SEX ON FIRE Drums [Cover version]
My version of the SEX ON FIRE Drums [Cover version] was performed with the (tribute act) Kins of Leon during the 2019 Glastonbudget Festival. The song Sex on Fire is one of the hit singles by the band Kings of Leon. It’s from their fourth studio album Only by the Night.
Now, as you may notice in the video below, my playing isn’t 100% accurate with the original. However in the grand scheme of things, it’s close enough to the Sex on Fire drums. Subsequently you can download the original (version) Sex on Fire drums for FREE here.
Confusing Intro with Sex on Fire
Many drummers and musicians alike find the intro to Sex on Fire confusing. It’s one of those rhythmical illusions as to where the 1 is.
Firstly, the guitar starts the song on beat 4 with two 1/8th notes. The guitar part actually accents the second 1/8th note a.k.a. the and(+) of 4. This is the rhythmical illusion. In other words, you hear that accent AS the downbeat (or beat 1) instead of an 1/8th note beforehand.
So now you should be able to count off the four bars before the drums enter. Remembering that the drums enter on the and(+) of 4 in bar 4, with an open hi hat.
Should you have difficulty hearing this, work backwards from the initial open hi hat. You know that the open hi hat is on the and of beat 4. Ergo, this will line up directly with the guitar accent. So this can help you hear the guitar pattern/riff correctly.
Sex On Fire Drum Part
The Kings of Leon drummer [Nathan Followill] uses the standard 4-on-the-floor bass drum pattern pretty much throughout the entire song. A bass drum part usually associated with dance/pop music.
Interestingly, during the Intro and Verses of the Sex on Fire drums he uses the tambourine instead of the snare drum on beat 4. This gives the groove a (sort of) half time feel. Subsequently, he adds the snare drum to beat 4 for the Pre Chorus and maintains it throughout the Chorus(es). By dropping this snare drum back beat and then adding it, he’s incorporating a simple concept which is very effective. Also, to help make the chorus stand out he opens the hi hats to lift up the dynamics.
During the breakdown section of Sex on Fire, he starts using his Tom Toms in a tribal way. This is achieved by accenting the first two 1/8th note hits in unison with the band. Then, he builds up to a syncopated rhythm just before a whole bar’s length drum fill leading into the final chorus.
Finally, he plays the Chorus / Outro riding on the crash cymbal to lift it up the section as opposed to the open hi hats.
Sex on Fire Drums – The Fills
Not many drum fills with the Sex on Fire drums but the two main ones are shown below –
This fill happens at the end of the 3rd Pre Chorus around the 2m17sec mark of the song and is an accented 16th note snare drum roll.
This Fill leads into the final chorus around the 2m54sec mark. It’s similar to the previous fill, in that it’s a 16th note fill played predominantly on the snare drum. This time, he embellishes it with some syncopated Tom Tom hits as well.
He does play 1/8th note fills between the snare drum and bass drum whilst grooving during the outro. Check out my transcription here in my free download.
Playing in a Tribute Act
It’s safe to say that looking like the Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill isn’t my strong point.
Therefore I need to don a wig and glasses to look (relatively) similar.
Likewise changing the way of holding the drum sticks to a matched grip. Personally I play traditional grip the majority of the time. Not forgetting I change the drum set up to match his as well.
So, it’s actually fun to mimic another drummer. His approach and set up are different to mine. Subsequently at every Kins of Leon gig channeling Mr. Followill helps me with my performance. After all you want the experience to be as authentic as you can make it right?
It’s not essential that you look like the artist when playing in a tribute act. It will depend on how seriously you wish to take it.
Do You Play in a Tribute Act?
Do you play in a tribute act? Or, have you played Sex on Fire drums live?
I’ll leave the final word from Nathan Followhill himself.
Let me know in the comments below.
