Mike Mangini biography

Mike Mangini started playing the drums when he was five years old. He would practice six to ten hours a day and by the time he was nine he was already mimicking Buddy Rich performances. By high school, he was performing in school bands and participating in the prestigious All-County, All-State, and all Eastern United States ensembles.

After graduating from Waltham Senior High School in 1981, Mangini put aside his music studies to pursue a Computer Science major atBentley College. After graduating Mike started programming software for the Patriot Missile program. At the same time, he was working on a program that studied the links between the human brain and body. These two experiences have helped Mike in the development of hisRhythm Knowledge learning systems.

In 1987, Mangini scored one of his first 'high-profile' gigs - playing drums for the Rick Berlin Band in Boston, where he worked with bassistPhilip Bynoe (who would later go on to work with Mike in sessions for Journey's Steve Perry and more notably during Mike's time in the Steve Vai band). He also taught drums privately in Boston during this time.

In 1991, Mangini began working for a thrash metal band named Annihilator. Mike performed on the drums on several tracks for the studio album, Set the World on Fire. He went on to tour with the band in support of this album up until 1994. In 1994 he was asked to play with the band Extreme, replacing original drummer Paul Geary. Mike Mangini had been friends with noted Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt since the 1980s. His time in Extreme included recording several tracks for their 1995 album, Waiting For The Punchline. During this time, he also made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. While on tour with Extreme in 1995, Mike recorded songs for Nuno on his 4-track tape machine. Those songs ended up on Schizophonic after Nuno left Extreme to pursue a solo career.

After Extreme dissolved in 1996, Mike was informed through drummer Jonathan Mover that guitarist Steve Vai was auditioning drummers for his live band. Mike successfully auditioned for Steve Vai's band and relocated to Los Angeles.

From late 1996 to early 2000, Mangini was the highly regarded drummer of Vai's live ensemble, which also included bassist Philip Bynoe, guitar wizard Mike Keneally and (in 2000) guitarist Dave Weiner. Mike also recorded several drum tracks for Steve's Fire Garden and Ultrazone albums.

Following the initial suspension of the South American leg of the Ultrazone Tour in 2000, Mangini moved back home to Boston and began teaching at Berklee College as an associate professor. He began working with former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone and bassist Pat Badger in the short-lived band, Tribe of Judah. He also continued to work with Dale Bozzio(formerly of the new wave band, Missing Persons), and recorded several more records. Among these records was a Rush tribute record (entitled Subdivisions) and a second full-length album with Annihilator titled All for You. He also recorded tracks for artists Sal DiFusco, Bill Lonero and Chris Emerson.

In 2005, he accepted a full-time teaching position at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and today he is a prominent faculty member in the school's percussion department.

In 2007 Mike did the album Metal by Annihilator.

One of Mike's current projects is Chix n' Stix.

Matt Sorum biography

Matt Sorum (born Matthew Sorum, November 19, 1960, in Mission Viejo, California) is a hard rock drummer and percussionist. He is currently the drummer for Velvet Revolver.

Sorum is most famous for his time spent in Guns N' Roses, (1990-1997). He also played drums on a couple of songs with Johnny Crash in 1989 with their one and only album, Neighbourhood Threat and with The Cult and Hawk.

Sorum started out in Mission Viejo as a local hot musician. Wearing trademark "Union Jack" shorts and nothing else, he used to pound a huge acrylic drumset and overpower his first band "Prophecy", where he stood out and the rest of the band just disappeared. A local songwriter, Stephen Douglas, pulled him from the band and joined him with other talented musicians in the area to form "Chateau", a wall-of-sound band with grandiose themes and sounds in their songs. Chateau played the Hollywood circuit, appearing at Gazzarri's and almost getting into a fight with the original members of the band "Ratt", which at the time was known as "Mickey Ratt".

Sorum's work with Chateau produced a four song set that was covered by local radio stations for a short time, but the music scene changed from grandiose rock to punk and alternative new wave music. Sorum left and went to Hollywood to play with a series of bands, including "Population Five", with the bassist from The Knack ("My Sharona"). He then left on a tour around the country with a blues guitarist, playing nightclubs and bars.

In 1988, he was recruited to play on the debut album of Y Kant Tori Read, a band fronted by a then unknown Tori Amos. In the wake of that project, he joined The Cult as their live drummer for the 1989 tour in support of Sonic Temple.

In 1989, after Slash saw him live with The Cult on their Sonic Temple tour, he was impressed with Sorum and consequently he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990 as Steven Adler's replacement. Sorum can be heard on Use Your Illusion I, Use Your Illusion II, The Spaghetti Incident? and the 1994 cover of the Rolling Stones track, "Sympathy For The Devil". In 1995 with Slash and Gilby Clarke he formed Slash's Snakepit.

He was fired from Guns N' Roses in 1997 after defending departed lead guitarist Slash in an argument with Axl Rose.

In 2003, he got back together with Slash and bassist Duff McKagan for a charity benefit. Realizing that they still had chemistry together, they formed a new band called Velvet Revolver with former STP frontman, Scott Weiland and rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner. After the 2004 release of their debut album Contraband, they embarked on a worldwide tour that continued through December 2005. In August 2005, Sorum broke his wrist in a boating accident, stalling the tour temporarily.

Currently taking some time off, Velvet Revolver is preparing to record their second album, Libertad, which is scheduled to be released early 2007. Sorum is also guest recording in his studio with a new project called Circus Diablo. He is handling the drums and co-producing the recordings. In April 2006, ten years after leaving Guns N' Roses, Sorum has re-established his friendship with Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose.

Sorum also has a solo album entitled Hollywood Zen. This album is a musical statement about his life, touring, relationships, etc. It is available on his website.

In addition to this, Sorum also lent his drumming skills in the theme song for the 1995 20th Century Fox film, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie.

Sorum is also a member of Camp Freddy.

He currently endorses Drum Workshop drums, he endorsed Yamaha when he was with Guns N' Roses. Sorum is the first drummer who pioneered the Easton Ahead sticks in the early 90s during the Use Your Illusion Tour, sticks which are now played by many metal drummers, including Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Joey Jordison of Slipknot. Now, however, he uses Zildjian wood sticks. Matt has endorsed Zildjian cymbals for the past 18 years and has featured in numerous sweepstakes involved with Zildjian.

Chad Smith biography

Chad Smith was born to Curtis and Joan Smith in Richfield, Minnesota. He has two older siblings, Bradley and Pamela. He grew up inHomewood, Illinois or Flossmoor, Illinois where he attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School for two years. He then moved to Oakland County in Southeast Michigan and graduated from Lahser High School.^[1] Prior to joining Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smith was in a local Detroit band called Toby Redd, playing on their second album In The Light.

In 1989, he joined RHCP in time for them to put out the album Mother's Milk. Three weeks prior to the beginning of recording, the band was still without a drummer. Philip "Fish" Fisher from fellow LA based Punk-Funk band Fishbone briefly joined the band and is featured on the track "Taste the Pain". Eventually, a friend of the band told them about a drummer she knew, Chad Smith, who was so proficient on the drums he "ate [them] for breakfast".[39] Kiedis had qualms about allowing Smith to try out; however, he agreed to give him a chance. At his audition, Smith overwhelmed the band by not only matching Flea's intricate and complex rhythm, but even beginning to lead him. After this successful jam session, Kiedis, Frusciante and Flea admitted Smith into the band. Smith was told to shave his head to show commitment to the band, but was nonetheless still allowed into the band when he showed up the next day with the same bandana.

In an interview he stated that he had been influenced by many of the musicians who came from those British bands in the 60s and early 70s, including John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker, Ian Paice, Roger Meddows-Taylor, Keith Moon, and Bill Ward.

In 1991, Smith had a small role in the short film Session Man, which won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject.^[2]

In 1995, Smith and Dave Navarro formed a side project, called Honeymoon Stitch. They recorded one song for a Joy Division tribute album and produced a successful remix of the Traci Lords single, Fallen Angel.^[3]

Smith has released an instructional DVD with Hal Leonard entitled Eastern Rim, which includes footage from his clinics in Melbourne and Tokyo, footage from various live performances, and interviews.

From 2004 to 2008, Chad played drums on one live album and three studio albums by Black Sabbath and Deep Purple bassist/vocalist, Glenn Hughes.

In 2008, Chad formed Chad Smith's Bombastic Meatbats, a jazz instrumental funk-rock band. The band released their second album, More Meat on October 19, 2010.^[4]

Smith is involved in a supergroup/side project called Chickenfoot. He is joined by guitarist Joe Satriani, as well as former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony. Their album was released by Best Buy in the U.S. on June 5, 2009.^[5][6] Smith plans on recording a second album with Chickenfoot sometime in late 2010 after the next Chili Peppers album and tour are finished.^[7]

In the May 2006 issue of Doell & Ford Magazine, Smith was named the number one rock drummer alive.^[8]

In 2006, Chad played drums on the Dixie Chicks album, Taking the Long Way. The album won five Grammy Awards including album of the year.

Smith was a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards.^[9]

Many consider Smith and actor Will Ferrell to bear a striking resemblance. Smith was seen to be wearing a t-shirt bearing the slogan, "I am not Will Ferrell" when Chickenfoot appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in 2009.^[10]

In April 2010, Chad teamed up with singer, Leslie Bixler and legendary actor, Dick Van Dyke to record a children's album, titled Rhythm Train. Van Dyke raps on the album and plays various characters including a pirate. Smith too plays numerous characters, the drums, several instruments and sings.^[11] In April 2010, Rhythm Train was named by MTV as one it's all time favorite children's records and in June 2010 RED/Sony began distributing Rhythm Train. Smith's son Cole was the inspiration for the project. In June 2010 Rhythm Train performed at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's, A Time For Heroes celebrity family picnic which benefits the Foundation. Rhythm Train is scheduled to headline a PS ARTS fundraiser in November 2010. A portion of all proceeds from Rhythm Train go to Children's Hospitals in The United States benfiting uncompensated care. A follow up project is much anticipated both by the media and the public. No word as to a release date.

On September 13, 2010, after eleven months of writing, Smith along with his Chili Peppers bandmates entered the studio to begin work on their tenth studio album, which is due out in 2011.^[12]

On October 15, 2010, Chad talked about his future with Chickenfoot during a interview and stated that he planned on recording the second album with the band around January 2011 after his work is complete on the next Chili Peppers record (which he said is due out by the summer of 2011). Chad mentioned that because he will be touring with the Chili Peppers in support of their new album, he would be unable to tour with Chickenfoot, so the latter band is planning on finding a replacement touring drummer.^[13]