MIKE COLLINS-BACK IN THE STUDIO WITH HIS BEIER 1.5 STEEL--5.5 X 14....

Mike Collins (Throwback Suburbia/Metts, Ryan & Collins/Dilana/Earl Slick) is back in the studio with his solo project: Rooftop Screamers. Kelly LeMieux (Buckcherry/Dave Mustaine/Paul Gilbert) will be playing bass, Kevin Hahn will be producing the tracks and will be on guitar. Andrew P. Woodworth & Jeff Carrell are on vocals. In addition, Mike will be starting additional tunes with Mark Plati (Bowie/The Cure/Robbie Williams) and the always great Earl Slick. All of this work he will be using his 1.5 Steel--5.5 x 14.

Mike has also performed live with his 1.5 Steel with Throwback Suburbia, his power-trio Metts, Ryan & Collins, Dilana, & Ants In The Kitchen.

It is always great to hear from you Mike. Hearing from you about your work is always a lot of fun for me. Funny, your like so many players that are these great friends who I have never met. Your so good about keeping me updated, staying in touch, and using one of my snare drums for everything. That is the greatest to me. Thank You for all of that...

Special Thanks as well to Brent Angelo Photography for permission to use the first two images. Nice job Brent!

  

https://www.facebook.com/throwbackmike?fref=ts

http://www.mettsryancollins.com/

http://www.dilanarocks.com/index.html

NASHVILLE'S JARRED POPE-THE DAMON JOHNSON BAND LIVE ALBUM-THOMPSON SQUARE-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--6.5 X 14....

Jarred Pope has had his 1.5 Steel--6.5 x 14 in constant use for the last several month's...And I could not be happier about that. He has had a long and extensive career, and his name comes up frequently in discussions with drummers. My pal Randy Walker has raved about his playing for years. Essentially, they all say the same thing: He is an incredible player and can play anything, he is a professional from A-Z, and he is a great guy to boot.

The end of March he recorded a live album with Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy) in Birmingham, Alabama with The Damon Johnson Band. The record is being produced by Nick Raskulinecz, and I cannot wait to pick up a copy of this when it is out. He also will be heading out soon and is the touring & studio drummer for Thompson Square.

The drum was sent out with Aquarian Heads, and like I have mentioned previously...The amount of players that are playing Aquarian is on the rise in a huge kind of way. Personally, I love their heads, and have had nothing but great luck with the quality and the sound of them. Had a long and very interesting discussion with Jarred on Aquarian. He has some great insights on them.

Thanks Again for everything Jarred. I so appreciated your calls, your time, you using my drum, and your sincerity. Looking forward to seeing live with Thompson Square on July 23rd. It will be a great time....!

https://www.facebook.com/jarred.pope.9?fref=ts

http://www.thompsonsquare.com/

http://www.damonjohnson.com/

CANADA'S CHAD MELCHERT-LIVE WITH GORD BAMFORD-CERTIFIED COUNTRY TOUR-JUNO FEST-SESSIONS-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--4 X 15....

Have been corresponding a lot with one of Canada's top session and live players...Chad Melchert. He recently picked up a 1.5 Steel--4 x 15 from Long & McQuade. I have stayed in touch with him on and off, and just could not wait for this drum to get to him. He had tried out several of my drums in Nashville some time ago, and had been watching Tommy Harden's posts about his 4 x 15 (Thanks Tommy).

Right away, or rather (spontaneously!) he began using the drum, and he absolutely & completely loves it. Already he has used it in sessions, live at Juno Fest, and chose it for the Gord Bamford-Joe Nichols Certified Country Tour across Canada. The first leg is done, and it resumes on May 15th.

Have had a lot of lengthy conversations with Chad before and since he has received this drum. This part of what I do is always very important to me. I definitely like to talk, but I tend to listen a lot more. And when players take the time to relate their ideas to me and experience with one of my drums...I am 100% in the listening department. Chad really is amazing. He is very analytical & technical in his approach to drumming, and he also is extremely artistic as well. That balance is something I have found to be a characteristic of all of the great players. Playing your ideas in the studio or live, and being able to relate that in detail verbally, is always incredible to me.

I am really looking forward to getting together with him when Gord comes back to the states. He is so knowledgeable, so enthusiastic, and such a great player...I will be all ears. He also will be sitting down with Mark Beckett who is responsible for the design of the 4 x 15. Thanks Again Chad for everything....See you soon.....

https://www.facebook.com/chad.melchert.96?fref=ts

http://www.gordbamford.com/

http://joenichols.com/#!

OPERATION MINDCRIME-RANDY GANE AND SIMON WRIGHT-CHICAGO

Originally I did not think I would be able to make it for this show...But ended up being able to attend. That I was thankful for, I cannot imagine missing these guys live when they are in my area. Geoff Tate's band, Operation Mindcrime, is simply one of the best bands out on the road today. It is an all-star lineup I have gotten to see a number of times.

Randy Gane (Queensryche, Candlebox), and Simon Wright (Hellion, Dio, Dio Disciples, Rhino Bucket, UFO, AC/DC) have been in the band from the start, and both are world class performers, musicians, and all-around good guys. It was great to catch up with them. I have always had a great time with them, and the whole band has been cool to me since Day 1.

They played a great selection from their latest: The Key. It is the first record in a trilogy from Geoff Tate, and Simon Wright used a Beier 1.5 Steel--6.5 x 14 on a track on the record as well. This album is very deep as you would expect from Geoff Tate, and it is one of my favorite releases of the last year.

Thanks Again Randy & Simon...Great to see you and the band. Looking forward to seeing you guys soon....

http://operationmindcrime.com/

SCOTT THOMPSON-COLLIN RAYE & PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--5.5 X 14....

Scott Thompson recently picked up a 1.5 Steel--5.5 x 14 from Fork's in Nashville and dropped me a line. It was great to hear this from him, and he took it out on the road right away.

Scott is the drummer for Collin Raye and Pure Prairie League, and tours regularly with both of them. Collin Raye has had 24 Top 10 Records, 16 #1 Hits, and is one of the great voices in Country Music. Pure Prairie League dates to the mid-1960's, have had 6 Top 40 Lp's, and continue to tour and be in demand everywhere...Literally.

Looking forward to seeing you out on the road live Scott. Thanks Again for your communication, interest, and taking the time out to pick up one of my drums. Comments from all of you guys are always of huge interest to me. Was nice to hear Collin liked the drum as well! Links below for live dates....See you soon.....

   

https://www.facebook.com/scott.thompson.3551?fref=ts

http://collinraye.com/

http://pureprairieleague.com/

RON THALER-MODERN DRUMMER MAGAZINE-MAY 2016

The May Issue of Modern Drummer has an article on Ron Thaler: "Ron Thaler-Blond Ambition". It is an excellent read, as one might it expect it to be. He is an 8 time Grammy & #1 Billboard charting producer, drummer, arranger & songwriter who has recorded on over 450 albums. He is regarded worldwide as quite simply...One of the best. I really enjoyed his thoughts on music today, acoustic drums, the earlier days of his career, and the future. I found myself throughout the article thinking "Yeah"..."Could not agree more"...often! What he say's...Just makes perfect sense.

I have always been unbelievably happy he has a 1.5 Steel--5.5 x 14 in his collection of go-to drums for his work. He mentioned to me recently that the drum is a "fantastic & wonderful sounding power puncher, and it has already been tracked on many occasions". He is a master of communication and detail, and is an all-around sincere & very nice guy.

Thanks Again Ron for everything....Looking forward to many more articles on you, and to the volume of work that you will be creating...

http://www.ronthalermusic.com/

http://www.moderndrummer.com/site/2016/03/may-2016-issue-modern-drummer-featuring-andres-forero-hamilton/#_

BEIER DRUMS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT LONG & McQUADE IN CANADA....

Beier Drums are now available at Long & McQuade in Canada. They arrived several weeks ago, and I have had a great response already there. I will have an upcoming spot on Chad Melchert who received his 4 x 15, and he could not be happier about that. He is one of Canada's top session players, and also is the live/touring drummer for Gord Bamford. Gord's tour starts today, and the 4 x 15 will be Chad's touring drum. He is also in the studio already with the drum, and just did some tracks for some upcoming singles from Jesse Mast at MCC Recording Studio.

I also have been receiving inquiries on sizes and availability already. It will take a little while for the drums to appear in their on-line catalog, so the information and email below is how to contact them if you are interested in a particular size. The sizes that are available right now  are as follows:

Textured Black:

4.0 x 15

5.5 x 14

5.5 x 15

6.5 x 14

8.0 x 14

Gloss White:

6.5 x 14

Please do email them with any questions you might have. Any technical questions, comments, or if you just want to say Hi...I am also really happy to hear from you. Thanks Again to Theodore Brown, Chad Melchert, Jim Cassells, and Boris Blackwood.

Long & McQuade Contact Email For Beier Drums:

info@long-mcquade.com

https://www.long-mcquade.com/

ARTIMUS PYLE LIVE-THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND-VINI LOPEZ-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--6.5 X 14....

Last month, the Artimus Pyle Band was doing a show and Vini Lopez stopped in. Vini, as everyone knows, was the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen, and was one of the founding members of what would become the E. Street Band. He also appeared on Springsteen's first two records. Artimus Pyle of course is the legend behind the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and today is the force behind the Artimus Pyle Band. And that band, if you have not seen them...Simply has to be seen to believed.

In these shots from that show, Artimus is playing a 1942 Ludwig Rope Snare with Vini behind Artimus' kit on his Beier 1.5 Steel--6.5 x 14. That drum is the top choice of Artimus, and he uses it live and in the studio at all times. He has commented to me numerous times that that drum, quite simply, is the greatest drum he has ever used. That is coming from a drummer who used a Dynasonic on all of the records and live work for Lynyrd Skynyrd, and has tried out different gear for decades. I have sat behind him for a show and watched his style throughout their set. It only takes a few moments to realize that his style, tempo, and technique, were enormously instrumental and responsible for the way the records he did with Lynyrd Skynyrd sounded, and the way they did live with him.

Jerry Lyda is also the guitar player for the Artimus Pyle Band, the owner of Music City Asheville, and is also a dealer for Beier Drums. There will be a new shipment this month to Jerry. Any size can also be custom ordered as well.

Hoping the Artimus Pyle Band finds it's way back to the Midwest soon. Be great to see you guys again. Thanks Again Artimus, Vini, & Jerry for everything...

http://www.artimuspyleband.com/

http://musiccityasheville.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOMTSd9zlvg

ANDY PARKER-UFO-US TOUR-2016-BEIER 1.5 STEEL--6.5 X 14....

UFO was finally back in the US after several extended tours overseas. They have been touring in support of their new record-Conspiracy Of Stars, and the demand for this band everywhere, and the response to this record, has been huge. Andy Parker used his 1.5 Steel--5.5 x 14 on it, and it is the third straight UFO record that he has used a Beier Snare Drum on. He also uses them exclusively live, and has two separate complete rigs in Europe and the US with a variety of them. On this tour, he has been using his 1.5 Steel--6.5 x 14 which has been extremely popular. It was so great to catch up with them and see them again.  

The timing of this show as well brought me way back to the first time I saw them live in 1976. Next month it will be 40 years. It was their first time in the US, and I have been a non-stop fan since that day. I remember so clearly standing their as a kid watching Andy play through their set. Today, he plays my snare drums all over the world. And not only does he play my drums...he absolutely loves them. His family has a manufacturing background as well in England, and he appreciates things that are truly made by someone. Have had great discussions with him on tooling, powder coating, cutting snare beds, etc..,  

This band is non-stop, their popularity is enormous, & they sound as great as they always did. I could not be happier about that, along with an enormous legion of fans. Great to see you Andy and all of you guys.....See you soon.....

http://www.ufo-music.info/band.htm

http://www.ufo-music.info/andy/news.htm