Last night I met 2006's 'World's Fastest Drummer' Rees Bridges playing for George Webber and The Roadrunners at an event in Stevenage. Rees was a very cool guy willing to chat while packing up after his set. He's a great example to all drummers out there - always be cool and down-to-earth to everyone you meet no matter what you achieve.
I've always been interested in WFD. Basicially a 'balls-on-a-plate' test of hand and foot speed. Takes place every year in the USA. I think the current world record holder is Mike Mangini from Extreme (1247 single strokes in a minute). That's the same as playing 16th notes at over 300 BPM for a whole minute!
Obviously raw speed is nothing without a healthy dose of musicality and taste; both Rees last night and Mike Mangini impress me because they hold back their speed when playing as part of a group. A good example of how to gig effectively - hold back in the set until it is your moment (solo/big fill/etc...). Nobody likes to hear drums overburdening the groove...
Check out the following links
http://roadrunnerstheband.com
http://www.worldsfastestdrummer.com/
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