In 2011, five drummers from Lake Howell High School in Florida put on a school talent show performance that people still talk about today. Their act was three minutes of non-stop drumming, hilarious comedy, and even a surprise Rick Roll—all combined into one amazing show.
The drummers—Nigel, Dylan, Matt, Elias, and Jordan—walk onto the stage dressed in kilts, each carrying a snare drum. As soon as they start playing, the audience knows they’re in for something special. They tap the sides of their drums, flip their sticks, and even create a sound like galloping horses. At first, the crowd is completely silent, watching in awe.
But then, as the drummers launch into their main routine, the energy explodes. Their lightning-fast beats sound like machine-gun fire, and the audience goes wild, cheering and shouting. It’s hard to believe they put this entire performance together in less than a week!
Comedy is a big part of their act. At one point, each drummer joins in on a rolling beat—except for one guy, who misses his cue. The solution? He gets a swift kick to get him back in time! The group also throws in funny dance moves—glancing around, lifting their legs, and eventually running in circles around their drums, all while keeping perfect rhythm.
The show isn’t just chaotic drumming—it also features jaw-dropping solos. One drummer flips his sticks between both ends while playing a marching band rhythm. The other four freeze in dramatic poses before jumping back in for another round of perfectly synchronized beats.
The crowd is already loving it, but the drummers take it up a notch by putting down their sticks and singing the chorus of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” The audience bursts into laughter at the unexpected Rick Roll. One drummer even yells, “Awh, I lost the game!” making the crowd laugh even harder. Ah, 2011—such a classic moment.
Then, it’s time for the grand finale. One drummer takes center stage, showing off some insane tricks. He catches drumsticks in midair, plays while crouching, and even balances a drumstick on his face while keeping the beat with another stick. The group finishes strong with a final call-and-response sequence, tapping each other’s drums in perfect rhythm. And for the ultimate ending, they lift their kilts and moon the audience! (Luckily, they’re wearing underwear—so no real Scottish surprises here!)
At Notes Like These, we can’t get enough of this performance. And clearly, the internet agrees—these drummers didn’t just win their school’s talent show, they also won over 29.6 million views on YouTube! Now that’s a legendary performance.
