John Douglas, who stepped in as Aerosmith’s touring drummer, recently reflected on his journey with the band on The Jeremy White Show. He also recalled a confession from Joe Perry about the challenges of continuing without their original drummer, Joey Kramer.
Douglas recounted his first days with the band, highlighting the real-time pressures of live performances. Admitting it was a risky move for each side to bring him into the band, he said:
“After that show, I think it was Joe Perry who commented on something did effective*. That was crazy for me to say yes, and I’m like, ‘I don’t know who was crazy, me for doing it, or you guys for letting me’ because it could have been an epic disaster. Of course, nowadays, everybody in the audience is doing this [holds his phone in the air]. So, I knew I would be on YouTube before I ever got to my hotel room that night.
There’s no escaping that kind of stuff anymore, which adds to the pressure. But yeah, it could have gone so bad in so many ways. I don’t know what any of us were thinking, it’s just the nature of rock and roll. And look, Aerosmith likes it dangerous, man. That’s one thing I’ve learned. They are very much still a dangerous, live rock and roll band. They don’t step back from the edge.”
The drummer also mentioned that he tried to keep his drum kit setup akin to Kramer’s, with only minor personal modifications:
“So, when things progressed, and I brought my drums in, this set up basically how Joey did. You know, I move things for me, but the basic setup, the parameters, the number of drums, and all that stuff is basically the same. So, that being said, as I did the very first night with Aerosmith, my job was, as I saw it, to get them through the show. I’m not there to make a personal statement or to shoehorn my ideas into their music.”
Perry, in a separate interview with radio station 102.3 WBAB, expressed concern for Kramer, stating that the rigors of drumming had taken a toll on him over the last 50 years. While Kramer still holds his official title as a member of Aerosmith, the guitarist voiced doubts about his return behind the drums for future shows.
Kramer initially took a temporary departure from the band in 2019 due to minor shoulder injuries. While he expressed a desire to return post-recovery, tensions arose within the band about his readiness to perform, eventually leading to legal disputes.
Although the band members resolved their issues, a series of unfortunate events, including the passing of Kramer’s wife Linda in 2022, have kept the drummer away from the limelight.
Douglas, who originally served as the drum technician for Aerosmith, replaced Kramer on the band’s Farewell Tour. The transition wasn’t new for Douglas; he had previously filled in for Kramer in 2019. With Douglas on the drums, the band performed in Bangor, Maine, on September 4, 2022, after a hiatus of two and a half years.
Check out the rest of the interview below.
