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Mick Avory, The Kinks’ Hard Hitting Things Drummer

Their passion and desire to grow defines the best drummers in history. And this is exactly what makes Mick Avory a great drummer.

Mick Avory, well known as The Kinks drummer defines himself as someone who goes beyond the hard-hitting things. He truly believes in focusing on one thing and striving to perfect it.

Mick Avory
Mick Avory playing drums

At one point, he was heard talking of how he would have been very suitable for anything the never got beyond the hard-hitting things. And this is perhaps the reason Kinks hired a seasonal drummer for their proto-metal release called “You Really Got Me.” In this case, Avory contributed by playing the tambourine.

But this does not mean Avory was not a good drummer. When Ray Davies, Kinks’ frontman, was growing as an admirable songwriter, Avory was developing as one of the quietest innovative drummers of the sixties. And together, the two become an inseparable force that changed the music industry of the period.

Avory focused on creating a new drumming style for every piece that Davies wrote. During this period, many drummers were just beginning to crawl out of the traditional hard-hitting drumming for rock-songs. He was among those who brought in some subtleness, though he was similarly a very energetic drummer.

The Kinks
The Kinks

He worked with Ray Davies on a large number of projects that turned out very successful. He was once heard saying, “I don’t know if Ray’s writing blended into my way of playing or blended into his way of writing.” By this, he meant every song that Ray wrote was as though automatically made for Avory’s drumming style.

One thing that kept him on top was the fact that he could take on any challenge, own it, and change it into whatever was fit for the moment. Every time he took the drums, his team knew they were up for something new. This could be the reason he was a very special member of the group and best drummers among musician.

Besides, Avory was blessed with such jazz-tutored versatility and drum cadences that he became a wide sort after the drummer of the period. With his talent, it was not very hard for anyone to notice his unique style in any music piece.

Rolling Stones courted him in 1962, a chance he took to develop an ideal foil into the sardonic mature style of Ray Davies. It was always incredible to listen to how he turned the pieces until everything sounded as though he had been practising for a long time.

Mick Avory On Drum
Mick Avory On Drum

Avory usually approached drums with a refined and low-key style. However, he could easily adapt to onstage fights with guitarist Dave Davie creating some legendary stuff in the process. At one point, Dave trashed his drum kit to close off a gig sometime in 1965 in Cardiff.

Avory reacted by launching a drum head at his head. And because of this, Avory was kicked out of the band until 1984 when he returned with more energy. He continued making good music for the rest of the years that followed.

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Written by Andrea

Andrea is a music lover and an experienced drummer with more than 15 years of drumming with different bands and music projects, such as Seditius and Hermano & the Marines.

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