The wiki says he won the guitar center drum off at age nine and that the zildjian deal came when he was ten. This dude is a fucking beast with all kinds of feel and soul.
Thomas is the premier Modern Drummer in music. Unlike most drummers, you can feel his soul in the kicks and crashes. He has defined his own style and has the fastest foot in all of MUSIC.. Simply Incredible and to deny this is an exercise in stupidity
i was talkin with my drum teacher bout this guy and the way he plays, he said not many pl think hes musical because they cant see wat hes doing and relate to it, u have to have alot of experience to see wat hes really doin.
i don´t think Thomas is concerned about what people might think of his playing, at least not while his at it, this guy is really going for it every time... true improvisation and fearless abandon.... i can´t help but respect the guy. Cheers Thomas, you are A GREAT DRUMMER!!!!
Listener´s preference doesn´t have anything to do with it. Is what EVERY TEACHER in this fine art will teach you. Is an objective fact. But, of course, if you like his style, I can live with that.
This guy is No joke :) wooooooooooooooooooooooow and we have the same last name....there are like three pridgens on earth....lololol Awesome drum playing for real :)
All you need to do is listen to Christian Scott's "Rewind That". You will hear Thomas' playing is amazing. When you play along to these tracks you realize how in the pocket and direct his playing is. Thomas is a great musician...
Yes dude. The thing that made me realise is that if you watch Tony playing Pridgen's kit, the champagne coloured one, there's a cymbal stack below the right hand Crash/Ride. That's a Pridgen thing and can be heard on Ouroborous from Bedlam In Goliath. Another thing, Pridgen has never been one for brightly coloured kits, always stays with the silver, champagne or his transparent 'DW' one which isnt actually DW, shells are third party.
The Mars Volta built up their large fanbase prior to Pridgen joining the band. They are a perfect match. He has more freedom (relatively speaking) to display his talent in The Mars Volta.
Thomas and The Mars Volta go very well together. There aren't many other progressive rock/latin jazz fusion bands where he has the freedom to showcase his off-the-wall talent in an equally talented band.
this dude is up there with the best....its almost like he always uses the moeller teqnique all the time or something like it....watch jim chapins video on the moeller technique and then watch pridgen play...its crazy
some of these comments really make me laugh...Pridgen is an absolute freak on the drums...not only is his speed and percision incredible, but if you know ANYTHING about drumming you know that he has it down a to a science...its not just a bunch of noise. He can play any style, any polyrhythem you can think of, etc...please know something about drums before you comment knocking something you know nothing about
The Mars Volta is the perfect band for him, and he's the perfect drummer for them at this point in time. Thomas can actually showcase his talents in this band than he can in any other band that is not entirely jazz. He will actually improve as a drummer during his time with The Mars Volta; he has already admitted that. The band's style gets him to try things that are new to him, and it only makes him a much more well rounded drummer...can you believe that.
Jeremy Ward and Cedric were in charge of the lyrics, and since Jeremy's death it has been all Cedric. Omar may tell Cedric what he was feeling or envisioned when composing the music to give Cedric an idea of the mood or theme; however, the vocal melodies and lyrical content are all Cedric's responsibilities.
Of course soloing is about musical ideas ¬¬. What you described is showing manual skills/ showing off. What Thomas is playing is FULL of musical ideas anyway.
The kid's not saying that they sped up the video... he's saying that TP's doing flams paradiddles, and other rudiments faster. Which is exactly what chops are.
I personally prefer his style to Tony's. He's supposed to "show off" in these types of videos...that's what they're for. Thomas is definitely very passionate about music and leaves it all out on the stage.
the reason he is gone from Volta is for few reasons. Pridges is in the nation's largest grafiti gang and took a picture for a drumming magazine with his grafiti "marking" on him. That and many artistic disagreements with the rest of the band...
that is true, and a nickname someone gave me and it kinda stuck 'cause I thought it sounded cool. I guess to me that his soloing style doesn't flow the way I like a solo to flow....he's a beast though for sure
hes very happy, he loves his instrument, he plays like a little kid!!! thats why hes a great musician!! He is WAY ahead of drummers that only seeks technic!! GET LOST STREETBEATSSTUDIO, i mean Andy Fisenden!!!
That's what i thought the first time i listened to them. They're what you call an 'acquired taste'. The more i listen to them, the more i like them. I can understand why you'd think that, but i have to disagree.
Exist few people with a special ability and one of them is Thomas Pridgen thats for sure. He is like Allen Iverson doing crossovers or like true baller making street moves or like Air up there doing some dunks.They are people who can bust anything with his talent so if you dont like him dont see it and get out of here and see drummers of soft bands specially garage bands or bullshet like The killers,Placebo,Keane.
This man has like twenty seven hands and fifteen hands on each arm with eleven fingers on each hand and three thumbs too. And he has three right feet with eight toes on each foot.
I really enjoy how passionate and into his instrument he is. He's certainly not playing drums like he's worried about his neighbors hearing him.
Thomas Pridgen - most peoples new favourite drummer.
Thomas is great, i saw him the first show he played with The Mars Volta and he blew me away
i pay more attention to his face and antics then his talent they out shine his talent
he's a freak of nature. he'll definitely go down as one of the greats.
Its funny though because when he obviously messes up, he just grunts loudly and does the whole riff over again.. haha. I love it
thomas pridgen is really fun to watch. it's not cuz he's a show off, just cuz you can tell that he's having fun and he can MOVE
The wiki says he won the guitar center drum off at age nine and that the zildjian deal came when he was ten. This dude is a fucking beast with all kinds of feel and soul.
Thomas is the premier Modern Drummer in music. Unlike most drummers, you can feel his soul in the kicks and crashes. He has defined his own style and has the fastest foot in all of MUSIC.. Simply Incredible and to deny this is an exercise in stupidity
damn ive never seen somebody beating the fuck up a drum so good, this is the best of our generation without a doubt
I would say Pridgen is quite precise with his drum rhythms and patterns. He is creative not sloppy
dude, u cant deny his pure technical skill. even if he doesn't know a thing about music.
it's really funny to randomly pause it and look at his facial expressions. lull.
i was talkin with my drum teacher bout this guy and the way he plays, he said not many pl think hes musical because they cant see wat hes doing and relate to it, u have to have alot of experience to see wat hes really doin.
I LOVE THOMAS
i don´t think Thomas is concerned about what people might think of his playing, at least not while his at it, this guy is really going for it every time... true improvisation and fearless abandon.... i can´t help but respect the guy. Cheers Thomas, you are A GREAT DRUMMER!!!!
Listener´s preference doesn´t have anything to do with it. Is what EVERY TEACHER in this fine art will teach you. Is an objective fact.
But, of course, if you like his style, I can live with that.
He's the best drummer alive.
He's the Hendrix of drums.
In fifty years, they'll be crowning him the best who ever played. I guarantee it.
hahahaha. take it easy, man. You have to do tons of listening before coming like that.
I like the use of the Pridgadiddles.
Yeah man...I love Pridgen because of his great beats
A very wise man once told me, "The FUNK is in the FLAW" Thomas is the poster child for that theory.
This guy is No joke :) wooooooooooooooooooooooow and we have the same last name....there are like three pridgens on earth....lololol Awesome drum playing for real :)
All you need to do is listen to Christian Scott's "Rewind That". You will hear Thomas' playing is amazing. When you play along to these tracks you realize how in the pocket and direct his playing is. Thomas is a great musician...
If he played on my set I would have to burn it. Dude is that good!
Ha, that's funny. I often refer to the Volta as the music of the gods.They are all insanely talented.
Yes dude. The thing that made me realise is that if you watch Tony playing Pridgen's kit, the champagne coloured one, there's a cymbal stack below the right hand Crash/Ride. That's a Pridgen thing and can be heard on Ouroborous from Bedlam In Goliath.
Another thing, Pridgen has never been one for brightly coloured kits, always stays with the silver, champagne or his transparent 'DW' one which isnt actually DW, shells are third party.
He plays with such intensity
he keeps a beat with the hi hat the entire time. reminds me of bonhmam and moon mixed. craziness mixed with style
i love this man he has some MONSTER CHOPSSS and he also makes some wierd ass facess and noisesss loooooooooooooooool
lol..he looks like animal from the muppets....dude is killin!
@mmcolony That's because when he's not with the Mars Volta (or more accurately, the Memorials now), he's doing clinics, and in clinics, you solo.
the mars volta are gods gift to music
Omar writes all the music and even the lyrics yo.
Omar is a Musician/Artist -God-!!!!
It's no braindrill, but it's still pretty good.
yikes, that one footed bass drum and hi-hat part at 1:28 -29ish is just... SKADOOOOSH!! so much passion, amazing :D!
thomas pridgen just loves a snare
id like to see this guy in a drumbattle with tony royster jr, that would be amazing!!!
Just read about you in Modern Drummer -
love your words and now I love your playing
GREAT
Tom Brice
dude is a god on the sticks! awesome!
LOL he reminds me of Animal from the muppets
They are perfect for him. He's going to get better the longer he stays with them, as baffling as that may seem.
I am dying for a drum jam with him and Ronald Bruner Jr, also RBJ and Tony Royster Jr
The Mars Volta built up their large fanbase prior to Pridgen joining the band. They are a perfect match. He has more freedom (relatively speaking) to display his talent in The Mars Volta.
Thomas and The Mars Volta go very well together. There aren't many other progressive rock/latin jazz fusion bands where he has the freedom to showcase his off-the-wall talent in an equally talented band.
ghhahaha i like how he just start shouting
fucking epic tho
this dude is up there with the best....its almost like he always uses the moeller teqnique all the time or something like it....watch jim chapins video on the moeller technique and then watch pridgen play...its crazy
excellent way of tearing it up
some of these comments really make me laugh...Pridgen is an absolute freak on the drums...not only is his speed and percision incredible, but if you know ANYTHING about drumming you know that he has it down a to a science...its not just a bunch of noise. He can play any style, any polyrhythem you can think of, etc...please know something about drums before you comment knocking something you know nothing about
well said drumlord.and hes got a degree in music.i would think he would be above average.
I can't even tell how his licks fit into the beat.
i love this "GNAA" when he mess
the beginning is the best part
lol @ Ghostarro "you trollin 5 year old" .... brilliant.
crazy vid!
The Mars Volta is the perfect band for him, and he's the perfect drummer for them at this point in time. Thomas can actually showcase his talents in this band than he can in any other band that is not entirely jazz. He will actually improve as a drummer during his time with The Mars Volta; he has already admitted that. The band's style gets him to try things that are new to him, and it only makes him a much more well rounded drummer...can you believe that.
this is just sick!!
Holy crap! If murdering a drumset were illegal this guy would be on death row...lmao.
Jeremy Ward and Cedric were in charge of the lyrics, and since Jeremy's death it has been all Cedric. Omar may tell Cedric what he was feeling or envisioned when composing the music to give Cedric an idea of the mood or theme; however, the vocal melodies and lyrical content are all Cedric's responsibilities.
Heel-toe. You hit the pedal with your heel and then rock your foot up to hit it again with your toe. It takes a little practice but it's pretty nifty
This is more enjoyable for the appreciation of his talent rather than his musicality. Mars Keeps him tied down and its better I agree
best drummer in the world.
I just saw mars volta recently. This guy was fucking amazing! He absolutely stole the show as far as i'm concerned!
this set sounds so good
Thomas is the man.
@wolfpacguy calm down, i fucking love thomas pridgen, it was just a sentence
It wasn't because Pridgen wanted it that way. Remember that Omar composes every note in his music, and it was just the album's style.
Of course soloing is about musical ideas ¬¬. What you described is showing manual skills/ showing off. What Thomas is playing is FULL of musical ideas anyway.
The best of the world!
FURY!!..love it!
Hear the verses in 'Askepios' by the same band -- when he blows up, it's amazing.
Hell, that entire album features great drumming.
The kid's not saying that they sped up the video... he's saying that TP's doing flams paradiddles, and other rudiments faster. Which is exactly what chops are.
i like the way his snare sounds haha :) great drummer
I personally prefer his style to Tony's. He's supposed to "show off" in these types of videos...that's what they're for. Thomas is definitely very passionate about music and leaves it all out on the stage.
sometimes it looks like the video is rewinding when thomas steals time...
@DavidChoiDrumz Just a quick listen tells me he is doing Paradiddles, drags, and some other variations.
To learn some of the techniques he uses, go to the foxy drummer channel. Learning how to apply rudiments in chops and licks and even grooves. :)
I love him.
I love the mars volta, but I like Tony more. Thomas is just speed speed speed, Tony knows when to speed it up, and keep it steady
the reason he is gone from Volta is for few reasons. Pridges is in the nation's largest grafiti gang and took a picture for a drumming magazine with his grafiti "marking" on him. That and many artistic disagreements with the rest of the band...
Thomas is the man! And if you are dissing, then you just are pissed you aren't him. Point blank. No discussion.
what's the china next to the splash in the middle??its amazing
If you think this kid can't groove, listen to him on Christian Scott's album "Rewind That". If that isn't grooving then I don't know what is...
your drummerz new favorite drummer... bay love lik wah! check out ronald bruner jr. too mega abidexterous
Dude, the guy's name is SMOKEWEEDNIGGA who's debating the importance of music on UA-cam comment boards.
Don't worry about it.
that is true, and a nickname someone gave me and it kinda stuck 'cause I thought it sounded cool. I guess to me that his soloing style doesn't flow the way I like a solo to flow....he's a beast though for sure
he must have one hell of a work out lol
Yes broda!!Shake dem "locks".
hes very happy, he loves his instrument, he plays like a little kid!!! thats why hes a great musician!! He is WAY ahead of drummers that only seeks technic!! GET LOST STREETBEATSSTUDIO, i mean Andy Fisenden!!!
That's what i thought the first time i listened to them. They're what you call an 'acquired taste'. The more i listen to them, the more i like them. I can understand why you'd think that, but i have to disagree.
youtube is awesome because we get to see stuff like this
and it's a source of comedy for all the kooks at home with their non sense
Exist few people with a special ability and one of them is Thomas Pridgen thats for sure. He is like Allen Iverson doing crossovers or like true baller making street moves or like Air up there doing some dunks.They are people who can bust anything with his talent so if you dont like him dont see it and get out of here and see drummers of soft bands specially garage bands or bullshet like The killers,Placebo,Keane.
Thomas a beast
yea, i think thats really something that comes with age, he'll get there.
The mars was like "He's in." When they met this guy.
He attended Berkeley. which has a renowned musical education department...
thank god some one knows what there talking about.. your awesome man!
This man has like twenty seven hands and fifteen hands on each arm with eleven fingers on each hand and three thumbs too. And he has three right feet with eight toes on each foot.
Did you know that hes a Keith Moon fan?! Great player
makes me want to go burn my drumkit in shame
they already did and its on you tube..search:tony royster and thomas pridgen on gospel chops
when he drums he makes faces and moves i never seen