Smashing stuff

My son woke me up at 1.30am.  Couldn't sleep so I had a nerd-out on drum vids and found this wicked footage of what happens in slo-mo when drumming.  Love the crash cymbal footage, and Mike Mangini is defo up there as a current Drum God. Check it:

My Number 1 Fan

Just a quick shout out to my number 1 fan Zac.  Yeah, he's my son, but hey, that's what having a son is all about right - having someone to idolize you (as clearly no-one else will)?  Love you little man.

 Watch him in action - check out how he mimics me playing traditional grip by holding the stick the wrong way round!

Now contrary to the way it may seem, I have given Zac very little encouragment to pick up the sticks and play.  Not that I don't want him to, but I want him to do it because he wants to do it, not because I want him to. If he carries on this way, he may just turn out to be natural.

I had a Dream. It was of a Stagg.

Cymbals.  They are the bane of every broke drummers life.  They are expensive, and despite being sheets of metal, they break.  After being hit with not inconsiderable force in the same spot repeatedly, they crack, and once this happens they are doomed. £100-£200 down the pan. Ouch. And believe you me, having played in a metal band for a long time I have broken more than my fair share of cymbals. Yes, you can prolong its life with some keyhole repair, but ultimately it's headed for the tip

Enter Dream cymbals.  Dream have got it right.  Dream are a Chinese manufacturer who have made Chinese cymbals for many years and have now branched out into making Turkish (or Western) type cymbals.  It has long been regarded that the Chinese have been the oldest cymbal-makers (although they came to China from Tibet), so one can not simply turn their noses up at them just because they are cheap.

Generally, cheap cymbals = rubbish sound.. Don't even bother with them if you are any kind of seasoned player. But Dream, are a frigging DREAM!!!  Seriously.  They look great, and sound utterly amazing for the price.  I have invested in the Bliss and Vintage Bliss range and I love them.  A 20" crash/ride is only £100!!!

But it gets better.

When playing heavy-metal, at some point a crash cymbal will die.  After the 5th or so cymbal in a year, enough was enough so I thought to hell with it, if they're gonna break I'm just gonna buy cheap dustbin lids, and ventured forth and bought 2 Stagg DH 14" Medium Crashes for....wait for it....£29 each!!!!  I scoured ebay for cymbal deals and found these babies and can't believe how good they sound.  Hear for yourself:

Sound bad? I think not.

Stagg are another Chinese manufacturer and have clearly stepped up their game.  That's not to say that a set of £400 Zildjian hi-hats aren't worth the money, as they definitely are, and you are getting something that is created with love, experience and attention to detail at the highest level, and with good care will last you a lifetime and give you years of playing enjoyment.  I'm merely pointing out that cheap cymbals are definitely worth a look at, especially if you're on a tight budget, as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  If the cheap name really bugs you that much, then buy some cymbal cleaner and polish it off, but I am happy to sport them at a gig with cheap brand names in full view, as it's not what you rock, it's how you rock it.

Check out Rockem Music on ebay for amazing deals on Stagg cymbals and Birmingham Drum Centre for Dream cymbals.

Never too many

I recently put photos of 'My Other Babies' on Facebook (yes, my drum kits - sad I know, but that's how I roll) and I got reactions like: '4 drum kits! How can you afford that?' or 'what do you need all those for?'

I felt like saying, 'Naff off, it's my money, I'll buy what I like!' but the reality is I am married with 2 kids, and my hard earned cash gets eaten up by them first and foremost.  So how does one afford 4 kits?  Time. Yes, time.  Have you seen Gran Torino? Same deal.  He gives the same explanation about his garage full of tools.  I didn't simply go out and spend wads of cash and drive myself into debt, I acquired slowly over 20 years.  I scoured ebay for bargains and read hundreds of gear reviews to pin point the stuff that would give me the most for my money, so much so I have it down to a fine art.  Except I don't recommend drunken ebaying (damn that ebay app!).

So, what do I need them all for?  Need, no.  Want, yes.  If someone's played the guitar for 20 years no-one bats an eyelid if they have 4 guitars.  As with the said guitarists guitars, each of my kits are different. They look, sound and feel different.  They make me play in different ways.  That's why I want them, and after 20 years, I deserve to enjoy them as I do.

OK, OK, now I feel all smug and justified I'll let you in on something...I have 9 snare drums.  9!  That's right!  Why?  Flipped if I know. Drunken ebaying perhaps? Ummm...yes. D'oh!

So what's the moral?  Well, there are two. Firstly, take time to enjoy the things you have earned in life and use that time to try to re-inspire yourself.  Seondly, don't drink and think as the decision will always be bad.

Here I go...again.

4th time lucky?  I can't believe it's come to this.  A mate pointed out to me that it's about not being narcissistic and dealing with the facts and letting people make their own minds up - share your opinions, but let them know the other side of the story too...so here I go again.
Another drum roll please....