Roger's weird drumming

Well, I'm not an expert on drumming but Roger holds his drumsticks (at least in the last couple years) the other way round - he holds the thin part and drums with the thick part which is IMO definitely not normal. Why does he do it, is the sound different (heavier) then?

It's not oncommon at all, Martin. It indeed has an effect on the sound, makes it more heavy without having to hit the skins harder or makes it just less sharp. Most drummers do it from time to time. It's far less common though to ONLY play like this. Most drummers use it for one or a couple of songs.
Cheers!

I remember an interview where he said he didn't like people who use very thick sticks or telescope sticks to get a "bigger" sound. It seems he changed his mind. Maybe he thinks he can't hit as hard as he did when he was younger?
How do you know he always plays like that recently?

Well, I see it as that his age did influence his playing indeed! I think he's just a shadow of the drummer he used to be... He's become so tame it seems. I think that's one of the reasons why I am not that enthousiastic about most of their recent performances. Not only do they miss Freddie, 'Queen' now also misses the power they once had... (But I know other people on this board are going to kill because of saying this, but it's just my homble opinion)
I can imagine he said that about thick sticks, he always used pretty thin ones himself. Weird though, he still considers John Bonham one of the best drummers of all time (and so do I btw) but he used the thickest sticks available (so-called 'trees')

"Maybe he thinks he can't hit as hard as he did when he was younger?"

Well, even with this thick side he's not able to hit the drums that hard anymore, his drumming was indeed crap in the past years. What a pity.

"How do you know he always plays like that recently?"

I saw that clearly in Modena (probably the whole concert) and at Mick Ronson tribute (most of the concert).

I hope he shaped up for Cape Town, since I think he has to play a lot that night.
Drumming is not all about hitting hard, though.

drumming is not plaing hard, that's absolutely true..anyway Roger has lost his power in playing drum...I don't know deep purple's drummer age,but he still plays good....Anyway BRian and Roger always make a nice shows thanks to the rest of the band, and we know time runs for everybody!

I wasn't impressed by Ian Paice from Deep Purple when I heard some records/bootlegs but when I saw him live on Monday, I had to admit they absolutely rock.

And he's definately older then Roger! Difference is that he played constantly for the past 35 years on a practically daily basis. I think Roger lost his strength because he played just every once and a while since 1986... Had he kept on recording more frequently and did a tour every year (as a drummer!) he would have kept his body in better shape. Fact is that drumming just is very demanding for your body...

I guess having sex with chicks 30 years younger is not called getting into shape =-)

He's been doing that for years.

LOL

and yes, he's not as good as he was in the golden years, but time runs for everybody and in my opinion Roger and Brian were much better in Modena than in London. I hope that they are training again to get in shape :)

"I guess having sex with chicks 30 years younger is not called getting into shape =-)"

Sure it is. But that's not what his onstage performance in Cape Town is to be about, I'm afraid.

I think I saw on the new DVD that Roger drummed this way when they recorded "One Vision". I'm not shure, I have to take a look.

I think he's been drumming that way for a very long time.