Living After Midnight Backbeat Power — Scott Travis (Judas Priest) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Living After Midnight Backbeat Power drum lick by Scott Travis of Judas Priest. From Living After Midnight (British Steel (1980)). "Living After Midnight" is one of Judas Priest's most beloved sing-along anthems, and like "Breaking...
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1. Scott Travis's Signature Licks — "Living After Midnight" is one of Judas Priest's most beloved sing-along anthems, and like "Breaking the Law" it was recorded by Dave Holland on 1980's British Steel before becoming a staple of Scott Travis's live sets. The song rides a big, simple, fist-pumping backbeat, and Travis's live interpretation is a masterclass in playing a stadium anthem with power and pocket. There's no flash needed here — the lesson is in the feel: a huge, confident backbeat, perfectly steady time, and crash accents and fills placed exactly where the crowd wants them. Travis brings his heavy hands and rock-solid timing to make the groove feel enormous, driving the whole arena while leaving plenty of space for the riff and the vocal hook. For drummers, "Living After Midnight" is an ideal study in groove, dynamics, and the art of serving a song: it develops a powerful backbeat, steady mid-tempo time, and the judgement to keep things simple and let the groove breathe. The approach is to focus entirely on feel and consistency — lock the backbeat to the click, make every snare hit count, and add only the fills and accents that lift the choruses. It's a reminder that some of the most effective drumming is also the simplest, and Travis's powerful, in-the-pocket live version of "Living After Midnight" shows exactly how it's done.2. Scott Travis Profile — Anchor a big, confident, fist-pumping backbeat Keep perfectly steady mid-tempo time under the riff and vocal hook Place crash accents and fills where the choruses lift Leave space — let the groove breathe rather than overplaying Make every snare hit count with heavy, consistent hands
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