I haven't heard one for a while and I don't miss the experience at all. The only good thing about them was the bit at the end where the band came back in. You still get them occasionally where the artist has lured some legendary session drummer out on the road and the price they've had to pay is to let them do a featured spot. I think I saw the great Steve Gadd sully his reputation with Paul Simon by doing just this. Strange how they can't resist it. It's like watching a great goalkeeper do keepy-uppies.
Most interminable:
1. Dennis Davis on David Bowie's "Station To Station" tour in 1976. Went on for what seemed like weeks while the star went off stage and refreshed himself.
2. Mickey Hart on the Grateful Dead's last UK tour. I left after five minutes, made my way to the back of Wembley, exited, found my car, drove it out of the car park and as I was leaving heard Bob Weir say "Mickey Hart, ladies and gentlemen..."
3. Any group led by a drummer.

And they've not all been bad:

1) Neil Peart, Rush, Signals Tour, Wembley Arena, 1983: a couple of years previously, the Exit... Stage Left album had come out, which included a drum solo on the track YYZ. Because Peart didn't change his solos much, everyone was already familiar with what he was going to play, and I distinctly remember scanning the arena and seeing 10,000+ people air-drumming along. Accurately.

2) Tommy Lee, Motley Crue, on several occasions in the 80s. How can you not be entertained by a drummer strapped into his seat, the kit suspended on rails, up-side down, above the audience? You don't get this at Radiohead shows.

Conversely, I've been to thousands of gigs and have never seen a band trash their equipment.

As for the legendary bass solo ... it must be just a joke, right. It never like actually ever happened.

...but I did once watch this Deep Purple live DVD, it contains not only an interminable drum solo but also some prolonged keyboard noodling. Ian Gillan gamely bangs away on congas for the duration.
Didn't Rick Wakeman used to eat a curry during the others solo spots?

Rat Scabies always did great solos - partly because of the Keith Moon manicness, but mainly because the crowd and rest of The Damned would chant various motifs in time with the rolls and fills.

"Sack the Drummer"

"God this is boring"

"More boring by the minute"

Phil Collins and Chester Thompson provide a high-point in drum-soloing, anything but a trip to the bar/gents the result. I have witnessed Phil also do a tambourine solo and even a drum machine solo (on Duchess) when they were a hip new thing (drum machines, not Genesis).

if they are any good. Its about keeping a tight groove and taking the band into exciting detours.I saw a few drum solos in my early gigging days most notably Ian Paice of Deep Purple and Carl Palmer of ELP - invariably they were all rubbish. Contrast this with the drummer on the Richard Thompson Band last tour - I think his name is Michael Jerome from memory, very small kit but extremely tight and he made everything look effortless but what incredible feel and metronomic timing. He very nearly stole the show and when you are on stage with Richard and Danny Thompson and Pete Zorn that is no mean feat.

this is a great bass solo (from about 2:20) from Troublefunk.

Eddie Starr from Wrathchild sometimes did a great drum solo that ended with him coming out front BANGING HUGE STICKS together (5:13). Very exciting. That bloke down the front - at the right - with the blonde hair? I'm stood next to him, aged 14.

Having cut my gig-going teeth watching many many dodgy UK and US Heavy Metal bands in the early to late 80's, I've seen more than my fair share of drum solos, bass solos, guitar solos, keyboard solos, and in some cases, vocal solos. In 95% of the cases these provided the opportunity to visit the bar/toilet, particularly the guitar solos involving much fret-wankery and throwing of shapes; can't think of a good/memorable one at all.

Drum solos - well, the odd good one. Neil Peart has already been mentioned... and that's about it I think. The rest mainly follow the same "look how fast and hard I can hit my drums!" pattern (similar to the "look how fast and loud I can play my guitar!" ethos of the average HM lead guitarist.)

So in summary you're not missing much... if you really want it you could attend jazz gigs where everyone gets a solo in EVERY song! ;-)

Cheers

BabyFrank

at a Pearl Jam gig (late 2006); after a guitar solo, the band slowly withdrew and let Matt Cameron let it rip for a couple of minutes. Crowd loved it - as much for the effort and skill as the fact he actually did it. At a guess, it wass the first one most of the crowd had ever seen. The band seemed to like it to, probably because it gave them a bit of a breather break mid-gig.

Is it possible that the lack of drum solos is related to the diminishing popularity of live albums: without a template to work off (i.e. the obligatory solo, usually somewhere on side three), many aspiring drummers might not be getting the idea.

..in many guises.
1/ The boring jazz ones.
This will invairiably be performed by some bepermed clinician called something like Dave Weckle or Vinnie Calaiuta. It will display more amazing chops than a butchers window, but will in no way be as tasty. The audience will comprise solely of other coves who wish to play like this.
2/ The entertaining jazz ones.
This will be either Buddy Rich, Louis Belson or Joe Jones. It will be astounding, fun to watch and will be relatively short.
3/ The funk solo.
This will keep the groove, but the drummer will add or subtract beats to show that he is not a drum machine.
4/ Most rock solos.
Unlike his jazz counterparts, this soloists' fellow musicians will leave him alone on the stage while they go off for a quick meeting with a chap named Charlie. His piece will comprise of some dunderheaded random whacks on various bits of hardware, and will end with a climax whereupon every item will be flayed simultaneously, causing the drummers platform to shake in an alarming fashion. At pre-ordained points during the solo, items of clothing will be removed, to indicate the level of toil required.
Ages will pass before the refreshed band return to the stage and the audience returns from the bar.
5/ The great rock solo.
That would be Mr. J Bonham esq on Led Zep's DVD.

I remember dancing to a 6-odd minute Deep Purple drum solo during a dance in Devon (doh) circa 1971. I also remember starting to feel like a twat about halfway through, but kept going as I felt that stopping would give that notion unwelcome credibility. Didn't score that evening, funnily enough.
Andy

The only one I can recall (but I must have endured others) was Albertos Y Lost Trios Paranoias - the drum solo saw the drummer and kit, on the riser, wheeled to the front of the stage then wheeled to the side then wheeled to the other side by various band members and road crew so that he could "reach" all sections of the audience.