Twelve Foot Ninja drummer Shane ‘Russ’ Russell performed as part of Roland Australia’s launch program for the flagship VAD716 kit.
Afterwards, he repeated a performance of his medley of 19 iconic tracks for local magazine Australian Musician.
In his video intro, Russell explains that the eight-and-a-half-minute medley includes all his favourite songs growing up.
“I started playing drums at 13 years old and a lot of these songs were around then,” he says.
Using a mix of stock sounds and imported one-shot samples, Russell switches kit sounds for each track.
“Each kit sound has samples from the song,” he explains, adding that he is using drumless tracks.
“Playing through all these songs, I learned a couple of things, one of them being that some of them are a bit trickier than I thought. When you really put it under the microscope and you try and emulate exactly what’s happening, note for note, there’s some cool bits and you learn a bit more about that certain drummer who wrote those parts.”
The performance includes:
- Better – Screaming Jets
- Even Flow – Pearl Jam
- Jizzlobber – Faith No More
- Grace – Jeff Buckley
- The Time Is Now – Moloko
- For Whom The Bell Tolls – Metallica
- Touched – Vast
- Roxanne – The Police
- Minutes Alone – Pantera
- Never Tear Us Apart – Inxs
- Dr Feelgood – Motley Crue
- Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai
- Sunburn – Muse
- Lap Dance – N.E.R.D
- Smells like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
- Fire In The Head – The Tea Party
- Home – Sevendust
- Digital Bath – Deftones
- Fell on Black Days – Soundgarden
digitalDrummer appreciates the assistance of Australian Musician and Roland Australia’s Simon Ayton with this article.
Watch the video here: