V-Drums World Championship 2 winners at the Frankfurt Musikmesse

During the recent 2013 Musikmesse music fair in Frankfurt, Germany, Roland held the international finals for the V-Drums World Championship 2. From a field of top drummers representing 16 different countries, Issah Contractor from Canada grabbed the crown with a masterful performance blending impressive drumming chops and a thorough command of the modern technology in Roland’s electronic percussion products.

The V-Drums World Championship 2 Explained…

Roland’s annual V-Drums World Championship gives drummers everywhere a unique opportunity to showcase their skills and compete against other Roland electronic percussion players. This year’s contest was the biggest yet, with nearly 5,000 participants competing during national preliminary rounds in countries around the world. The grand finale took place on April 11, 2013 at the prestigious Südbahnhof music club in Frankfurt, with well-known German drummer Dirk Brand serving as the host for the evening. The event was also streamed live to Internet viewers around the globe on the V-Drums World Championship international website.

The night featured inspired drumming by players from the United States, Sweden, Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Switzerland, China, Turkey, Brazil, the Netherlands, Japan, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Spain, and Canada. Each earned a trip to the finals by winning national V-Drums competitions in their home countries. In Frankfurt, every finalist played an original drum performance using the TD-30KV V-Pro® Series V-Drums, OCTAPAD® SPD-30 Percussion Pad, and SPD-SX Sampling Pad.

A group of seven judges assembled for the finals included noted drummers Brand, Craig Blundell, Tommy Snyder, and Florian Alexandru-Zorn, plus music journalists Mark Van Schaik, Rich Chamberlain, and Axel Mikolajczak. They scored the contestants’ performances in areas of technique, style, stage presence, overall creativity, and creative use of technology.

See the V-Drums World Championship 2 slide show

V-Drums World Championship 2 winner: Issah Contractor

Naming a winner was a tough call, as all the players delivered jaw-dropping displays of drumming prowess. When the smoke had cleared, Issah Contractor came out on top with a performance that featured looping on the SPD-30, sample playback from the SPD-SX, multiple meter shifts, impressive double-kick chops, and unique playing of melodies with the V-Drums’ pads.

V-Drums World Championship 2 runner-ups Jaime Edwin de la Rosa & Lars Nijman

Second Place went to Jaime Edwin de la Rosa from Mexico, while Third Place went to Lars Nijman from the Netherlands.

In an interview after his win, Issah talked about how he’s excited to use the powerful technology in V-Drums to forge a new melodic direction in drumming. “One cool thing about the TD-30 is the step sequence function,” said Issah. “I believe that can be utilized very uniquely in the future. I’d like to see if I can push that boundary. It could be really something that is groundbreaking. Although there are notes on the drums, it feels a little devoid over the harmony aspect, and I think the V-Drums would be awesome for trying to put that forward.”

If you’re a drummer based in the United States and want to enter for the V-Drums World Championship 3, check the V-Drums contest page at RolandUS.com.

Check out our V-Drums World Championship 2 playlist on YouTube to see final performances from all the contestants, plus interviews with the top three players.

V-Drums World Championship 2 Performances

Do you agree with the judges? Tell us who you think the winner should be.

Related links and articles:

• Pat Kennedy V-Drums Training Camp
• Brendan Buckley Judges V-Drums Semi Finals
• Meet the V-Drums U.S. Finalists
• The Benefits of Electronic Drums

Wes and the Mob Dawgs with Sammy Hagar at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

At the 2013 Winter NAMM Show, Roland Corporation U.S. invited its valued dealers to enter a drawing for the opportunity to attend an all-expenses-paid weekend retreat at the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas. Wes Faulconor, the owner of Explorers Percussion in Kansas City, Missouri, had his name drawn randomly from the many entrants, winning a three-day experience at the camp’s permanent home near the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on the Vegas Strip. From March 7-9, 2013, Wes enjoyed a jam-packed schedule of rehearsals, performances, recording sessions, and clinics, topped off with the chance to drum with legendary rockers Sammy Hagar and Steve Vai.

Special-Edition Rock and Roll Fantasy Camps, Powered by Roland

Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas provides musicians and music fans a unique opportunity to jam with renowned rock stars, write and record original songs, and perform live before large audiences at Rouge, a lounge in the MGM Grand. Campers get to play pro gear from Roland and BOSS during their stay, including TD-30KV and TD-15KV V-Drums kits, the RD-700NX stage piano, GA-series guitar amps, ME-70 guitar effects, and more.

Wes is a lifelong drummer and percussionist with over 40 years experience, and he plays some piano and guitar as well. He opened Explorers Percussion in 1984, which quickly became one of the leading drum and percussion shops in the Kansas City metro area. Explorers carries a full line of major brands, including the electronic percussion lineup from Roland. They also offer educational events, private drum lessons, and regular drum clinics led by national and local artists.

Wes Faulconer and Sammy Hagar at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

Quickly after arriving at the camp, Wes was put together in a group with three guitarists, with one of the guitarists also handling lead vocal duties. Michael Lardie, a multi-instrumentalist who plays with Great White and Night Ranger, served as camp counselor for the group, and played bass and sang backup as well.

During their three-day stay, Wes’ band—calling themselves the Mob Dawgs—wrote an original song, worked up a selection of cover tunes, and performed every night alongside other campers’ groups at the Rouge. “Everybody played different orders every night,” says Wes. “We were one of the most natural bands that were there, I think. There was a big NASCAR race in Las Vegas that weekend. There were a lot of fans there to see that, and the club was always packed.” Rouge features a top-flight sound system with gear from Roland Systems Group, including the M-300 V-Mixer and a REAC Digital Snake setup. Pro roadies are also on hand to help the campers as they perform. “They were really on it,” says Wes. “They were at the ready to assist everybody, such as adjusting drums and swapping out guitars when someone broke a string.”

Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis on the RD-700NX

Throughout the weekend, Wes and the campers got to hobnob with many famous players. “Joe Vitale was there, and Billy Sheehan was there too,” he relates. “That was pretty cool. Lita Ford and Tony Franklin came in as well. On Friday, Sammy Hagar came in. Each band got to go in and play one song with him. We learned one of his songs, ‘I’ll Fall in Love Again,’ within about an hour. That was a little bit of pressure, but it worked out pretty good. We jammed with him, and it was a lot of fun.

“On Saturday, it was the same thing with Steve Vai,” Wes continues. “Everybody played a song with him. After that, he jammed with Billy Sheehan and Joe Vitale, and he did a little clinic where he talked for about an hour. His clinic was really inspirational.”

Wes at the Rouge lounge for Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

Wes and his group also got to record their original song at one of the camp’s two studios in the MGM Grand, which are outfitted with Cakewalk’s SONAR X2 DAW software and Roland’s OCTA-CAPTURE audio interfaces, plus V-Mixers, Digital Snakes, and M-48 personal monitoring systems from Roland Systems Group. The band’s guitarists tracked with BOSS ME-70 guitar effects, while Wes played the flagship TD-30KV V-Drums. “They were great, with lot of nice sounds,” Wes relates. “I really like the new features and the sensitivity, which allows your drumming to be more expressive, just like on an acoustic drum kit. It was really nice. We recorded really quickly, and got a great sound. The Roland and BOSS guitar gear sounded really, really good too.”

TD-30KV V-Drums in the studio at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

Overall, Wes simply had a great time. “It was a real positive experience, and first-class all the way,” he says. “I really thank Roland for giving me the opportunity. I feel lucky and really grateful that I won it. I went out there without any agenda or high goals; I just played as good as I can play, and just gave it all I had. I wanted to make it more like a vacation, you know, and just play my butt off, just play for the music, and have a really good time. And that’s pretty much what I did.”

Wes’ stay at the camp happened to fall on his birthday weekend, making it even more special. “It was probably the best birthday I’ve ever had,” he enthuses. “On Saturday night, Billy Sheehan and a bunch of the other people at the camp sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, and that was really cool. It was a nice fitting end for the weekend.”

Wes with Billy Sheehan at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp

For more information about Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp, visit RockCamp.com.

For details about Roland and BOSS gear used at the camp, check out our Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp gear list.

Related links and articles:

• Special Edition Rock and Roll Fantasy Camps, Powered by Roland Gear
• Roland Insider: Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp Giveaway Winner
• Behind the Scenes at Rock Camp

Roland V-Drums World Championship 2

Roland’s annual V-Drums® World Championship contest gives drummers a premier opportunity to explore their musical passion. Nearly 5,000 participants competed during the preliminary rounds in 2012! Each year, thousands of performances around the world feature musicians using TD-30KV, TD-15KV and TD-11KV drum kits and the OCTAPAD SPD-30 digital percussion pad. This year’s grande finale event will be streaming live on the V-Drums contest website, Thursday, April 11, 2013, starting at 10:30 a.m. PDT. The live broadcast will feature 16 international V-Drums finalists, behind the scenes interviews, expert judges and a performance by The Intersphere.

Why go with electronic drums? Read the benefits here.

Former U.S. national semi-finalist Patrick Kennedy has been training extensively after earning his chance to compete in the finals. “It was an honor to participate in the V-Drums national competition,” Patrick said. “I had an amazing time getting to hang out and talk with Thomas Lang and Johnny Rabb, as well as all of the other contestants.” Kennedy won a TD-30KV V-Drums set and other prizes from REMO, DW, Vic Firth, and DRUM! magazine.

An elite roster of judges will crown the 2013 V-Drums king based on the following: playing technique, musicality, groove, creativity, entertainment value, playing tricks, and precision. All experts in the field of electronic percussion, this year’s judges panel includes Dirk Brand, Craig Blundell, Tommy Snyder, and Florian Alexandru-Zorn, Mark Van Schaik, Rich Chamberlain, and Axel Mikolajczak.

Roland on Stage With American Idol

“It has been amazing seeing so many talented drummers taking their talent to the next level with electronic percussion, ” said Roland Percussion Group Strategy Manager Drew Armentrout. “The way these drummers perform is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to watch the finals.”

Visit the international V-Drums contest page for more details! Or, follow the Twitter conversation via #vdrumscontest.

Live Streaming: 
April 11, 2013 – 10:30 AM PDT

V-Drums World Championship 2012

Related links and articles:

• Pat Kennedy V-Drums Training Camp
• Brendan Buckley Judges V-Drums Semi Finals
• Meet the V-Drums U.S. Finalists
• The Benefits of Electronic Drums

This is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at U.S. National Champion Pat Kennedy preparing for the V-Drums World Championship 2. He’ll be representing the U.S. during the V-Drums World Championship in Frankfurt, Germany on Thursday, April 11, 2013. And Roland is giving everyone around the world a front row seat to watch the event live, online! Check the V-Drums contest website for all the streaming details, and join us for the show if you can. Go Pat!

Patrick Kennedy (USA)

Like Pat Kennedy, each contestant is already a champion, having won their respective national V-Drums contests, but climbing to this level has been far from easy. In order to adhere to an interesting twist in Roland’s V-Drums contest rules, contestants had to learn and incorporate an additional piece of Roland gear for their national championship showdown. Each regional finalist won the opportunity to choose his or her prize, an SPD-30 or an SPD-SX. (Pat chose an SPD-SX.) Then, each national champion went on to win a TD-30KV V-Drums flagship electronic drum kit. With the playing field as level as possible for the world championship event —  TD-30KVs, SPD-SXs and SPD-30s at each drummers’ disposal — the pressure to shine creatively and technically will be higher than ever, and the competition will be fierce.

What’s the difference between the SPD-SX and the SPD-30, any way?

The first V-Drums World Championship contest attracted hundreds of talented drummers from around the world. These were narrowed down to 16 finalists who traveled to the world final in Anaheim, California during Winter NAMM 2012. After a night of spectacular performances, the top honor finally went to drummer Baard Kolstad of Norway who beat out the U.S. national champion JP Bouvet.  Judges were impressed not only with Baard’s drumming ability but also with his use of the technology available on his Roland V-Drums kit.

Based on the contestant lineup below, the judges have a tough job on their hands trying to choose a winner for this year’s V-Drums World Championship. Meanwhile, each drummer must impress the panel of judges with technique, creative rhythm, use of technology, and of course, great showmanship.

What are your thoughts on the U.S. national champion Pat Kennedy’s preparation? Do you have a favorite drummer from the list below? Will Pat bring home the world title?

Judges:

Dirk Brand – Musician, V-Drums Specialist (event host as well)
Craig Blundell – UK Songwriter, Producer, Journalist, V-Drums Clinician
Tommy Snyder – Drummer, Singer
Florian Alexandru-Zorn – Drummer, Lecturer, Journalist
Mark Van Schaik – Journalist
Rich Chamberlain – Journalist
Axel Mikolajczak – Journalist

Related links and articles:

• V-Drums Contest U.S. Finals Results
• Pick Your Poison: SPD-SX Versus SPD-30
• The Benefits of Electronic Drums
• Roland on Stage with American Idol

Enter for a chance to win an RC-3 Loop Station pedal autographed by John-5, Steve Stevens, Billy Duffy, Herman Li, and Darryl Jones. Contest ends April 5, 2013.

On Friday evening, January 25, 2013, loop artists from 12 different countries gathered at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney to compete in the international finals for the BOSS Loop Station World Championship 3. Held as part of Roland Connect during the 2013 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, the finals event was an exciting conclusion to the BOSS global competition that began in the summer of 2012. Over 500 looping fans were in attendance, with another 8,000-plus viewing live on the web as the event was streamed online.

RC-3 giveaway ends April 5, 2013

The large audience enjoyed an entertaining evening of inspired and innovative performances, with all the loop artists delivering high-level musical presentations. Ultimately, Grison Beatbox of Spain claimed the looping title with a mesmerizing beatboxing performance that featured impressive technical skill with his RC-300 Loop Station and VE-20 Vocal Performer effects. For his efforts, he earned $3,000 in BOSS gear.

Now in its third year, the BOSS Loop Station World Championship spotlights artists around the globe that make fresh and inventive music with BOSS’ industry leading Loop Station products. This year’s international finals showed how the relatively new and wildly expressive art form of live looping continues to evolve at a lighting pace, with the artists performing an eclectic array of music styles with vocals, effects, a huge range of instruments, and full-throttle musical creativity.

All 12 loop artists were winners of BOSS Loop Station competitions held in their home countries throughout the latter part of 2012. Regions represented were the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Iberia, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Eastern Europe, and Central Europe.

Continue reading this article

Related links and articles:

• The Art of Looping
• Meet the Loop Station World Championship 3 Judges
• Loop Station World Finalists 2013 Part 1

George Vodden of Illinois is the winner of the Steve Stevens autographed G-5 VG Stratocaster. In this video, Gary Lenaire of BOSS and Roland guitar products, congratulates George and sends off the prized guitar. The Roland & BOSS team is currently working on the next giveaway, and YOU could be the next winner!

Related links and articles:

• Win a Steve Stevens Autographed G-5 Strat
• Steve Stevens V-Guitar Experience Interview
• New Product: G-5A VG Stratocaster, Built in the U.S.A

Guitar legend Steve Stevens is perhaps best known for his nearly 30-year association with ‘80s icon Billy Idol and his pyrotechnic playing on Idol tracks such as “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face.” Additionally, Stevens boasts an impressive resumé of achievements as both a solo artist and sideman, working with a diverse range of artists, including such greats as Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Vince Neil and many others. In 1986, his contributions to the Top Gun soundtrack earned Stevens a Grammy Award. Considering his incredible experience, Roland approached the guitar legend for his take on our ground braking G-5 Fender Strat. Check out the video below for his thoughts and enter to win the featured G-5 Strat autographed by Mr. Stevens himself!

The G-5 features the following guitars and tunings:

MODE knob: 5 types

• N: Normal (non-modeling mode)
• S: Stratocaster
• T: Telecaster
• H: Humbucker
• A: Acoustic

TUNING knob: 6 types

• N: Normal tuning
• D: Drop D
• G: Open G
• d: D Modal
• B: Baritone
• 12: 12-string guitar

Darryl has played bass guitar for the Rolling Stones, Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Madonna, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Cher and Peter Gabriel. He also plays with an amazing trio, the Stone Raiders. Darryl uses BOSS effects and the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer.

John 5

John plays guitar for Rob Zombie. He has also played with Marilyn Manson, Rob Halford, David Lee Roth and many others. John’s innovative and versatile guitar style has been featured on many projects. John plays BOSS compact pedals and the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer. John is featured on the new BOSS compact pedal Connect videos.

Watch the Loop Station World Championship 3 live and vote

Steve Stevens

Steve is the guitarist for Billy Idol. He has performed with Michael Jackson, Vince Neil, Ric Ocasek, Robert Palmer, Tony Levin, Terry Bozzio, the Atomic Playboys and Flamenco a GoGo. He played guitar on the mega-selling soundtrack “Top Gun” which earned him a Grammy Award for Pop Instrumental Performance. Steve plays BOSS compact pedals, the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer and Roland G-5 V-G Stratocaster.

Billy Duffy

Billy has played guitar with Johnny Marr, Morrissey and many others. He is best known for his work as guitarist for the Cult. His iconic guitar riffs are known to millions of music fans. Billy plays BOSS compact pedals and the Roland JC-120 amplifier.

Herman Li

Herman plays guitar for DragonForce. His blindingly fast and precise guitar playing has won the respect of many fans around the world. Herman is originally from Hong Kong and studied in the UK where he now lives. Herman uses BOSS compact pedals, BOSS eBand and the Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer.

Gary Lenaire

Gary Lenaire is the Product and Marketing Manager for BOSS and Roland Guitar Products. As a guitarist and composer and is mostly known for his work with the bands Tourniquet and Echo Hollow. He has released 12 records and has published over 90 songs worldwide, including those found in the Roland VS-2480, BOSS® MICRO BR and BOSS BR-800.

Watch the Loop Station World Championship 3 live and vote

Related Links and articles:

• Loop Station World Finalists 2013 Part 2
• Loop Station World Finalists 2013 Part 1
• 18 Exciting New Products For Winter NAMM

There are 12 contestants from all corners of the world that will be participating in this year’s Loop Station World Championship. Here are the six remaining contestants and the performances that got them to the finals.  Using a Loop Station, each finalist will compete with an original one-man song and will be critiqued by our celebrity judges as well as viewers around the world.

Watch the Loop Station World Finalists 2013 Part 1

The Prize:

• 1st Place – $3000 in BOSS Gear
• 2nd Place – $2000 in BOSS Gear
• 3rd Place – $1000 in BOSS Gear
• Social Loop Award (Viewer Vote) – Mystery Prize

Event details:

• When: January 25, 2013 during NAMM
  • Streaming begins at 6:45 p.m. PST
  • Follow @Roland_US for free ticket giveaways
• Where: House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
• Watch and Vote Live: BOSS Website

Vinh – Germany

Grison Beatbox – Spain

Jon Rosner – Canada

Super Tall Paul Newman – USA

Fair Phillis – Belgium

Jonathan Mendez – Costa Rica

Essential looper gear:

Related links and articles:

• Loop Station World Finalists 2013 Part 1

There are 12 contestants from all corners of the world that will be participating in this year’s Loop Station World Championship. Here are six of the contestants and the videos that got them to the finals. Each finalist will compete by creating a one-man song using a Loop Station and judged by our celebrity judges and the viewers around the world.

The Prize:

• 1st Place – $3000 in BOSS Gear
• 2nd Place – $2000 in BOSS Gear
• 3rd Place – $1000 in BOSS Gear
• Social Loop Award (Viewer Vote) – Mystery Prize

Event details:

• When: January 25, 2013 during NAMM
  • Streaming begins at 6:45 p.m. PST
  • Follow @Roland_US for free ticket giveaways
• Where: House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
• Watch and Vote Live: BOSS Website

Christian Zezza – Italy

Kalle Mathiesen – Denmark

Dawson – UK

Koukun – Japan

Agata Kurzyk – Poland

Thiago Ramalho – Brazil

Essential looper gear:

Related links and articles:

• Loop Station World Finalists Part 2
  

Thank you all for participating in the JUPITER Synth Legends contest. Congrats to Mitch Bacigalupi on winning a fully loaded JUPITER-50 synth, Merry Christmas! Please stand by for future contests and giveaways, we have plenty more in the works for 2013.

Related links and articles:

• Synth Legends: TB-303
• Synth Legends
• Synth Legends – Howard Jones | JUPITER-80

News from our Roland brothers around the world

Top UK drummers battle it out for a chance to represent the UK in the V-Drums World Championship 2013

Last year’s V-Drums World Championship competition attracted hundreds of talented drummers from every corner of the globe. These were narrowed down to 16 finalists who traveled to the World final in Anaheim, California to perform in the renowned House Of Blues club. After a night of spectacular performances the top honor finally went to drummer Baard Kolstad (Norway), who impressed judges not only with his drumming ability but also with his use of the technology available on Roland V-Drums.

Back in August, entry for the 2013 competition opened and Roland UK began the search for the next V-Drums World Champion. It was a difficult task choosing participants for the regional finals from the wealth of great video entries submitted but after much consideration, six drummers were invited to participate in a live show at the Birmingham Jam House on 23rd October.

It was a great night of varied live music with each performer bringing something unique to the stage. The participants had the new flagship Roland TD-30KV V-Drums, SPD-SX and OCTAPAD SPD-30 at their disposal. The competition was intense with all drummers getting five minutes to demonstrate their skills whilst the performances were judged by a panel of industry experts like V-Drums demonstrator Craig Blundell, V-Drums Product Manager Jules Tabberer-Stewart and Chris Barnes, editor of Rhythm Magazine.

The judges had a tough job on their hands trying to choose a winner but in the end drummer Geoff Fry emerged victorious, impressing judges unanimously with a mix of impressive technique, creative rhythm and great showmanship. He had a clear grasp of how utilizing Roland technology could raise a performance up to the next level. For his stellar effort he was awarded a brand new Roland SPD-SX sampling pad. Check out the video below to see his performance from the night.

Geoff will travel to Frankfurt in March 2013 during the Mussikmesse 2013 trade show to compete against drummers chosen by Roland branches around the World. He will spend the coming months preparing his performance with an aim to win the V-Drums World Championship crown for the UK. We are sure he will give a performance that will do the UK proud.

Related links and articles:

• U.S. V-Drums Contest Results
• Pick Your Poison – SPD-SX Versus SPD-30
• Meet The V-Drums Finalists

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is an international songwriting contest that began in 1997. The Contest is open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 12 categories. The JLSC is open year-round and features two Sessions — with 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, 12 Lennon Award Winners and one “Song of the Year.”

Enter for a chance to win a JUPITER-50 fully pre-loaded with all the sounds from the JUPITER Synth Legends Volume 1 collection.

With the JUPITER Synth Legends sound collection, Roland is proud to unveil a series of free sound libraries for the JUPITER-80 and JUPITER-50 synthesizers. Featuring all-new Tones, Live Sets, Registrations, and arpeggio patterns, the collection uses the powerful and flexible SuperNATURAL® sound engine to capture the essence of a number of historical synths. The Live Set architecture and multi-effects capabilities of the modern JUPITERs are fully maximized as well, giving players a huge selection of “dream patches” comprised of the most legendary synths ever produced.

On Wednesday, November 28, Roland will be releasing the highly anticipated Jupiter Synth Legends patch collection. The release will be available for the Jupiter-50 and Jupiter-80.

To initiate this milestone Roland will be giving away a Jupiter-50 synth. This keyboard will come fully loaded with the Synth Legends patch collection. The winner will be announced in early December. Enter for a chance to win via Facebook and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #synthlegends for news and updates.