Drummerszone had the honor of talking with both Matt Starr and Pat Torpey after their third show of Mr. Big's '...The Stories We Could Tell' world tour. While dealing with Parkinson's disease the past years, Pat Torpey decided weeks before the tour he would be part of it. A majorly inspiring move and statement; Mr. Big is his band, and subbing drummer Matt Starr was the right choice to sit in for him. This is the first of a few video interview articles with Matt Starr and Pat Torpey. Watch two friends talk about their drums and music while having no drum brand in common at all.
After a few songs, when Billy Sheehan shouted through the room "Where is Pat Torpey?!?" everybody must have felt goose bumps all over when Pat Torpey walked onto the stage; a legend missed during the first tracks, but he is there with his friends, and his fans. Mr. Big is a band of brothers, Matt Starr included.
The opening songs are for Matt Starr. He has the Tama drum stool that they share "because it is the most comfortable one for us," as Matt says in the interview. Pat Torpey takes the drum seat for quite a few songs as well after playing the Tama Cocktail-Jam Kit rigth of the drum riser for the bigger part of the show. These are moments where you learn music is all about fun, just being there, and doing what you love most. Watching Mr. Big Live, you know what making fun in music is all about.
Pat Torpey Pat Torpey has been with Mr. Big since the beginning of the band's great history in 1998. He has played with artists like Robert Plant, Ted Nugent, Impellitteri, Belinda Carlisle, Richie Kotzen and many more. He released two solo albums, 'Odd Man Out' (1998) and 'Y2K' (1999). He did incredible work on Chris Impellitteri's great debut album 'Stand in Line' in 1988 and also appears on Ritchie Kotzen's 'What Is...' (1998) and 'Change' (2003). And, of course, on Mr. Big's eight studio and ten live albums.
In the videos below he is talking openly about dealing with Parkinson's disease for the past couple of years, about Matt Starr, his musical background, Mr. Big and ABBA's Dancing Queen. It is a major lesson watching him talk about all this.
Matt Starr Matt Starr is one of those talented and versatile musicians that are comfortable in every corner of the music realm. Not only does he play drums as if it is a second nature, he also sings, produces and has references like Ace Frehley, Doug Aldrich all the way up to SpongeBob SquarePants. You can hear him on Ace Frehley's 2014 release 'Space Invader', being the second drummer after Anton Fig that Ace Frehley hired to play the majority of songs on one of his records since 1978.
Matt Starr formed two bands: Hookers & Blow, with Guns N' Roses' keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and, as a singer, The Automatic Music Explosion. Watch him with The AME in the very cool video of Law of Attraction on his artist page.
Videos Matt Starr | Pat Torpey interview Here are the first videos of the interview with two drummers that share the stage, the music, their musical background, and have absolutely no brand endorsement in common.
