Author, editor, and drummer S.W. Lauden released a new book, Forbidden Beat: Perspective on Punk Drumming, earlier this year. The collection looks back on six decades of the genre's drummers; Lauden told The Believer, "There’s not a lot of writing on punk drumming... So I felt like there was an empty lane to explore something that hadn’t been explored, specifically in this way."
"Initially I toyed with this being the 400-page, impeccably-researched, sprawling opus," Lauden continued to The Believer. "But I realized I’m more interested as a reader in the perspectives of other people on this topic that is always in flux. To my ears, punk rock drummers have more room than in other forms of heavy music that came before it. So they can be heard more, and they’re allowed to take more risks because it’s a style of music that’s not as technically rigid in a lot of ways—although it has gotten that way in recent years. And so I feel like punk drummers in particular stand out in the music more and really are this beating heart of energy that propels this genre forward. I wanted there to be multiple views on punk rock from behind the kit, so to speak."
The book features personal essays, interviews, and lists from the likes of Lucky Lehrer (Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, etc), who wrote the foreword; Mike Watt, on George Hurley (Minutemen, Firehose); D.H. Peligro (Dead Kennedys), sharing an excerpt from his memoir Dreadnauaght; Joey Cape (Lagwagon), on Derrick Plourde; Ira Elliot (Nada Surf), on proto punk and garage rock; Bon Von Wheelie, on Girl Trouble; Joey Shithead, (D.O.A.) on Chuck Biscuits; Lynn Perko-Truell, (Imperial Teen) on the Wrecks and the Dicks; and Urian Hackney (The Armed, Rough Francis), on Rough Francis and his father/uncles' band Death. Other contributors include Pete Finestone (Bad Religion), Tré Cool (Green Day), Rat Scabies (The Damned), Lori Barbero (Babes in Toyland), Jon Wurster (Superchunk, The Mountain Goats, Bob Mould), Mindy Abovitz (Tom Tom Magazine founder), Steven McDonald (Redd Kross, OFF!), Benny Horowitz (The Gaslight Anthem), and more.
"I knew exactly what I wanted to do in life," Tré Cool says in the book (via Louder Than War). "There was never any ‘Cover your bases. Learn a trade.’ Fuck that. Just play drums. I didn’t even graduate high school. I was like ‘I’m not playing drums enough right now because I’m wasting time at school."
You can read the excerpt of Joey Cape writing about his late Lagwagon/Bad Astronaut bandmate Derrick Plourde at the Santa Barbara Independent and Lynn Perko-Truell's essay at The Big Takeover.
Order a copy of Forbidden Beat: Perspective on Punk Drumming HERE, and see the cover art below.
Forbidden Beat
Contributor List (via) Foreword by Lucky Lehrer Introduction by S.W. Lauden Ira Elliot on Proto Punk & Garage Rock Curt Weiss on Jerry Nolan John Robb on British Punk TOP 5: Hudley Flipside Bon Von Wheelie on Girl Trouble INTERVIEW: Joey Shithead on Chuck Biscuits Matt Diehl on D-Beat D. H. Peligro on Dead Kennedys (Dreadnaught Excerpt) INTERVIEW: Mike Watt on George Hurley Lynn Perko-Truell on the Wrecks & the Dicks (SF) Laura Bethita Neptuna on Gina Schock TOP 5: Pete Finestone INTERVIEW: Jan Radder on Grant Hart Jim Ruland on Bill Stevenson Eric Beetner on D.C. Hardcore & Post Punk TOP 5: Jon Wurster INTERVIEW: Lori Barbero of Babes in Toyland Joey Cape on Derrick Plourde TOP 5: Marko DeSantis INTERVIEW: Tré Cool of Green Day Mindy Abovitz on Riot grrrl & Tom Tom Magazine INTERVIEW: Steven McDonald of Redd Kross Kye Smith on Self-Taught Punk Drumming Ian Winwood on Brooks Wackerman INTERVIEW: Phanie Diaz of Fea Benny Horowitz of the Gaslight Anthem TOP 5: Shari Page Urian Hackney on Rough Francis & Death INTERVIEW: Rat Scabies of the Damned
