Drummer Aaron Comess talks celebrating 35 years of Pocket Full of Kryptonite with their first Australian tour since 1993, staying true to the record live and his long history with Perth-made Brady Drums.
Hi Aaron, congratulations on bringing Pocket Full of Kryptonite back to life for this tour! For so many, that record sums up the early ‘90s. What does it feel like to be playing it in full, three decades on?
We love the opportunity to play that record from front to back, all these years later. It still feels fresh, and the songs have grown a lot over the years. Also, it gives us a chance to play some songs we don’t play as often. It’s going to be a great tour, and we are really looking forward to it.
This will be Spin Doctors’ first Australian shows since 1993 and their first ever in New Zealand. Does returning to a place you haven’t played in that long change how you approach the live show?
Not really, but as mentioned above, we’re celebrating the 35th anniversary, so it will be a different type of show. Along with playing PFOK in its entirety, we will also play some other songs. Maybe even a cool cover.
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You started with a jazz background. Did you ever feel pressure to leave that behind and just be a ‘rock drummer’, or did that training always feel complementary? How did your training shape the way you approached drumming in Spin Doctors?
I’ve always considered myself just a musician who loves playing lots of different types of music and works really hard at it. Even though Spin Doctors is a rock band, we each bring different influences to the music. I’ve always tried to serve the song first and foremost, in whatever style it is, but one great thing about being in your own band is that there are really no limitations, and we encourage everyone to be themselves and play how they want in Spin Doctors.
Your drum fill on ‘Two Princes’ is iconic. Thirty-five years is a long time to sit with a set of drum parts – when you go back to play them now, are you recreating them faithfully or finding new ways of playing?
I always make a point of playing that one exactly as I played it on the record. I get a lot of drummers asking me about it, and if I were a drummer out there in the crowd, I’d want to hear it played correctly, so I’m very conscious of that every time we do it …. With that said, some parts of songs have developed a bit over time, but always staying true to the essence of the song.
Can you walk us through your current kit setup – what are you taking out on this tour?
I’m glad you asked that. When Spin Doctors got our first record deal and had a little money to buy some new gear, I went to Manny’s Music in NYC to look for drums. A new drum company, Brady Drums (handmade in Perth), had just sent in a few kits. I fell in love with them, got them, and used them on Pocket Full of Kryptonite and many other records of ours. I’ve collected many Brady drums over the years. They are just incredible. I’ll be using a Brady drum kit for most of the shows unless unavailable in that city. I’m also really excited to meet Chris Brady in Perth, who is the legend behind Brady Drums.
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I noticed in Spin Doctors’ YouTube show during the height of the pandemic, you have a whole heap of snares and shells behind you. Are you a collector, or is it a natural accumulation of being a professional drummer for so many years?
Haha, yep, and about 75% of those are Brady snares. I’m not really a collector, but after playing for so long, I have built up a pretty nice collection by default.
What’s the one piece of kit that you’d never tour without?
A nice cool fan.
Spin Doctors Pocket Full of Kryptonite 35th anniversary tour dates
12 May: Metropolis, Fremantle
13 May: The Gov, Adelaide
15 May: Arts Centre, Geelong
16 May: Forum, Melbourne
18 May: King Street Bandroom, Newcastle
19 May: Race Club, Port Macquarie
21 May: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
22 May: The Warehouse, Townsville
24 May: The Tivoli, Brisbane
25 May: Kings Beach Tavern, Sunshine Coast
27 May: Powerstation, Auckland
Tickets via Destroy All Lines.
