As a founding member of the progressive-rock supergroup Emerson Lake & Palmer (ELP), Asia, and Atomic Rooster, prog-rock pioneer Carl Palmer now keeps his band’s legacy alive by redefining ELP songs with a three-piece instrumental band. The thunderous trinity interprets the keyboard-driven ELP classics into guitar-driven, edgy-rock n roll masterpieces.
After decades of touring and creating in different art forms, the legendary rhythm-maker discusses why rock is not dead, the changing state of touring, and the importance of keeping it fresh in an ever-changing industry while still listening to the classics.
How is touring different now?
CP: It is different in many ways. Touring is the main source of income now, as opposed to record sales in the past. Touring has to be more frequent and very cost-effective. With my ELP Legacy group, we can achieve this. We do our best to keep the overhead low and we give the fans a quality, higher production show. But, this has not been easy and we are constantly looking for ways to be a better live act with lower costs. I have been doing things this way since the last ELP tour in 1998, so I know how to do it. Many other groups, however, are struggling with the new business model that’s out there.
Do you dedicate time to practice? If so, what do you practice? Is there a skill in which you want to improve on?
CP: Yes, I practice on a regular basis. Not on the road, but certainly whenever I am home, I try and put in a couple of hours a day. You can always improve and that is what I strive for.
There have been statements made on the state of rock these days. Some rockers say that the genre of rock is dead. Do you agree?
CP: Rock is not dead—maybe the record industry is. But rock is alive, you just have to work harder to reach your core audience. The days of coming into town and doing a radio interview and selling out your show that night are over. You have to work at reaching your market- but when you do it can be great. Social media has made a huge difference and we know there are still a lot of rock fans out there.
You’ve said that prog-rock is the jazz of today… “it will always be there, but in the background.” Is that how you see the future of the rock genre?
CP: Rock changes yearly. It always has. In the 70s, prog was pretty big; then it became a rage for synth bands; and then punk or whatever. In the end, it comes down to great songs and good showmanship, and I suppose, good value for the dollar to most fans. I play progressive rock—but I don’t use any keyboards. We took something that was very specifically defined and completely re-defined it and the fans love it. In essence, you can be a horse of a different color. We have proved it.
I’ve read that you get bored doing drum solos…when you’re constructing a drum solo, what is your process and how do you keep it fresh?
I don’t get bored doing drum solos; I get bored doing the same drum solo over and over again. I have to keep fresh and different or else I will get bored and the audience knows it. Some tricks you can keep in every solo—I have been doing that thing where I balance a single stick on the cymbal for a while now—and it does not seem to get old, because every night the outcome is different. I just try to keep the solo exciting and to the point. It does not have to be a long solo; it has to be a good solo.
Can you still remove your shirt while playing today?
I can and I have. At ELP’s final show at the High Voltage festival in 2010, I did.
How is your art created? How is the light energy captured while you're drumming?
The short version is I am placed in a pitch dark room with my drum kit, and I play various drum patterns or what I play in a specific song, using drumsticks that have LED lights in them. Each time you hit the drum with the stick, the lights change colors. I am photographed using multiple cameras and they leave the aperture on the camera open for about 30 seconds. That creates the swirling swatches of color and the images are constructed from there using computers.
They are printed on an art canvas and we only do 10 or 20 of each image; that’s it. Then I sign them and they are stretched for hanging. It has been a great new element in my career and I am on my second collection.
Do you have any drummers today that you admire?
There are many—too many to mention, and of course I still enjoy listening to legends like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Max Roach.
Catch The Carl Palmer Band live at the Jazz Café At Music Hall in Detroit, 7pm on Thursday, November 20. Visit carlpalmer.com and carlpalmer art.com for more info.
