Two of the most demanding aspects to the Shakira gig that I can think of… is first, the variety of styles in which we, as a band, have to play. We do everything from latin folkloric music, to arabic beats, to rock-&-roll, to super-pop, to piano ballads, to dance and electro stuff. The second is accuracy. It is a challenge to play two-years’ worth of concerts and nail each one of them perfectly. And by perfect, I mean playing the set from top to bottom, nailing the pocket and the click track, and still keep things exciting and fresh on stage.

When working with multiple artists, each requires a different approach. I find it helpful to start by imagining what the artist might want to hear and feel from the drum world. For example, one artist may want something very drumloop-oriented, while another artist may want their drums to be extremely interactive, dynamic, and organic.

On the Shakira gig, I am asked to cover a very broad spectrum of styles within the course of one concert. Some of her songs are based around eighth-note rock beats where I get to put on my John Bonham hat. Others are full-on dance tunes where I play 4-on-the-floor disco beats. There are even some songs that are so electronic that I find it better to play them on my DrumKat and Akai sampler. I simply sample all the kicks, snares, and explosions from the original Pro Tools sessions, and lay them out across the DrumKat. Then, I perform the parts as if I were a drum machine so we can avoid using too many sequencers on stage. Over time, I have found that certain songs sound better when played exactly like the record, and other songs allow more room to experiment, adapt, and rock out.