One of the easiest ways to tell if a drummer is into Rush is to take a look at their kit. The more ridiculously expansive their set-up, the higher the likelihood that they worship at the altar of Peart. YouTuber Deden Noy, however, shows that not every Rush die-hard needs to sink a ton of money into their set-up in order to emulate a prog-rock giant. He gets by with a bunch of lovingly modified scrap—apparently more than good enough to let him play through Rush’s best-known track, “Tom Sawyer.”
To be fair, even if it’s not as sprawling as some kits, Noy’s creation is pretty well-equipped. Using lots of paint cans, plastic and aluminum tubs, and pieces of sheet metal, Noy’s put together a makeshift set of drums that’s up to the task of playing songs like Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.” His ad-hoc “Gajian” cymbal, an approximation of the Sabian font and logo written on it, may not sound quite as good as its expensive, store-bought counterpart, but Noy plays so well that it kind of doesn’t matter.
Noy has uploaded lots of videos, including ones that show him using his invention to run through songs from Dream Theater and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He’s also posted clips where he plays through “Chop Suey!” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” just beating the hell out of the paint cans in the process.
Years ago, we wrote about the guy who made a little puppet drum along to “Tom Sawyer” on a miniature kit. At the time, we said that if a tiny doll could learn the part, then “you’re all out of excuses.” Now we add another example to the pile. If Noy can not only build his own kit from various bits of junk, but also use it to play along to Rush, there’s no reason you can’t do the same.
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