Phil

It's official.......you know you're getting old when you can say the following statement with confidence and mean it: I have now been playing the drums for more years than I care to remember.

During these years I've pretty much played every genre going be it orchestral (at school), folk (again, at school), jazz, funk, thrash metal, country (only once though!), and as much as I hate to admit to it because its the one genre of music I detest, I have played reggae. Now though I am a rock drummist. I've had the privilege of playing at some great venues in my time such as Sound, Fabric, The Hope and Anchor, Jazz Cafe, Covent Garden Rock Garden, The Black Bottom Club, The Orange (aka West One Four), Danesfield House, Silchester House, The Tabernacle, Notting Hill Arts Club, The Garage Islington...etc...etc.

It’s a (well known) fact that to get through a physical gig professional drummers will have the stamina of a premiership footballer. I would like to claim this is true for me too but sadly I rely purely on fluke and breathing in and out just enough to get me to the end of the gig. The breathing part has become more difficult since my fellow bandmates have lumbered me with a mic and I now "sing" backing vocals as well as drum.

Talking of my bandmates, what do I think of them? Well the band is Marks’ baby, he put it together about 15 years ago now and although he might lead you to think otherwise he is only the 3rd best bass player in the world, a great guitarist, and a bloody nice bloke. Si and I have known each other for about 17 years, he's a real professional when it comes to performing and will entertain any audience without fail, he's top front man and a top bloke too. Jerome is the only person I know who can get lost anywhere in the country and still end up in Beaconsfield! but I'll be damned if he isn't a great bloke and a mighty fine guitarist to boot! They say that Dave Grohl is the nicest guy in rock music, well these guys are the nicest guys in rock covers music. Just one other thing about Mark.....don't be drawn in by his insistence that football is a mans game. Rugby is the way forward.

As well as being a drummist I also dabble at playing guitar, piano, and any hard surface a drumstick will rebound off. I surf (although this is a little difficult living in the middle of the country), am very happily married, have a cat called Dougie, and my favourite island is Kaua'i.

I regularly assault the following instruments for no apparent reason:

Mapex Orion Limited Edition Chocolate Burst Kit: 10x8” rack tom, 12x9" rack tom, 14x14” floor tom, 16x16” floor tom, 22x18” bass drum, and a 14x5.5" snare, Premier 4000 series double braced hardware, Yamaha double bass pedal, Zyldjian 13” A Custom Hi-hats, Zyldjian 21” A Avedis Ride, Sabian 18” AAX Stage Crash, Sabian 16" AAX Thin Crash, Sabian 15” AAX Stage Crash, Vic Firth drumsticks, Protection Racket gig bags and a partridge in a pear tree. All drums are 7-ply North American Maple and damn nice too!

I now have Two children. Finlay & Niamh.