Well... drummers.
Only very few understand that sometimes, they need to play the dead simple bum-chack (or Gus-Tav as we germans call it) - and that they need to play it well, with passion and feel.
I usually tend to judge drummers on just this - how good they can play the simplest beats, be it the old bum-chack or a basic swing.
Many drummers regard that as "oh that's so simple, so boring" - but in fact it's not - it's a tough challenge.
When I audition a drummer, I usually ask them to "show me your bum-chack". If they say "why, that's boring man" I just say "there's the door".
Same goes for every player though. Overplaying is a plague that many musicians have caught. But I don't play with these guys. Music is a group effort, and everybody has to know their place.
So, DWBass, I can totally feel your pain. And that was a hired sub! If he goes ballistic in his own band - ok - that's his thing. But if he plays for pay, he should be able to set his ego aside and serve the music on the gig he was hired for - otherwise he's not a player, just a boasted ego.
On the other hand, I can understand the drummers. They sometimes spend years to learn all those complicated and challenging techniques and rudiments, polyrythmic syncopations over triplets and who knows what. It's very technically demanding and takes lots of practice and dedication, so they want to show all the work they did.
And that's fine. But a good drummer will play simple stuff if called for. And maybe once a night, he will take the liberty to show off - for a half bar - and wow every other drummer or musician in the audience. And that's fine.
Sadly though many drummers try to show off and solo all the time. "Something to prove" complex sums that up very well, AngryJohnny
