Monthly Roundup #21 - November '19

November was fairly relaxed, with a few gigs, a new snare for the collection, and of course our usual monthly drum hang on top of the usual teaching side of things.

The first gig of the month was with function band, the “Rhythm Crew” once again, playing the usual mix of mostly rock & roll, pop and disco material - dance floor fillers! The seafront hotel we were in was taking a bit of a battering from a storm that night, so we all got thoroughly drenched come the get-out!

The usual “band squeezed into a corner” function setup!

Thoroughly drenched following the get-out at the end of the night!

The following morning (by which time I’d dried out a bit!) I was back playing at church. It was a great morning playing with a nice bunch of guys!

One exciting update this month (or at least, I think so!) came in the form of a new snare for the collection! It’s a 1966 Ludwig “Jazz Combo” 13x3 piccolo… This one has been rewrapped, so isn't all original (but the shell and hardware is), but the handy thing about that as far as I’m concerned is it meant it was cheaper than an all-original one, and it’s also had some TLC when it was rewrapped, so is in brilliant working order! I’ve been spending a bit of time getting to know it this month (and was able to use it on the gig with Tom Fitzpatrick which I’ll mention a bit further on!), but it seems to be doing exactly what I had hoped it would. I haven’t had a piccolo snare in my arsenal just yet, but I’ve been keeping an eye out for one - so when this came up, I couldn’t resist!

My new (old!) 1966 Ludwig “Jazz Combo” 13x3 piccolo snare - lovely!

The first of two outings over the month with Eagles tribute band, the Alter Eagles, was to Faversham, Kent. These two dates were the last couple of gigs with the band in my diary for the time being, as where I have been helping them out on a sort of "long-term dep” for a few months (along with a couple of other drummers), one of them has been able to take on the role of the drum chair from the new year. That’ll be great for the band, of course, but means I’ll be stepping back to more of an “as and when needed” role.

The “Alter Eagles” setup

The following week there was a nice little midweek jazz gig with Tom Fitzpatrick. It was a cosy one, with the band squeezed into a tight corner and Tom roaming a bit, but it was actually quite nice to play in such a close, intimate setting for a change as it had been a little while! But yes, it was an evening of great tunes and cool arrangements which I thoroughly enjoyed… It was also the debut gig for my new snare too, which I was delighted with! What a great drum! The conclusion I’ve come to over the first month with it is that it actually doesn’t sound especially “small” - what I mean by that, is it has a great sound which is actually quite versatile, rather than being the niche sound of a piccolo which you might expect. I’m certainly pleased to have it in the collection and shall look forward to giving it plenty of use!

All set with Tom Fitzpatrick - spot the new snare! ;)

Next, we had our monthly drum hang. This time we were relatively low on numbers, but that gave those of us there the chance to have a proper chat, where we got into talking about some warmups and practice methods we had checked out over the years, as well as talking about some books which we had worked from. All in all, a nice evening catching up and doing what we do best - talking drums! I brought along a small, slightly make-shift kit comprising of the 20x12 bass drum I picked up a few months ago, then a few snares (including the new one, which the guys were keen to see!). I’d always wanted to try making a kit out of snare drums just for fun, so figured if I couldn’t do it at a drum hang, when could I?!

The last gig for the time being with the Alter Eagles was in Sutton. As mentioned, with the band having a regular drummer lined up for the new year, I’ll be with them less often than I have been for these past few months, however there are bound to be occasions when I’m drafted in to dep - it just won’t be quite so frequent. It’s been a great few months playing regularly with the band, and it’s been really nice to have the chance to settle into the gig and get to know the music well, as oppose to having to keep my eyes on the score the majority of the time! I wish them and their new, regular drummer all the best going forwards and look forward to joining them as and when my services are required! It’s been a good few months!

The Alter Eagles setup out once again

So there you have it for November! There’s been a nice mix of things going on and I’m now gearing up for Christmas, which isn’t too full on work-wise this year - which I’m rather looking forward to!! As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed this entry and I shall catch you next time! All the best, Ed.