Can you pinpoint extremely specific influences?

[Manof1000Ages]

I've been thinking back on the kinds of things that are a part of my "style" today and where they came from. I suspect we are all at our hearts a unique combination of a lot of different influences. So I'm wondering if anyone else remembers specific things they saw that have had an impact on how they play today. Here are a few of mine:

- Quick double-bass-drum-pedal accents: Seeing Primus perform "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver on Letterman ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jnhTDg4mk"]Primus Wynona's Big B.B David Letterman Show Good Quality - YouTube[/ame]). I could see the two beaters through the clear front head and I was hooked!

- Jam block and its many uses: Taylor Hawkins with Alanis Morissette on "Hand in my Pocket" ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpilKbxS-Q&playnext=1&list=PLF52B309FE57902B5"]Alanis Morissette - Hand In My Pocket (1995) - YouTube[/ame]). First I had seen one of these in use and it sounded like a monstrous cross stick hit.

- A tom can go on the left side of the hihat: Chad Gracey of Live ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0VAYIeu4Bo"]Live - White, Discussion (Unplugged) - YouTube[/ame]). Prior to watching Live live, the thought never occurred to me to put a tom on the left side of the kit. After this, I started doing it and I have ever since. The creative possibilities it has opened up are endless.

- Tighten the snare as far as it will go and then tighten it some more: Chad Sexton of 311 ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoOkQySw1oI"]311 - Homebrew w/ Bass Note Intro (311 Day 2008 in New Orleans) - YouTube[/ame]). First time I heard Homebrew, I loved the insanely tight snare sound, so I started cranking mine. It was also the reason I obsessively wanted an OCDP drumkit (which I got a few years ago finally). Turns out, after all that cranking, it isn't the way Chad gets that sound; he uses a technique where he hits the rim almost all of the time. Though I still have to say, since he switched to Pearl, the snare drum just hasn't sounded the same.

- Paradiddles are insanely useful: Sam Loeffler of Chevelle, "Sleep Apnea" ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewq5K7R098k"]Chevelle - Sleep Apnea [Any Last Words DVD] - YouTube[/ame]). Go to about 2:58 in that video and you'll hear this cool pattern with the chinese cymbal hit on the last 16th note of 1 and 3. Paradiddle makes this pattern really easy and is a great application of it.

- One can mix 8th notes and 16th notes on the hihat to make cool patterns: Dave Abbruzzese of Pearl Jam on "Evenflow" ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h6IrfD8bvo"]Pearl Jam - Even Flow (Unplugged MTV 1992) HD - YouTube[/ame]). When I saw him mixing the 16th with the 8th notes, it just opened up a whole new world of fun patterns for me. Dave remains one of my biggest influences to date.

- Bass drum following guitar instead of bass: Morgan Rose of Sevendust ([ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94sC9iuXeOM"]Sevendust - Ugly (End of Summer Scorcher) - YouTube[/ame]). I read in an interview once that he has a tendency to do this and once I started listening for it, I couldn't not notice it! Find it makes for an interesting flow in a song.

So how about you? WHat very specific influences and moments do you have that stick with your playing to this day?

[Drumbledore]

Floor tom on the left hand side of kit - Larry Mullen Jnr.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHcP4MWABGY"]U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love) - YouTube[/ame]

Shuffles, being relaxed, laying down the backbeat and playing for the song - Jeff Porcaro.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f-cEM1l7Ks"]Toto -Hold the Line - YouTube[/ame]

Reggae one drop, splash accents and intricacies on hi-hat and rimclick - Stewart Copeland.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stlKHh_f0-0"]The Bed's Too Big Without You - The Police - YouTube[/ame]

Bell of the ride, orchestrating around the kit, "composing" the drum part varying parts of verses and choruses, nailing your parts exactly - Neil Peart.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e-dMEv9wdE"]Rush - Animate 3-22-1994 - YouTube[/ame]

[Drumbledore]

Funk - Phil Gould
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDcE4clM42Y"]Level 42 - Running In The Family - 1987 - TOTP - YouTube[/ame]

Odd meters, polyrhythms and using rudiments effectively - Bill Bruford.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-tv6_8Bf1Y"]King Crimson ~ Frame by Frame {Live ~1982} - YouTube[/ame]

Left hand lead and double kick - Simon Phillips.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeXf90OGTHE"]Pete Townshend - Give Blood (featuring David Gilmour) - YouTube[/ame]

African influences - Manu Katché
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3kFPBtc9BE"]In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel - YouTube[/ame]

[stuperprohero]

The first time I heard the song Dreams of Egypt I was blown away with the sound and just had to learn triplets and quadriplets. This song also got me to seriously persue snare tuning. I was quite young and although I was into Bonham then I thought this was a bit better than Bonhams stuff.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8U6NdQzvYA"]Yesterday and Today - Dreams of Egypt - YouTube[/ame]

I had earlier double bass inspirations such as Quiet Riots Run For Cover, but this song really done it for me.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RsACJJLfkk"]Accept- Fast as a shark - YouTube[/ame]

Louie Clemente's time changes were a huge inspiration back in the day too.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA0sD1Jzg98"]Testament - Agony - YouTube[/ame]

[Pearl MCX Man]

I have been inspired by so many drummers over the years from the 50- 90's that I just took in as much as I could from their techniques. Too many drummers to name and to me they are all the greatest.

[bassist learning drums]

Accept rules!!!!