If your children insist on having a drum set, you might instead purchase them some huge plastic buckets and a set of drumsticks. If your children protest, as they undoubtedly will, simply show them this video of the legendary drummer Gordo Robinson.
Robinson grew up in Dubbo, Australia, approximately 200 miles northwest of Sydney. He studied music in Japan, but viewing films of New York City bucket drummers from the 1990s inspired him and helped him master the technique himself.
Gordo not only performs in a few bands, but he also busks on Sydney’s streets, which he has been doing since he was 17. It doesn’t matter who watches as long as you’re excited about your performance and playing. You can provide a good performance, but it always improves when people watch. Having a crowd gives you another rush of adrenaline.”
According to Robinson, buckets introduced a completely new method of drumming. Plastic buckets make short, sharp, and thin sounds. This explains his preference for playing extremely quick patterns, as they effectively fill in the gaps between the notes. Conventional drums produce booms and echoes that fill the room. According to Robinson, playing gently on the buckets produces a “lonely sound.”
Robinson is a talented drummer, as seen in the video below, even when he just has plastic buckets to work with. The tempo is really rapid, and the entire impact is nothing short of captivating. It’s no surprise that the video has received an impressive 150 million views. Did you ever suppose such a sound could emanate from plastic buckets? Don’t miss Robinson hitting the buckets in the video below.