# Rock groups with two drummers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142 "2002-12-16T19:22:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/1 "2002-12-16T19:22:49Z")
IIRC, in the early '80s, 38 Special had two drummers. What’s strange about that is that I can’t think of any of their material that has especially complex percussion which would (seemingly) require two drummers. What did having two drummers add to 38 Special’s sound? Did they play the same percussion simultaneously (for richness?)? Or did they switch off – say, 1 drummed while 2 rattled a tambourine, then on the next song 2 drummed while 1 played rhythm guitar. Also … do any other bands feature 2 drummers playing simultaneously (esp. live)? ---
**Author:** ![ptr2void](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ptr2void/32/3406_2.png) [@ptr2void](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ptr2void)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/2 "2002-12-16T19:29:16Z")
Obvious one…the Grateful Dead! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/3 "2002-12-16T19:29:59Z")
The Allman Brothers Band ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Spaulding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5a626/32.png) [@Capt.Spaulding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Spaulding)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/4 "2002-12-16T19:31:49Z")
Yep. The Grateful Dead. The Doobie Brothers. The Allman Brothers. It was kind of the hip thing to do in the '70s. In many cases I think one drummer handled the trap kit and the other would handle percussion (congas, shakers, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/5 "2002-12-16T19:34:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Capt. Spaulding \* > **It was kind of the hip thing to do in the '70s. In many cases I think one drummer handled the trap kit …** Trap kit? Is that the same as a drum set? ---
**Author:** ![sulamith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@sulamith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sulamith)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/6 "2002-12-16T19:37:50Z")
Well this is rather obscure, but I am a big fan of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. When they were the duo Buckingham Nicks, they put out an awesome self-titled album (which is unavailable officially on CD unfortunately), and they toured with two drummers. They were building a pretty good following, but they were asked to join Fleetwood Mac, and everyone knows the rest. It was Lindsey’s idea, I have read, to have the two drummers because he felt it added a fuller sound live. He also said the extra layer made for a more complex sound. Lindsey is very fond of multi-layered sound, so I guess that would explain why some bands go for that. ---
**Author:** ![disruptive\_entity\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19adc/32.png) [@disruptive\_entity\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/disruptive_entity_1)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/7 "2002-12-16T20:17:49Z")
I have an early live Butthole Surfers video, Blind Eye Sees All, that has two drummers in it. I’ve also got a Zeppelin boot that features both Bonzo and Keith Moon doing an insane rendition of Moby Dick. There’s two more for the list. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/8 "2002-12-16T20:20:09Z")
Widespread Panic. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/9 "2002-12-16T20:29:26Z")
FWIW, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers both play on drum kits – no fancy percussion. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/10 "2002-12-16T20:31:37Z")
Recent lineups of King Crimson have had two drummers: Bill Bruford and Pat Mastelotto. ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/11 "2002-12-16T20:33:00Z")
Didn’t April Wine use two drummers?, i know that there are 2 in the present (and last couple of) versions of King Crimson. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/12 "2002-12-16T20:35:08Z")
Ok, I lied, the “new” King Crimson is back to being a 4 piece band. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Azargoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Azargoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azargoth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/13 "2002-12-17T00:08:22Z")
Slipknot plays with three drummers, one on a full kit and the other two have mostly bass drums. The two with the bass drums don’t play all the time, but when all three of them lock together it is something to see. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/14 "2002-12-17T00:14:34Z")
Genesis (in concert) Kate Bush (in several videos, although this probably doesn’t count) ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/15 "2002-12-17T00:19:59Z")
A few recent **Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds** tours have been done with two drummers on some songs (most notably _Mercy Seat_). ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/16 "2002-12-17T00:56:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bordelond \* > \*\* Did they play the same percussion simultaneously (for richness?)? \*\* I’m not familiar with 38 special, but in the Dead’s case, I regarded Bill Kreutzman as the “meat and potatos” drummer and Mickey Hart added color and texture to the rhythm. Kreutzmann as the blue collar guy (doing most of the work) and Hart as the academic spiritualist. They played great together. Their basic kits were very similar but for the solos Mickey would employ his exotica (Marimba, Big bass drums played Kodo style, a steel “beam” strung with piano strings he would play with a pipe, and so on) while Billy would play toms or electronic stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Kyomara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8edcca/32.png) [@Kyomara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyomara)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/17 "2002-12-17T01:49:21Z")
Godspeed You Black Emperor! plays with two drumsets simultaneously, as does Tortoise on some songs. Both seem to use the double-drumset thing to create interplay between los of tippity-tappity sounds. And it’s great to watch. I saw a live set of Pavement’s once where one guy had a full drumset and the other did light percussion on a more stripped-down set. I don’t recall that they had any congas or other “percussionist” instruments, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/18 "2002-12-17T03:25:05Z")
I think Pink Floyd has toured with two drummers in the past… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/19 "2002-12-17T04:05:19Z")
Adam and the Ants used 2 drummers. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142/20 "2002-12-17T04:27:25Z")
**The Eagles** toured with two drummers, and I believe so did **Genesis**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-groups-with-two-drummers/143142.md?page=2)