Review by Hans Menacho

When it was confirmed that rock drummer Tommy Aldridge and bassist Marco Mendoza were going to play at the Institute, I could not wait for the day to come.

For drummers, especially those into heavy music, Aldridge is a legend. He has a CV packed with successful bands and artists including Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Ted Nugent and Thin Lizzy. He is one of the most influential drummers in rock and metal, who pioneered a double pedal technique and playing style.

Marco Mendoza is a seasoned player as well, having toured with Whitesnake, Ted Nugent and recorded with Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries), Ritchie Kotzen (Mr. Big) and Steve Lukather (Toto).

Both Marco and Tommy were joined on stage by guitarist Soren Anderson who, although new to some of us, has performed and worked in production and recording for many years.

There was a lot of excitement on the day: some of us even queued for 30 minutes to get good seats - we knew it was going to be packed. This paid off and we sat in the front row just a couple of meters away from the band.

The performance was powerful and energetic, with that extra touch of finesse which only experienced players can provide. The songs played were mostly from Mendoza’s solo work, with some covers. It was particularly amazing how Tommy Aldridge, who is in his 50’s, can rock more than any other drummer in his or her twenties.

All three of them encouraged us to interact with them and they eagerly answered any questions we had. They shared their thoughts on the music industry, experiences of performing and gave general advice on life for a musician. At the end of the evening, we roared for more and they continued with a performance of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground. We were all on our feet, singing, clapping, and headbanging.

For me, this is definitely one of the most outstanding, inspiring and “rocking” clinics in the Institute to date!