Bastards Motorik Drive — Mikkey Dee (Motörhead) Drum Lick | MetalForge
Learn the Bastards Motorik Drive drum lick by Mikkey Dee of Motörhead. From Death or Glory (Bastards (1993)). When Mikkey Dee joined Motörhead in 1992, he brought a technical pedigree that previous Motörhead dr...
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1. Mikkey Dee's Signature Licks — When Mikkey Dee joined Motörhead in 1992, he brought a technical pedigree that previous Motörhead drummers had not possessed — he could play the motorik locomotive groove that defined the band's sound at any tempo, while also adding double-bass runs and dynamism that pushed the band's live performances to new heights. The Bastards album (1993), recorded at the Abyss Studio in Sweden, was his first full studio recording with the band, and it captures exactly that blend: the relentless motorik 8th-note drive that is Motörhead's rhythmic signature, now executed with the power and precision of a player at the top of his craft. "Death or Glory" epitomises this approach — a driving, forward-moving rocker built on the locomotive groove that made Motörhead a force of nature. The motorik groove at the heart of Motörhead's sound is deceptively disciplined. The 8th-note hi-hat (or open hi-hat with a slight groove wash) runs as an unwavering engine beneath the whole arrangement, the snare hits hard and consistently on the two and four, and the kick anchors the downbeat and occasional syncopations without overreaching. What makes this kind of playing difficult is not technical complexity but physical consistency: holding that locked, driving 8th-note feel at high tempos for entire songs requires that the swing be constant, the backbeat authoritative, and the hi-hat even without becoming mechanical. Mikkey Dee's genius on Bastards is that the groove always feels alive — there is weight and personality in every stroke — even as it locks with metronomic precision. For the Bastards sessions Dee used a Sonor kit, which contributed to the album's dense, powerful drum sound: the shells are large, the tuning is relatively low, and the snare has a thick, punchy crack rather than a high-pitched snap. Learning to internalise that specific weight of sound is part of understanding the motorik groove — it is not just a rhythmic feel but a sonic commitment. For drummers, this lick develops endurance at tempo, hi-hat consistency, and the discipline to serve a groove rather than embellish it. Practise the 8th-note hi-hat at a variety of tempos with a metronome, locking the backbeat and kick to it without tension, then push the tempo until the groove feels effortless. That relentless, forward drive is what Motörhead was, and Mikkey Dee's Bastards playing is its purest expression on record.2. Mikkey Dee Profile — Drive the motorik 8th-note hi-hat as an unwavering locomotive engine throughout Anchor a powerful, consistent backbeat on two and four without rushing Lock the kick to the downbeat and keep syncopations deliberate and in-the-pocket Maintain personality and weight in every stroke even as the groove locks metronomically Build hi-hat endurance at tempo before adding kick and snare
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