There’s a certain kind of drummer personality type that you find in a lot of classic rock bands. Think Charlie Watts, Ringo Starr, John Densmore. The steady, even-keeled timekeeper. The quiet, sensible one, observing the wild excess and eccentricity of his bandmates from a vantage point at the back of the stage.
“Maybe it’s the aerobic exercise that makes us a little more stable,” Fito de la Parra says with a laugh. Fito, 77, is the original drummer - and only surviving member - of veteran blues-rock group Canned Heat. “Of all the instruments, drums is the most physically demanding. You can play another instrument and be totally relaxed. But with drums you’re putting your whole body into play - arms, legs, back, feet. And you’re using your brain too. So maybe that’s part of the reason why we’re known to be a little bit more steady than the rest of the musicians.”
