Matt Sorum—best known for playing drums with hard rock bands like Guns N' Roses, The Cult, and Velvet Revolver—had to rise to a different challenge when taking a gig with Billy Gibbons.
The Texas Shuffle—as played by the likes of Double Trouble's Chris Layton—is a necessary component of the ZZ Top frontman's groove. (If you want to hear Layton's take on it, find our video with him here.) But while shuffles may seem easy on first listen, this variant was a brand-new beat for Sorum, and one that may be a bit harder to nail than you imagine.
"I think it's a very under-appreciated art form and maybe a little bit overlooked, because the simplicity and the depth of it is, Well, I hear that, it sounds simple," Sorum says. "But the idea with that particular shuffle is to really swing it, and there's an art form to it."
In the video above, Sorum teaches the technique and demonstrates how to impart that certain swing.
He also shows off his brand-new drum kit: a custom, round badge Gretsch Broadkaster kit Gretsch made for him specifically for his tour with Billy. "Mr. Billy Gibbons likes silver sparkle. He requested silver sparkle," he says. A Gretsch USA Bell Brass Snare and a collection of large Zildjian Sweet K cymbals, 16" hats, and a Constantinople crash round out the set.
Be sure to watch the full video above to learn the Texas Shuffle and hear more from Sorum.