With the show due to kick off at 2pm, the ten finalist, two each from Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the UK gathered for a quick briefing with Miles Chen (Mapex A&R) and the judging panel before disappearing off to various corners of the back stage area with friends, family and practice pads to warm up.
The five competition judges, all drumming legends in their own right, had been flown in from various points around the globe specifically for the event, and with the exception of one, would be seeing the finalists perform for the first time. It would be true to say that with the panel comprising Chris Adler (Lamb of God), Walfredo Reyes Jr, Dom Famularo, Nick DeVirgillio and Joe Hibbs (Mapex USA), more than one of the finalists were as nervous and excited about meeting them as they were about the performance they would shortly be called on to give.
M&T, Mapex’ German distributor, and as such host of the event had done an excellent job of preparation. Two beautifully tuned Mapex Saturn kits, one in Blue Mist and the other in Sienna Burst sat ready to either side of the stage, as one kit was being played the other would be screened off to give the next finalist time to fine tune their set up. With everything close mic’d and running through a killer Dynacord PA rig the drums sounded awesome. Each finalist would be performing one chosen live track followed by a short two minute solo piece. With two minutes to go to the start of the final Germany’s premier function band, the RTL Allstars, took to the stage. Veterans of literally hundreds of German television and award shows the Allstars, minus their regular sticks man, would be accompanying the finalists through their selected track.
With the performance hall now bursting at the seems with, from the finalists point of view, a nerve jangling mixture of musicians, journalists, and music industry heavy weights, Dom Famolaru stepped up to the mic to introduce the show. Briefly running over the achievements of each finalist in beating off competition from literally thousands of their contemporaries, he explaining the overall rules of the competition, and that the final would be split into two categories, with five of the finalist competing in a Groove category and the other five in one for Technical ability. With the level of excitement and anticipation in the hall reaching fever pitch, he introduced the first finalist onto the stage to rapturous applause.
The five competition judges, all drumming legends in their own right, had been flown in from various points around the globe specifically for the event, and with the exception of one, would be seeing the finalists perform for the first time. It would be true to say that with the panel comprising Chris Adler (Lamb of God), Walfredo Reyes Jr, Dom Famularo, Nick DeVirgillio and Joe Hibbs (Mapex USA), more than one of the finalists were as nervous and excited about meeting them as they were about the performance they would shortly be called on to give.
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