Read @ Joe’s

Title: Count Me In (2025) Director: Mark Lo Studio: Level 33 Entertainment IMDb Plot: A cast of successful drummers discuss the joy and exhilaration of a life dedicated to driving the beat. Joe Says: Count Me In is one helluva show that deserves multiple encores.

Count Me In is a rockin’ documentary that turns the spotlight onto what eight-outta-ten fans call their favorite instrument: drums. Directed by musical producer Mark Lo, Count Me In is the story of a certain breed of musician, of their drive, and their exhilaration; a story about artists behind their skins. When a band is playing strong, no one wants the groove to end. Count Me In is one helluva show that deserves multiple encores. And the beat is phenomenal.

Lo perfectly crafts an in-depth look that is both a gateway and an affirmation. Insider tech speak is at a minimum, tell-all rumors are mere whispers. This is a celebration of music and joy that requires no translation.

Count Me In features rock’s top drummers recounting their passion for the instrument, their dedication to their craft, and the absolute joy music brings them. A veritable who’s who of legendary drummers all jam within: 

Stewart Copeland (The Police), Roger Taylor (Queen), and Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) talk about the thrill of drumming. 

Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction) discuss history. 

Rat Scabies (The Damned), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jess Bowen (Bad Genius), and Samantha Moloney (Hole) talk about the power and the energy and commanding both a song and a room. While Cindy Blackman Santana (Santana), Emily Dolan Davies (Bryan Ferry), Abe Laboriel Jr. (Paul McCartney), and a tour bus full of others provide their history and insight. 

Lo also captures the powerful presence of Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters) in an interview filmed before his untimely death.

Lo lets the musicians talk about their beginnings and the lightning they feel when behind their kit. They give homage to and speak of the inspiration provided by others who came before them: Ringo Starr, Charlie Watts, Keith Moon, John Bonham, and Ginger Baker – drummers who elevated their craft into previously unheard of ways. Lo particularly allows Santana, Davies, Bowen, and Moloney – all women – to lay down their own beat and discuss their paths into music, their successes, and the difficulties they’ve shared. 

Alongside these incredible tales and performances – Perkins’ take on Keith Moon’s “Who Are You?” is incomparable – the drummers ruminate about the beginnings of rock drumming, from the Big Band era to the Dave Brubeck Quartet and rock’s incorporation of the Blues. McBrain and Paice pry into the differences between a rock beat and drumming in Jazz. These stories are engaging and fulfilling. Even when these masters are simply tapping their fingers on a table top, they elicit a beat that makes you want to groove. 

Count Me In is not a history of drumming. Aside from tales of its own evolution, only once does the docu spin into a specific past: the music of the 80’s – particularly in regards to the influence of drum machines. The Eurythmics and The Human League are called out almost in disdain,  pointing out that the use of such electronics lacks a human touch. The movie fails to present the other side as a great many bands (Genesis, Duran Duran, and many others) would use such instruments as a tool – not as a replacement. This is the only instance where the documentary momentarily slips. 

Lo gives the musicians and their stories a focus. But to paraphrase that Billy Idol song, there coulda been more, more, more. From Phil Collins (Genesis) to Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), from Sheila E (Prince) to Neil Peart (Rush), Count Me In makes due with its extraordinary sampling and makes no excuses for any of those notable absences. Instead, Mark Lo brings a tightness to his movie knowing full well that the beat continues to go on.