Anika Nilles – Bremme + Hohensee Konzertagentur english

Anika Nilles – Photo: Marius Mischke

Her wide musical vocabulary, her expressiveness and lightness, her very tasteful, subtle drum compositions with surprisingly explosive drum fills inspire drummers all over the world – says “Die Zeit” about Anika Nilles. And that sums it up perfectly. The young woman has toured the world as a solo artist, she is a highly respected drum teacher, her YouTube performances have over 27 million clicks and she has become the head of the drum department at the Mannheim Pop Academy.

But her playing is anything but academic; her sound and style, as well as her soulful compositions, have become the hallmark of what is often referred to as ‘modern drumming’. Her rhythmic intelligence also impressed heroes such as the recently deceased Jeff Beck, who took her on his last major tour alongside megastar Johnny Depp, which ended with his sudden death on 23 January. At the memorial concert for the guitar icon at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Anika Nilles shared the stage with Eric Clapton, Ron Wood, Rod Stewart, John McLaughlin and many other megastars.

And what did she take away from her time with non-conformist rock star Jeff Beck? Just to do your own thing. Without worrying about what is being said or what is happening left and right. And so she is fully committed to her own music, her own band Nevell – a melting pot of jazz, funk, rock and pop. A great band, a captivating musician with enormous stage charisma – a master of her craft.