Mike Portnoy (Adrenaline Mob, Flying Colors)

‘How Many More Times’

On choosing and playing the song [at the Bonzo Bash]...
“This is a dream platform for drummers. Every time I want to play something different. I had originally told Brian I wanted to do ‘Night Flight’ because it’s a deeper track. I love the drumming on it, but it’s really quick and simple and Brian was like, ‘No, you gotta do something more epic.’ I started thinking of what songs have a bit of that improv and a lot of changes, so I thought, ‘How Many More Times’ would be good. It’s similar to ‘Dazed And Confused.’ It’s the other epic on the first album. I love that track and ‘Dazed And Confused,’ because that was them in their most primitive stage. That was them at the very beginning. Jamming, improvising. I love the way that song goes through so many feels. It’s one of those songs that has ups and downs, lefts and rights, twists and turns. I’m going totally authentic. This is about Bonzo.”

Tips on playing the song...
“The thing with Bonham is, it’s all about the groove. He laid down the phattest grooves. He was the king of that. The king of swing in the rock world. Every drummer since him has wanted to sound like him and nobody has. People wonder, how do you get that Bonham sound? Is it the kick drum? Is it the snare? The hi-hat or the room mics? No, it’s in the person.”

On the challenge of Bonham’s parts...
“My favourite Bonham fill – a very under-appreciated fill – is the last verse of ‘Thank You’. I must have rewound my cassette tape 50 times to try to cop that fill and learn it exactly. It actually has an extra beat in it. I don’t know if that was intentional or not but it’s the tastiest fill. It’s the one right after Robert says, ‘For you to me, are the only one.’ So tasty.”

Why I love Bonzo...
“The best part of Zeppelin and Bonzo is his ability to improvise. When you listen to live recordings or bootlegs, every show is completely different. Every version is completely different. That was what set them apart. I’ve said this elsewhere and I hate to repeat myself, but it’s really the truth. The thing with Bonzo that makes him so universally loved is he appeals to everybody. Keith Moon was too sloppy for some where Neil Peart was too technical. John Bonham had it all. The groove, technique, feel, taste, improv. He was the sort of drummer that everybody, whether you were a jazz or rock drummer, could appreciate.”