Steve Moore, aka “The Mad Drummer”
Steve Moore is undeniably famous. With nearly 24 million YouTube views for This drummer is at the wrong gig, a hilarious guest spot on NBC’s The Office, and numerous appearances at drumming events around the US, Europe, and Russia, everyone has heard of this guy. When asked why this happened, Steve replied honestly, “I don’t know. This viral video was simply a gift given to me.”
Steve grew up playing in heavy progressive bands. “My roots were Pantera, Judas Priest, Dream Theater, Slayer, and Anthrax so it really wasn’t that unusual to go nuts. I know the stuff I do looks pretty funny, and it’s intended to look that way. The challenge is to be able to look like a train wreck without sounding like one. It’s not as easy as it looks!”
Steve has used Audix microphones exclusively for eight years. “I didn’t really care about microphones before that,” says Steve. “I left it up to the engineer. Then we played a showcase in Florida and the engineer asked if he could use his Audix mics. They sounded fantastic in my monitors!”
Within a couple of weeks, Steve bought a full set for himself. “I chose these mics to sound good for me in my monitors. The Audix mics just sounded true. There’s probably a more eloquent word to use, but that’s the best word I can find.” Front of house engineers quickly agreed with Steve’s choice. “My kick drum sounded the way it should sound, with no weird dips or spikes,” he continues. “It sounded the way I wanted it to sound; the same with my toms. Everything sounded true to me! That’s the best way I can say it.”
The drum kit in this famous video has an unusual configuration. “Thanks to my relationship with Ludwig Drums, I have over a dozen kits to choose from, and I constantly change the configurations to keep my playing fresh,” says Steve. “I’ll strip everything down to a Buddy Rich or John Bonham kit for a while and really get into the character of a limited number of percussive tools. Then, I’ll go nuts and add all the toys! That said, I do like the famous Flame Kit for its sound and looks!”
The notorious Flame Kit is fitted with Randall May internal miking systems: D6 on kick drums and floor toms, D4s on the rack toms. When Steve uses other kits with external mics, they are mounted with Audix DVICE clamps. “With external mics, I adjust a bit and use D2s on the rack toms and D4s on the floor toms.” For snare, Steve has been a loyal Audix i5 fan. “It’s the industry standard, though lately I’ve been using a classic Audix D1. I really like its tone.”
For overheads, Steve uses a pair of CX112B large diaphragm condenser mics. “They’re really more like under-heads, as they are positioned between the tom heads and cymbal bottoms,” says Steve. “I’m meticulous about what I want to hear in my monitors, and the CX112Bs just sound better. Raising or lowering them allows me to get the right balance between drums and cymbals .” The CX112B’s coverage allows Steve to omit dedicated hi-hat or ride cymbal mics. Proper vertical and horizontal positioning gives him the right sound and mix. He engages the CX112B’s -10 dB pad and low-cut filter, as is typical for this type of application.
Steve has been on tour with Rick K and The Allnighters for over ten years, performing 175 – 200 shows per year across the US. Tours are always hectic and Audix mics often come to the rescue. “We’re always 30 minutes late,” says Steve. “When time is tight to set monitors, I sometimes dump the rack and floor toms from my mix and just go with the kick, CX112Bs, and a bit of snare. It gives me a good clean mix.” Steve adds, “FOH guys love my Audix mics for the same quick, accurate coverage and sound.”
“The coolest part of the video’s exposure is that I can pick up the phone and call drum heroes as a friend and fellow artist. I now have a large community of amazing drummers to talk and work with. I’m grateful. It’s a gift, man!”
You can find Steve’s famous YouTube hit by searching “wrong gig.”
Steve’s website is www.themaddrummer.com