JohnT58
(Surrey/SW London)
Thursday 29 Nov 2018, 8:31am
Age 60 (going on 30 - I can still play an energetic 3 hour gig without a break if I have to). I played pubs and clubs regularly for 7 straight years when younger, until family, mortgage and real life put this on hold for 25 years or so. Having been widowed, I got back into it, and take occasional lessons with Darby Todd (when he's not touring) - a great drummer/musician, and an excellent teacher - to resurrect any technique I might have had. I consider myself a reasonably advanced player, with plenty of gigging experience, but will happily own up to my limitations, if I feel that I'm not able to achieve what you're after.
I appreciate a wide range of music, regardless of "genre". I'll happily listen to everything from AWB to Zappa, and everything in between. My current preferred listening includes artists such as Kiasmos, Portico Quartet, Esbjorn Svensson Trio, the Hiromi Trio Project, Larnell Lewis, and Binkbeats amongst others. If there's musicianship involved, it's worth listening to, and learning from.
I'm currently the principal "dep" for Quiet Wish - a band signed to a management company, that can't afford to turn down gigs if their regular drummer is committed elsewhere. Their music is alt-rock electronic trip-hop, ambient, progressive based "landscaping" which is in stark contrast to the set list of the 60's/70's/80's covers band I have been gigging with regularly for the last 2 years or so. Sadly, as sometimes happens, my involvement with the covers band is recently no more, but the upside is that it frees me up to explore other avenues (or the same ones with new people!).
I'm a fairly quick learner (but don't instantly sight read), and have had some click-track experience. I am aware of the need for dynamic variation, and I am not one to spoil a melodic line with over-zealous playing. I can also count up to 3, 5, 7, 9 etc. So if you need a drummer, even if for a one-off gig or temporarily, or your band needs to supplement what your regular drummer provides for a particular song or set, and I'm free.... do get in touch - what could possibly go wrong?
Equipment: A Brazilian Odery Eyedentity kit - 10"/12"/14"/20" maple shells, Tama Sound Lab Project 14" maple snare, all with Evans G1 heads, and a variety of Sabian cymbals. Gibraltar hardware, and a DW5000 kick pedal. I have access to an electronic sample pad for additional percussion sounds..... and I can drive too!