The drummer is usually the least well-known member of any band. Yet behind every frontman is the person keeping the beat, and often acting as the music’s driving force. In the incredible portraits found in THE DRUM THING, Deirdre O’Callaghan places drummers squarely in the spotlight. Photographing her subjects in their private rehearsal spaces and residences — from studios, bedrooms and basements to garages and gardens allows her to capture the true essence of their personalities and lifestyles. She has photographed almost 100 celebrated musicians for the book, drummers who have been the driving force behind the best music of the last 60 years, including Tony Allen, Ginger Baker, Travis Barker, Cindy Blackman, Patrick Carney, Terri Lyne Carrington, Chris Dave, Jack DeJohnette, Bryan Devendorf, Sly Dunbar, Steve Gadd, James Gadson, Dave Grohl, Mark Guiliana, Steve Jordan, Jim Keltner, Airto Moreira, Larry Mullen Jr, Neil Peart, Questlove, Jim Sclavunos, Ringo Starr, Lars Ulrich, Joey Waronker and Jack White. Each image is accompanied by excerpts from O’Callaghan’s personal conversations with the drummers.

  • Photographic book project featuring the world’s most unique drummers.
  • Access to world famous drummers‘ inner-sanctums.
  • Portraits and in-depth interviews.
  • Hardcover (28 x 24 cm) — 256 pages with 200 color illustrations

About Deirdre O’Callaghan

Part of the original team at Dazed & Confused magazine, Deirdre O’Callaghan has built a career uniting her passions for music and photography, shooting artwork and press for all the major record labels and collaborating with artists including Grinderman, Josh Homme, The National, Questlove, Roots Manuva, Laura Marling, U2, Peaches, and Damon Albarn.

In addition to her commercial and editorial work, O’Callaghan has undertaken a number of independent photographic projects. Her first book, Hide That Can, is a culmination of four years spent photographing the men of Arlington House, a hostel in Camden, London. Hide That Can,was awarded Book of the Year by both the International Center of Photography in New York and Les Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles. More recently, O’Callaghan spent time over the course of five years photographing and interviewing the colourful residents of the infamous New York cultural landmark the Chelsea Hotel in the declining days of its original management; which will be her next published book.