Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello has joined the legions of artists defending The White Stripes’ Meg White, calling her one of the “greatest drummers in the history of rock n roll”. White has been at the centre of a online debate that was sparked by a viral tweet from journalist Lachlan Markay, who called White’s drumming “terrible”.
“The tragedy of the White Stripes is how great they would’ve been with a half-decent drummer,” Markay wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “No band is better for having shitty percussion,” the former Axios journalist added.
Tom Morello: “Show Some Respect”
The tweet went down like a lead balloon, with artists like Questlove, Laura Jane Grace, Ben Lee, Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra all stepping in to trumpet White’s skill and dunk on Markay.
In a post on Instagram over the weekend, Morello said he wanted to “set fools straight” about the topic, writing that there isn’t even a debate over whether White was one of the greatest of all time.
“There are a HANDFUL of drummers EVER who are INSTANTLY recognizable rocking their MANY HIT SONGS with Flavor, Fire & Flair,” he wrote. “She’s on that list, bruh.”
He continued, “She has style and swag and personality and oomph and taste and awesomeness that’s off the charts. And a vibe that’s untouchable by all you boring-ass skin beaters who think we care about your ‘tight’ syncopated para-diddles.”
The White Stripes frontman – and Meg White’s ex-husband – Jack White shared a tender poem in response to the whole schemozzle.
Markay has since issued a grovelling apology about the whole affair, labelling his initial tweet “ill-advised” and “obnoxious”. His Twitter bio now includes the description, “Bad music take haver.”
Further Reading
Jack White Shares Poem Responding to Viral Tweet Dismissing Meg White’s Drumming Ability
Questlove, Laura Jane Grace and Others Defend Meg White’s Drumming Amid Social Media Debate
