Monthly Roundup #19 - September '19

Following a pretty relaxed Summer, September struck with a vengeance! It was great fun to get back to it though with both the teaching and playing, where there were lots of different gigs to enjoy over the month.

The first spot of playing was another week playing at my church, but this one was a little different to usual… At my church there’s been a bit of an ongoing thing about the best way to handle the drums from the production side of things. For a number of years now, the kit has been in a soundproof booth, although that’s become less and less soundproof over the years…! So on this particular Sunday it was agreed we’d give it a go without the booth and simply play “to the room”. After trialing it for a few more weeks, it looks like the new approach may be here to stay - which definitely gets my vote! For all the perks of being in a booth, for Sunday morning’s where following the room is key, and the songs are usually subject to change at the last moment, relying on communication between the band, I much prefer it. Sure, for other gigs the booth can work really nicely, but in my opinion on a Sunday morning, you can’t beat being “in the room”!

Freed from the box! ;)

Being September, the schools were back, so all my teaching started up again after the summer break. It was great to get back into the swing of things with that, and really nice to get back to work with the kids I see. There were a number of new students who started with the new school year too, with some vacancies coming up as a result of some previous students moving on to secondary school etc. There were some really good young drummers among them this year, so while it’s sad to see them go, I know they’ll do brilliantly with their next drum teachers and I’m proud to pass them on! I actually really enjoy starting up with new students too though (fortunately!), as I think there’s something really special about getting people started on their journey and trying to spark an initial passion for the instrument. So on the whole, I’ve really enjoyed getting back into the teaching side of things after the Summer holidays!

My electric kit setup, which I bring to a couple of the schools I visit who don’t have their own drums.

The kind of room I often spend most of my weekdays in… Earplugs essential!

Next up was a midweek rehearsal with the “Alter Eagles” tribute band I’m involved with, as one of their upcoming gigs is a little different to the usual show... With this one, we were to perform the entirety of the Hotel California album, including a string quartet, plus there were a few new songs that were being added to the regular show. It’s been a few months since I’d been out with these guys (with me being in holiday-mode over the Summer!), so it was great to get back together again. Also, shout out to Hive Studios in Horley for being the nicest rehearsal studios I’ve ever been to - very nice!!

Rehearsing with the Alter Eagles guys

That weekend there were a couple of gigs... The first was with Tom Fitzpatrick playing at a weekend festival dubbed “The Tiddly Proms”. The idea was that they would flick between live music (swing, mainly) and then airing “The Proms” on a big screen between sets. It was a really nice evening with a great turnout, and best of all, it was dry! The crowd were really up for it and we had a really enjoyable set. A nice gig, all round! One thing I did try out on this one was utilising a second snare, as where most of the set was swing, there were a few more poppy arrangements in there which were more backbeat heavy. I had a tambourine/jingle thing on it to give it a little something extra and it worked out nicely… I might have to do it more often! Really enjoying that cymbal setup too - 15”, 20” & 22” Keropes with the 19” Beautiful Baby. Lovely!!

My setup with Tom Fitzpatrick at the “Tiddly Proms”

The following night was back to one of the regular gigs of mine with function band, “The Rhythm Crew” playing at a local hotel. It’s a nice gig - local, a good band, and to top it off - band sandwiches!

Following another week of teaching, the next weekend had a couple of outings with the Alter Eagles guys. The first was at a club in Essex on the Friday night, and the next was a little more local for me with a Sunday afternoon in Brighton. As mentioned, it had been a few months since I’d been out with the band after my Summer holidays, so it was great to get back out with two gigs on the trot to get back into it. The Brighton gig on the Sunday was at the Open Air Theatre, and the weather forecast suggested it could be a write-off due to heavy rain all day, but we persevered and despite some light showers during setup, it actually stayed dry for the gig and then turned into a lovely evening, so we got away with it! We did have the marquee and tarps at the ready though, just in case!

Hiding from the rain in the marquee…

…and with the front off, ready for the show!

The following week I was away with Pete James doing some Spring Harvest “local” events in Norwich, Wolverhampton and Stafford, which are part of the build-up for the main events at Easter - for which we’ll be playing in Harrogate for the week. For the most part, it was a week spent in the van, but as the band was made up of a nice bunch of guys (speak for yourself, Ed!), it was essentially a week hanging out with mates and doing a bit of playing each evening! Overall, a really nice week!

I took inspiration from my cymbal setup earlier in the month (with the Keropes and the Beautiful Baby), which worked really nicely despite the music being very different!

I never get bored of the finish on this kit - limited edition “Burnt Orange Oyster”

The day after getting home from the stint with Pete, I was back out with the Alter Eagles - this time, doing the gig we had rehearsed for earlier on in the month. As mentioned, the first set was playing the full Hotel California album from start to finish, and the second set was more of a mixture of Eagles hits. Having the string quartet join us made it that extra bit special, and it was a lovely venue to have it in!

The Alter Eagles setup

Finally, we had our monthly drum hang. For this one we decided to focus on vintage/”quirky” gear we had between us, which was a fun one! I brought along a couple of bass drums and snare drums from my collection, and others brought along more snare drums, some quirky cymbals, and vintage percussion and accessories. The snare drums I brought along were my 1940’s, 14”x6.5” brass Premier (which I found in a charity shop a few years back!) and my 1965 Ludwig 400. With the bass drums, one was the 20"x12” I picked up at the last drum hang, so it was cool for the guys to see that again and give it a go, and also my 26”x6” bass drum I found in the back of a school cupboard and gave a second chance at life! They’re both very different, but really quite usable, handy drums to have in the collection!

That’s a wrap for September! It was a busy one with lots of different things going on (which is what I enjoy the most!), so after a quiet Summer it was nice to get back to it with all the variety. I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s entry after a few fairly quiet ones, and as always, I hope to catch you next time! All the best, Ed.