Can Rock Band Teach You To Play the Drums?

Since Rock Band was announced, AHR and I have been (mildly) debating if the in-game drumming experience would mimic real-life drumming enough to give real drummers a significant advantage or even teach n00bs some skills that could translate to a real drum kit. MTV Multiplayer has decided to test that exact hypothesis by inviting pop rockers Cartel in to take a stab at the game. The drummer, Kevin Sanders (pictured above...yes that's a man), sat down to play "Dead or Alive" on Medium difficulty... And failed. But when he tried again on Expert, he did much better. Sanders explains the paradox:

The easier [the song is in the game], it takes away what’s actually in the song. But if you actually know how the drums go in your head and you’re reading the notes [on the screen], it doesn’t really make sense in the tune. I guess the harder [the difficulty] is, the more real the song is [to actually playing it].

So the verdict is... Vague. As a bonus, if you're interested in how the drums break-down/assemble, hit the jump for a Stephen Totilo guided tour!

New Rock Band Trailer Is More Exciting Than Pixar's Last Two Films

YEAH! Despite having zero to do with gameplay, this is one of the best game trailers I've ever seen. Cartoon Physics + Fast Moving Car + Rock = Winning Promotional Strategy.

The trailer is actually promoting a promotion, namely the Rock Band 2007 Tour, a traveling demo show & competition which kicked off yesterday in Las Vegas. Info after the jump...


I had a look at the Rules and Regulations for this so-called tour - to compete in the "Rock Off Auditions" you need to be part of a four-piece "band". It seems like you'll have to show up pretty early in order to get some practice time in before you play in front of the judges. Bands will be evaluated based on their ability to "demonstrate Rock Band™ game play with proficiency and accuracy, radiate energy, vitality, possess stage presence and are comfortable in front of a camera."

The two finalists get a complicated MTV reality-show prize package, that includes meeting a band and "playing" on TRL. The for-real finalist band gets to "open" for a real yet-to-be-named rock group, so if you've ever wanted to play a video game on stage in front of a screaming rock crowd, here is your chance!

The rules also demand that each four-piece band designate a "leader". Luckily the tour doesn't come to NYC until November 1st, so the Geekanerd Crew has almost two months to wage smear campaigns against each other.

For dates and locations, check the Official Site's schedule for detailed tour info - some important details have changed since the last press release. Such as moving to the tour from my former-hometown of Oakland to stupid Berkeley. Damn hippies.