dD Drums hosts night to celebrate website launch

To herald the arrival of their brand-spanking new website dD Drums, a specialist drum shop in central Scotland, is hosting a Drum Night at Falkirk's City Nightclub on Thursday 29 October (between 7 and 10pm).

The night will feature the talents of the dD Drums teachers Ted McKenna (Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallacher), Phillip Ragsdell (Jazzcourse UK) and dD owner David Dowell as well as performances on the night from selected pupils of the drum school, and appearances from groups Puff Uproar and the Shimmering Sound Affair, and the dD Drums Bang Gang.

Now here's a little about the acts for the night...

After 43 years of drumming, with such names as The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Rory Gallagher, Greg Lake, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker, Ian Gillan and Womack & Womack, amongst many others, Ted McKenna is about to embark on a number of drumming master classes which will Kick off at dD Drums in Falkirk 29th Oct 2009 and include an appearance at London´s prestigious Drum Tech school. Ted currently lectures in the Faculty of Creative & Applied Arts at North Glasgow College, teaches at dD Drums and recently toured Australia and the UK with SAHB and Japan with MSG.


Ted McKenna

A well-respected drummer who has appeared in many types of settings in many genres, Phill Ragsdell started playing drums at the age of fourteen, after extensively studying drums with John Savage, winning a Percussion scholarship at the Guildhall School of music, studying Jazz at the internationally renowned Leeds College of Music and a stint in the Royal Air Force Music Services. Phillip has become an important independent drummer and educator in the Scottish drumming scene.
In the last few years has been working with the Celtic rock band Piperactive, and studying again at Leeds Collage of Music. He is the resident jazz tutor at dD Drums and is presently forming a new jazz quintet with the international guitarist Roshan Samtani.

Puff Uproar and the Shimmering Sound Affair are Falkirk's very own street band. With harmonious, up-lifting, cacophonous brass and a rhythm section that will make your eye-balls rattle with bass-y goodness, the band aim to transport you from the colourful climes of the Sao Paulo carnival down through South Eastern Europe for complex, Klezmer, crashing and across to Russia for moody, melodious marching music that can´t fail to enrapture your mind and take control of your feet.

Bang Gang are dD Drums' in-house drum ensemble playing a selection of influential drum parts with a new twist. Like a rhythmic history lesson through some of the greatest parts ever recorded, guaranteed to entertain drummers and non-drummers alike.

For further information contact dD Drums on 01324 628202 or check out www.dddrums.co.uk.

Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. In addition to testing the latest music gear, with a particular focus on electronic drums, it's my job to manage the 300+ buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear for them at the best prices. I dabble with guitar, but my main instrument is the drums, which I have been playing for 24 years. I've been a part of the music gear industry for 20 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance music writer, during which time I worked with the world's biggest instrument brands including Roland, Boss, Laney and Natal.