11 drummers who look like they've remembered a sad film

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins — Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins (Image credit: Paul R. Giunta\/FilmMagic)

When it comes to playing live, a band are only as good as their drummer. After all, they’re the backbone of the band. The engine room. The human metronome. The heartbeat. As such, their focus must be total and steadfast.

But judging by these shots, these world class drummers have allowed the memory of a sad film to creep into their mind during a difficult fill, a flam or even a ghost note. That’s not to say it’s affected their playing, but it makes you think – which film could have struck a nerve with these 11 drummers?

The Winery Dogs’ Mike Portnoy: the ending of Stand By Me

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith: the bit with the bees in My Girl

Anthrax’s Charlie Benante: Marley and Me. Fuck’s sake

Phil Collins: Bette Midler’s performance of The Wind Beneath My Wings in Beaches. Absolute floodgates

Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins: the beginning of Up

Mastodon’s Brann Dailor: probably the end of the original Planet Of The Apes

Nickelback’s Daniel Adair: the ‘You had me at hello’ scene from Jerry Maguire

Avenged Sevenfold’s Brooks Wackerman: Sleepless In Seattle

Steel Panther’s Stix Zadinia: definitely the bit where the old couple hold hands in Titanic

Lars Ulrich: That bit in Toy Story 3. Fuuuuuck

Tool’s Danny Carey: Bambi. All of it

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Born in 1976 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Simon Young has been a music journalist for over twenty-six years. His fanzine, Hit A Guy With Glasses, enjoyed a one-issue run before he secured a job at Kerrang! in 1999. His writing has also appeared in Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Prog, and Planet Rock. His first book, So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy? — The Authorised Biography is available via Jawbone Press.