Hi MattH10
Do you and Terry Branam still keep in touch? It would be amazing to get a book of transcriptions for your solo Cheating The Polygraph record and of your work on Chemical Reactions.
Indeed it would. Yes I'm still in touch with Terry. We're working on something new at the moment - but not a transcription book at the moment.
Hi ZGR8CVER
-What cymbal are you using the bell on in the intro to "Leave Me Be?" Love it!
I think it's the K Zildjian 22" Custom High Definition Ride
-What crash is your "primary" over the hats and 8" tom in "The Final Thing on My Mind" live video? I cannot figure it out, even with pausing.
That's a 20" K Custom crash (prototype)
-Lastly, I see you are using the K Sweets for crashes all around now. Of the 2 you play what is your favorite? ....if you only had to pick one? I am looking to add a new "primary" crash above the hats and cannot decide what size to get! 18, 19, or 20? Related to question 2
I think the 20" K Sweet crash is my favourite - but they're both excellent.
HI DeganMusic
I know you like to play a lot of jazz in your down time, and don't take on projects that you won't musically enjoy - but of the various bands and projects you've been involved with, are there any pieces that stand out as being particularly satisfying to play (as opposed to a satisfying composition)?
I think it's basically the same thing. If it's a fantastic composition and I all I need to do is quarter notes on a ride cymbal - then I'm very satisfied.
I suspect what you're after are more 'drummy' tunes. A lot of the songs I made with 05Ric on the 3 albums we did together were great fun and challenging to play. Off the top of my head songs like: Sailing, Life, Clock, Circles, Scar, Beyond The A, Goodbye, Prize, Own
Likewise, are there any songs/ grooves you particularly enjoy spending a lot of time on from bands you've not been part of? I've heard you playing or quoting a lot of Steve Jansen drum grooves, but it's hard to imagine you jamming out Meshuggah tracks while you were picking apart some of their ideas!
I can't remember playing along to really 'drummy' tunes of other bands whilst trying to work them out. When I hear something I really like - my first reaction is not to run to the drums and see if I can play it - but rather try to understand what is it that makes me 'feel' a certain way about it. Then later down the road I might remember that 'feeling' without remembering what the exact details were - so I can try to recreate something with a similar feeling. For example - whilst writing the Pineapple Thief song "Try As I Might" (with Bruce Soord) the feeling in the chorus I was thinking of was "Fame" by David Bowie. Of course the 2 songs are nothing like each other - but I wanted to emulate that 'really straight simple groove' feeling that I got from "Fame". I'm sure nobody would have recognised that - but sometimes that's how things influence me.
cheers
Gavin