Who had an influence on Mikes double-bass technique?
MP: When I started, I was inspired by the progressive double bass drummers, like Simon Phillips, Rod Morgenstein and Terry Bozzio. But when the whole thrash scene came around in the mid-’80s, I really got excited about double bass. Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, King Diamond…all of their drummers – Lars Ulrich, Dave Lombardo, Charlie Benante, and Mikkey Dee – were doing very intense double bass stuff. Not only were those guys incorporating speed, which was the most obvious thing you’d notice, but they were also developing cool patterns. So that era really influenced my double bass playing. And like I’ve said, it makes so much sense to utilize your left foot on a drum rather than just on a high-hat, the same way you would utilize your left hand on a drum.
