noting how pissed he looked on stage at the show I went to compared to the previous tour, and he unloaded. He hated touring with NIN and having to share an audience. He ragged on NIN's live set being mostly on tape.

But he mentioned that he preferred touring with Chamberlain over Cameron. (Chamberlain was apparently his suggestion.) He complained of Cameron's habit of doing his own thing during songs - Chamberlain tried to keep close to the recorded versions, which made it easier to stay in sync. (He mimed Cameron angrily glaring at him and hitting his high-hat repeatedly get him back in tempo.) It felt like he also thought Chamberlain was more technically gifted as a drummer.

It was fun to get a short glimpse into some inner-SG politics.

[VinylGuy]

I saw two SG with chamberlain, and it was awesome. Ben had a fight with someone, kicked the mic stand. It was glorious.

[Birds in Hell]

But he mentioned that he preferred touring with Chamberlain over Cameron. (Chamberlain was apparently his suggestion.) He complained of Cameron's habit of doing his own thing during songs - Chamberlain tried to keep close to the recorded versions, which made it easier to stay in sync. (He mimed Cameron angrily glaring at him and hitting his high-hat repeatedly get him back in tempo.) It felt like he also thought Chamberlain was more technically gifted as a drummer.

It was fun to get a short glimpse into some inner-SG politics.

Wow, this is fascinating.

It's funny that they passed on Wilk because of the lack of chemistry as I think Matt Cameron's never had much apparent musical chemistry with Jeff and Stone.

To some extent, I suspect Matt's personality and professionalism are what won him the job as the band were, by that stage, sick to the teeth of drummers who they connected with musically but had personal issues that got in the way of the band's professional commitments.

I still rue the missed opportunity presented by those clashing Soundgarden/Pearl Jam dates a few years back, I really wish Matt Chamberlain had subbed in for Pearl Jam instead.

[96583UP]

interesting stuff. i always thought that some of SG's best moments are those flirting with the 'unglued' ... Ben is a f*cking jerkoff though and doesn't get along with anybody

those Matt Chamberlain SG shows just didn't sound right. too straight

it's insane to think that the same Matt Cameron drums for PJ bc he is such a master of the low-end with SG

[96583UP]

back to this OP though - it's an intriguing thought but it's tough to simulate bc i just feel like there's no chance anyone other than Ed's pick would have made it in ... because the circumstances that led up to this had essentially everything to do with personal politics / Ed's powergrab and little to do with music ... ergo the option wasn't really open for anyone other than PJ's new emperor