1. what first inspired you to become a drummer?

Well there are many memories and moments that come to mind to be the foundation of what first inspired me to become a drummer.

First off, I have a very strong belief that being taken to pubs, live shows and parties where bands were performing and jamming as a child, definitely had a massive effect on me.

Looking back, it was this life experience that shaped my very core as a musician. I consider myself  lucky to have a mother that nurtured her love for rock n roll music and exposed my brother and I too so much of it during my childhood. Another factor is that my father is a drummer, even though he wasn’t that supportive of me becoming a drummer, it's in my DNA.

During the early 80's when I was a little tacker, I remember my Uncle always bringing his LP's over to our house and playing all the latest rock albums that had just come out, aswell as his favourites and pummeling them really loud into my brother and I. Bands like: Van Halen, Rolling Stones, The Doors, Deep Purple and the heaps of others. He would always leave his Lp’s with us for a week or so for us to listen to. I remember really digging Charlie Watts's  drumming alot as a kid, especially the album "Under Cover". Also Songs like Billy Idols "White Wedding", Dire Straits's "Sultans of Swing and "Walk of life", not to mention Micheal Jackson's Thriller album of course. I remember being very deeply inspired then, even though I'd bearly sniffed a drumkit.

Although what really surged me into becoming a kit player was having my first lesson at age 10 by a friend of my mum's who was considered a highly talented Melbourne Rock Drummer and a great bloke. He showed me a simple 4/4 beat explaining where the kick falls and where the snare falls while counting to 4 on the hi-hats. He then said "You have 30 minutes to get it right because I won't show you again" and then he closed the door and left the room.

After every minute seeming like a second, he then returned and said “ show me “and at that moment I realised that I could now play a rock beat. It was a Gillete moment in sport..I'll never forget it.

"I use this technique on any potential newbie still to this day."

Over the next few years, I drummed on anything and everything, especially school desks, which my teachers hated. I still remember getting quite a bick kick sound on the floor with school shoes.

After starting drum lessons at the age of 13 with Peter Blick at Brighton Secondary College. I remember finally getting a drumkit on my 14th birthday and I quit drum lessons so I could jam with my brother on songs that I had dreamed of playing for years.I did this nearly everyday right up into my 20’s.Although I did return to lessons a couple of years later with Mr Blick.

Recently after a long break from drumming in bands, I saw Pinks drummer Mark Schulman’s clinic at revolver upstairs and I have to say after seeing him I was simply blown away that he was actually the guy that played on most of the songs that had inspired me as a kid. He completely re-inspired me and I now I feel I have come full circle as a drummer in the sense of inspiration.

 

2. anything that you’ve learnt along the way that’s really helped you as a drummer?

 

I think playing live shows and listening back to each performance carefully at a young age helped me more than ever. I always tried to dig as deep as I could and play as much as I could within a song, which help me build endurance and develop confidence as a player. Although I have calmed somewhat, I am very much in favour of improvising live as a player and that's how I have applied myself to drumming from the very beginning. To create a base of beats to work off and try something new all the time which really worked my nerves on stage and really helped me to improve over the years immensely.

 

Still the ultimate challenge I feel, is producing yourself to record a really good drumtrack in the studio. This is where I feel I'm learning so much from every bar of music it's almost like being a beginner all over again with each take. Overall, as I mature as a person and as a player sacrificing chops to laydown something solid always seems be the way to go.

Recording is a great teacher.

 

Some of the other tips and tricks I utilised over the years are things from other players/videos etc are:

 

# Terry Bozzio's technique's on posture and the placing of your hands and holding the sticks (Match or Orthhodox grip). I believe strongly on the importance of not being hindered by developing bad habits in your technique and posture, which is what I am always trying to niggle out. Especially after having such a long break from playing the drumkit. If your technique is incorrect I believe you can only go so far as a player.

 

# Another invaluable source was Virgil donati's "Power Drumming" exercises. Particularly the "unison" stuff and also his paradygm of getting your feet to do what your hands can do, absolutely awesome stuff!

 

# Learning how to prepare exercises and practising them to strengthen weaknesses and incorporating them in what I like to play has been an on going consensus in a good way to improve and keep it interesting.

 

# Another big contributer was learning African djembe and Congas over the last decade. It gets right down to the timekeeping aspect of drumming and also how much the world has to offer in the diversification of roles, rythyms and styles of drumming.
This definitely helped me become a more solid player and I recommend percussion to all drummers. Overall recording and listening back to to what I play on my electric kit  is my favourite way to practise at home these days. Rehearsing and playing live with a band is just a massive priveledge to improving as a drummer now.

 

# As for playing live: Lately I focus on the tempo of the song as if I was dancing to it and I concentrate on all the band members feeling a pulse. Once I get a lock with them, I adjust a nano second here or there to make it rock behind the beat ever so slightly for myself and the audience to enjoy. All in all, it's all about the “tempo”. We all waver in and out of time, some more than others and it’s the most common hiccup I see everywhere with players, no matter how much we practice, we are all human and it’s always challenging in the time keeping aspect of drumming itself.

So I focus on a strong, solid right foot, this goes a long way and it keeps the audience confident and I feel that’s what the audience needs so they can start dancing if they want. After having such a long break with playing live, the main rule with drumming for me now, is to be inspired..be very inspired and enjoy it, I feel I was way too serious back in my younger days.

 

 

3. who have you and/or who are you playing with at the moment and what are the bands movements?

 

I have played and recorded with a quite a few bands over the years, Bands I have officially drummed with over the years are:

"The FarmyardVandals"(Progressive Rock), "Premonition"(Heavy Metal Power Groove),

"Bo Jenkins"(Country Rock), "Galactic Bathfoam"(Electronic Lounge Fusion/Funk), Congas and percussion for “Mixed Business” (Jazz/Fusion/Funk) and have played African Djembe with "Blue Turban Percussion". As well as doing sessions with many artists and experimental musical projects over the years. Recently I have been recording some new drumming compositions which I hope to release as a new chapter to my solo ambitions as a drumming folio for producers and artists and friends to enjoy.

 

After a long break from playing the drums in bands regularly, In May 2009, I was asked to fill in temporarily for a group called "Tony Johannsen & The Land of Plenty". Tony is a dear friend of mine since high school and has also been the bass player next to me for most of my musical carreer. This has been an ongoing project of Tony’s and he recently reformed his band and released his debut album  last year called “The Gardner”.

Tony is a witty and very entertaining front man for all types of audiences, Tony is the main songwriter and lead vocalist/acoustic guitar player for the group. Also the band features Glenn Ford on Electric Guitar/Vocals and Andrew Beaumont on Bass Guitar/Vocals.

 

I feel Tony's band is just what the doctor ordered for me as a player right now, and all the boys can play too, so it’s great fun. It’s an Aussie style country progressive rock group “Tour de force style”, with a very witty and entertaining aspect to it. Before joining the band I was also a big fan of the music, so to have recently become the bands permanent stickman.

I feel very honoured and excited to be playing live again and record on an album soon.

Since playing with the band in May 2009, we have played at Northcote Social Club and have toured to Castlemaine with Root (X Tism).We played 3 monthly residencies at “Pure Pop Records Beer Garden” in St kilda and have had great response there and I have enjoyed every show every time. We then finished up 2009 at Gertrude’s Brown Couch and we are now beginning pre production for Tony Johannsen and The Land of Plenty’s new album for 2010.

 

As for gigs in 2010, we have a residency booked for March at Pure Pop Records on Saturdays at 6pm till 8pm. 221 Barkly st, St Kilda and I’m really excited to get cracking on the skins more and more.

 

4. what gear are you using at present?

 

Currently I am playing a Gretch Blackhawk with Zildian and Ufip Cymbals. Gibraltar hardware, Remo Heads and Vater Sticks.

 

5. what would be your dream gig?

 

I have always dreamed of playing the main stage at St kilda festival on the beach, but the big dream for me is to play in Japan.

 

6. favourite drummers and/or bands and why?

 

Well over the years I’ve been heavily influenced by Heavy rock/metal and funk etc and always loved a huge sound and tasty chops, especially with a meticulous approach to the composition of drumming on an album recording.

Some of these guys are:


 

 

Chad Smith: The Red Hot Chili Peppers”

Have loved The Chilli Peppers since Mothers Milk, Chad is the guy in every sense of the "fun and happiness" side to funk on the drumkit and I have learnt so much from listening to his stuff.

 

Will Calhoun:”Living Colour”

Well Living Colour inspired me so much to get as good as I possibly could at one stage, more so, Will's drumming gave me great ideas on approaching heaps of styles and genres of music..

 

Lars Ulrich “Metallica”

I respect his drumming so much and his energy is unsurpassed, his compositional approach to drumming inspires me still to this day.

 

Vinnie Paul “Pantera”

The Cowboy from hell is just a monster.

Utilises a big sound so well.


 

Charlie Benante “Anthrax”

In my early days I found his intro’s and build ups in his writing, unbelievable..the ultimate drum intro build it kinda player, especially “Indians” on Among the Living”

 

Virgil Donati “On the Virge”

Without his videos and the Stretch album, I don't think I would have got my feet happening as much, the guy is just amazing.

 

Mitch Mitchell “The Jimi Hendrix Experience”

The core foundation player that made me caress the idea of expressing myself as a drummer.

 

Charlie Watts “The Rolling Stones”

Just a great tasty player with a real slappy style, always enjoy his snare sounds too.

 

John Bonham

Rock’s essential drumming master, love his patience as a player. I don’t know how many times I’ve jumped the gun wanting to do that opening fill into “Stairway to Heaven”, while airdrumming.

 

Jeff Burrows “The Tea Party”

Fell in love with his style and still enjoy his wickedly fat beats, he’s a master that is not of high profile, but I recommend the Tea Party to anyone especially the first two albums. “Splender Solace and “Edges of Twilight”.

 

Fallon Williams “Relax with Max”.

My friend and drumming mentor, I love his playing and I try and see him around town whenever I can. Melbourne’s funk master.

 

Mark Schulman “Pink”

His drumming is great, he’s played on all the songs that shaped my childhood and love for drums, he is also a really hard hitter with awesome dynamics, which I love.
He fired me up at his clinic that Steve put on for us at Revolver upstairs.

 

Cheers Steve, you rock dude!

< Prev		Next >