Your backstage pass awaits, ushering you into the real world, revealing untold stories of drumming legends through never-before-seen footage and interviews. From tragedy to triumphs, get the inside look at your favorite bands from the drummer’s perspective.
Ferocious Drummers speaks to the heart, mind, and soul of everyone that loves music! Containing 41 interviews, 191 additional archival credits, and 130 songs. “Never has the story of the drummer been told so directly, completely and honestly. This is a film for anyone and everyone that can appreciate what music brings to us personally and to humanity as a whole,” said Producer Michael Pollack.
From 2007 to 2014 Billy McCarthy began his journey by interviewing 30 subjects, primarily rock and roll drummers and bassists. He compiled nearly 50 hours of interview footage that sat in his closet for over 10 years. In 2025, Pollack Films acquired the rights to produce and distribute a documentary film based upon his footage. Interviewing 11 additional drummers in 2025, compiling 12 more hours of footage and then spending 9 months in the editing room, Pollack Films finished the film. The final product is one of a kind.
What makes this film unique, aside from the number of subjects interviewed and the two decades over which those interviews took place, is the interviewer himself. Billy appears in 1980’s archival footage, then in 2007 through 2014 as the interviewer, and finally in 2025 as both an interview subject and again as the interviewer. His 19-year journey, his determination, and his perseverance are an inspiration for musicians everywhere.
While previous documentaries about drummers examine their struggles and their contribution to music, this film dives deeper. Ferocious Drummers explores the very heart and soul of these unique individuals, that make us snap our fingers, tap our feet and dance with joy.
THE MAN BEHIND THE STORY: Director and Executive Producer Billy McCarthy
Billy McCarthy (aka Billy Dior) was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs. A self-taught musician and classical pianist, he is most notably known as a drummer with the 80s band D’Molls and author of his self-published memoir, Beat Me ‘Til I’m Famous. In 1983, McCarthy co-founded the LA band, Screamin’ Mimi’s.
In 2007, McCarthy embarked on a journey to interview the most renowned drummers in classic rock, pop, metal, and jazz forging the path that led to this documentary film. McCarthy has appeared in local and national print media, including; VH1, MTV, Fox, NBC, ABC, WLUP, PBS, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, The Chicago Tribune, Publisher’s Weekly, Chicago Reader and Red Eye.
