" 1FSGFDU $JSDMF 1BSBNPSF 8FF[FS %FWP - Drummers.by

For over twenty years Brian
Tichy has applied tremendous
energy to every gig,
delivering a perfect balance
of personality and precision.
Blending his own style with the signature
fills of classic rock drumming,
Tichy communicates his
passion for the music from the
moment he lifts a stick. Deftly using
his Berklee experience and connections,
the drummer, who’s currently
with Whitesnake, has enjoyed
steady work with some of rock
’n’ roll’s heaviest acts, including
Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, Velvet
Revolver, Zakk Wylde, Slash, and
Lynch Mob.
Tichy learned the basics while
growing up in New Jersey, and then
it was off to Boston’s prestigious
Berklee College Of
Music. Brian quickly
applied what he
learned in school to
real-life situations;
when stepping into a
new gig, he delivered
only what was necessary.
He also stayed
true to his rock ’n’ roll
roots of Zeppelin, Kiss,
and Aerosmith, opting
to practice his double
bass chops by playing
along to records rather
than to a click track.
It was at Berklee
that Tichy became
tight with bassist John
DeServio. Around
1991, “JD” brought his
pal in to drum for sixstring
virtuoso Vinnie
Moore, just as the
guitar-hero movement
was taking off. Tichy
traveled the country in a van, taking
part in Moore’s club tour and opening
ten arena shows for Rush. This
led to one of the drummer’s most
notable moments: playing Neil
Peart’s kit during a soundcheck,
and getting attention and respect
from none other than Peart himself.
Soon Tichy moved to California
and began networking. During
demo sessions for Canadian rock
vocalist Sass Jordan’s 1994 record,
Rats, Brian laid down the drum
track for “High Road Easy.” The
demo ended up being the keeper,
and the song became the album’s
first single, climbing to number
nine in Canada while also receiving
airplay in the States. A Canadian
tour followed, after which Tichy
found himself back in L.A.
The drummer didn’t have much
time to think about his next step,
though, as he was immediately
invited to be part of Ozzy Osbourne
guitarist Zakk Wylde’s first project
as a leader, Pride & Glory. Tichy
toured with P&G throughout 1994,
including stints in the U.K., Europe,
Japan, and the U.S. By year’s end,
the band was done, and Brian
was in another transition phase,
spending most of 1995 on Slash’s
Snakepit world tour. In 1996 he
shifted gears once more, focusing
on the band Nickelbag, featuring
Bernard Fowler, Carmine Rojas,
and Stevie Salas.
In 1998 Tichy made a more radical
change and started his own
group, BALL, in which he sang,
played guitar, and did much of
the writing. The band signed a
deal a year later with Time Bomb
Recordings but never saw the
release of its American Aggression
CD, due to the demise of the label.
While working on BALL, though,
Tichy became the drummer for
Foreigner and spent the better part
of the next three years on tour. In
2000 he left Foreigner to play with
Ozzy Osbourne on Ozzfest; by the
end of the year Tichy found himself
once again looking for a gig.
Enter drummer Mark Schulman,
who asked Brian to fill in for a
month with Billy Idol. Tichy and
Idol ended up spending the next
seven years writing and recording.
Devil’s Playground, from 2005, was
Idol’s first album in more than a
decade and featured eight tracks
cowritten by Tichy, including the
single “Scream.” On 2006’s Happy
Holidays Christmas album, Tichy
June 2011 • MODERN DRUMMER 27