A Quote by Mike Portnoy

You don't have to be a great drummer to be the most important guy in the band.

Mike Portnoy

Quote Topics

Band Drummer Great Guy Important Most The Most Important

Quote Author

Mike Portnoy
American - Musician
Born: April 20, 1967

To me, a great drummer isn't always about somebody with chops who can shred. A great drummer is someone who is part of a great band.

Mike Portnoy

I had a band when I was in middle school, but I was the drummer. I kind of thought if I was going to be in a band, I'd be the drummer. I'm innately drawn to rhythm. But we didn't have any shows. We just jammed in our parents' basement.

Borns

The most inspiring drummer for me is Stewart Copeland from The Police. The Police are the first band I can remember really liking, and Copeland is a guy who was playing in sort of a rock band, or a rock-pop band, but he didn't want to do the traditional kind of rock drumbeat. He was doing all these kind of reggae rhythms, and the reggae style is almost an exact opposite of the rock mold of drumming.

Panda Bear

I was the drummer in a band called Hemsworth for a brief stint, too - it was not very great. I didn't even write the songs, but the band was named after me.

Ryan Hemsworth

I was very impressed with Hanson's performance. I thought that little drummer was a kick-ass drummer, and uh, that they sang great, I mean I didn't know either, y'know, that these little boys, y'know, I was very impressed. I think they'll probably be around in 20 years writing good songs, and being a great band.

Stevie Nicks

When I say I had a cosmic confidence that we were capable of writing good music, I'm speaking about that time when we met Sam [Fogarino]. Greg [ex-drummer] is actually a really great drummer and a great guy. I never want to sound like I am belittling his contributions in the early days, but when Sam joined, there was an immediacy of, like, "Here we go."

Paul Banks

If you have a great band with a mediocre drummer, you have a mediocre band. If you have a mediocre band with a great drummer, you have a great band!

Duke Ellington

I create my own lyrics. I have a great band. I have a drummer from East Berlin.

Nina Hagen

LCD Soundsystem - they put the drummer in front. I always thought that was cool. Because the drummer is usually the guy in the back.

Mike D

Average band with a great drummer sounds great, great band with an average drummer sounds average.

Buddy Rich

Well, we didn't have our original drummer on our last record. And most of that album was not played as a band in the studio. It was mostly the world of computers and overdubs. There was very few things played live or worked out as a band.

James Iha

I met Scott Stapp when the band was first coming up, great guy. I haven't seen him for years, but a great guy.

Billy Corgan

Yes, I always say that we're a National League band. What I mean is, if you play an instrument, you have to sing. So I always call our drummer up. Even the drummer has to take a turn on the microphone.

Emmylou Harris

Yes, I always say that were a National League band. What I mean is, if you play an instrument, you have to sing. So I always call our drummer up. Even the drummer has to take a turn on the microphone.

Emmylou Harris

I was a groupie for a year and followed a band. I dated the drummer of the band.