Where's the best place to find a drummer for my band?

Nick from cinic

Junior Member
First of all I apologise for hijacking your drummers forum. I'm not a drummer (although I did buy an electronic kit earlier this year and begin lessons). My problem is that I'm looking for a drummer for my band who are based near Manchester, UK and I'm running short of inspiration as all my pleas so far have fallen on deaf ears.

I've been on loads of websites such as JoinMyBand.co.uk and BandMix.co.uk even using paid subscriptions in order to improve the visibility of my ad, but you rhythmical fellows seem to be quite an elusive bunch or, as I suspect, I'm perhaps not looking in the right place.

So sitting at my desk and at my wits' end, I thought that the best place to try to attract a drummer might be a place where drummers hang out. So here I am and if I'm committing some terrible faux pas by being here, then again I apologise, but a band's got to have a drummer and nothing else has worked so far.

Anyway, we're Cinic and we rehearse in Stockport near Manchester, UK. We're a guitar/keys based alternative rock band (for want of a better description) and we've got 10-12 decent songs ready to hit stages with and many more in the pipeline just as soon as we recruit a drummer.

In the last few days we've started generating interest from promoters (I'm not sure how significant this is just yet, but its certainly not a bad thing).

Age is unimportant but we're all young-looking (and devilishly handsome) late 30s - early 40s but talent, attitude and personality and what counts.

Our website is www.cinic.co.uk and on there are songs, videos, info, contact details and links to Soundcloud and YouTube.
Any sort of feedback would be much appreciated from "f**k off" through "Try this website" to "I'll be your drummer!"

Thanks for reading

Nick (from Cinic)
 
You could try craigslist.co.uk

Works miracles in America, not sure how well-known the website is in the UK as I haven't used it myself.

Quite easy to use from what I gather, you can enter the location where you are and when drummers go on the website looking for bands, when they enter their location, your ad should show up. (provided they are in Manchester too).

Just a suggestion.
 
No faux pas... going where the drummers go is the smartest move. There are several Brits here, I'm sure you'll get some responses.

Good luck!

Bermuda
 
Gumtree is good.

I'd get rid of all that "bext best thing" stuff from your website too. Not trying to have a go, but it puts me off when I see stuff like that.
 
Your best bet is networking. Go to where the drummers are. Local gigs, music stores, rehersal spaces. I have never had much luck with answering ads. Most of my gigs have come from other musicians coming up to me after a show and talkig to me or me meeting a dude at a local gig who is also a musico. Get your name out there. Let everybody know your looking for a drummer. That is the best way I have found to make things happen.

Quick story to enforce my point. I met the guys in my current band through my local music store. I have a guy I talk to every time I go into the store and one day we were talking about my desire to join a new band. He mentioned he had some friends looking for a drummer. A few emails later I was at an audition. It is really that easy sometimes.
 
Go to all of the open mic jam nights in your area. Or out of your area. Listen to the drummers play. Talk to the drummers that play well. If they are playing at jam night, they are probably not in a band.

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I'd get rid of all that "bext best thing" stuff from your website too. Not trying to have a go, but it puts me off when I see stuff like that.

I have taken and followed that particular piece of advice so thanks for that and thanks also for all the other advice given by every one else. We'll give some of those ideas a go.

N
 
I've had really good luck with placing and responding to ads. One thing I've noticed with ads is that you have to be mindful of how you write them. For example, if you write one out of frustration or try too hard to enumerate everything you don't want in a drummer, that can be a turn off for a lot of people. Also, being too strident in what you do want can have the same effect. I see time and time again where ads list a ton of obscure bands they want to sound like and those always put me off if I'm not familiar with at least a couple of them. Sometimes it's better to just strip it all down and say something like, "looking for cool drummer for [originals][cover] band" and leave it at that. Might not hurt to add a few well-known drummers you dig just to give the reader some reference point, but keep it simple to leave the door open to as many drummers as possible.

Good luck!
 
I'm too far away from you, but just chiming in to say I think your material is interesting. I'll take issue with you on "devilishly handsome" though ;)

Seriously, there are some Manchester based drummers on this forum, so hopefully they'll take a look.

Good luck :)
 
I just answered a "drummer wanted" ad on craigslist. I'm nowhere near UK. Just wanted to say that drummers are out there and looking, and I use craigslist.
 
I'd do it but you guys will have to foot the bill for the plane tickets roundtrip from L.A. to Heathrow ;)
 
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