What d’you call someone who hangs out with musicians ... the drummer. With the prospect of being the butt of jokes like that, why did I choose to play drums? Well, like most musicians will tell you there is something you can’t define that naturally inclines you to pick up an instrument. At the age of nine years old I realised that my natural inclination was to play drums. My folks had thrown good money after bad trying to successfully produce a pianist. After two years and much cash had been wasted my piano teacher finally conceded defeat and recommended a good drum teacher. My uncle got me my first kit for my tenth birthday. It was marginally better than some saucepans and dustbin lid cymbals and was a collection of different bits and pieces cannibalised from several sources. Nothing matched and it sounded awful. But it was my first kit. And it started a drumming journey that has taken me in various musical directions – from jazz to orchestral, indie to progressive rock. Along the way I’ve picked up a broad range of influences and found that many different drummers, from the most famous to the more obscure, have inspired and shaped the way I play. Here’s a quick list of some of my biggest influences. See how many names you recognise:
Stewart Copeland, Buddy Rich, Vinnie Colaiuta, Omar Hakim, Steve Gadd, Gene Krupa, Larry Mullen Jr, Keith Moon, Cindy Blackman, Manu Katche, Neil Peart, Sheila Escovado, John Bonham , Mitch Mitchell, Phil Collins, Dave Abbruzzese, Steve White.
How many did you get? If you had heard of more than 5 then you’re probably a fellow drummer. If you know more than five and you’re not a drummer then you have too much time on your hands. Let’s face it, most people never know (or care) who the drummer is.
That’s wierd. Only 2 female drummers out of 17. I hadn’t previously considered the gender imbalance. Why aren’t there more female drummers? I guess there’s the one out of The Corrs but she doesn’t count. No offence, but she’s terrible ...
In this feature I’m going to share the reasons why the drummers I’ve listed have influenced me. I’ll also be putting the case for their general contribution towards making drumming cool, whether or not you like the bands they were in or their music.
If you’re a fellow drummer, I hope you enjoy sharing my influences. And for all you non-drummers I hope this will give you a greater sense of the passion that we sticksmiths have for our craft.

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